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Analysis of the Problems in Language Teachers’ Action Research

Canadian Center of Science and Education
International Education Studies
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In-service language teachers’ professional development is a crucial factor that influences the teaching and learning effectiveness. Educational action research is considered by many researchers and scholars as an effective way or approach for language teachers’ professional development. This article reports a case study of in-service English language teachers doing action research within a collaborative action research project. The focus of the case study is upon investigating the problems and difficulties that English language teachers encounter in doing action research and some solutions to the problems are provided. This research sheds light on the practice and application of educational action research.
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International Education Studies; Vol. 10, No. 11; 2017
ISSN 1913-9020 E-ISSN 1913-9039
Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education
123
Analysis of the Problems in Language Teachers’ Action Research
Ligang Han1
1 English Department, North China Electric Power University, Baoding, Hebei, China
Correspondence: Ligang Han, English Department, North China Electric Power University, Baoding, Hebei,
China. E-mail: liganghan@163.com
Received: August 25, 2017 Accepted: September 30, 2017 Online Published: October 28, 2017
doi:10.5539/ies.v10n11p123 URL: https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v10n11p123
Abstract
In-service language teachers’ professional development is a crucial factor that influences the teaching and
learning effectiveness. Educational action research is considered by many researchers and scholars as an
effective way or approach for language teachers’ professional development. This article reports a case study of
in-service English language teachers doing action research within a collaborative action research project. The
focus of the case study is upon investigating the problems and difficulties that English language teachers
encounter in doing action research and some solutions to the problems are provided. This research sheds light on
the practice and application of educational action research.
Keywords: action research, language teacher development, problems
1. Introduction
It is believed that the modern action research in educational contexts can be traced back in the work of John
Dewey (Burns, 2005). American social-psychologist, Kurt Lewin, is often credited with coining the term action
research around 1934 (Mills, 2007). Action research provides a bridge that links theory and teaching practice.
Many researchers and scholars (e.g., Han, 2012; McNiff & Whitehead, 2010; Mertler, 2009; Mills, 2007;
Wallace, 1998; Wang, 2002; Wang & Zhang, 2012) consider action research as an effective approach or way for
language teachers’ professional development. However, many in-service English language teachers have not
recognized the effectiveness of fulfilling their professional development through action research.
In the present study, a collaborative action research project which acts as an exploration of the theory into
practice, has been conducted between the university teacher researchers and in-service senior high school
English language teachers in a metropolitan district in Beijing, China. The university teacher researchers act as
guide, supporter, helper, and research assistants to the senior high school English language teachers.
During the one year and a half period, a variety of activities and sessions have been designed and organized to
ensure the smooth movement of the project. The overall guideline for organizing the activities is based on the
discovery, analysis of the problems that language teachers might encounter during the process. The sessions
include lectures, seminars, workshops, and group discussions. Research data, gathered from questionnaires,
interviews, reflection journals and so on are analyzed during the course.
Based on the recognition of the problems and difficulties, measures have been taken to guide, support, and help
language teachers to continue and fulfill their action research journey. In the present paper, some main problems
faced by the English language teachers are analyzed and possible solutions are also provided, which may shed
light on the practice and application of educational action research in reality.
2. Brief Review of Action Research
The discussion of action research entails the argument of different definitions initiated and proposed by scholars
and researchers. In this part, some representative definitions of action research are reviewed and explicated.
According to Mills (2007, p. 5), action research is “any systematic inquiry conducted by teacher researchers,
principals, school counselors, or other stakeholders in the teaching/learning environment to gather information
about how their particular schools operate, how they teach, and how well their students learn”. Mills (2007)
further asserts that this information is gathered with the goals of “gaining insight, developing reflective practice,
effecting positive changes in the school environment (and on educational practices in general), and improving
student outcomes and the lives of those involved”.
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124
Creswell (2008, pp. 609-612) described action research as “a dynamic, flexible process that involves the
following steps: Determining if action research is the best design to use; Identifying a problem to study; Locating
resources to help address the problem; Identifying necessary information; Implementing the data collection;
Analyzing the data; Developing a plan for action, and Implementing the plan and reflect”.
Burns (1999) argues that action research is an approach which involves “a self-reflective, systematic and critical
approach to enquiry by participants who are at the same time members of the research community”.
