Action research

Action research is a form of reflecting on our own practice in order to solve a problem that arises in our teaching, such as: students do not talk, instructions are not clear, or learners speak their first language too much. It is, therefore a problem-focused form of reflection, which involves:

• collecting data on our everyday practice;
• analysing the data;
• deciding on our future practice in the light of findings.

Here is an example of how you can initiate action research. Think of how you could improve your teaching by considering some of the difficulties you encounter in your daily practice.

E.g. I could be a more effective teacher if:

• I could keep better discipline
• I had more time
• I knew a wider range of teaching techniques
• I didn’t have to follow such a tightly-specified syllabus
• I had more teaching resources
• I wasn’t so disorganised
• Students relied less on their first language

While identifying your specific problem areas, try to generate questions on the topic. For example, questions around the problem “I could be a more effective teacher if students relied less on their first language” can include:

• In what instances did students rely on their first language?
• How did I react when they used their mother tongue?
• Did I react appropriately, or not?
• How should I have reacted?
• Do I rely on the students’ first language? In what instances?
• What are my reasons for using the first language?
• Do I use the students’ mother tongue as a conscious strategy (e.g., learner training)?
• What is the appropriate strategy for me to take? In the short term? In the long term?
• What sources of help or guidance are available to me?

As pointed out in the text above, asking questions about our professional practice may not lead to immediate solutions. As a matter of fact, some of our questions may not imply solutions at all. However, asking questions about our teaching does lead to increased awareness and understanding of why things happen the way they do in our classrooms. In this sense, action research comes as a useful tool for understanding and change. For more details on initiating action research consult Wallace (1998).

Deciding on changes in teaching behaviour: small changes can have big consequences

Gebhard (1996) makes the point that one reason to change is because there is a problem to be solved (see examples mentioned above). However, it is also possible to explore teaching simply to explore, to see what happens: “this could include doing the opposite or what we usually do or trying out something we have never tried before. For example, if you always give instructions orally, you could write them down and let students read them. If you always teach from the front of the room, you could teach from the back” (Gebhard, 1996, pp. 26-27).

Unlike in the case of action research, where questions are focused on a specific aspect of our teaching (usually perceived as a problem), it is also possible to ask questions in a more open way. However, the idea remains essentially the same: we do not have to understand and change our practices overnight. Small changes are enough.

Gebhard suggests the question “What small changes do I want to make in my teaching behaviour?” and refers to John Fanselow’s observation: small changes can have big consequences (Gebhard, 1996, p. 26).

Examples of self-observation

Gebhard (1996) presents two case studies of teachers reflecting on their classroom practice:

1. in the first example an ESL teacher explores the way she gives instructions;
2. in the second example the author examines the pedagogical value of his questions while teaching a literature course in Hungary:

(Nunan, 1990, pp. 79-81)