深圳大学学科英语Classroom Research and Action Research.docVIP

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CarryoutClassroomResearchandActionResearchtoUpgradeEnglishTeachingPracticeofPrimary,SecondaryandHighSchoolinChina

QIFang,

TheDept.ofEnglish,SchoolofForeignLanguages,ShenzhenUniversityTheP.R.China

Englishclassroomsofprimary,secondaryandhighschoolinChinalacksofresearch,whilethemajorityofteachersofEnglishdevotethemselvestotheteachingroutine,butseldomreflecttheissuesunderlyingteachingmethods,multi-dimensionsoflearners’learningandteachers’teachingbehavior.Nordotheyfindwaystosolveproblemsandeventuallybringaboutchangestoimprovetheirpractice.Inaddition,teachersofEnglishmayalsofeellessthanconfidentwiththenotionof“research”astheymaybelievetheylackthetrainingtocarryoutclassroom-centeredresearch(CCR).

Thesereactions,basedonbeliefsresultingfromstereotypesabout“research”and“researchers,”areunderstandable.Thesebeliefsderivefrompopulargeneralizationsaboutwhatresearchis.Thereis“Research,”withacapital“R,”whichIusetorefertoempiricalstudies,withcontrolandexperimentalgroups,suchasthosereportedoninjournalsliketheTESOLQuarterly.Thereis“research,”withasmall“r,”todesignatethestudiesandprojectswhichcanbecarriedoutbyclassroomteacherswithouttraininginstatisticalanalysis.BothformscanbeviewedasCCR.

Thisoverviewwill,firstofall,defineclassroom-centeredresearch.Secondly,abriefhistoricalsurveyofclassroomresearch(withthecapitalR)willshowthattheinitialimpetusforCCRcamefromthefieldsofsecondlanguageacquisition(SLA)andthetraininganddevelopmentofteachers.Thiswillbefollowedbyabriefintroductiontoactionresearch.Iwillfocusonthevalueofresearch(withthesmallr)forteachersinChina,inparticularwithreferencetocurriculumrenewalandon-goingprofessionaldevelopment.Thesearethreeareasofmajorinteresttojuniorand