Why EFL Action Research Matters

2nd Bell Staff ConferenceBell Cambridge

1st December 2012

Why EFL Action Research Matters

Richard Smith, University of Warwick

What are your images of ‘research’?

What are your images and / or experiences of ‘action research’?

1Why EFL research matters

2The value of action

research

3Fpr ‘sustainable’

action research

Why EFL research matters1

Images of research

What do you associate with the word ‘research’?

Images of research

Images of research

Images of research

Definitions of research

Research is ...

‘the organized, systematic search for answers to the questions we ask’ (Hatch and Lazaraton 1991: 1)

‘a process of inquiry consisting of three [...] components: (1) a question, problem, or hypothesis, (2) data, (3) analysis and interpretation of data’ (Nunan 1992)

‘systematic enquiry made public’ (Stenhouse 1975)

Definitions of research

For the purposes of this project,

we defined ‘research’ as:

“Original investigation undertaken in order to gain knowledge and understanding’

Definitions of research

‘ELT research’ =

“Any research whose data and/or findings relate directly to the teaching, learning or assessment of English as a Foreign, Second or Additional Language.”

Some data about (UK ELT) research (2005-10)

Types of item included in the Directory

• journal articles• chapters in edited books• papers in conference proceedings• authored books• ‘unpublished’ but electronically accessible items• doctoral theses supervised within the institution

in question• externally funded research projects

Institutional bases of UK ELT research

2005-10: 1,756 entries (from 66 contributing ‘units’)

9 units account for over half of total entries

Topic areas of UK ELT research

Descriptors with 100+ entries (2009-10):• English language (199) • Assessment (175)• Methodology (130)• Teacher education (119)• Cultural issues (113)• Writing (103)

... and ESOL/EAL?

Location of UK ELT research / Learners’ country of origin

Top 4 for country of research (2005-10): UK 338, ‘various’ 130, China 33, Hungary 28

Top 4 for learners’ country of origin (2005-10):‘various’ 337, China 64, Germany 17, Hungary 17

Institutional focus of UK ELT research

no. of entries (2005-10)tertiary 352adult 139secondary 85primary 71pre-primary 2

(Smith and Knagg 2012)

Reasons for ELT research

“Research-based knowledge provides a principled basis for understanding language teaching and learning, and making decisions about policies, plans, and actions.

Research has the potential to help English language teaching professionals improve the processes, outcomes and conditions for language teaching, learning and assessment.”

(www.tesol.org)

Reasons for ELT research

“[Research] also can help the profession address urgent social and political issues around the world, improve the materials used for second language teaching in schools, institutions and workplaces, as well as clarify debates and debunk myths regarding second language acquisition.

A strong commitment to research as a means of improving professional knowledge is vital to the field of teaching of English to speakers of other languages.”

(www.tesol.org)

Benefits for teachers of enagaging with research

Where would we be without research?

Possibly ...

- no communicative language teaching- Teachers even more the victims of fashion, or

of tradition- etc.

Benefits for teachers of enagaging with research

• allows teachers to reflect on and review their teaching• keeps teachers fresh• allows teachers to question assumptions about language

learning/teaching• helps teachers understand the reasons for their practices• makes teachers more informed practitioners

(Bullock 2012)

? Is ELT research

accessible enough – to ELT practitioners?

Types of item included in the Directory

• journal articles• chapters in edited books• papers in conference proceedings• authored books• ‘unpublished’ but electronically accessible items• doctoral theses supervised within the institution

in question• externally funded research projects

DIRECTORY – HOW TO USE

Limitations of institutional / country focus of UK (& US) ELT research

Not contributing to ‘appropriate methodology[Shift to qualitative approaches is clearDysfunctions of the theory-practice divide

Barriers to teachers engagng with research

• sheer volume is daunting• ambiguous results• often too much jargon and statistics - difficult to understand• too theoretical and unhelpful or irrelevant• researchers not writing for practitioners• research which imposes models on teaching• subscriptions and costs

(Bullock 2012)

from ‘Silence on Europe is deafening’ (THES 22/11/12)

“Publishing an article in a journal that only a few co-specialists might ever read is valued far more highly than the ability to help the public understand the challenges of the day. . . Furthermore, as often as not researchers are focused on the narrow at the expense of the broad, writing in arcane language that places much academic work beyond the reach of the uninitiated. And many are too focused on developing and debating theories to be concerned with how they might be tested in practice. The result: scholars spend most of their time speaking only to themselves.” (McCormick 2012: 21)

2 The value of action

research

? And is it relevant enough

to their concerns?

Images of research

What do you associate with the term ‘action research’?

Action research …

• is a form of practitioner research• involves small-scale interventions• involves an iterative cycle of planning,

acting, observing and reflecting• can involve the collection of various data

types

Action research: process

1. Planning [an improvement]2. Action [implementing the improvement]3. Observation [evaluating effects – with data]4. Reflection [interpreting what occurred]

The process is often iterative (after 4., go ‘back’ to 1.), and ‘messy’ (not exactly ‘step-by-step’). As a form of research, it can, though, be very useful and empowering and provide insights of relevance to other practitioners.

The action research cycle

Plan Act

Reflect Observe

Action research: definitions

‘a form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their own practices, their understanding of these practices and the situations in which the practices are carried out’ (Carr & Kemmis 1986)

‘The aim is to [...] bring about critically informed changes in practice’ (Burns 1999)

? Is ELT research relevant

enough?

So, is research important to you?

Is ELT research needed? What for? What could support practitioners further in reading research?

What should be researched? What kinds of research – and what ways of disseminating research

– are needed?

