lunes, 22 de marzo de 2010

Our findings

Findings

After read, reread and understand the collected data following the illustration from Auerbach, C. F. & Silverstein L. B. (2003) procedure, it is essential to keep in mind that analysis involves researchers and participants in making sense of the data by identifying broad trends, characteristics or features across an event or a series of events (Burns, 1999). In this collaborative research project “The creation of thematic modules using the blended learning environment, it is vital to determine the “Categories”. In Strauss & Corbin (1997) words, categories are formed by grouping similar incidents, events or other instances of phenomena under the same label. The chosen categories met the main concepts that determine the data analysis process of this project in order to answer the research question: What will be the effects of the creation of thematic modules in a moodle platform to work on early vocabulary acquisition of 4-5 years old? The answer to that question allowed us to identify four main categories:

Category 1: Motivation towards the use of technology

Category 2: Motivation towards English

Category 3: English vocabulary acquisition

Category 4: Parents’ involvement

Data Analysis: Following Grounded theory

Wordle: Grounded theory
This is our Data Analysis procedure

Supported by Strauss and Corbin (1997), the main idea of Grounded theory is to read and re-read the database, discover and label variables called categories and their interrelationships. This step of grounded theory is called “coding”. According to Auerbach, C. F. & Silverstein L. B. (2003) coding is a process for organizing the text of collected data and discovering patterns. The central proposal of coding is to move from raw text to research concerns in small steps, each step building on the previous one. Those small steps are:
Raw text
Relevant text
Repeating ideas
Themes
Theoretical constructs
Theoretical narrative
Research concerns


Through this work, we showed that grounded theory and its small steps helped us to discover and identify the categories in the collected data.
The categories were:
Positive motivation towards second language
Positive motivation towards the use of technology
Parents’ involvement
English vocabulary acquisition. 

So, to analyze the collected data we follwed Grounded theory steps

1. Raw text: We collected the information and every participant researcher read it carefully; then, every one found the raw texts in the different data instruments.

2. Relevant text: When raw texts were found, each one selected the relevant text capturing the ones that met the effects on 4-5 years old students developing the created modules using the blended learning environment.
3. Repeating ideas: When every researcher identified the relevant text, they chose and remarked the sentences which express the same idea. For instance, the ones that meet effects of motivation, parental involvement, and language improvement.
4.Themes: After classifying the repeating ideas, the researchers named the possible themes for each group taking into account the commonalities. When we finished that part, we met to reflect on the previous steps. We found common themes and chose the most relevant based on our study.
5. Theoretical constructs: Auerbach, C. F. & Silverstein L. B. (2003), “themes are implicit topics that organize a group of repeating ideas”. So, we organized the repeating ideas into themes arranging them into more abstract ideas named the theoretical constructs. These theoretical constructs expressed the effects of thematic modules in a moodle platform in 4-5 years old. So we found that we had more information about motivation towards technology and the second language as well as the role of parental involvement in the development of the six modules. We discovered that motivation plays an important role in the learning process and the importance of parental involvement in early years. And this motivation takes the students to have better results in terms of vocabulary acquisition.
6.Theoretical Narrative- Research concern: Finally, based on the definition of theoretical narrative, we wrote the report of this study including the researchers’ concerns and the participants’ experiences. To do this, we took from the data resources the relevant quotations, not only the ones that clearer met the effects of the creation of the six modules, but also the ones that provide and give validity for the new theory we found doing this study. The chosen quotation evidence effects such as: motivation towards English; motivation towards the use of technology; the acquisition of English vocabulary; and the parental involvement helping and guiding the child during the developing of created modules using the blended learning environment.

Triangulation

 
In order to confirm the patterns and categories, we implemented a methodological triangulation; basically we compared and contrasted the information and reflections about it in the first instrument, which were teachers' journal, with the other two, the tests and the surveys. Each initial and recurrent theme was verified in the three instruments. We also validated our finding by making contrast comparisons to theory or research related to our topic.

References
Auerbach, C. F. & Silverstein L. B. (2003). Qualitative data: an introduction to coding and analysis. New York, NY, USA: NYU Press.

Burns, A. (1999). Collaborative action research for English language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gonzales, M & Funkhouser, J (1997). Family involvement in children Education. U.S. Department of Education.
Norris, J. (2001). Motivation as a Contributing Factor in Second Language Acquisition. The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VII, No. 6, June 2001retrieved on March 20/2010 from http://iteslj.org/Articles/Norris-Motivation.html

Selinger, H.W & Shohamy, E. (2004). Second language research methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

lunes, 1 de marzo de 2010

Hands on the Data Analysis

Now we have clear that we are going to follow the Grounded theory. So, we designed the following outline based on the time we have and on the Auerbach, C. F. & Silverstein L. B. (2003) theory.

Every researcher is going to analyze the data separately and then they will compare the findings.

What- when?

