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Teacher
Initiated Research: Action Research
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Evaluation of instruction within curriculum evaluation
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Evaluation of any curriculum or program is both
inevitable and essential for the well-being and improvement of the program. Instruction is
one of several components of the curriculum that need evaluation. Instruction and
implementation of the curriculum must be evaluated so that teachers and other decision
makers may make the best choices of instructional objectives, modes, and content, teaching
methods, and methods for evaluating outcomes.
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Evaluation of instruction will not only help to
improve the curriculum but also contribute to teacher development, i.e., it helps teachers
improve their teaching. Although there are various means of gathering information about
the actual teaching that takes place, the research carried out by the teachers themselves
is the most practical since it allows teachers to be involved in their own development.
This kind of research called "Action Research," is also known as "teacher
initiated classroom investigation" (Gregory in Richards 1994; Kemmis and McTaggert
1988).
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Action research in the language classroom is a
tool for teacher and curriculum development. It aims to "increase the teacher's
understanding of classroom teaching and learning" (Gregory in Richards 1994; Kemmis
and McTaggert 1982). As both the presenter and the audience, the teachers become receptive
to the results of such research (Beasley and Riordan 1981). In other words, theory and
practice come together in such a study.
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Action research can be defined as a combination
of the terms "action" and "research." Action research puts ideas into
practice for the purpose of self-improvement and increasing knowledge about curriculum,
teaching, and learning. The ultimate result is improvement in what happens in the
classroom and school (Kemmis and McTaggert 1982).
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The main aim of action research is to bring
about change (Richards in Brenner 1993). It is situational or content-based,
collaborative, participatory, and self-evaluative (Cohen and Manion 1980). It is
"problem focused," mainly "concerned with a single case in a specific
situation," and tries to find solutions to the problem in focus. It not only
encourages teachers to compare methods and ideas with a critical eye, and to adopt these
ideas into their teaching environment (Nunan 1988), but engages them in their teaching in
a deeper way (Richards in Brenner 1993). In this way teacher's awareness of theory is also
raised (Ramani 1987).
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Since the main aim of action research is to
improve instruction, it is preferable that classroom teachers be directly involved in this
process. With the growing interest in the learner and learning process, teachers have
become more interested in practical solutions to problems. They have discovered that
action research is best done by the practitioners, namely teachers themselves (Nunan
1988).
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There are different ways of collecting data
about instruction. Teachers can video or audio tape their lessons and transcribe
afterwards. They can also keep journals or detailed diaries for each one of the students
and for what they have been doing, and keep track of what has been done in the classroom.
Carrying out observations and administering surveys and questionnaires are other possible
means of collecting data about the teaching learning process.
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Audio/video taping gives one the opportunity to
record every single detail. Since it is hardly possible to take note of everything
happening in class, using audio/video tapes will enable one to observe many things at one
time. Transcribing the data might seem time consuming at the beginning; however, this load
can be reduced if a colleague is asked to help.
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Keeping journals not only helps the instructor
observe student performance continuously, but gives the opportunity to question one's own
teaching. One can write down one's feelings, reflections, plans, and observations. It is
important that teachers write in their journal regularly.
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It is also possible to keep what is called a
"dialog journal" together with the students. Students can write their feelings,
reflections, and thoughts in their journals, and they can share them with their teachers
through their journals. This way there is a dialog between teachers and students through
which teachers can learn about their students' learning experiences. Teachers can even use
dialog journals to evaluate students' writing, both in terms of content and structure. A
dialog between the researcher and the object of the research (teacher and learner) can
create new possibilities for the learning, growth, and transformation of everything in the
class.
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Teachers might also have a colleague or an
expert observe their classes. If the observee does not feel self- conscious, such
collaborative research helps in the final stage when it is time to make the results public
to the relevant people. In this case, observation sheets and record forms of several kinds
might be useful since they will enable the observer to follow the lesson easily, and in
the same manner help the observee visualize the record in a systematic way (Nunan 1988).