Kemmis and Taggart (1982, p. 5) regard action research as “a form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by
participants in social (including educational) situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of: (a) their
own social or educational practices; (b) their understanding of these practices; (c) the situations (and institutions)
in which these practices are carried out”. This definition is widely and commonly accepted by scholars and
researchers.
Based on the different definitions discussed above, it is noted that the main characteristics of action research
include “self-reflective, action-based, context specific, empirical, participatory, collaborative and aiming for
change and improvement” (Wang, 2002).
As a matter of fact, there are many literatures on the definitions of action research and practices of promoting
language teacher development through action research approach. However, the empirical research on the
problems that language teachers encounter is scarce.
3. The Action Research Project
This part explains the research background of the action research project and the present case study, which
includes the form of the action research project and the information about the case study.
3.1 The Action Research Project Form
The action research project follows a collaborative action research form (Wang & Zhang, 2012). There are 17
teacher researchers, including six university teacher educators, eight PhD and three MA students from the
Research Center for Foreign Language Education and Teacher Education in a key normal university in Beijing,
China. The participants of the collaborative action research project consisted of 45 in-service English language
teachers from 12 senior high schools in a district in Beijing. The 45 senior high school English language teachers
were divided into subgroups according to the principle that teachers from the same school stayed as much as
possible in the same group. Each group of the participants of the action research project consisted of two to nine
members on average, and each group was allocated with one or two university teacher researchers to work with
(Wang & Zhang, 2012).
As a teacher researcher, I was responsible for one subgroup of the action research project that consisted of four
English language teachers at the beginning of the project. They were all female English language teachers with
several years of teaching experience respectively. Three of them were teaching Grade Two, and one was teaching
Grade One in a senior high school in Beijing, China.
3.2 The Case Study within the Collaborative Action Research Project
Besides assisting the English language teachers to complete their action research project, a case study was
carried out to find out the problems and difficulties that English language teachers would encounter at the
different stages of the action research process. Most important of all, what can teacher researchers do to help and
assist the in-service English language teachers to solve these problems?
Therefore, the research questions for the case study are as following.
1) What problems and difficulties will the English language teachers encounter while doing action research?
2) How to address and help English language teachers to solve these problems?
The case study ran for 18 months just as the collaborative action research project. To answer the two research
questions of the case study, relevant research data were collected.
The research data were mainly qualitative, including interviews, observation notes, reflection journals of the
participants and reflection journals/notes of the researcher. The qualitative data were transcribed, sorted,
organized, and analyzed according to “content analysis” and “thematic analysis” (Patton, 2002).
Following Patton’s (2002) “content analysis” and “thematic analysis” method, firstly, different forms of research
data were carefully sorted and coded and then categorized based on the research questions. Secondly, the
frequency of each code was counted to identify distinctive and prominent themes. Thirdly, cross-data analysis
was conducted. As a result, the themes emerged from the data have no predetermined theoretical assumptions
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ies.ccsenet.org International Education Studies Vol. 10, No. 11; 2017
126
Table 1. Major characteristics of basic, applied and action research (Burns, 2005, p. 61)
Research
type
Philosophical
assumptions Purpose Main methods Outcomes Criteria for judgment
Basic
Universal truths
generalisable across
time and apace are
achieved through
scientific enquiry
To establish
relationships among
phenomena, test
theory and generate
new knowledge
Quantitative approaches,
hypothesis testing, control
of variables, rigorous
sampling
Development of
theory
Objectivity, verification
of theory, generalisablity,
rigor and reliability of
research methods,
published through
refereed, scholarly
journals
Applied
Societal phenomena
can be scientifically
studied and
understood
To generate
understanding of
human behavior and
problems for the
purpose of
intervention
Qualitative and
quantitative approaches,
data collection directed
towards ensuring
reliability and validity
Development of
generalisable
theoretical
knowledge that can
be applied to the
social situation
Objectivity, rigor and
scientific insights for
application to social
situations, published
through specialized,
refereed, applied journals
Action
research
People within social
situations can solve
problems through
self-study and
intervention
To develop solutions
to problems
identified within
ones’ own social
environment
Mainly qualitative,
interpretative, cases
studied reflectively
through cyclical
observational and
non-observational means
Action to effect
change and
improvement, and
deeper
understanding in
one’s own social
situation
Subjectivity, feasibility,
trustworthiness, and
resonance or research
outcomes with those in
the same or similar social
situation
Besides the lecture, some books and journal articles on action research were recommended to the participants of
the action research project.
