Let’s do Action Research ! Ideas in Motion for our Integrated English Course Paul Kawachi FRSA...

Let’s do Action Research ! Ideas in Motion for our Integrated English Course

Paul Kawachi FRSA

[email protected]

OU of China, 24 July 2010

Why do action research ?

What is action research ?

How to do action research ?

( and if time . . . topics for action research )

overview


What is it ? and why me ?surely others who have time and interestcan do this. And they can tell me the result.or I can read about it when I get time.

It’s easier to read what I need to knowthan bother about doing the research myself.Anyway, I‘m not good at research !

‘Action Research’ is personalabout your own feelings in your own classroom

‘Action Research’ is not difficultindeed it is easy, and saves you time( the idea is to save you time and energy and stress )

it helps you work more intelligently … not harder !

okay . . . so What exactly is ‘Action Research’ ?and When will I have time to do it ?

You want to make your job easier,and more enjoyable, and fun

You want to make your job easier,and more enjoyable, and fun

for your students too.And you want them to get higher gradesmore easily, rather than having to work harder

You already are working hard to help your college and studentsget better and better every year . . .

and you yourself get better at teaching with practice, experience and studying . . .



so you are already doing ‘Action Research’



so you are already doing ‘Action Research’but maybe you still want to make things easierand you want others to respect your hard work !

‘Action Research’is only about your own classroom( face-to-face or online )

it is not only about solving classroom problemsit is about coping


it is not only about solving classroom problemsit is about coping well


it is not only about solving classroom problemsit is about coping welland improving your styles in small waysto become more and more efficientand professional

being professional

professional means to

- systematically question one’s own teaching - acquire the skills to study one’s own teaching - test out theory in practice- allow other teachers to observe one’s work and - discuss it with them on an open basis

Stenhouse 1975 p.144

the motivations to do Action Research :

vocational academic personal social


vocational extrinsic : intrinsic :academic personal social


vocational extrinsic : qualifying for a better job intrinsic : get skills for own future desiresacademic extrinsic : get more knowledge intrinsic : pursue own study interestspersonal extrinsic : show capability to others intrinsic : desire for self improvementsocial extrinsic : outside activities intrinsic : lifelong learning Kawachi 2002

“ it is not enough that teachers’ work should be studied : they need to study it themselves ”

Rudduck & Hopkins 1985 p.93

before looking at what is ‘Action Research’

let’s look at more reasons given by some othersfor why ‘Action Research’ will help us . . .

Why do Action Research ?

- to adhere to principles of good teaching- to update strategies and increase flexibility- to serve the increasing diversity of students and our students’ modern needs - to provide leadership models to students and society- to improve the quality of our students’ learning- to compete against rival colleges- to broaden open access for more students- to develop now and save $ money in the future

Collis 1998, Pajo 2001, Farrell 2002

maybe you can add a lot more reasonswhy you want to resolve classroom difficulties and help your students learn better


e.g.

We have to keep up with new internet technology


e.g.

We have to keep up with new internet technologyOur students must learn new things which we ourselves never learnt before

now let’s look at What is action research ?


action research is a small area,


action research is a small area,essentially private,


action research is a small area,essentially private, personally meaningful . . .


action research is a small area,essentially private, personally meaningful . . . a constructive systematic way to resolve our own worries,to serve our own curiosity, to take control of uncontrolled happenings


is one kind of research . . .


is one kind of research . . .you need to know some basics about research


is one kind of research . . .you need to know some basics about researcheg there are two kinds quantitative qualitative


is one kind of research . . .you need to know some basics about researcheg there are two kinds quantitative objective qualitative subjective


is one kind of research . . .you need to know some basics about researcheg there are two kinds quantitative objective tests a known theory qualitative subjective describes a situation

quantitative

objective from a theory = deductivecountsunframed, unlimited

qualitative

subjectivecreates theory = inductivedescribesframed, limited

quantitative

objective from a theory = deductivecountsunframed, unlimited

qualitative

subjectivecreates theory = inductivedescribesframed, limited

action research


is one kind of research . . .you need to know some basics about researcheg there are two kinds quantitative objective tests a known theory qualitative subjective describes a situation


qualitative subjective very personal


qualitative subjective very personal describes only our own classroom



interprets events



interprets events responsive to social actions



interprets events responsive to social actions discovers new concepts



interprets events responsive to social actions discovers new concepts reveals practice



interprets events responsive to social actions discovers new concepts reveals practice increases understanding

now let’s look atHow to do action research ?


Step-by-Step


Step-by-Step ( and in small safe steps )


Step-by-Stepreflect and improve one aspect of current course


Step-by-Stepreflect and improve one aspect of current course ( and only one )


Step-by-Stepreflect and improve one aspect of current course ( and only one aspect at a time )



- make the lessons more flexible- more-engage our studentsget students more-focused on interactions- more-finely tune our teaching



- make the lessons more flexible- more-engage our studentsget students more-focused on interactions- more-finely tune our teaching ( = adapt closer to students’ needs )

okay . . .so what topics should I look at ?


any topic is fine ( but only one small aspect at a time )


e.g.what homework will my students want to do ?



ask them



ask them, how long they have, what kinds ofthings they enjoy doing, what points do they want to improve most



Design a simple survey



Design a simple surveywith closed and open questions



Design a simple surveywith closed and open questionsand ask another teacher too, find if she has same interest, and her students ?


e.g.what homework will my students want to do ?e.g.what page do my students like best in this chapter ?


e.g.what homework will my students want to do ?e.g.what page do my students like best in this chapter why ?


e.g.what homework will my students want to do ?e.g.what page do my students like best in this chapter why, who likes which page, why ?

action research means helping yourself to work less and achieve more

summary


for yourself

summary


for yourself and for your students

summary



your students now

summary



your students now, and for your students next year !

summary

Action Research should be fun, rewarding, and worthwhile

try chatting with a colleague about your own lesson or about his or her lesson together you will enjoy learning

summary

for our further discussion :

http://OpenTeacher.blogspot.com

QQ 60338304 : Open Teachgoogle group : Open-Teachemail : [email protected]

You can download these slides freely from

http://www.open-ed.net/actionresearch.ppt

or by email to me at

[email protected]

Let’s do Action Research ! Ideas in Motion for our Integrated English Course Paul Kawachi FRSA...

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