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

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.

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

Children's outcomes based on every module

Regarding to the experiences with very young learners and based on the observation and notes we were taking we can conclude that:

October 22, 2009

Related to the first module that was named “Ican play”: Very young learners used words while they are playing, for instance, in the park. They are using in their oral interactions and games different words such as walking, running, hop, climbing, up and down. They acted the actions singing the song, and making groups with their peers as well as using the elements in the park. Besides, they asked the teacher about the way to say, for instance, lanzar el frsisby, empujar al amigo etc…

Once we were in the park and the children had the opportunity to play whatever they want. One girl asked for the teacher if it was possible to play "Simon Says" the teacher said of course and she was in charge of the game. She said "Simon Says everybody climbing", "everybody jumping", everybody running" and their classmates followed her instructions.

After the development of the module, the students made a short presentation about their works. One of the kids said "este niño está running", "ella está swinging", "ellos están sliding".

It can mean that Children are very motivated to use the vocabulary they are acquiring from this module and the most important, they are using the vocabulary and acquiring new one.

October 29, 2009

According to the implementation of the new module, the ones about the school objects, and the observation we are doing, we conclude that this module provide to very young learners new meaningful vocabulary that encourage them to use new words in their speech naming the realia they can find in the classroom, for instance, a student named the pencil, the table, other named the marker, the chair while they are coloring in their worksheets from other subjects; another student raise her hand and told to her teacher that she did not have scissors to cut a picture from magazines. Besides, a student repeat different sentences from the song about school objects such as stand up, sit down, can I have a pencil?, can I have a ruler, please? Stan up, sits down, stand up, sit down, be quiet children. And something nice was that when the children started to repeat these phrases, the whole group started to repeat and sing the song from the module they already worked.

Besides, after the development of the module, teachers took students to the interactive white board to display the page where they listened to the vocabulary related to school objects. Teacher realized that most of them said the name of the objects before the web page. For instance, one boy said in a louder voice "table", "scissors","colors", and one girl got angre because he didn't give them the chance to speak. So, the teacher listened to her and she answered the rest of the school objects.

This can mean that the students’ outcomes showed us that the created modules using the blended environment are helping children to acquire new vocabulary and encourage them to use it in the classroom with their friends and their teacher.

November 5, 2009

Regarding to the module No. 3 called "the amazing world of the colors" we can say that kids had a positive attitude during the introductory F2F section since a girl raised her hand to ask about the song she will learn and other children started to raise their hand to ask about the game they will play at home using the computer. After the development of the activities we noticed that students named colors in English while they were, for instance coloring in their notebooks. One of them said, "yo voy a colorear la casa de brown con red" and his peer answered "en cambio yo la voy colorear de green con black"

Since they are organized in the classroom in groups of three because of the tables’ shape, a girl took her colors case and started to ask to her peers to ask what color is this? And the others answered correctly, for instance, green, another said “me gusta el green”, other said “ no, me gusta el orange” then, the girl took another color out and asked them again what color it is?, and the oter from the other group answered purple, then she took out another one and asked the same question and a boy said, “ red, como el balloon the la canción, balloons are red, balloons are red” and they showed happy while they are using the new vocabulary and remembering what they did at home related with the activities from this module, in this case with the song about colors.

During the free games time, they loved to imitate her teacher. One of the girls stood up on a chair and asked to the rest of the class "what color is this" and her friends answered "black, red, green, pink, yellow, blue, orange, brown, and gray, purple". All of them participated actively and showed a high level of acquisition about colors vocabulary.

November 12, 2009

Well, the implementation of this module was also amazing since students asked about the song, the game and the things they will do at home with their parents. One of them said “ y vamos a jugar en el computador? And other said, “si, no ves que es del aula virtual”. When they observed on the interactive white board the images, the song’s video for the song and the links they had to follow, they were vey attentive to the instructions listening and observing about what they had to do with their parents at home. Before the implementation, a group of girls asked to the teacher if they can perform the ten little Indians and they made a line and sang “one little, two little …..”

