CONDUCTING ACTION RESEARCH IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM
Northeast Conference 1998
New York, NY
Anna Uhl Chamot Sarah Barnhardt Susan Dirstine Materials Contributor: Jennifer Kevorkian
National Capital Language Resource Center 2011 Eye Street NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20006
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL LANGUAGE RESOURCE CENTER GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY/ THE CENTER FOR APPLIED LINGUISTICS/ THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY NORTHEAST CONFERENCE 1998 CONDUCTING ACTION RESEARCH
Foreign language teachers develop insights into their students’ learning from observing their behavior. Reflective teachers analyze the students’ behaviors, identify potential problems, modify their teaching practices, and evaluate the results. Some ideas succeed;
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Why do some of the students seem to master information much faster? Is my knowledge of multiple intelligences being transferred to my classroom instruction?
Then pick the topic of the question that interests you most.
Examples: learning strategies, portfolio assessment or computer technology in the classroom.
Developing a List of Questions Related to the Topic:
What are some questions you have on this topic? If you have a topic/problem you would like to address, but you are not quite sure what aspect to investigate, coming up with a list of questions is the next step. Why? In order to help narrow your topic/problem statement to a research question. How? Keep a journal. (see Keeping a Research Journal, p. 5)
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Determining Resources:
Do I have the resources I need? This is another phase in defining and refining your research question. Why? Each teacher research is bound by resource; these need to be taken into account before settling on a research topic. Before you choose a research question, be sure you will be able to answer it. Do you have the resources to do so? Does your school have the necessary equipment for data collection? Are there instruments to measure what your research calls for? If not, are you prepared to develop instruments?
How? Check your physical resources, such as audio/video equipment. Do some reading in the current literature if the data collection instruments are available. Ask relevant
Frame a research question/state a hypothesis as to what you will be looking to demonstrate in your work.
I will need to consider the resources I use to ensure they meet the needs of the learners. It will be important to use a wide variety of resources when I am teaching, the main reasons for this is to accommodate different learning styles but also to help learner stimulation and interaction.
Once you have selected your research question, review the materials in the text that can help you get started, and then begin conducting outside research using the online library, the Internet, the Wall Street Journal websites, the Economist, and so forth. From your research, create an annotated bibliography. (An annotated bibliography includes the full reference in APA format and a paragraph explaining the value of the source to your research.) This will help you both in organizing your research, and in generating your reference page at the end of the project.
Data collection methods- the researcher needs to pick how the information for this subject can be collected (observation, questionnaires, interviews) and so forth. Analysis and presentation of findings- the researcher needs to use reports and other information gathering it into one to present the hypothesis. Conclusion- what does the studies say about this topic, this is based on all the information that was gathered together to get the correct conclusion.
With the questions I had I was able to form a research question: What can I
What do you already know about the topic? What is your level of expertise? Spend a moment here jotting down what
The topic chosen for research will indicate the method to be used e.g. voting would involve the
Fromkin, Victoria & Rodman, Robert. An Introduction to Language, 6th edition. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace, 1998
Your Research Question- Give your research question (may be a working question). Give background for your question.
An important issue in my research is how am I going to go about it?
Resources can be found, made and developed in a variety of ways. They also exist in numerous forms such as paper and printed material, newspapers and journals, to media based resources such as videos, images and blogs. Another extremely valuable resource available can be the teacher themselves, or other people such as guest speakers and specialists who can all provide comprehensive, primary evidence which can enhance a learners experience more, for example, than a paper resource.
Choose Your Topic. Some important points should be considered when choosing a topic. Choose a topic that is of a wide interest. Attitude towards the topic may well determine the amount of effort and enthusiasm the researcher puts while doing the research. There should be sufficient information about the topic. If topic is too broad, there can be difficulty of completing the number
Formulating a research question is one of the most important aspects of research itself. There are two
Specification – Edexcel IGCSE in - Exemplar Coursework Edexcel IGCSE EnglishEnglish Language (Specification A) (4EA0) – Issue 1 – September 2008 © Edexcel Limited 2008
Choosing a topic is always the first step of any research process. The statement seems simple, but the chosen topic defines all other stages of the process. In order to choose a topic, one has first to identify a problem whose remedy or eradication calls for research. This is then followed by the development of a research question. The question forms the statement that serves as the research topic. The topic, which is the focus of the study, provides keywords for the next stage of research, that is, the literature review.