scholarly journals Using blogging and laptop computers to improve writing skills on a vocational training course

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Marsden ◽  
Eileen Piggot-Irvine
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Perceived Needs ◽  
Level 3 ◽  
Evaluation Stage ◽  
Students Attitudes

<span>The action research project described in this paper was part of an initiative to bring about change in the way courses are delivered in the vocational trades area at UNITEC New Zealand. We decided to focus on students' writing on a new Level 3 course - the Certificate in Automotive and Mechanical Engineering (C.A.M.E.) in which all participants had netbooks or laptops for the first time. We selected blogging because it introduces new possibilities in a field where one would not expect to see much written work by students. Using the </span><em>Problem Resolving Action Research</em><span> (PRAR) model (Piggot-Irvine, 2009), we approached the project in three stages. At the reconnaissance stage it was clear that writing skills did not enjoy a position of priority. We gauged the C.A.M.E. students' attitudes to writing in general, and to digital technology via the use of a questionnaire and a focus group. We then implemented new approaches to teaching using digital technology in response to perceived needs. At the evaluation stage, we collected further responses via a questionnaire and a focus group on the students' attitudes to blogging and digital technology. Key findings included that the students were not discouraged by writing tasks, nor by digital technology, and that vocational tutors may need to play a more active role in embedding writing in courses.</span>

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF TASK-BASED LANGUAGE TEACHING ON LEARNERS� WRITING SKILLS

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Luz Elena Madera Gonzalez ◽  
Margarita Maria Lopez Pinzon
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Writing Strategies ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
National Education ◽  
Evaluation Stage ◽  
The Impact

This article gives an account of an action research project aimed at determining the effect of Task-Based Language Teaching and various writing strategies on public school learners� writing skills. The study implicated a diagnostic stage, an action stage and an evaluation stage within an Action Research methodology. Initially, at the diagnostic stage, it was detected that the participants had to improve their writing production and reach the levels of competence established by the Common European Framework (CEFR) and The Ministry of National Education (MEN) guidelines. In the following developed phase, six workshops were designed within the framework for Task-Based Learning (Willis & Willis, 2007), including pre-task, task, planning, report, and language focus. Along with this, various writing strategies were used, including brainstorming, listing, questioning, reading pictures, and classifying words. Finally, the evaluation stage revealed that students achieved better results in written production; they increased their vocabulary, reduced the amount of grammar errors, improved the syntax of the language, and became more autonomous and responsible. Basides, students� confidence in the writing processes also improved. Findings reported that the use of TBLT improved the students� writing skills. Conclusions and pedagogical implications are presented for teachers, schools and policy makers to incorporate TBLT and writing strategies in the future curriculum development as a means to contribute to the English language methodology.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF GUIDED WRITING TECHNIQUE TO DEVELOP STUDENTS’ ESP WRITING SKILLS IN BALIKPAPAN STATE POLYTECHNIC

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Milaningrum ◽  
Lilik Damayanti ◽  
Abdul Gafur
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Test Analysis ◽  
Part Of Speech ◽  
Writing Class ◽  
Guided Writing ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
The Impact

As an action research in nature, the research aimed to test the progress of the students’ ESP writing skills when guided writing technique is implemented in writing class and to know the ESP students’ attitude towards guided writing technique. This action research is conducted in two cycles. In collecting the data, the researcher uses qualitative and quantitave technique. The qualitative data are obtained from observation, interview, and test analysis. The qualitative data are supported by quantitative data that are the mean score of students’ pre-test and post-test on ESP writing. The procedure of guided writing which is implemented in ESP writing class are model paragraph, comprehension questions, language based exercises, oral composition, and written composition. After the analysis of data collected through test items, it was seen improvement in students’ ESP writing skills in post-test than in pre-test. The students have shown their improvement such as they are able to construct sentences correctly. They could use appropriate language use when created the pattern of tenses, article, preposition, pronoun, conjunction, and part of speech and also they used better mechanical aspects in writing like capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in post-test than in pretest. Moreover, they can use correct ESP diction on their writing after implemented this technique. The ESP students’ attitudes also were enthusiastic and more active involved in ESP writing class.

