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Classroom-Based Action Research

Classroom-Based Action Research. Dorothy Chun UC Santa Barbara. Action Research. Why do it? To be able to say with greater certainty, beyond anecdotal evidence, that your efforts are having an effect (hopefully positive!). To conduct formative and summative evaluation. Lessons Learned 1.

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Classroom-Based Action Research

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  1. Classroom-BasedAction Research Dorothy Chun UC Santa Barbara

  2. Action Research • Why do it? • To be able to say with greater certainty, beyond anecdotal evidence, that your efforts are having an effect (hopefully positive!). • To conduct formative and summative evaluation.

  3. Lessons Learned 1 • Today’s presentation is framed in terms of my experience with 2 research projects: • ICE (UCSB-Uni Kassel, Germany) based on Cultura • Chin 332 project w/ Stephen & David • Both began w/o research questions.

  4. Lessons Learned 2 • 1st round: ICE added to curriculum so only online questionnaires and forums • In writing a chapter for Teaching with Technology we discovered that students were missing a lot of subtle differences • E-mail exchanges vs. forums

  5. Lessons Learned 3 • 2nd round: different partner group with unequal numbers • Small forum groups with 6/group • Students reported back to the class: mismatch between what they said in forums and in class • Analysis of classroom discourse using Byram’s ICC disappointing

  6. Lessons Learned 4 • 3rd round: different format (ABC) due to partner’s request • Teacher-chosen topics did not work as well as student-chosen topics

  7. Basic Questions • 1. What would you like your students to learn from the cafés? • 2. What kinds of evidence would show that they have learned it? • 3. How can you find or obtain this kind of evidence?

  8. Start with Your Goals • What are the 3-4 most important things you want your students to learn from this exchange? • Take a moment to write them down. • How will you define success?

  9. Goals/Needs of Your Students • Build a community • Intercultural exchange (including business culture) • Linguistic community • Affective: Sense of solidarity • Linguistic: Cohesion in the discourse

  10. Linguistic Improvement • Expanded vocabulary • Grammar practice • Additional chances to use the L2 • Language variation • Authentic language in the real world, beyond the textbooks

  11. Intercultural Understanding 1 • How others think • How others act/behave in social contexts • How things work in daily life in the other’s culture • Openness, awareness, curiosity about other culture

  12. Intercultural Understanding 2 • Examine cultural assumptions about the other culture • Local adaptation of the other culture • Reflect on your own culture • Grapple with identity issues

  13. Different Types of Research • Qualitative vs. Quantitative • Qualitative: • Often, but not always longitudinal, descriptive, e.g., pedagogical best practices • Quantitative: • Often, but not always cross-sectional, “treatment” studies

  14. Specific Examples: Qualitative • Teacher journals: record successes as well as frustrations (e.g., use the facilitator forums as data) • Questionnaires: ask students what they thought they learned, how they liked the project

  15. Specific Examples: Quantitative • Data analysis: examine actual “data” produced by the students, e.g., in the forums • Learning outcomes: linguistic progress, intercultural competence

  16. Research Methodology 1 • Be specific about the outcomes you are most interested in (and do not try to solve the world’s problems!). • Different methods are needed for different goals/questions. • Collect data systematically.

  17. Research Methodology 2 • Collect as much demographic data as possible: • Age • Gender • First language (L1) • L2 exposure • Extent of language use (L1 and L2) • Contexts of language use (family, school, work)

  18. Research Methodology 3 • Think about all of the other variables that could affect learning outcomes (level, prior knowledge, motivation, time on task, etc.). • Try to find a way to ensure that these other variables are kept the same or are noted.

  19. Research Methodology 4 • It’s better to have more data than you think you need than less (save everything!). • Combine qualitative + quantitative: Study learning outcomes in addition to students’ perceptions about what they thought they learned or their attitudes towards the cafés.

  20. Formative Evaluation • During the project, by keeping good records, including recording communication between both sides, you can identify what works and what doesn’t. • You can then change/improve your strategies

  21. Successful Tasks/Activities • Experiment with sequencing • Experiment with prompts and instructions • Compare online vs. offline tasks • Compare use of different media • Compare use of different online tools

  22. Usefulness of Media • For what specific purpose are each of the following used for? • Is the use of the medium effective for your goal? • Text • Graphics • Video • Audio

  23. Usefulness of Tech Tools • For what specific purpose are each of the following used for? • Is the use of the tool effective for your goal? • BRIX activities • Wikis • Skype, videoconferencing

  24. Different Teacher Role • Which types of teacher behavior are successful? • Where (in which activities), when (at what point in the activity), how often (whenever there is a “lull”?) should teacher participate?

  25. What to look for/observe 1 • Look at forums to see whether: • Students address each other • Students address the teacher • Students respond to others’ postings (cohesion) • Students use different types of speech acts (state opinions, inquire, apologize, request clarification, discuss)

  26. What to look for/observe 2 • Look at forums to see if/whether: • Students only state their opinions • Students only talk about L2 and C2 • Students reflect on their L1 and C1 • Students express awareness of similarities and differences between C1 and C2 • Students express understanding of C2

  27. What to look for/observe 3 • Look at data to see how • Students demonstrate understanding of the other culture • Students’ attitudes, perceptions, interactions have changed over the course of the exchange (note that it’s not always easy to know whether anything has changed)

  28. What to look for/observe 4 • Look at data to see • How knowledge is co-constructed and what it looks like • What causes interaction • Whether students speculate and hypothesize (rather than just make statements or ask questions)

  29. Summary & Conclusions 1 • Action research can be done in the classroom and with the online cafés. • You do not have to do a rigorous experiment with treatment groups (and statistical analyses).

  30. Summary & Conclusions 2 • You do need to have specific research questions (targeted outcomes). • You do want to try and control for as many other contributing variables as possible.

  31. Summary & Conclusions 3 • Doing action research can help both in formative evaluation (seeing what works and what doesn’t during the project) and in summative evaluation (seeing whether the original learning goals have been met at the end of the project).

  32. The End – all pau • Have fun with your impressive and exciting projects! • Mahalo nui loa

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