ACTION RESEARCH IN THEESL ENVIRONMENT
FACULTY & GRADUATE SCHOLARS DAY 2005Dr. Dorothy Valcarcel Craig Ms. Kathryn Boudreau Patten
Ms. Johnna Paraiso Torok Ms. Brandi Nunnery
RATIONALE
• To continue to improve the skills involved in reflective practice
• To assist in making progress in the education arena in order to better serve students
• To build the professional culture that enables success
• Determining Overarching Themes
– What do you want to find out?
• Subjects– Who will be involved?
• Fieldwork– How will you gain
access?• Structure
– What is the best structure to engage and observe?
• Data– What types of data will
enable understanding?
DESIGNING A PTOJECT/STUDY
HOW TO BEGIN…The Data Log – Pre-Project Chart
Problems Questions Concerns
Subjects Involved
Data Sources
Collection Timeline
Reflections Ideas
Emerging Patterns
SEE page 16 – ESL Practicum Field Journal
• What significant aspect of my theory am I relatively uncertain about?
• What do I need to know more about?
• Design at least three questions that will become the overarching theme of the Action Research Project
• Record these on the Triangulation Matrix
DESIGNING RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Data Collection – Complete the Triangulation Matrix by noting the
type of data that will be collected in order to answer the questions you designed.
– Remember – Multiple Forms of Data are needed
• Analyze the Data – After collecting the data, carefully examine the
sources.
– What patterns do you see?
– What patterns emerged?
CONDUCTING THE STUDY
• Reporting the Findings and Offering Suggestions for Improving Practice
– Components• Introduction/Focus of the Study• Review of Literature• Subjects• Data Sources and Schedule of Data Collection• Findings/Conclusions – Suggestions for Improving
Practice • References
REPORTING FINDINGS
• 42 Teachers who were participants of the ESL Enterprise Project
• 39 Regular Education
• 3 ESL Teachers
• All teacher researchers served second language learners
THE RESEARCHERS
ACTION RESEARCH PROJECTS
• Technology Use & ESL Students
• Effects of Cursive Writing on SLA
• Peer and Cross-Age Tutoring
• Bridging the Gap Between Families and School
• Room Organization & ESL Instruction
• Comparison of Two Language Arts Programs
• Social Adjustment and the Middle School ESL Learner
• Group Configurations and Interaction
• Improving Communication Between Spanish-Speaking Families
ACTION RESEARCH PROJECTS
ESL Students in the Middle GradesChallenges, Socialization, and Adolescence
Ms. Johnna Paraiso Torok
ESL Teacher, Rutherford County Schools
Graduate Student, MTSU
The SubjectsThe Subjects / ESL Middle School Students
Student Native Country Native Language Home Language
Female China Chinese English & Chinese
Female Egypt Arabic English
Female El Salvador Spanish English & Spanish
Female Mexico Spanish Spanish
Female Mexico Spanish Spanish
Female Mexico Spanish Spanish
Female Mexico Spanish Spanish & English
Male Columbia Spanish Spanish
Male Columbia Spanish English & Spanish
Male El Salvador Spanish Spanish
Male El Salvador Spanish English & Spanish
Male Mexico Spanish English & Spanish
Male Mexico Spanish Spanish
Male Mexico Spanish Spanish
Male Mexico Spanish English & Spanish
Male Puerto Rico Spanish English & Spanish
Male Venezuela Spanish Spanish
Male Venezuela Spanish English & Spanish
Triangulation MatrixOverarching
Question
Data Set #1 Data Set #2 Data Set #3
How does the pressure of middle
school socialization affect second
language learning?
Researcher Field Notes
Open-Ended Interview Response Student Instrument
Journal Responses
Given the challenges of middle school,
what types of “social outlets” do ESL students seek?
Open-Ended Response to “Gang
Questions”
Informal Discussion Sessions
Researcher Field Notes
Journal Responses
What strategies can ESL teachers utilize to
ease the burden of socialization?
