TASK 2 (Due date: Wed. Nov.

21st)

Answer Qs. in Reading guide (1st page of PDF doc. in Nunan, 1996), and
reproduced here:

1. While you read this article, try to identify the different steps of the action
research article as quoted in Nunan (1992). You might find that not all
steps are described.

Step 1: Initiation. The identification of the problem starts when a student (Sandy)
started realizing how students in high school do not care about investigating the
subjects they study comparing to university.

Step 2: Preliminary investigation. There is no evidence of this step in the article. The
author starts investigating because an extract from a students’ report.

Step 3: Hypothesis. The hypothesis is formed when the author decided to ‘see whether
to incorporating a learning strategy and self-monitoring dimension into the classroom
would help my students develop the self-reflective orientation they would need to
realize their potential as university students.’ (Nunan, 1996)

Step 4: Intervention. The plan intervention is carried out from the section called ‘The
project’ to the end of page 37 (Inductive Learning) of the article.

Step 5: Evaluation. This step has been divided from the author in two different parts:
Data collection, being this sub-step the first and second paragraph of the point called
‘Results and Discussion’ and the other sub-step, Data Analysis, is from ‘If we
compare..’ of the same point to the conclusion point.

Step 6: Dissemination. There is no evidence of this step in the article.

Step 7: Follow-up. There is no evidence of this step in the article.

There is no evidence of the last two steps, as it ends the article with a conclusion of
the investigation that has been carried out in the article.

2. Do you think it would be easy (or even possible) to replicate this study
with the explanations provided? Why (not)?
In my opinion, I think it would be easy because of the way the author presents his
investigation, the way of organizing the steps in tasks allows other investigators to follow
better the explanations. The comparation of the results from the beginning of the course with
the results from the end also help investigators to focus on improving the deficiencies
previous researches have experimented.

3. After reading this example of an action research project, do you think it is

worth doing this kind of research? Why (not)?
 The point of improving the way we teach languages in all senses is worthy as we are
improving our methodology while we help students become more autonomous in their
learning and also because it will encourage them to learn new languages.

Arántzazu Benito

November 2018
References:

Nunan, D. (1992) Research Methods in Language Learning. Cambridge: CUP. Chapter

Nunan, D. (1996) Learner strategy training in the classroom: An action research study. TESOL Journal:
35-41.