Narrowing down a research topic

Research Topic Running head: NARROWING DOWN A RESEARCH TOPIC

Narrowing Down a Research Topic Benjamin Stewart TEC 540 Jacqueline Derby July 8, 2006

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Narrowing Down a Research Topic The following list includes ten potential topics, rated in order of interest (one being of greatest interest) that could be topics that would be of interest to the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes (UAA): 1. A study of teaching approaches on behavioralism, cognitivism, and constructivism learning theories (Mergel, 1998) in four different classroom scenarios: tourism, English language teaching (ELT), public English courses (for the general public), and general English classes (required for all non-English majors).

Rationale: I find that it is common among Mexican English language learners to feel more comfortable with the behavioralist teaching approach. The old lock-step approach where the learner takes a passive role while the “all-knowing” teacher provides all the input with little to no interaction between teacher and learner seems to still fit comfortably in this educational environment. Students seem less likely to ask questions in class and many do not seek help outside of the class even though it is very much encouraged. This topic is my favorite because I would like to explore what other teachers are doing and how they are incorporating these three learning approaches in the classroom. Given this information, I would like to see, from an observational standpoint, how students are engaged during their classroom activities and how they respond to each of these three learning theories. The objective would be to share my findings with other teachers so they might reflect on their own personal approach to see if they are using the right “mix” of these three learning theories within their instruction and assessment activities. The

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goal is not to tell them how to teach, but for each teacher to consider these theories to see if it warrants any change in their teaching approach.

2. A study observing many teachers to see the frequency and use of technology in English language learning.

Rationale: The idea would be to observe as many teachers as possible, not telling them what I am observing, to see to what extent and for what purposes technology is being used in the second language learning classroom. I would be looking at what computer roles (i.e., teachers, assistants, and learners) exist and at what rate do students use technology when it is either a requirement or an option.

3. A study on teacher/student roles in the second language learning based on Heron’s six categories of intervention (GP Notebook. 2006) Rationale: I have always found Heron’s six categories of intervention (i.e., prescriptive, informative, confronting, cathartic, catalytic, and supportive) interesting as it pertains to the educational environment. I would breakdown how much time each teacher spends in class using each of these six categories over the course of a classroom lesson. I would contrast this with student engagement and how other teachers allocate their time using each of the six categories.

4. A study on L1 use in a second language-learning classroom.

Rationale: I would try to observe an equal number of native and nonnative English speakers and would also consider experience, education, and time abroad if applicable. I would be

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interested to see what influences L1 dialog in the foreign language classroom environment.

5. A reflective study on teacher’s own instruction practices contrasting with the observance of student interest and participation.

Rationale: Of the top five topics mentioned, this is the only one that would not be shared with other teachers. This would be strictly for the teacher being observed and I, the observer, would use Heron’s six categories of intervention depending on the circumstances. This would benefit the teacher to get another opinion as to how the classroom was being managed and would try to foster forms of benchmarking for the teacher. The objective through this type of study is to force the teacher to reflect more on what he or she is doing in the classroom in order to find ways of improving, preferably through the teacher’s own self-analysis.

6. A study on students’ prior exposure to English before entering the university and observe if there is any correlation between this exposure and the area of study the students pursue: ELT or other non-ELT major.

7. Contrastive study between native and nonnative teachers teaching English as a foreign language.

8. A time study taking one teacher and seeing how he or she utilizes technology in second language learning over an entire course.

9. A study on traditional and alternative assessment methods in the languagelearning classroom, observing how the teacher guides assessment to the curriculum.

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10. Teaching grammar covertly and overtly and the observance of student’s reaction and participation to each teaching method.

A study of teaching approaches The following is an outline detailing information that will aid in the pursuit of this research project: 1. Thesis statement: The leading factor that best raises the English level among English language training learners at the university level is not just focusing on a behaviorism learning theory, but shifting the paradigm to a cognitivism and constructivism learning theory that centers on a more student-centered learning design.

2. Quantitative research plan: This study builds on the assumption that the events being researched or fixed. It sets out from the beginning to prove or disprove a hypothesis based on a purely observational perspective.

3. Outline: a. Introduction i. Statement of the topic ii. Review of related literature (if applicable) iii. Statement of the hypothesis b. Method i. Participants ii. Instruments iii. Design iv. Procedure

Research Topic v. Date analysis vi. Time schedule (Gay, Mills, & Airasian, 2006, p. 80) 4. Resources: Information to support this research plan will be purely observational. The sole researcher will gather information on the following classes: English language training classes, tourism classes, general English classes (for non-English majors), and public English classes. Although research will focus on teaching practices, learning responses will also be included to a certain degree in order to draw inferences on correlations or causes.

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Research Topic References Gay, L, Mills, G., & Airasian, P. (2006). Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Applications. Columbus, Ohio: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

GP Notebook: Heron (types of intervention). (2005). Retrieved on July 8, 2006 from http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=309002308 Mergel, B. (1998). Instructional Design & Learning Theory. Retrieved on July 8, 2006 from http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm#The %20Basics%20of%20Behaviorism

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