From the interview with the two teachers in the case study group, it is learned that they had a clear idea and
understanding about action research through attending the lecture organized by university teacher researchers
and reading relevant books and journal articles on action research.
4.3 Participants’ Lack of Competence to Define Research Questions to Start the Action Research
One aim of educational action research is to facilitate the professional development of reflective teachers. This
can be exercised by asking the English language teachers to reflect on their daily teaching practice. Thus the first
step in action research is to locate an educational problem and narrow it down to an operable extent.
English language teachers came up with all sorts of questions out of their perceptions of their classroom teaching.
For instance, how to arouse students’ interest in memorizing new English words and phrases? How to improve
students’ English listening comprehension ability? How to develop students’ English reading and writing ability?
However, these questions were too broad and general.
The teacher researchers asked the English language teachers to think of how to narrow down the general
questions and define the research questions for their individual action research. And what kind of action plan to
take to address the respective research questions?
With the help and assistance of the teacher researchers, the English language teachers could gradually narrow
down their research questions and design an action research plan.
4.4 Participants’ Lack of Competence to Analyze the Research Data
As Burns (2005, p. 62) points out that one of the major goals of action research is to “acquaint teachers with
research skills and to enhance their knowledge of conducting research”.
The fourth problem that English language teachers were confused about was the technical issues in the research
strategies. It involves what research strategies and instruments could best suit the research questions, and how to
analyze the quantitative and qualitative data collected during the action research process.
The research assistants facilitated the English language teachers by probing more into the research questions that
the English language teachers were interested in their action research. Similarly, the two participants in the case
study were given advice and suggestions on what research instruments that was conducive to address their
research questions.
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127
The English language teachers were overwhelmed with the research data collected at the different stages of
action research. For example, quantitative data gathered via questionnaires, and qualitative data such as
interview transcripts, reflection journals and classroom observation notes.
I scaffolded the two participants after they collected research data for their action research on how to analyze the
quantitative data and qualitative data. Moreover, I also recommended some softwares and books on research
methods to the two participants.
4.5 Solutions to the Problems in Language Teachers’ Action Research
As discussed above, various measures have been taken to clarify and tackle the misunderstandings, confusion,
difficulties and problems that English language teachers had and encountered at different stages of the action
research process.
The inner motives and needs analysis should be recognized at the initial stage of the project. Concerning the
issue of lack of competence, collaboration was formed between university teacher researchers and in-service
English language teachers.
A series of lectures, seminars, workshops were organized and delivered to help English language teachers at the
different stages of the action research process. Teacher researchers also assisted English language teachers in
their data collecting and analyzing stage.
In addition, English language teachers also need understanding and support from their family and institutions.
Administration of the institutions should create conducive environment and context for the teachers’ professional
development through action research.
5. Conclusion
In brief, the major findings of the case study within the action research project are as following. Firstly, English
language teachers have the need and desire to improve their teaching practice and realize their professional
development through doing action research. However, some English language teachers have heavy workload,
family pressure, and other reasons that force them to quit action research. As all of the senior high school
teachers in China face the pressure to help their students to succeed in the National Entrance Examination for
Universities, they have much teaching work to do, thus they simply cannot have extra time and energy to work
on something “off their trade”.
Administration of institution and schools should learn of the needs and desire of the in-service English language
teachers for professional development, help them ease the burden, create supportive environment for their
development.
Secondly, many English language teachers lack of competence to locate a teaching problem and define research
questions to initiate. This situation can be changed and improved by attending some research seminars and
workshops that facilitate the development of research competence.
Thirdly, English language teachers lack of research competence to analyze the research data. Similar to what has
been discussed above, language teachers can read some books on research methods, and enhance their research
competence through practice gradually.
As a matter of fact, the collaborative action research project between the university teacher researchers and
in-service English language teachers has been very successful. Many participants in the collaborative action
research project expressed their joy, happiness, and fulfillment in their reflection journals upon completing the
“journey” (Wang & Zhang, 2012).
During the action research project, the teacher researchers act more as scaffolding in guiding, counseling and
supporting the English language teachers during the whole process. The measures and practice undertaken to
solve the problems that English language teachers are confronted with in doing action research shall enrich the
development of the action research theory.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by “the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities” (Grant NO.
