Writing Your Writing Your Research Research Questions: Questions:

A look into a possibly changing A look into a possibly changing futurefuture

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

Guide now and will guide your inquiryGuide now and will guide your inquiry May change as your understanding of the May change as your understanding of the

topic changes topic changes May change as you analyze your dataMay change as you analyze your data

Focus your RQs on:Focus your RQs on:

Exploring impactExploring impact Deep understandingDeep understanding Gathering Gathering

participants’ participants’ perceptionsperceptions

OpennessOpenness

Not provingNot proving Not measuringNot measuring Not strong Not strong

hypotheseshypotheses

Examples of Problematic Examples of Problematic RQs:RQs:

What is the best way to teach ELLs oral What is the best way to teach ELLs oral skills?skills?

(This question requires extensive research of studies already done. (This question requires extensive research of studies already done. Population? Context?)Population? Context?)

What can we do to teach English to What can we do to teach English to students effectively?students effectively?

(This question can be addressed in Implications for Instruction. (This question can be addressed in Implications for Instruction. Context? Population?)Context? Population?)

Examples of Effective Examples of Effective RQsRQs

What are the characteristics of oral English What are the characteristics of oral English language instruction provided to 10language instruction provided to 10 thth-grade -grade ELLs at a public school?ELLs at a public school?

(This question requires thick description and may provide a range of (This question requires thick description and may provide a range of findings)findings)

What is the impact of explicit writing-strategy What is the impact of explicit writing-strategy instruction for a group of 5instruction for a group of 5 thth-grade public -grade public school ELLs ?school ELLs ?

(This question implies that the project includes an instructional (This question implies that the project includes an instructional design, and that the researchers will examine the students’ design, and that the researchers will examine the students’ response to the lessons)response to the lessons)

What kind of knowledge and understanding does What kind of knowledge and understanding does it take to design English instruction that targets it take to design English instruction that targets public school 4public school 4thth-graders’ learning styles?-graders’ learning styles?

(This question inquires for a reflection from the (This question inquires for a reflection from the researchers around their instructional design)researchers around their instructional design)

What characterizes the instructional contexts What characterizes the instructional contexts where students respond positively/negatively to where students respond positively/negatively to the English instruction? the English instruction?

(This question requires description of contexts (This question requires description of contexts where instruction occurs and the attention to the where instruction occurs and the attention to the students reactions to the instruction)students reactions to the instruction)