Action Research

Culture in Education
Action Research Project
Juan Antonio Mendez
University of Utah

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Data Collection
In order to collect the right information that can assist in the decision
making process of a students education, its necessary to choose the right
methods for the collection of data. If the wrong method is chosen for the
study, the impact that the results can have does not only affect the accuracy
of the data, but it will make the results invalid as well.
In order to assure that the collection of the data does not get
compromise, I kept a structure and simple quantitative data collection
methods. The first data collection method was a classroom assignment that
would give me information on the students cultures point of view and rules.
The questions gave me information that allowed me to express a measured
result that I can easily demonstrate in a number scale. For example, one of
the questions asked their opinion on American women sociable skills, and if it
was something they would approve. I measure the number of positive and
negative responses to that question with the number of students in the
classroom. After examining the questions and results, it highlighted the need
of exposure to other cultures, not only for the ELL students, but also for the
regular English speaking students.
The first data collection was aim at answering, or at least to try to
answer some of the questions that the observation of this particular school
had provided. For example, why do the females students sit on one side of
the classroom and the male students on the other. It also question why the

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male students do not approve or do not feel comfortable when the females
students answer any question directed to the whole classroom. One of the
major questions is to figure out why it seems to be a division between
English speaking language students and second language learners. This is
where the second data collection was aim, in exposing the English speaking
students to the culture of the second language students, and measure any
change in their opinion and feelings toward a different culture.
The second language students were asked to create a poster where
they would share about their culture and family to the whole class first, and
then to another classroom of their peers. The English speaking students will
fill a questionnaire or survey, with specific question about their feeling on
other students cultures, and then will be ask to view the posters the first
class had created. Once the English speaking students had the opportunity
to see and learn from the culture of some of the students that attend their
same school, they will be asked to answer the same questionnaire or survey,
but this time they will be asked to think about any influence that the
presentations had on their opinions or beliefs. Once the students answer the
survey, the results will be compare to their first survey to find out in there
was any effect. Two graphs next to each other will demonstrate if there was
any difference at all, and if there was, which questions or concerns were
affected the most by this experience.

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The purpose of the research is, first to find out if the exposure to other
cultures in the same classroom had any change on the students opinions and
actions in the classroom. Second, if the exposure to other students cultures
had any effect on English speaking students. And third, a series of interviews
focus on explaining the major themes that came out as a result from the first
two will assist in clarifying or understanding them. The importance of this
research is on assisting the teachers with communication and classroom
management. If the educator understands the culture of the students in this
particular school, it will assist him/her in behavior management strategies
and lesson planning. The information can also provide insights to other
schools that have students from the same demographic as the school from
the study.

Culture is the features of a societys way of life, passed down from generation to
generation through teaching, example, and imitation. In this project you will
research aspects of culture using your family, textbook, and the internet. You will
interview a family member (8 questions about the culture, their experience, coming
to America, etc.), create a poster, and you will present your poster to the class.

Poster Instructions:
- Write your last name in the middle of the poster.
- Write the name for your country and draw or print an example of its flag.

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- Write and explain the type of Government they have. (See Ch. 4)
- Write and explain the type of Economy they have. (See Ch. 4)
- Write the native language spoken in the country.
- Draw or print 5-picture examples of things found in those cultures. Write a 2-3
sentence explanation for each picture.

Examples of culture: language, religion, social groups, government,

economy, history, types of food, music, customs, sports, entertainment,
holidays, art, clothing, etc.

______________________________________________________________________________

Family Heritage Poster Project Rubric

Requirements
Last name in the middle of the poster
w/ picture of family.
Write the native language spoken in
your country.
Draw or cut an example of the flag and
name of your country.
Type of Government and explanation

Points Possible

5
5
5
5

Points Earned

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Type of Economic System and

explanation

Draw or print 5 picture examples of

your culture.

(3 pts each)

15

(4 pts each)

20

Write a short explanation for each

example (1-2 sentences)
Class Presentation

20

Parent Interview

20
Total Points

/100