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.