PReSENTATION By Raluca Damian, 2ND Year Maelt

Getting
research
I. What to investigate ?

started__________ started Classroom research

II. WhaT APPROACH to use?

Assessing research
I. How to assess the value ? II.. Which are the standards of value?? value?

I. How to Decide
WHAT TO INVESTIGATE________________

Case 1:
Youre a teacher in training not yet working with a group of learners . Read reports of earlier classroom research & get an idea on how to replicate those that interest you

In doing so you can use:

Research plans Questionnaires Observation instruments from published documents (to conduct your own research)

direct replication is very rarely possible because each project usually learns from earlier mistakes

so they could more appropriately be calledFALLOW UP STUDIES -rather than replications

Case 2:
You have access to a class or youre a teacher with your own classroom you can observe - watching language learners can be a rich source of ideas for investigation. You can look for: interactions that intrigue you puzzling behaviors that may arise patterns or anomalies in currents of classroom discourse

2 opposing points of view on choosing

the topic of investigation:
1. Experimental science theory driven ideas You can decide what to investigate: by placing already existing research and/or theory first decide in advance what to investigate on the basis of predictions generated by theory 2. Ethnographic view data driven ideas You can decide what to investigate by starting from your own observations questions and hypothesis arise from the data that are collected ! The most important thing: To have a specific issue in mind, a particular problem to think about

DATA - first position -the theory comes from data rather than from logic alone -the theory provides a rationale for deciding what to measure or observe goal: to test theories by finding out if the theory correctly predicts what actually happens

THEORY first position it doesnt always lead to directly testable predictions

putting theory first misses the point that theories themselves have to come from somewhere.

II. How to INVESTIGATE

The problem of approach

1. Experimental 2. Naturalistic enquiry 1. Action research 2. Combined

The experimental approach

experiment & intervention
the researcher - high degree of control treatment administered to some subjects
(the experimental group) this treatment is withheld from another group in the study called the control group) tests a hypothesis about a cause and effect relationship

After the treatment has been implemented a test of some sort is usually administered to both groups and the groups and their results are compared From the statistics we can conclude that the treatment either did or did not cause a measurable change in behavior or learning.

the Naturalistic enquiry

observation & naturally occurring events seeing what happens the researcher tries not to intervene in the research setting and does not try to control naturally occurring events. the researcher wants to describe and understand the process rather than to test specific hypothesis about cause and effect relationships.

Action research
intervention and observation Experimental research- intervention, high degree of control over variables Naturalistic enquiry- non-interventionist, non-controlling Action research intervention large degree if exerted control- taking an action and systematically observing what follows.

a form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in order to improve their own social or educational practices, as well as their understanding of these practices and the cases in which these situations are carried out

Action research : a participatory, self-reflective and collaborative approach to research.

The process allows teachers who wish to investigate events in their own classroom to take constructive steps towards solving immediate problems, systematically reflecting on the outcome.
Identify issue

Seek knowledge Change the plan

Goals: achieving local understanding developing viable solutions to problems

Reflect upon observation/ think and discuss

Plan action

Observe the action/watch and listen

Implemen t action

Combined approaches
Measuring + structured + increased +selectivity - intervention Surveys Coding Systematic observation. Experimental + structured + intervention + selectivity + controlled Experiments Quasi experiments

Naturalistic - controlled, - selectivity, - intervention - structured Observation Case study Protocols Stories Diaries

Asking/Doing + controlled , _ selectivity, + intervention , - structured Action research Interviewing Elicitation

II. How to assess the value OF RESEACH?

Reliable? valid?
Generally applicable?

Reliability__________________________
the concern of consistency the research procedures must be consistent - over time and across the variety of people who might use them. Inter observer reliability / inter rater reliability
the consistency with which different researchers in the team use a category system to code or a rating system to evaluate the same set of data. when one than more observer is involved in trying to code or rate the same things - there must be an at least 85% agreement among observers or raters before going ahead with the coding of the data.

Intra - observer reliability

the extent to which a single observer or coder working with the same data, codes or categorizes the data is consistent after a while

validity_______________
the concern for truth In experimental studies: Internal validity
a study has internal validity if the outcomes of the experiment can be directly and unambiguously attributed to the treatment applied to the experimental group rather than the controlled factors. relates to the extent to which the result of an experimental study can be reliable and unambiguously related to the treatment which was implemented.

External validity - generalizability

the researchers want to know if the treatment used in the study will work in other settings. there can be no external validity without internal validity if the findings of an experiment cannot be reliably determined to have been caused by the treatment (if there are problems in measurements, say)

In naturalistic, observational studies: Construct validation

trying to determine through the use of 2 different measurements of the same underlying concept or trait (the construct) that the construct has some psychological reality- in other words that is verifiable and can be capture through various measurement procedures.

Criterion-related validity
some form of measurement (usually an established and accepted instrument or test) is used to measure a trait along with another form (the procedure to be validated) and the latter is judged by how well its results correspond to be measurement derived from the former

Treatment validation
related to process -the researcher tries to document that the treatment was in fact implemented and that it was identifiably different from whatever it was being compared with. closely related to internal validity from experimental research.

generalizability_____________
the concern for applicability The population in our case typical learners (ex: all children acquiring two languages simultaneously or all adult learners attending English classes) The sample the smaller group which is actually studied by the researcher

experiments must look for generalizability since the experimental situation is by definition artificial. we do not just want to know what our students do in artificial situations, we want to know whether their behavior in artificial situations is likely to be repeated in real life.

Generalizability
and the different approaches to classroom research
1. - generalizability
changes for the better in the specific situation being investigated + local solutions to local problems
+

2.
+ generalizability + any changes after treatment Goal- to be able to claim the research results are valid not just for the local situation but for all similar situations.

3. - generalizability + see what happens in the classroom which is itself a potentially unique social context

Q:match the 3 different approaches to research (Experimental, Naturalistic enquiry, Action research) to the numbers and characteristics

Conclusions:
all basic research is aimed at improving our understanding there are alternative viewpoints concerning the sorts understanding we can most usefully seek
When starting to work on a research topic you should : consider whether the topic should be investigated 1. from a theoretically motivation position or 2. by the collection of data first. 1. 2. 3. 4. consider the most appropriate way to investigate the topic An experimental study Naturalistic enquiry Action research Combined approach

of

establish how the issues of 1. Reliability 2. Internal validity 3. Generalizability could best be addressed in your study

Bibliography:
Focus on the language classroom:
an introduction to classroom research for language teachers
By DICK ALLWRIGHT & KATHELEEN m. BAILEY

Start your research!

Thank you!