Week 2 (19-25 January) Identifying a focus, and research questions
Welcome to Week 2!
Objectives of the Week
This week's major task is identifying a focus -- and questions -- for your research.
You will be helped to identify a main research focus, which could be, for example, to understand a successful experience, a problem, a point that is worrying or intriguing you, or any kind of question in your mind.
Next, we will work to turn this focus into a clear research question or questions. During this process, you will gain feedback from mentors and other course participants.
This week's major task is identifying a focus -- and questions -- for your research.
You will be helped to identify a main research focus, which could be, for example, to understand a successful experience, a problem, a point that is worrying or intriguing you, or any kind of question in your mind.
Next, we will work to turn this focus into a clear research question or questions. During this process, you will gain feedback from mentors and other course participants.
In the webinar for this week XXXXXXX talked about identifying a focus, and turning successes or problems into researchable questions
Your major task for this week
Think:
Write about a problem or area you are wondering about in your teaching, and write down your research question(s) in the Google+ CommunityCAMBIAR under 'What are your problems, and research questions?''.
- What are some problems you are facing in your teaching these days and/or what are some things you are wondering about in relation to your teaching?
- Choose one problem or area you are wondering about and make a question or questions from it
Write about a problem or area you are wondering about in your teaching, and write down your research question(s) in the Google+ CommunityCAMBIAR under 'What are your problems, and research questions?''.
- Expect your own question / questions to be commented on by others (mentors and other community members) . They may ask you questions you can't answer easily - you can add these to your research questions.
- Please comment critically and supportively on other participants' questions, suggesting how they could be improved. Are they clear enough? Ask questions if you like - but don't give advice / don't try to answer other people's questions.
If you are not sure about how to create a research question from the main problem / puzzle you identified, then just say what your problem / puzzle is (in https://groups.io/g/Classroom-based-research) and the online mentors or other community participants will try to help you. Please state your problem / puzzle as clearly as you can so that we - or other community participants - can give advice.
You might also find it helpful to consult one or all of the following:
Excerpt from a video of a webinar for the British Council's 2016 Teaching for Success conference in which Richard and Amol explain why / how problems of teaching in difficult circumstances can be turned into questions. NO FUNCIONA ESTE LINK
The file entitled "Identifying Focus of Research", which aims at guiding you in coming up with your research question(s). Please reflect on and respond to the prompts there. PEDIR PERMISO A PAULA PARA USAR ESTO.
Additional activities, resources and examples
1) See and hear Andrea Robles' story again (recounted by Paula during the webinar), in her own words (click on the picture):
2) Read more stories of secondary school teachers' teacher-research in Chile. Please aim to read one or two stories before next week's live session. Especially, read chapter 2 as we will be referring to that in the next webinar:
Champion Teachers: stories of exploratory action research, edited by Paula Rebolledo, Richard Smith and Deborah Bullock (published by the British Council in 2016)
3) You can watch video-recordings of primary and secondary teachers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan sharing their research questions and responses gained from fellow workshop participants here:
These teachers research stories are also in the book Teaching in the Low-resource Classroom: Voices of Experience [insert link] ¿LO SACAMOS?
2) Read more stories of secondary school teachers' teacher-research in Chile. Please aim to read one or two stories before next week's live session. Especially, read chapter 2 as we will be referring to that in the next webinar:
Champion Teachers: stories of exploratory action research, edited by Paula Rebolledo, Richard Smith and Deborah Bullock (published by the British Council in 2016)
3) You can watch video-recordings of primary and secondary teachers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan sharing their research questions and responses gained from fellow workshop participants here:
These teachers research stories are also in the book Teaching in the Low-resource Classroom: Voices of Experience [insert link] ¿LO SACAMOS?
Summary: hoped-for achievements
By the end of this week (week 2) we hope that you have:
You have already begun to do research by identifying a topic and clarifying your questions! Soon, you will learn how to begin to answer these questions by gathering evidence.
- identified a research focus
- considered how to turn successes, problems and other issues into research questions
- clarified your research focus and questions through feedback from mentors and other participants
You have already begun to do research by identifying a topic and clarifying your questions! Soon, you will learn how to begin to answer these questions by gathering evidence.