During students conversations the teacher realized that they used vocabulary related to numbers, for instance, a boy said “tengo four carritos en mis juguetes, porque mi papito me los regalo” and when they were coloring, they had their colors case and a girl said: “yo tengo two yellow colors” another said, “yo tengo two” and the other said “y yo no tengo two”. It is important to mention that learners developed a creative way to use and to improve the new English vocabulary: In the classroom there was a bulletin board about the numbers. A girl organized a chair next to the board and pointed out the numbers. She asked to their friends “what number is it?” and about the half group answered “two, three, and so on” and the rest of the class was playing with toys. This showed us that they were very motivated to use the new vocabulary they learnt from the modules they were developing in the blended environment.

November 19, 2009

Introducing module number 5: senses

Related to this module, the teacher took the students to the audiovisual classroom, before that, one of the student said " vamos a ir al salon del tablero màgico" and the teacher asked "which is that ?" and the students answered " donde jugamos al aula virtual" and the group of students left the classroom and ran as fast as they could to arrive there.

The students were expectant while the teacher introduce the module showing happy faces and asking about the activities that they will work at home, for instance, "¿ Toca colorear algo?, Què juego vamos a tener? ¿ El cuanto es del lobo de Caperucita?" among others.

Moreover, students also showed interest to know about the links they had to follow at home. The teacher asked them who wanted to pass at front to touch the board in order to activate different links related to the new module and all of them raised their hands shutting, “yo, yo , yo quiero”. So, they showed motivation towards technology as well as English since they enjoy participating in the virtual room.

During the F2F session and after the development of the module related to five senses, the teacher sang the Barney’s song about five senses, the teachers said: “with my eyes I...” and the students answered “see”, then she said “with my ears I… “And one of the boys answered “hear”. She continues singing “with my hands I can…” and one girl said “touch”. They participated actively during the “red riding hood story”. The teacher elicited about the characters and the topic of the story. For instance, she said “what part of the body the wolf use to see the little red riding hood with? and a boy answered “big eyes”. Then, the teacher said, “Why did the wolf have big ears? And one girl said: “to hear”. After that, she asked: “why did the wolf have a big nose” two boys shouted “to smell”. Finally, she asked” why did the wolf have a big mouth?” and a girl said: “to taste”. They showed a high level understanding about the reading and about the vocabulary. During the short presentations, they showed their worksheets and explained them. For instance, one of them said: “la flor es para see, la manzana es para taste, el perfume es para smell, y el balón es para touch.”

We concluded that children were very motivated since they all showed a good understanding of the new words and English vocabulary acquisition in a functional way. Besides they were starting to make early English production.

November 26, 2009

Developing the last module: Body parts

Taking into account the last module, we felt that we accomplish the main aim of the project since we realized that children acquire new English vocabulary from the created modules through the blended environment. During the implementation of this module in the F2F section kids showed interest, motivation since they also asked about the work they had to do at home and they were very attentive to listen to the teacher.

After the implementation of this module, we noticed that kids made a relation between the modules about senses with the one related to body parts. Since children sang “I can see…” and the others answered “with my eyes”. Another student said “I can touch …” and the others answered “with my hands” and so on. So, students use the senses and the body parts at the same time showing that they acquired English vocabulary from the both modules.

Based on the procedure, the teacher introduced the topic askign the kids to take their clothes off and she painted the very young learners' bodies. Children participated actively in the activity while they were listening to the song and acting the hocky pocky song. Most of the children were interested to know the names of their body. They asked " ¿Cómo se dice hombros, cabeza, estomago, espalda etc..) ? and the teacher answered each questions and they repeated all what the teacher said.

After they worked on this module at home, the children arrived at the classroom very motivated and the teacher asked them about their experiences and most of the children raised their hands and said that their parents helped them to sing the song "keep moving, keep moving, keep moving.. " so, the teacher invited them to sing the song and most of them performed it without any problem. They sang, acted it and showed very active and happy with their teacher.