We are going to base our data analysis on Grounded theory. The choice of this approach can be sustained by Auerbach, C. F. & Silverstein L. B. (2003). The grounded theory was chosen because it consists of a set of steps that guarantee the explanation of the data gathered in terms of outcomes. The basic idea of the grounded theory approach is to read and discover categories and their interrelationships. In this way we are going to understand and interpret phenomena we engage in our context.

So, In order to discover the patterns from the different instruments, we are going to follow the coding procedure:
• Relevant text
• Repeating ideas
• Themes
• Theoretical constructs
• Theoretical narrative

1. We are going to choose which parts of information we are going to include in our analysis
2. Then, we are going to identify repeating ideas
3. Then, we are going to create a list and named every item
4. After that, we are going to organize themes by grouping repeating ideas into coherent categories
5. Then, we will organize the themes into more abstract groups.
6. Finally, we are going to create a theoretical narrative by describing the process that research participants reported in terms of theoretical constructs.

We are going to develop all the stages from March the 1st -10th /2010.

How?

1) We are going to read the data collected from the instruments to identify the main and repetitive ideas
2) Then, we are going to design a matrix with the instruments and instruments applied the chosen categories

3) After that, we are going to write in the matrix the evidences to support the categories
4) Then, we are going to identify the important themes and if we have the support for each team we are going to reject them
5) We are going to compare information with the researcher colleague

This is the final version of the outline to analyse the collected Data.


THIS IS OUR OUTLINE FOR DATA ANALYSIS

Given that we are working with different roles in the research project, we will analyze the data in the same way. It means, the teacher – researcher will analyze and find the possible categories and themes and the observer –researcher will do the same. When we finish the analysis, we will compare our finding in order to choose the appropriate ones.
What- when?
We are going to base our data analysis on Grounded theory. The choice of this approach can be sustained by Auerbach, C. F. & Silverstein L. B. (2003). The grounded theory was chosen because it consists of a set of steps that guarantee the explanation of the data gathered in terms of outcomes. The basic idea of the grounded theory approach is to read and discover categories and their interrelationships. In this way we are going to understand and interpret phenomena we engage in our context.
So, In order to discover the patterns from the different instruments, we are going to follow the coding procedure:
• Relevant text
• Repeating ideas
• Themes
• Theoretical constructs
• Theoretical narrative

1. We are going to choose which parts of information we are going to include in our analysis
2. Then, we are going to identify repeating ideas
3. Then, we are going to create a list and named every item
4. After that, we are going to organize themes by grouping repeating ideas into coherent categories
5. Then, we will organize the themes into more abstract groups.
6. Finally, we are going to create a theoretical narrative by describing the process that research participants reported in terms of theoretical constructs.
We are going to develop all the stages from March the 1 -31 /2010.

How?
1) We are going to read the data collected from the instruments to identify the main and repetitive ideas
2) Then, we are going to design a matrix with the instruments and instruments applied the chosen categories
3) After that, we are going to write in the matrix the evidences to support the categories
4) Then, we are going to identify the important themes and if we have the support for each team we are going to reject them
5) We are going to compare information with the researcher colleague

Meeting with our tutor

After we work on vacation about the four chapters of the project and before start the last Action Research course, we met with our tutor to speak about the chapters and the steps we must follow in order to continue with the Action Research study. She recommended us some corrections on the theoretical framework  related with constructs and others with the Research question.

Moreover, she suggested us some readings to choose the theory we are going to follow to analyze the data.

After reading and understand the different texts, we decided to follow Grounded theory to anlyze the collected data based on Auerbach, C. F. & Silverstein L. B. (2003). Qualitative data: an introduction to coding and analysis. New York, NY, USA: NYU Press. (pp. 29-77)

To start the analysis we must design an outline with the punctual dates and steps to start the Data Analysis. We sent it to our tutor.

After some days, she met with one of the researchers (Sindy) and provided her a  feedback suggesting some improvements that will favor the way we are going to follow to analyze the collected Data.

Finishing the implementation

We already finished the implementation of the AR project at the end of November. We created, uploaded and implement the 6 modules which took more than two months. Besides, we collected all the data applying the chosen instruments. Now, we have the surveys, the test, the videos, and most of the researcher's notes in this journal.

December 13, 2009


Regarding to the whole implementation of the 6 modules we can add that parents did positive comments about the work using the blended environment. The researcher teacher had an open day at school at the beginning of December where parents assisted. During this meeting most of the parents shared their impressions about the development of the modules using the virtual room. For instance, one parent said: when we were in the park my daughter asked me how to say "sube y baja" in English. The majority of families emphasized that their children now used English in their conversations, when they are in the park, or when they are developing the homework some of the children named the objects in English such as the colours, the markers, the scissors ect... About 8 families agreed that it was a new meaningful experience in the learning process of their kids since it allowed them to enrich their vocabulary and the way they interacted with computers. Most of the families agreed that their kids were interested to turn to computer on and to type the user name and the password. One family said that their children enjoyed visiting the website of the school to explore one more time the modules they already have been working on, especially the ones that have videos, games and songs.







Implementation phases. Google. Online image. Retrieved on January 24, 2010 from http://www.qcommission.com/images/implementation_phase.gif