Who needs to do the research?What could support practitioners further in doing research

themselves?

‘Dysfunctions of the theory-practice divide’?

• ‘The key point, I think, is the need for teachers to keep their own counsel regarding what works and what does not work and to insist on an interpretation of events and ideas that includes, implicitly or explicitly, a validation of their own experiences in the classroom’

(Clarke 1994: 23)

3 For sustainable action research

A simple (?) practitioner-research plan to get started

1) What is good that can be built on / what is problematic that can be improved on in your practice?2) Gather student feedback: ‘good points’ and ‘points to improve’3) Do a content analysis (group similar comments into categories)This may be a useful kind of practitioner-research (for your own improved understanding). But what more would you need to do that would turn this into:1. ‘systematic inquiry made public’?2. ‘action research’?

Combining autonomy-oriented pedagogy and practitioner research via Exploratory Practice

Ana Inés Salvi

International House John Haycraft Classroom Exploration Scholarship

IATEFL Conference – 21st March 2012, Glasgow

Why aren’t my students as active and engaged in lessons as I would like

them to be?

?

An autonomous classroom (Dam, 1995; 2009)

• Group work: job allocation• Decision-making• Well-structured: setting goals, how to do it, do it, present it,

evaluate it• The teacher as facilitator• Posters on the wall - process • Choice• Accessibility to material

Contexts

SUMMER SCHOOL PRE-SESSIONAL COURSE

COURSE LENGTH 1-4-week course 5-week course

NUMBER OF STUDENTS

15 students per group 17 graduate students

AGE 12-17 years old 23-30 years old

NATIONALITY Spain 10, Portugal 8, Russia 8, Kazakhstan 2, Georgia 1, Italy 8, China 2, Armenia 4,

Colombia 1, Turkey 2, Syria 1, Australia 1, Taiwan 2, Thailand 6, China 3, Vietnam 1,

TYPE OF COURSE General English Academic reading and writing

ASSESSMENT No formal assessment Written project

A plan for change – engage students in self-directed project work

Data I gathered

• Video-recorded lessons• Pictures & posters and products• Students’ daily & weekly reflections• End-of-course questionnaire & interviews• Informal talks

‘Wider puzzles’ students wanted to explore:

• Why do most students prefer living in Leamington Spa to living in or around the university?

• Why are we here?

• Why are we so sleepy in certain classes?

• Why is it hard to come up with a good idea for our written project?

53

Finding answers (1): internet / dictionary

Finding answers (2): interviewing classmates

Presenting findings to classmates

Results

• A positive and active atmosphere• Serious work• Critical thinking• Communicative skills• Reflexivity• Awareness of their particular needs• Teacher development• Teaching/ learning quality• Student-teacher relationship• Institution resonances

Sharing teacher-research

Conclusions

EFL research is needed in order for us not to be victims of fashion

EFL research is not (or should not be) just for the benefit of academics. ..

But it often is!

Conclusions

Action research holds out the promise of being relevant to teachers’ own concerns

However, it needs to be sustainable – built into normal practice, involving learners, and not governed by ‘third party’ research requirements

Better images of research?

Better images of research?

Better images of research?

Better images of research?

Better images of research?

Better images of research?

Better images of research?

Towards better images of research

Better images of research?

Better images of research?

Better images of research?

References

Part 1 (What is ELT research?)

Rixon, S. and Smith, R. 2010. Directory of UK ELT Research, 2005-08. London: The British Council. Also online as pdf via: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/elt-research

Hatch, E. and Lazaraton, A. 1991. The Research Manual: Design and Statistics for Applied Linguistics. New York: Newbury House.

Nunan, D. 1992. Research Methods in Language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Smith, R. with Knagg, J. 2012. ‘The State of ELT Research in the UK (Part I)’. ELT Research 26: 5-7. Online: http://resig.weebly.com/issue-26.html

Stenhouse, L. 1975. An Introduction to Curriculum Research and Development. London: Heinemann.

Part 2 (Why do we need ELT research – and how can we read it?)

Bullock, D. 2012. ‘Discovering research – a teacher-friendly approach’. Workshop at IATEFL Conference, Glasgow.

The TESOL statement of needs for research is currently no longer online, but is reproduced on p. 17 of Rixon and Smith 2010. McCormick, J. 2012. ‘Silence on Europe is deafening’. Times Higher Education no. 2,077 (22-28 November), p. 21. Searchable Directory of UK ELT Research database (2005-10): http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/elt-research IATEFL Research Special Interest Group e-mail discussion list (free to join): http://groups.yahoo.com/group/resig/ British Council Research Papers: http://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/research-papers British Council Milestones in ELT: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/milestones

Part 3 (How can you do ELT research?)

Burns, A. 1999. Collaborative Action Research for English Language Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Carr, W. and Kemmis, S. 1986. Becoming Critical: Knowing through Action Research. Geelong, Victoria: Deakin University.

IATEFL Research Special Interest Group: http://resig.iatefl.org

‘Practitioner research’ section in ELT Research (newsletter of the IATEFLResearch SIG). Accessible online, via: http://resig.weebly.com/issue-26.html

Salvi, A. 2011. ‘Combining learner autonomy and practitioner research through Exploratory Practice’. Talk at IATEFL Conference, Glasgow. Online: http://www.youtube.com/user/IATEFLResearchSIG

‘Teacher-Research’ section of IATEFL Research SIG website: http://resig.weebly.com/teacher-research.html

Further action research resources: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/staff/teaching/smith/action_research

Contact

Email: R.C.Smith@warwick.ac.uk

Website: www.warwick.ac.uk/go/richardcsmith