[EDLING:500] RE: A CALL TO ACTION RESEARCH

[Tamara Warhol]

Possible references for action research:

Allwright, D. (1997). Standards for Teacher Research: Quality and Sustainability
in Teacher-Research. TESOL Quarterly, 31(2), 368-370.

Cochran-Smith, M. & Lytle, S. L. (1993). Inside/outside: Teacher research and
knowledge.  New York : Teachers College Press.

Crookes, G. (1993). Action Research for Second Language Teachers: Going beyond
Teacher Research. Applied Linguistics, 14(2), 130-144.

Crookes, G., & Chandler, P. M. (2001). Introducing Action Research into the
Education of Postsecondary Foreign Language Teachers. Foreign Language Annals,
34(2), 131-140.

Cumming, A. E. (1994). Alternatives in TESOL Research: Descriptive,
Interpretive, and Ideological Orientations. TESOL Quarterly, 28(4), 673-703.

Dutertre, A. (2000). A Teacher's Investigation of Her Own Teaching. Applied
Language Learning, 11(1), 99-122.

Freeman, D. (1995). Asking "Good" Questions: Perspectives from Qualitative
Research on Practice, Knowledge, and Understanding in Teacher Education. TESOL
Quarterly, 29(3), 581-585.

Freeman, D. (1996). "To Take Them at Their Word": Language Data in the Study of
Teachers' Knowledge. Harvard Educational Review, 66(4), 732-761.

Freeman, D., & Johnson, K. E. (1998). Reconceptualizing the Knowledge-Base of
Language Teacher Education. TESOL Quarterly, 32(3), 397-417.

James, P. (2001). Teachers in action: Tasks for in-service language teacher
education and development Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Thorne, C., & Qiang, W. (1996). Action Research in Language Teacher Education.
ELT Journal, 50(3), 254-262.

Wallace, M. J. (1998). Action research for language teachers.  Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.

Zephir, F. (2000). Focus on Form and Meaning: Perspectives of Developing
Teachers and Action-Based Research. Foreign Language Annals, 33(1), 19-30.

You may also want to check out the journal Teacher Trainer.





Quoting Daryl Gordon <daryl at temple.edu>:

> Dear Tamara,
>
> Thanks for sending this.  Next semester I'm teaching an SLA course in which
> students conduct their own research projects.  I've been thinking of ways to
> encourage them to pose SLA questions which bubble up from their own teaching
> and learning experiences, so this is especially useful.  Do you know of
> other articles which might be helpful to SLA students in this process?  Last
> semester, I had them read Pica 1994, which lists questions from ESL
> teachers.  If you have other ideas for readings which might stimulate their
> development of research questions, that'd be great.  I'll also send this
> request to the listserv and see what others can suggest.
>
> Thanks for sending my question re: AAVE resources to the listserv.  We got
> some helpful suggestions and resources.  Also, apologies again for confusing
> you with Tamara Sniad.  I realized that when I was communicating with you
> about getting the MLA password for their job listings, I thought I was
> emailing with Tamara Sniad!  I wouldn't have been so forward to request this
> from someone I've never met!  Thanks for being so generous. Ah, the
> interesting sociolinguistic situations that technology creates for us, huh?
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Daryl
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-edling at ccat.sas.upenn.edu
> [mailto:owner-edling at ccat.sas.upenn.edu] On Behalf Of Tamara Warhol
> Sent: Friday, December 17, 2004 4:28 PM
> To: edling at ccat.sas.upenn.edu
> Subject: [EDLING:493] A CALL TO ACTION RESEARCH
>
> A CALL TO ACTION RESEARCH
>
> By Patricia K. Freitag
>
> Do you wonder why some students use effective learning strategies while
> others
> are frustrated when learning in a second language? Are you curious about
> what
> makes some activities particularly effective in your classroom or why some
> well-planned lessons fail to produce the results you intended? Are you
> trying
> something new that you would like to evaluate? Action research is one way to
> answer your questions.
>
> "When a teacher consciously identifies a problem, formulates an approach to
> its
> solution, collects data in at least a somewhat formal sense, and verbalizes
> some
> conclusions, the process constitutes classroom action research."
> (Kochendorfer,
> 1997)
>
> Action research is a systematic process of inquiry that helps teachers to
> understand more about the teaching and learning process, reflect on the
> effectiveness of their work, explore the underlying principles of practice,
> and
> make informed instructional decisions. Like other forms of research, action
> research uses specific data collection techniques to gather feedback.
>
> Reflection on student portfolios or assessment responses can provide a
> wealth of
> insight and feedback regarding student learning strategies. In other cases,
> questionnaires or diagnostic interviews can be used to access student
> attitudes,
> thinking, and prior knowledge. The most important thing is to collect
> evidence
> that will answer your question. These data can also help you share your
> results
> with others and perhaps persuade them to take action as well.
>
> Many teachers have used action research successfully to resolve their own
> questions of practice. Teachers have investigated student learning
> strategies,
> changes due to portfolio assessment, student attitudes, and the effective
> use of
> technology for language learning.
>
> A variety of data sources can be used to inform instructional decisions,
> evaluate curriculum, or investigate student learning strategies. Classroom
> assignments can be used or adapted to provide data relevant to your research
> questions. Simply by administering the same assignment under different
> conditions, i.e. using a computer versus a paper and pencil format, student
> work
> can reveal differences in teaching strategies. Of course you have to be fair
> -
> avoid bias and be open to the possibility that the results will surprise
> you.
> Students can complete short questionnaires or even write short evaluation
> statements that reveal their attitudes or strategies for problem solving.
> Older
> students can write journal responses. All students can participate in
> portfolio
> and performance assessments to measure changes over time or achievement
> outcomes.
>
> Some teacher researchers choose to work on very small projects at first.
> Perhaps
> investigating a single student or cooperative learning group to find out
> what
> they already know about a topic. Finding out what students really think
> "before"
> they start learning can be fascinating. Often we are surprised to find out
> how
> much they already know! Finding out can change what we choose to teach, how
> much
> emphasis we place on each topic, and how to pace our instruction.
> Qualitative
> data such as interviews, think-aloud protocols, and anecdotes can be used to
> answer questions about what students know and how they think.
> As teacher/researchers share their data and interpretations with others
> connections are made and new theories are generated. Teacher researchers are
> energized by their work and look forward to their classes when each meeting
> is
> an opportunity to collect data, solve problems, and share their results.
>
> Some quick tips for conducting your own research:
>
>     * Make a time line and outline the steps of your study.
>     * Integrate data collection into classroom activities.
>     * Record and organize your data along the way.
>     * Plan time to reflect on your data, draw conclusions, and share your
> results.
>
> Start with a question that captures your own interest, read what others
> think
> about the problem or issue and PLAN TO TAKE ACTION!
>
> --
> Tamara Warhol
> PhD Student
> Graduate School of Education
> University of Pennsylvania
> Philadelphia, PA
> warholt at dolphin.upenn.edu
>


--
Tamara Warhol
PhD Student
Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
warholt at dolphin.upenn.edu