The article is devoted to the English language teaching problem and to find one of the ways of solving it. Action research is one of the fruitful ways to achieve the needed result. The goal of action research is to investigate a self-selected issue in your own classroom to effect positive changes in your teaching and in your students' learning. In this way, the action research gives the opportunity to extend existing professional development experiences to meet your individual needs and the needs of your students. The method of the action research was started to use in the middle of the last century. It can be used in all spheres of the life: education, medicine, architecture, management etc. The difference between academic and action research is that action research is a dynamic type. During the action research you can change the topic of your research. In your research you have to pay attention to the stakeholders’ opinions.
As usual we, teachers always look for professional development opportunities that can help them to make a difference in their practice, connect to their lives as teachers, and ultimately improve learning and instruction in their own classroom. But how can we do this, particularly given the time pressures and other demands of teaching?
The answer was given by my advisers in the Netherlands. It is to conduct action research. The goal of action research is to investigate a self-selected issue in your own classroom to effect positive changes in your teaching and in your students' learning. In this way, you have the opportunity to extend existing professional development experiences to meet your individual needs and the needs of your students.(3)
During the course of this workshop, you will have the opportunity to design one action research project of your choosing across any of the workshop session topics. If you are taking this workshop for credit, you may be required to complete an action research project. Check with your facilitator or credit-granting institution for more information.
Goal: to share the gained knowledge during the internship in the Netherlands with colleagues in the Republic of Kazakhstan
- Introduction
o The purpose of this presentation is to share knowledge, skills and techniques of using Action Research teaching and learning approach.
o Traditionally we teach our students by using the ‘cramming method’. In which the purpose of education is to impart knowledge to learners.
o Currently the teaching method of Action research helps to investigate topics of teaching, to develop curriculum and students behavior in the classroom.
- 2. Objectives of the workshop o By the end of this presentation, teachers should be able to;
- Know the types of action research ;
- Learn the ways of conducting of action research;
- Explain how best different methods can be used in a lesson
- What is Action research?
Action research aims at investigating a self-selected issue in your own classroom to effect positive changes in your teaching and in your students’ learning.(1) In this way, you have the opportunity to extend existing professional development experiences to meet your individual needs and the needs of your students. During the course of this workshop you will have the opportunity to design one action research project of your choosing across any of any workshop session topics.
The types of action research:
There are many more types of action research: individual action research, collaborative action research, and university-wide action research.
Individual action research is working independently on a project; collaborative action research means work of a group of researchers working together to explore a problem that might be present beyond study groups, perhaps at the departmental level or an entire grade level.(2)
University-wide action research generally focuses on issues present throughout an entire university or across the district. Teams of staff members would work together using university-wide action research. As you can see, action research can be used in many educational settings.(4)
Ways of Action Research: Step 1: Identify the Problem Thinking:
- What do you investigate? Describe…
- Why is it important to you?
- What question will help you to investigate this issue to understand better? Acting:
- What is your plan?
- What is your information will you need to collect your answer?
- Reflecting how you will organize and review it to help you answer your How can you use these data to share it with others?
- Rethinking:
How will you rethink your teaching practices based on your research data?
Practical part (individual action research)
- How can I ….? ( each participant writes her or his own problem question) How can I….
- motivate my students?
- use activating ways of teaching?
- find out what I can learn about …?
- improve my teaching skills?
- improve the communication with my colleagues…?
2. Critical friends:
Questions of participants to the person who has a problem, giving a problem definition after the questioning ( I think the problem of ….. is ….), giving suggestions by the critical friends (all participants), to send questions to consult with stakeholders (colleagues, students, head of chair, departments, faculties), studying theoretical materials about the problem questions
3. Analyzing the data
- What is the story told by these data?
- Why did the story play itself out this way?
4. Planning how to implement? Summary of the workshop
- Action research is a practical way for individuals to explore the nature of their practice and to improve it;
- Action research encourages practitioners to become knowledge-makers, rather than merely knowledge-users;
- Action research uses action as a means of research; planned change is implemented, monitored and analyzed;
- Action research proceeds in an action-reflection cycle or
- The process can be messy; as research proceeds, wider links are likely to be identified;
- Action research is carried out by individuals, but these individuals may work collaboratively;
- Action researchers may use a variety of research methods, both qualitative and quantitative;
- Action researchers must ensure triangulation in their
- Tamara Knowledge development secondary school L1 teachers on concept-context rich education in an actionresearch setting. 2009.
- Workshop ‘Education and Profession’ Henk Frencken, ICLON, Graduate School of Teaching, Leiden University, the Netherlands, This English version 2009 & 2012.
- By Maureen Action research in education. S Waters Adams, Faculty of education, University of Plymouth. 2006.
- Linda Nilson. Teaching at its best. (A Research Based Resource for College Instructors). 3rdedition. 2010.
- Bardo-Brawn. The action research endeavors of six classroom teachers and their perceptions of action 1995.