RESEARCH METHODOLOGY IN LANGUAGE TEACHING

NATIONAL TUTORSandra Milena Rodríguez

2013

METHODOLOGICAL ORIENTATIONS Connecting the Components of the Research Statement

The role of the researcher?

What’s the relation between the research statement and the role of the researcher?

Research questions?

What’s the relation between the role of the researcher and the research questions?

A coherent relation?

How to connect the research statement, the research questions, objectives and the role of the researcher?

Some questions to reflect on…

METHODOLOGICAL ORIENTATIONS Connecting the components of the Research Statement

The role of an observer-researcher implies….

To detect, to discover, to follow, to monitor, to perceive, to look

If you decide to be an observer-researcher, you DO NOT implement a pedagogical plan.

Through observation RESEARCHERS collect data and evidences to analyze, describe, explain and support a research problem. At the end of the research project RESEARCHERS illustrate findings, conclusions

and implications that might propose new reflections and considerations about the research problem.

METHODOLOGICAL ORIENTATIONS Connecting the components of the Research Statement

The role of a TEACHER-RESEARCHER implies to design and implement an INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

or a PEDAGOGICAL PLAN

METHODOLOGICAL ORIENTATIONS Connecting the components of the Research Statement

Select the role you want to follow to develop your research proposal. Reflect on the possibilities you have to develop

the project in the school, the university or the context where you plan to investigate.

***Reflect on the purpose and the aims of the research project at the end of the process.

METHODOLOGICAL ORIENTATIONS Connecting the components of the Research Statement

Refine the Research Questions taking into account the role you are going to follow in the project

Establish the Research Objectives taking into account the role you are going to follow in the project

Remember, this is the process you started in Research Foundations, (6th semester). It continues in Research Methodology (7th semester),

Action Research (8th semester), Research Project 1 (9th semester) and it ends in Research Project 2 (10th semester).

METHODOLOGICAL ORIENTATIONS Connecting the components of the Research Statement

FROM THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER-RESEARCHER, the research questions imply:

• To include (in the research questions) the key words “DESIGN” and/or “IMPLEMENTATION.”

• To establish (in the research questions) A SPECIFIC TEACHING APPROACH OR METHOD.

• To involve a specific group of participants: an ESL or EFL group of students, not all the students in an institution.

Some clues to formulate research questions

METHODOLOGICAL ORIENTATIONS Connecting the components of the Research Statement

• To consider the components of an INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN OR PEDAGOGICAL IMPLEMENTATION:

• Teaching approach, methodology, didactic units, lessons and tasks• Teacher’s role, student’s role and assessment and evaluation in the

language classroom.

ATTENTION The research questions involve the concepts/constructs/theoretical dimensions that support the research problem statement.

Some clues to formulate research questions

METHODOLOGICAL ORIENTATIONS Connecting the components of the Research Statement

Reconstructing the main research question and the sub-questions from the role of a teacher-researcher:

RESEARCH QUESTION (Example):

How does the *(design) and (implementation) of (1)_______________(2)________________ (3)__________________ in an (EFL/ESL) group

of students _____________________________________

(1) Establish a specific approach or method, (to

implement the pedagogical plan

(2) Define the verb that best describes the main goal of

your research project.“Improve” is not an

appropriate verb. It does not specify the purpose of the

research project.

(3) Specify the component of language learning/teaching you want to focus on

(e.g. vocabulary, listening, writing…

(4) Specify the participants/school/

context

METHODOLOGICAL ORIENTATIONS Connecting the components of the Research Statement

From the role of AN OBSERVER-RESEARCHER:

EXAMPLES• What characteristics…

• How does (1) language interaction (2)emerge in an (3) ESL/EFL group of students from/at ____________of a virtual environment for language

learning?

REMEMBER: The components of the research questions involve the concepts/constructs/theoretical dimensions that support the research problem statement.

(1) Define the aspect or the component of language learning/teaching you want to

investigate about

(2) Define the verb that best describes the main goal of your

research project.

(3) Specify the participants/school/context

METHODOLOGICAL ORIENTATIONS Connecting the components of the Research Statement

The role of th

e

researcher is…

CONNECTED with the research

questions AND the research

objectives

Thanks for your attention