WritingupYourPractitionerResearchReport-ATLASABETeaching.doc

General Guidelines: Research report writing is an iterative process. It is generally practiced when candidates write theses and dissertations. It reinforces the practice of writing, reading, and revising to arrive at a uniform format. It strives toward a set of standards for reporting research. It is not meant to present you with a negative picture of your competency. Remember, you are close to your project. Another reader can see omissions or errors that may not occur to you. Be gentle with yourself. The title of your research report should be descriptive, specific, and reflect the inquiry. The title can be catchy to grab the interest of the reader. As you write, put yourself in the place of a practitioner who really wants to know what you did, how you did it, and what results you found. Write to the section headings, but keep the problem and the intervention in mind. Try to “transition” from section to section. Strive for a balance of narrative and bullets. Bulleted statements should be concise. Practitioner Research Report Format and Questions to Consider: 1 Teaching context (present/past tense) Your teaching context identifies the setting of the reading or writing problem. What is the name of your program and where is it? Who are you and what level class are you teaching? How many hours a week did the class meet? What was your student composition? What were the goals of your class/students? Note: Decide whether to use the term “student” or “learner” and carry this same term throughout your paper. 2 The Problem (past tense) From your teaching context, identify a reading or writing problem. What is the problem? How do you know it is a problem? (Teacher observation? student report? persistent student difficulties? lack of CASAS or TABE progress?) What do you suspect is causing the problem? What intervention might deal with the problem? Note: You might identify more than one problem. Decide on one problem to study that is interfering with student pr