Part III. Understanding Theory and Issues in the Field
Action Research Paper: “Cooperative learning in an English as a second language classroom: The teacher’s role”
Action Research Paper: “Cooperative learning in an English as a second language classroom: The teacher’s role”
This paper was written as the action research paper requirement for Practicum I during the 2012 fall semester. This paper is a requirement of the class as it allows students to research something interesting to them. The research topic can come from something observed in a class with another teacher, or it can be based on the course materials. The research may be carried out in the future if the student desires.
After much deliberation on a topic, I decided to focus on cooperative learning, as that is something regularly discussed or described in both an L1or an L2 classroom-teaching guide. Cooperative learning as defined by Smith (as cited in Barkley, Cross & Major, 2005) is “the instructional use of small groups so that students work together to maximize their own and each other’s learning” (p. 5). In other words, students must depend not only on themselves, but also on their peers as a means of learning. Generally, the teacher plays a smaller role in this type of instruction. The topic of this paper focuses on the classroom being more student-centered where the students are required to participate more and have more input on their education. The paper examines literature already written about the topic of cooperative learning and then addresses my research questions and explains how I would carry out my own research on the subject.
I chose to highlight this paper because it focuses on my own teaching practices and is a topic I am very interested in. To me, group work is extremely important for students. Students need to be able to work successfully with their peers, as this is an extremely vital life skill. Being able to work in groups, especially when learning a new language or skill, teaches students to both find ways of expressing themselves and learning to learn from others. Understanding how to successfully instruct my students to carry out this type of task is significant for me in my development as a language teacher. Students must be able to speak and work with their peers so that all interactions are both communicative and worthwhile. My understanding of the literature allows me to make better decisions such as timing of the lesson and when and how to give instructions when choosing how I should address this issue in my own classroom. I believe I was able to display that knowledge in my literature review.
The amount of time I put into choosing and narrowing my topic was one of the biggest challenges for me when writing this paper. My original topic did not seem researchable. I believe that I can be quite long-winded at times when writing or speaking, and that was mentioned by my professor about this paper. When revising this paper I needed to focus on what was necessary so that my paper was more concise. The original document would have been improved if I had deleted, moved, or expanded some of the short paragraphs.
In conclusion, I look forward to using cooperative learning in my own classroom, and I believe that the research for this paper is a start in finding some good ways to implement this strategy. This paper can be found at this link.
After much deliberation on a topic, I decided to focus on cooperative learning, as that is something regularly discussed or described in both an L1or an L2 classroom-teaching guide. Cooperative learning as defined by Smith (as cited in Barkley, Cross & Major, 2005) is “the instructional use of small groups so that students work together to maximize their own and each other’s learning” (p. 5). In other words, students must depend not only on themselves, but also on their peers as a means of learning. Generally, the teacher plays a smaller role in this type of instruction. The topic of this paper focuses on the classroom being more student-centered where the students are required to participate more and have more input on their education. The paper examines literature already written about the topic of cooperative learning and then addresses my research questions and explains how I would carry out my own research on the subject.
I chose to highlight this paper because it focuses on my own teaching practices and is a topic I am very interested in. To me, group work is extremely important for students. Students need to be able to work successfully with their peers, as this is an extremely vital life skill. Being able to work in groups, especially when learning a new language or skill, teaches students to both find ways of expressing themselves and learning to learn from others. Understanding how to successfully instruct my students to carry out this type of task is significant for me in my development as a language teacher. Students must be able to speak and work with their peers so that all interactions are both communicative and worthwhile. My understanding of the literature allows me to make better decisions such as timing of the lesson and when and how to give instructions when choosing how I should address this issue in my own classroom. I believe I was able to display that knowledge in my literature review.
The amount of time I put into choosing and narrowing my topic was one of the biggest challenges for me when writing this paper. My original topic did not seem researchable. I believe that I can be quite long-winded at times when writing or speaking, and that was mentioned by my professor about this paper. When revising this paper I needed to focus on what was necessary so that my paper was more concise. The original document would have been improved if I had deleted, moved, or expanded some of the short paragraphs.
In conclusion, I look forward to using cooperative learning in my own classroom, and I believe that the research for this paper is a start in finding some good ways to implement this strategy. This paper can be found at this link.
References
Barkley, E., Cross, K., & Major, C. (2005). Collaborative Learning Techniques: A handbook for college faculty. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Barkley, E., Cross, K., & Major, C. (2005). Collaborative Learning Techniques: A handbook for college faculty. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.