Finally, the students shared their products about body parts and give to the teacher the documents with the work they did at home wiht their parents' help and guidance.

During this week we were observing the children during their free games and something very interesting is happening with them when they play with their friends. They are using vocabulary related with the modules we applied on the platform, for example, one of them said: vamos a climbing, lugo a sliding. The other students answered: yes, y luego running and walking and the classroom con teacher. These types of productions are happening in a natural environment among students. It shows us that the way we are implementing to develop early literacy in these children is good and it is helping them to enrich their English production.

Moreover, we can see that the level of comprehension from kids following directions and developing activities increase. The teacher gives them the instructions one time and they immediately follow them without any problem. Besides, every Tuesday they arrive very motivated with their products and love to share them with their pairs and teacher. Besides they share experiences related with the topics and the way they develop the modules, most of the cases they told us that they develop the modules with their parents help and guidance and that their parents played with them the games we suggested to practice the topics.

References

Children playing. Google online images. Retrieved on November 7, 2009 from http://defencedebates.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/children-playing.jpg

Third module: The amazing world of the colors

Third module: The amazing world of the colors

Introducing this module we felt much more comfortable given that although we still have some concerns with the question, our tutor was oriented us on the process. We felt surer about the way we are designing the module as well as the way we have to follow to upload it.

Taking into account the curriculum and the contents for Pre kinder, we work on a module about colors.

We applied the test and most of them know the primary colors.

So, at the beginning of the class as always the students were expectant for the teacher directions, for us were really nice to see how students show disposition listening to the teacher and enjoyed the topic. They sang the colors song and started to perform it. Then, everyone followed the teacher instruction classifying the primary colors as well as knowing the new ones. Then the teacher invited every student to touch, smell and eat realia of different colors. This activity activates the students’ senses and showed a high level of comprehension of the topic. Finally, the teacher explained to the learners the directions for the module number 3.

After eight days, when students already develop the module and they were sharing their products about it, we applied the same test about colors. We found that most of them answer correctly and know the ten colors.

They participated actively singing and they answered the teacher questions related with the topic and the links they already work on module number 3.

We see that definitely the modules have helped our students to improve their English skills.

On the other hand, during this week we met two times with our tutor to work on some aspects about the platform and to share information about more books that are related with the possible topic of our question “Early Literacy2

Now, we are reading more to continue designing more modules to collect data and to delimit our question.

References

Children painting. [Online Image]. Retrieved October 25, 2009 from http://servicio.sgs.edu.co/moodle/file.php/30/2460983682_3bc3403a65.jpg


The implementation of module about the numbers

This module included different activities related to numbers. The students showed interest to know about the module asking to the teacher "y en este modulo tambièn aprenderemos canciones para jugar con los papitos, y tiene juegos y videos en el computador,?" and she answered "yes" and the students jumped off the happiness and said " si, si... que  rico, me gusta, me gusta...."  so, the Teacher showed them the ten little Indians which is a song that involved movements and she invited them to make a line. The teacher started to sing the song and they feel very happy listening to it and performing it. The teacher modeling the song and the students laughed and tried to imitate their teacher. they always tried to pronounce and sing the song following the teacher's model.

After they developed the module about numbers at home, they  arrived at school to have the face to face section and they talked to their teacher the experience that they lived at homet developing the module number 4.  one of the boy raise his hand and said "ahhhhh yo bailé esa canciòn con mi mami"  then a group  started to sing "one little, two little, three little indiand...." and a girl said " Agamoslo como miss Sindy nos enseñò". The students made a line and sing the song, they were very motivated and happy.

Students evidence the improvement of their vocabulary about the new topic. Before the course implementation, they did not know enough vocabulary related to the topics presented in the thematic modules. After the development of each module and when the teacher asked them “what is this?” they used the corresponding vocabulary and answered in a right way.