Fostering Curriculum Development through
Action Research
Laura ShierCurriculum Development Specialist
Leslie SiebertClassroom Practitioner
Portland State University – Portland, OR
Workshop Overview
Discussion of making changes Problem solve in small groups
our problem; brainstorm possible solutions; discuss resistors
Discuss the benefits of collaborative action research as a framework for facilitating change
Detail how we re-imagined our curriculum using collaborative action research
Brainstorm the design and implementation of action research projects in small groups
Debrief
Re-imagining Curriculum
“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.”
~W. Edwards Deming
“Any change, even a change for the better, is accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.”
~Arnold Bennett
Our Program and Our Problem
Our Program:university ESL programskill-based with six levelsdoubled in size in four years
Our Problem: Some students were not demonstrating knowledge of
target grammar Teachers were worried about students being promoted in
writing without having the grammar skills Teachers felt unclear about to what extent they should hold
Ss accountable for grammar in non-grammar classes
Small Group Work
What ideas do you have about how to solve our problem?
What kinds of resistors might you expect to encounter?
Our Problem: Students were not passing grammar class but passing
writing class Teachers were worried about students being promoted in
writing without having the grammar skills Teachers felt unclear about to what extent they should hold
Ss accountable for grammar in non-grammar classes
Your Ideas
Our Solution
Combine grammar and writing classes…
How?
Resistors to Change
Too hasty Time -need to research it (but who has time?) Exclusion Permanence of change – what if it’s a mistake? Loss of identity
“If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change. If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change.”
~John A. Simone, Sr.
The Action Research Process
Problem-focused Practice-based Reflective in a
structured way Practical in its
outcome Cyclical and
interrelated
Identify Problems/Issues
Ask Questions
ACTION RESEARCH
Collect andInterpret Data
Reflect
Act on Evidence
Collaborative Action Research
encourages instructors and administrators to share common problems and to work cooperatively as a research community
utilizes group-problem solving and harnesses collective pressure as a means to open up policies and practices
collaborative action is empowering and offers a strong framework for program-wide change
Managing Change and Collaborative Action Research Intersect
Managing Change
Focus on the problem
Allow for transitions
Implement change collaboratively
Collaborative Action Research
Identify problems Ask questions Observe and collect
data Reflect and analyze
Make changes and/or adjust the questions for further
research
Collaborative Action Research Fosters Change by:
Focusing on the problem Being inclusive Allowing for greater time in transition Change needn’t be permanent Providing time for major resistors to
redefine/refocus identities
Steps in a Collaborative Action Research Project Identify the Problem
What area are we going to investigate? Why are we engaging in this action research? What is the precise question we are going to ask ourselves within that area? What is the likely outcome of the research, as we intend it?
Gather Data What techniques will we use?
Interpret Data How will we analyze and identify important elements or themes?
Act on Evidence How will we feed back into practice what we interpret and develop? How will we know when the research cycle is finished?
Evaluate Results Will we be able to determine if improvement has occurred? If improvement has occurred, do the data clearly provide the supporting
evidence?
Identifying the Problem: What are we going to investigate?
Grammar and writing classes Initially Beginning through Intermediate levels
“If you want to truly understand something, try to change it.”
~Kurt Lewin
Identifying the Problem: Why are we engaging in this action research?
To improve students’ accuracy of grammar in writing. This includes production of grammatical and syntactical elements appropriate to the task and level of language.
To recognize if the grammar focused on in each level is appropriate to the students’ level of language production, and whether production of the structures is important at that level or the knowledge of it is important at that level for later production.
Identifying the Problem: What is the precise question we are going to ask ourselves within that area?
Will combining grammar and writing courses into an 8-hour class improve students’ production of grammar structures appropriate to the level and writing task?
“After you've done a thing the same way for two years, look it over carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. And after ten years, throw it away and start all over.”
~Alfred Edward Perlman, New York Times
Identifying the Problem: What is the likely outcome of the research as we intend it?
Combining grammar and writing courses will result in better alignment of the curriculum objectives for these courses, resulting in more effective pedagogy, resulting in more accuracy in students’ writing and use of grammar.
How we Conducted the Research
Combine grammar and writing courses into an 8-hour course taught by one instructor Phase One: Fall term – all level E grammar and
writing courses would be combined; Phase Two: Winter term – all level E and 2
grammar and writing courses would be combined; Phase Three: Spring Term – all level E, 2, and 3
grammar and writing courses would be combined.
Resources Needed to Conduct the Research
Instructors Students Applied Linguistics – MA TESOL Students and
Professors? Classroom labs for recording .17 release time (money) estimated at:
Phase One (level E)– 3 instructors x .17 FTE =. 5 FTE Phase Two (level 2) – 4 instructors x .17 FTE = .66 FTE Phase Three level 3)– 5 instructors x .17 FTE = .83 FTE
Gathering Data: Our Techniques
Audio and visual recordings (in our lab school)
Audio journals after each recorded class
Written diaries/journals (these were regular dated accounts of activities / events, feelings, reflections, etc.)
Weekly meeting discussions
Surveys (mostly attitudinal responses)
Documents Students’ written work
(scanned to accompany the visual recording)
Lesson plans Classroom materials
Interpreting the Data: Things to Keep in Mind
Through systematic observing and reflecting: patterns or themes emerge from the data statements about the meaning or impact of those
patterns can be made more informed applications of practice are
discovered*Keep in mind that action research is reflexive (it’s
okay to go back and forth)
Refocusing/Fine-Tuning: As we proceed with the research, do we suppose we will have to rethink our original question?
Yes.
Address the issue of aligning the curriculum for production of grammar versus introduction of grammar points
Setting up a Collaborative Action Research Project
Purpose (Why are we engaging in this action research?) Topic (What area are we going to investigate?) Focus (What is the precise question we are going to ask
ourselves within that area?) Product (What is the likely outcome of the research, as we
intend it?) Mode (How are we going to conduct the research?) Resources (What are the resources, both human and material,
that we can call upon to help complete the research?) Refocusing/Fine-tuning (As we proceed with the research, do
we suppose we will have to rethink our original question?)
Taken from Action Research for Language Teachers by Michael J. Wallace, Cambridge University Press
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