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Surveys and questionnaires are effective ways of
gathering information about affective aspects, such as beliefs, attitudes, motivation, and
preferences.
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Teachers should be trained in ways to collect
and interpret data in the classroom. Examples of such preparation would be successive
workshops with teachers during which they watch previously videotaped lessons and fill in
the standard forms or handouts in groups, or individually, and then analyze data (Ramani
1987). Teachers will need to gain skills in judging the impact of curriculum proposals in
practice and in evaluating practice and performance (Walker 1985).
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Teachers also need to be competent in monitoring
and describing their own and their students' activities and behaviors. They should also
have an understanding of instructional methods and materials as well as their
applications. Finally, it is necessary for teachers to be able to change their behaviors
on the basis of the classroom settings (Hook 1981).
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Procedures for conducting action research
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The key to action research is having a theme to
concentrate on. It can be a general concern, a perceived need, or a problem with a
particular class. For example:
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- Students never seem interested in the topics I choose for conversation classes.
- Students do not seem to make use of revision strategies I have presented.
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The next step is to make these concerns more
tangible so that they can be changed or improved more easily. Examples of specific
questions on the previously stated concerns would be:
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- How can topic choice be negotiated in the classroom?
- Which teaching techniques would prepare students better for using revision strategies in
writing?
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To be able to report any change, teachers need a
record, which will enable them to compare before and after. What specific variables are of
concern, what is the current situation?
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After the problem is identified, it is time to
develop a plan of action to improve on the present situation. There is a need for a
detailed plan informing who is going to do what, when it has to be completed, what the
modifications to the curriculum are, how the revised teaching strategies will be
implemented, etc. At this stage information gathering instruments should be prepared.
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The plan will be implemented at this stage.
However, it is unlikely that one will be able to follow the plan step-by-step. Therefore,
in the light of experience and feedback, some deviations from the plan might be necessary,
provided that these deviations and the reasons for them are recorded.
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This is where the effects of action are observed
and documented in the contexts in which they occur. As mentioned earlier, keeping diaries
or journals will help prepare teachers for this stage. These records will be useful in
reporting the findings to others afterwards.
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The effects that were recorded during the
observations are evaluated to be used later for further planning, subsequent action and so
on. The result will most probably lead to a further cycle of research in order to answer
questions such as, "What are the barriers to change?" and "How can the
changes be improved?"
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The process outlined above will lead teachers to
further professional development-a lifelong process.
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Zeynep
Onel is teacher and Assistant Director at the Preparatory School of English
Language, Baskent University, |
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Return
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- Beasley, B. and L. Riordan. 1981. The classroom teacher as researcher. English in
Australia, 55.
- Brenner, P. 1993. Jack Richards presenting on: Action research at the Third
International English Teacher's Association of Israel Conference, The Hebrew University,
Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, July 11-14, 1993. Newsletter WAESOL (The Washington Association for
the Education of Speakers of Other Languages), 4, pp. 9-10.
- Cohen, L. and L. Manion. 1980. Research methods in education. London: Croom Helm.
- Gregory, R. 1988. Action research in the secondary schools. London: Routledge, Chapman
and Hall.
- Hook, C. 1981. Studying classrooms. Victoria, Australia: Deakin University Press.
- Kemmis, S. and R. McTaggert. 1982. The action research planner. Victoria, Australia:
Deakin University Press.
- Nunan, D. 1988. The learner centered curriculum. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- ---. 1989. Understanding language classrooms. New York: Prentice Hall, Inc.
- ---. 1990. Action research in the language classroom. In Second language teacher
education. eds. J. C. Richards and D. Nunan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Ramani, E. 1987. Theorizing from classroom. ELT Journal, 41,1.
- Richards, J. C. and C. Lockhart. 1994. Reflective teaching in second language
classrooms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Walker, R. 1985. Doing research: A handbook for teachers. London: Methuen.
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