Interview Response
SRO, Support Staff, and Teacher Instrument
Researcher Field Notes
Open-Ended Student Essays
Open Ended Survey Instrument – Student Interviews
What country did you come to the United States from?What languages do you speak?What language does your family speak at home?What language do you speak at home?What country do most of your friends come from?Do you feel comfortable with friends who have the same background as
you?Do you feel comfortable with all students?Have you ever felt like someone did not like you because of where you
are from?Who are the people you most want to look like?Who are the people you most want to be like?Do you know of any gangs here in Tennessee?Do you know anyone in a gang?Does your family go to church or temple?Do you go? If so, do you like to go?Do you belong to a social group for people with similar backgrounds?Do you like to go to social group meetings and do you have friends there?Is it easy to make friends? Why, why not?What are your friends like?Do you miss those you left behind?Write a little about how you feel about friends from the United States.
An American StoryStudent Responses to Open-Ended Interview
American boys said, “Stupid Puerto Rican” to me.
I hate it when they call me a “beaner” – it makes me feel bad.
When somebody says they don’t like me because I speak Spanish I don’t care. I try to like everyone…
When I came from China I didn’t understand the language and kids didn’t like me.
Many people at this school talk bad about the Mexican people.
Some girls in the 8th grade said that I was stupid; that I don’t speak good.
People think that I came illegally and that I don’t belong here.
Findings
Students are preoccupied with making and keeping friends.
The process of socialization becomes more complex due to the added stress of learning a second language and having to deal with assimilation.
Seeking acceptance, many second language learners are drawn to ethnic gangs—where—within the fold they can be among others from similar backgrounds and cultures.
Second language learners have conflicting views and perceptions regarding their aspirations and role models. Findings indicate that although the students involved in the study aspired to be most like family members, the reality of living in the U.S. steers them away from the “true self” to role models in entertainment and sports.
Friendships are difficult to establish due to differences in language, culture, and customs. New friends are “just friends,” however; old friends remain a part of the “true self.”
Learning and Literacy:An Examination of Language Arts
Programs for ESL Kindergarten Students
Ms. Brandi Nunnery
ESL Teacher, Rutherford County Schools
Graduate Student, MTSU
Triangulation MatrixOverarching
QuestionData Set #1 Data Set #2 Data Set #3
Which language arts programs would best suit second language
learners who becoming literate in
L1 while learning L2?
Researcher Field Notes
Recordings of Observations and
Interacitons
Observations of Varied Seating and
Group Configurations
Techer Assessment and Evaluation
What strategies would need to be
incorporated with the selected programs?
Researcher Field Notes
Pre-Test Post-Test
Which programs will prove to be most
successful in improving
letter/sound recognition,
vocabulary, and speaking skills?
Analysis of Programs and Data Collected
from Field Testing
Pre-Test Post-Test
The Workshop Way Components
Activity Brief Description Rationale
Communication with a Smile Directed question and answer sessions involving a variety of interactions between teacher
and student; student and student.
All students involvedDignity maintainedPromotes speakingAllows students to work in an
“atmosphere of mental safety”
Power Step Strategies involve listening activities, rhyming, letter
recognition, naming, beginning phonics.
Empower students with specific “learning power”
Student involvement
Living One’s Own Knowledge
Interactions between student and teacher with strong
emphasis on application, letter recognition, word
recognition, and verbalization.
Student involvementPromotes power and ownership of
learning
New Lesson Focus 1 – Difference Questioning
Focus 2 – Public SpeakingFocus 3 – New Bits of
Knowledge
Encourages risk taking and speakingEngages students in public speakingProvides consistency in new learning
Risk Activities Application of skills in new learning situations
Independent application as well as interactivity
The Shurley Method Components
Component Description
Student Activity Pad Collection of prepared activities that students use to practice and test growing knowledge and skills
Handwriting Booklet Instructions and practice exercises with focus on writing letters.
Alphabet Resource Packet Collection of teacher aids to help teach alphabet recognition, letter/sound
association, and sequencing of letters. Components include: a) Wall Cards, b)
Animal Sound Cards, c) Letter Cards, d) Animal Sound Poems, and e) Picture
Pack
Teacher’s Manual The heart of the program, the teacher’s manual begins with the planning box
which contains daily lessons and teaching objectives. The manual
provides a “blueprint” for teaching.
Findings
Workshop Way and Shurley Method strategies and instruction yielded similar results. However, the WW proved to yield greater gains in all areas of focus.
Students were able to master all letters with the exception of the letters, x, y, and z—both upper and lower case.
Most students mastered letter sounds with the exception of x, y, and z. Students experienced similar gains.
Students who worked with the WW indicated a higher degree of gains in auditory perception.
Students working with the WW showed more gains in the areas of listening and thinking skills.