13QN54).
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... Several studies point out that the lack of conceptual knowledge to define research questions, analyze and report research data, search for literatures, and write technical reports constrain teachers to do research (Morales et al., 2016;Han, 2017;de Borja, 2018). Unfortunately, these challenges also thrive in this province despite the yearly conduct of enhancement workshops and other allied professional development programs to enhance teachers' knowledge and skills to conduct AR. ...
... When asked which knowledge she needed the most, her response highlighted her incompetence to narrow down a problem into a researchable question, a finding consistent with the report of Burns'. Han (2017) explained that teachers' struggle to identify and systematically define the research problem or questions root in the complexity of educational problems. Further, developing an idea for a problem requires them to do series of observations, reflections, and brainstorming. ...
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Challenges in Conducting Action Research: Experiences from Biology Teachers of a Province in Mindanao, Philippines. Objectives: This study aimed to explore biology teachers' experiences from a province in Mindanao regarding their challenges while engaging in action research. Methods: It employed a multiple case studies method that involved detailed examination and in-depth analysis of primary and secondary data collected from questionnaires, in-depth individual interviews, and other relevant artifacts from the participants. Findings: Teacher's major challenges in action research (AR) are reported as themes, namely: negative perceptions and attitudes, lack of conceptual knowledge and unresponsive nature to critiques, lack of time and resources, and mistrust of colleagues' research capacity. Conclusion: The professional development programs these teachers previously attended did not upgrade their skills in AR because of the following reasons: rolled out in a short period, episodic, had minimal scaffolding and monitoring, and lack evaluation of teachers' AR projects after the training programs. Abstrak: Tantangan Melakukan Penelitian Tindakan: Pengalaman Guru Biologi di Mindanao, Filipina. Tujuan: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi pengalaman guru biologi dari sebuah provinsi di Mindanao mengenai tantangan mereka saat terlibat dalam penelitian tindakan. Metode: Metode studi kasus berganda yang melibatkan pemeriksaan detil dan analisis mendalam dari data primer dan sekunder yang diperoleh dari kuesioner, wawancara individu yang mendalam, dan hasil karya yang relevan dari para peserta. Temuan: Tantangan utama guru dalam penelitian tindakan yaitu: persepsi dan sikap negatif, kurangnya pengetahuan konseptual dan sifat tidak responsif terhadap kritik, kurangnya waktu dan sumber daya, dan ketidakpercayaan terhadap kapasitas penelitian rekan kerja. Kesimpulan: Program pengembangan profesi yang sebelumnya diikuti oleh guru-guru ini tidak meningkatkan keterampilan mereka dalam melaksanakan penelitian tindakan karena alasan berikut: diluncurkan dalam waktu singkat, episodik, minimnya scaffolding dan pemantauan, dan kurangnya evaluasi proyek penelitian tindakan guru setelah program pelatihan. Kata kunci: penelitian tindakan, guru biologi, tantangan, pengembangan profesi.
... In the education of a qualified teacher, it is essential to identify the challenges that pre-service teachers encounter in the foreign language they learn and to facilitate these difficulties as much as possible. Addressing the challenges pre-service teachers face in speaking and listening skills can provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing future pre-service teachers (Han, 2017). By identifying the challenges that prevent pre-service teachers from improving their Arabic listening and speaking skills, this study can help provide information on strategies for providing and maintaining high-quality language education. ...
