Session 1 Getting started with classroom research DAVID NUNAN

Aims of Session 1 1. gain an understanding of what we mean by‘ research ’ as well as as the key concepts reliability, validity, variable, and construct. 2. understand similarities and differencesbetween the psychometric, naturalistic and hybrid traditions 3. discuss first steps in the research process

Getting started In groups, complete the following statements: Research is ……………………………………… Research is carried out in order to ……………

What is research? 1. Questions, problem, hypothesis 2. Data, 3. Analysis / interpretation 4. Publication 5. Reliability 6. Validity

the psychometric research tradition Aim: To test the strength of relationships between variables Research design: Experimental Type of data: Quantitative Type of analysis: Statistical “Questions in search of data.”

Variables and data types Nominal Ordinal Interval

Constructs A psychological construct is a theoretical label that is given to some human attribute or ability that cannot be seen or touched because it goes on in the brain. (Brown 1988: 103)

Discussion: Which of these are variables? Which are constructs?  proficiency  gender  motivation  native language  aptitude  attitude  intelligence  attention deficit disorder  puberty  bilingualism

the naturalistic research tradition Aim: To obtain insights into the complexities of teaching and learning through uncontrolled observation and description Research design: Non-experimental Type of data: Qualitative Type of analysis: Interpretive “Data in search of questions.”

research questions 1. What are the classroom experiences of trainee teachers in inner-city classrooms? 2. Is a deductive approach to teaching grammar superior to an inductive approach? 3. What do learners believe about the nature of language and learning? 4. Do beginning learners of Spanish as a foreign language who have an initial period of intensive listening before speaking outperform those who are required to speak from the first lesson? 5. What happens when teachers increase ‘wait time’ (the time between asking a question and then either reformulating the question or answering it)?

Combining traditions: quantitative collection / quantitative analysis Comparing statistical comparisons of learners’ test scores to see if there are any statistically significant differences between groups taught with different methods.

Combining traditions: quantitative collection / qualitative analysis Categorizing language students as advanced, upper- intermediate, intermediate, or lower- intermediate on the basis of learners’ test scores

Combining traditions: qualitative collection / qualitative analysis Summarizing written field notes to yield prose profiles of various teachers’ teaching styles in an observational study

Combining traditions: qualitative collection / quantitative analysis Tabulating the observed frequencies of certain errors in students’ writing samples

Getting started onclassroom research: initial questions  What aspects of classroom teachingand learning am I interested in, andwhat specifically is it about this issuethat I really want to know?  Does anybody else have an answerto my question?  How do I get started?  What kinds of data will be relevant tomy research interest and question?  How will I gather those data?  What techniques exist for analyzingmy data?  How can I make my researchavailable to anyone else who mightbe interested?

Research areas and topics: examples  Teacher questions  Direct instruction  Error correction and feedback  Classroom management  Student interaction  Task analysis  Learning strategies  The affective domain

Phases in formulating a research plan Phase 1: Formulating the general research area or topic Phase 2: Turning the research area into a question Phase 3: Deciding on a research paradigm Phase 4: Developing a detailed plan

Discussion The next step: secondary research What is a literature review? What is the purpose of doing a literature review?

Discussion Reflect on your own classroom, or a classroom with which you are familiar. Come up with a research area that interest you and formulate it as a question.