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This study aims to identify the challenges encountered by pre-service teachers studying in the Arabic language teaching Program in developing their listening and speaking skills and to investigate whether there is a significant relationship between the challenges pre-service teachers encounter in their listening and speaking skills by using correlation analysis. It employs a mixed-method research design, using content analysis to identify challenges and correlation analysis to examine the relationship between the challenges faced in these two language skills. The qualitative findings indicate that pre-service teachers encounter difficulties in various aspects, including vocabulary and semantics, the structure of language, emotional factors, and teaching methodologies. As for the quantitative analysis, a significant correlation is found between listening and speaking skills challenges, suggesting a reciprocal relationship between these skills. The study emphasizes the importance of addressing emotional barriers, effective teaching methodologies, and course materials to foster holistic language development. The study has implications for pre-service teacher education, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions and ongoing professional development for teacher educators to educate pre-service teachers effectively. Additionally, suggestions for the Arabic Language Teaching curriculum are included. Anahtar Sözcükler: Dinleme Konuşma Öğretmen adayı Öğretmen eğitimi Öğretmen Adaylarının Dinleme ve Konuşma Becerilerinde Karşılaştıkları Zorluklar Arasındaki İlişki Özet: Bu çalışmanın amacı, öğretmen adaylarının Arapça Öğretim Programında dinleme ve konuşma becerilerini geliştirmede karşılaştıkları zorlukları tespit etmek ve bu zorluklar arasında anlamlı bir ilişki olup olmadığını korelasyon analizi ile araştırmaktır. Bu çalışmada, zorlukları belirlemek için içerik analizi ve bu iki dil becerisinde karşılaşılan zorluklar arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemek için korelasyon analizi kullanılarak nicel bir araştırma tasarımı kullanılmıştır. Nicel analiz, dinleme ve konuşma becerilerinde karşılaşılan zorluklar arasında anlamlı bir korelasyon olduğunu göstermekte ve bu beceriler arasında karşılıklı bir ilişki olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma, bütünsel dil gelişimini teşvik etmek için duygusal engellerin aşılmasının, etkili öğretim yöntemlerinin ve ders materyallerinin önemini vurgulamaktadır. Ayrıca, öğretmen adaylarını etkili bir şekilde eğitmek için öğretmen eğitimcilerine yönelik hedeflenmiş müdahalelere ve sürekli mesleki gelişime duyulan ihtiyacı vurgulayarak hizmet öncesi öğretmen eğitimi için çıkarımlarda bulunmaktadır. Çalışma, ayrıca, Arapça öğretimi müfredatına yönelik öneriler de sunmaktadır. To Cite This Article: Güngenci, M. M., & Yıldız, M. (2024). Challenges in listening and speaking Skills for Arabic language pre-service teachers: A correlational study.
... Volumes of examples of teacher AR began to appear in the 1990s (e.g., Burns & Hood, 1995;Edge, 2001;Tinker Sachs, 2002) and continue to do so (e.g., . Other early trends, still attracting attention, concerned documenting benefits for teachers of conducting AR and barriers that might impede them (e.g., Gebhard, 2005;Han, 2017;Rainey, 2000;Thorne & Qiang, 1996). Other publications have focused on the impact on teachers' practices. ...
... Teachers expressed that action research had a positive impact on their professional development in various aspects. Han (2017) indicated that in-service language teachers' professional development is a crucial factor that influences teaching and learning effectiveness. Educational action research is considered by many researchers and scholars as an effective way or approach to language teachers' professional development. ...
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The study aimed to come up with a model of action research skills for teachers. the study used the descriptive survey method, as well as the questionnaire tool. The study showed that the appropriate action research skills for teachers are determined by the following model: 1-Problem identification skill 2-Information gathering and hypothesis formulation skill 3-Conducting action research skill 4-Report writing skill. The study recommended making use of the action research list and designing educational and training programs for teachers with the aim of developing these skills for their education and intensifying the study of action research in teacher preparation programs.
... Penelitian ini menggunakan penelitian tindakan kelas dengan model Kemmis dan Taggart (1998) yang terdiri dari empat tahap penelitian mulai dari perencanaan, pelaksanaan, pengamatan, dan refleksi. Penelitian tindakan kelas digunakan sesuai dengan tujuan penerapan metode inkuiri sebagai bagian dari strategi untuk menciptakan pembelajaran yang efisien dan efektif dalam situasi alamiah (Han, 2017;Jacobs, 2018;Laudonia dkk., 2018;Staron, 2020 (Febrita & Suryana, 2013;Sardinah dkk., 2012). Oleh karena itu, dalam penelitian ini pengukuran sikap ilmiah dapat dilakukan melalui beberapa indikator sikap yang dikembangkan pada setiap dimensinya (Fiteriani & Baharudin, 2018). ...
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Preliminary studies indicate that the scientific attitude of students in one of the elementary schools in science learning is still relatively low, especially in carrying out science learning tasks. Based on this condition, this study aims to determine the scientific attitude of students in learning through the application of the inquiry method. The research was carried out in the Rada State Elementary Schools, Bima Regency for the fourth grade of 27 students. The research method used was classroom action research with two cycles consisting of planning, implementation, observation, and reflection stages. Research data were collected through test and observation techniques. The results showed that the inquiry method was very appropriate to be applied to science learning in grade IV to improve scientific attitudes. The scientific attitude includes curiosity, cooperation, not despair, not presumption, introspection, and responsibility. The results also show an increase in students' scientific attitudes in learning science so that they can make a positive contribution to science learning that needs to be applied sustainably in elementary schools. Studi pendahuluan menunjukkan bahwa sikap ilmiah siswa di salah satu sekolah dasar dalam pembelajaran sains masih tergolong rendah khususnya dalam pengerjaan tugas pembelajaran sains. Berpijak dari kondisi ini, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui sikap ilmiah siswa dalam pembelajaran melalui penerapan metode inkuiri. Penelitian dilaksanakan di SD Negeri Rada, Kabupaten Bima untuk kelas IV sejumlah 27 siswa. Metode penelitian menggunakan penelitian tindakan kelas dengan dua siklus yang terdiri dari tahap perencanaan, pelaksanaan, observasi, dan refleksi. Data penelitian dikumpulkan melalui teknik tes dan observasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa metode inkuiri sangat tepat diterapkan pada pembelajaran sains di kelas IV untuk meningkatkan sikap ilmiah. Sikap ilmiah tersebut meliputi rasa ingin tahu, kerjasama, tidak putus asa, tidak buruk sangka, mawas diri, dan bertanggung jawab. Hasil penelitian juga menunjukkan terjadinya peningkatan sikap ilmiah siswa dalam pembelajaran sains sehingga dapat memberikan kontribusi positif terhadap pembelajaran sains yang perlu diterapkan secara berkelanjutan di sekolah dasar.
... I established a desire to see this difference in students while teaching from textbooks and from other resources. English teachers have a real need and desire to bring improvement in their teaching practice through action research (Han, 2017). As I also kept an intention to improve my way of teaching through action research, I developed an action plan and implemented the Action Plan in order to view students' engagement in tasks with only textbooks and beyond textbooks. ...
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This paper explores the meaningfulness of going beyond textbooks in the English classroom. It aims at exploring the limitations of a textbook as well as the relevance of going beyond textbooks along with learners’ achievements which covers the wide range of the academic pursuit through meaningful action of going beyond textbooks. Further, the paper gives the scenario of how I identified the problem, developed the action plan and implemented those plans in the English class. The research has been guided by the Frierian notion of freedom of practice and engagement theory, where engagement implies an effort that one puts attempt to achieve goals and encourages learners for pleasurable participation, which has been presented in this research by bringing the real classroom scenario. The fear of freedom while keeping them bound to the textbook and the practice of freedom while taking them beyond the textbook has been revealed through action research with the intervention of action plans that were developed such as engaging students in newspaper-related activities, watching movies, and doing collaborative work where students learned the English language with much enjoyment going beyond the textbook. Overall, the developed paper is anticipated to the transformative potential of the ‘beyond textbooks’ concept and to extend the mindfulness upon the curriculum designers and teachers who can think of including activities beyond textbooks in English curriculum and classroom activities, respectively.
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The study aimed to find out the difficulties that primary-stage teachers face in designing and implementing procedural research and to identify differences according to the variables of the study (sex, educational qualification, and years of experience). To achieve the aim of the study, the researchers adopted the analytical descriptive approach. The study sample consisted of (203) primary-stage teachers in the northern governorates of Palestine. The study tool (questionnaire) was randomly distributed to the study sample. The results of the study showed that the arithmetic means of the estimates of the study sample as a whole was (3.64), with an average rating, and the field of "academic difficulties" ranked first, with an arithmetic mean of (3.75), and a high level, while the field of "personal difficulties" came in the last rank, with an arithmetic average. reached (3.14), an average level, the results of the study also showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the primary stage teachers’ estimates of the difficulties they faced in designing and implementing procedural research due to the variables (sex, educational qualification), and the presence of statistically significant differences on the variable (years of experience) and the differences appeared in favor of a category (from 5-less than 10 years), and a category (15 years or more), based on the results, the study recommended reducing the quorum of the primary stage teacher and his teaching burden, providing him with material and moral incentives, encouraging teachers to carry out procedural research through defining the distinguished ones, working on publishing them in specialized scientific journals, presenting them in conferences and seminars, and preparing training programs for primary stage teachers’ to design and implement procedural research.
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Teaching English as a Foreign Language has been the subject of inquiry over the years. How to develop effective teaching methods? How to improve teaching quality? What materials to use? How to integrate technology for a better teaching of the FL? and many more questions are frequently posed about ways of teaching, instructional means, the learners, etc rather than the teacher. Teachers are the main agents in this TEFL enterprise and not much has been done to investigate their route towards professional development especially in FL contexts. This paper suggests the implementation of action research as a design for teachers to become researchers in their own classrooms. It is an urgent need for FL teachers to undertake an inquiry stance to become producers of research results in their own contexts rather than just consumers of what other researchers find. Thus, this paper introduces action research, justifies the need for its implementation in FL settings and provides some models of this design to be used by teachers for the improvement of teacher education and their practices in the EFL classroom.
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Over the past few decades, the pursuit of teachers-as-researchers has become an ideal for developing teacher autonomy to which many in the world of curriculum development and language teacher education try to promote (Benson, 2001). Nevertheless, research into how teachers learn to do research has been scarce, and there are pressing needs for research-based accounts of how teachers gain their professional autonomy through research (Borg, 2009). This article reports on a collaborative action research project carried out by a group of university researchers with a group of senior secondary school English teachers in an attempt to promote teacher autonomy in the Chinese context. It first introduces the background and rationale for the project. Then it describes the project along with the research questions and data collection methods. Based on the analysis of the data obtained, the article looks into the processes that teachers go through in learning to do research and examines the impact the project has on the participating teachers. Then it further discusses issues related to such collaboration and concludes with the conditions that are essential for effective university–school collaborations.
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Action research is a relatively recent phenomenon in the field of English language teaching, having emerged in the literature predominantly since the late 1980s. In this article, I discuss the antecedents, definitions, processes, and purposes of action research in the field of English language teaching. Action research is also considered in relation to more established notions of basic and applied research. The current scope and nature of action research studies found in the literature are then analysed. The article concludes with a consideration of some of the challenges to the status of action research as a research methodology and the issues that will need to be addressed if action research by language teachers is to be sustainable.
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This hands-on, practical guide for ESL/EFL teachers and teacher educators outlines, for those who are new to doing action research, what it is and how it works. Straightforward and reader friendly, it introduces the concepts and offers a step-by-step guide to going through an action research process, including illustrations drawn widely from international contexts. Specifically, the text addresses: Action research and how it differs from other forms of research. The steps involved in developing an action research project. Ways of developing a research focus. Methods of data collection. Approaches to data analysis. Making sense of action research for further classroom action. Each chapter includes a variety of pedagogical activities: Pre-Reading questions ask readers to consider what they already know about the topic. Reflection Points invite readers to think about/discuss what they have read. Action points ask readers to carry out action-research tasks based on what they have read. Classroom Voices illustrate aspects of action research from teachers internationally. Summary Points provide a synopsis of the main points in the chapter. Bringing the 'how-to' and the 'what' together, Doing Action Research in English Language Teaching is the perfect text for BATESOL and MATESOL courses in which action research is the focus or a required component.
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The clear and practical writing of Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Researchhas made this book a favorite. In precise step-by-step language the book helps you learn how to conduct, read, and evaluate research studies. Key changes include: expanded coverage of ethics and new research articles.
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This book gives practical guidance on doing an action research project. Written for practitioners across professions who are studying on work-based learning programmes and award-bearing courses, this book is packed full of useful advice and takes the reader through the various stages of a project, including: Starting your action research project. Monitoring and documenting the action. Techniques for dealing with the data. Making claims to knowledge and validating them. Legitimating your research. Making your research public. Creating your living educational theory. The book's practical approach will appeal to practitioners and will encourage them to try out new strategies for improving their work. It will also be essential reading for those resource managers in schools, colleges and higher education institutions who are responsible for providing courses and support. This third edition of the best-selling book has been thoroughly updated and improved by a number of features, with new case studies from a wide range of disciplines, extracts from validated dissertations and theses (with information on how to access more examples via the Internet), points for reflection, checklists of reflective questions, and up-to the-minute information on current debates and ideas.