scholarly journals Practicum in Adapted Physical Activity: A Dewey-Inspired Action Research Project

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Øyvind Standal ◽  
Gro Rugseth
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Group Interview ◽  
Adapted Physical Activity ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Reflective Journals ◽  
Practicum Experiences ◽  
Knowledge Interests

The purpose of this study was to investigate what adapted physical activity (APA) students learn from their practicum experiences. One cohort of APA students participated, and data were generated from an action research project that included observations, reflective journals, and a focus group interview. The theoretical framework for the study was Dewey’s and Wackerhausen’s theories of reflections. The findings show the objects of students’ reflections, the kind of conceptual resources they draw on while reflecting, and their knowledge interests. In addition, two paradoxes are identified: the tension between reflecting from and on own values, and how practicum as a valued experience of reality can become too difficult to handle. In conclusion, we reflect on how practicum learning can be facilitated.

scholarly journals Unveiling the Unspeakable: Integrating Video Elicitation Focus Group Interviews and Participatory Video in an Action Research Project on Dementia Care Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 160940691983056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Yu Li ◽  
Rainbow Tin Hung Ho
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Community Education ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Participatory Video ◽  
Participatory Health Research

With the intention to comprehensively reflect the reality, foster interactions between researchers and participants, and empower the marginalized groups to be heard, videos are increasingly used in health studies. The findings of an action research project that integrates video-based methods into the development of dementia care in an aged care home in Hong Kong are reported. A working alliance consisted of practitioners, community-dwelling volunteers, service managers, university educators, and researchers was formed to develop a sustainable, need-based play program for the institutionalized elderly with dementia (EWD). Two innovative methods, namely, video elicitation focus group interview (VEFI) and participatory video (PV), were applied. Data analyses were collaboratively conducted by all practitioner-researchers during eight reflexive sessions. Several short films were made through PV for institutional training and community education. VEFI effectively enhanced the practitioners’ understanding of the embodied expressions of the EWD and provided a reflexive, democratic environment to generate knowledge among practitioner-researchers. Counter-narratives of the EWD and educational materials on dementia care were generated through PV. The study demonstrates how innovative video-based methods may enable participatory health research to be more inclusive, engaging, and empowering, and how these methods may provide new perspectives on the ethics of researching vulnerable populations.

scholarly journals Inuit involvement in developing a participatory action research project on youth, violence prevention, and health promotion

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marika Morris
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Violence Prevention ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Project

This article describes the process of developing an academic and community participatory action research partnership on Inuit youth and violence prevention through social media. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada chose the topic, defined the research goals, co-developed the first draft of the project and its methodology, established and chaired an Inuit advisory committee, spearheaded consultations with other Inuit organizations to refine the methodology, and co-facilitated a focus group. The “action” part of the project involved using the research results to develop with Inuit youth an outreach strategy to prevent violence and promote health via social media. The article discusses the research process, which was guided by Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (traditional values) and which used a methodology redesigned by Inuit, including youth and elders. The result was a violence prevention focus group for Inuit aged 18 to 25, co-led by the Mamisarvik Healing Centre, and an online survey of social media use among Inuit aged 18 to 25. This participatory action research process is presented as a potential model for academic-community partnerships.

Meningkatkan Kemampuan Guru dalam Menerapkan Model Pembelajaran Problem Centered Learning Melalui Focus Group Discission di Sekolah Dasar Negeri 187/X Bangun Karya Tahun 2019/2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Mujiem Mujiem
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Class Action ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Implementation Phase ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Academic Year

This research is a classroom action research that aims to improve the ability of teachers to apply the problem centered learning model of learning in the Elementary School 187/ X Bangun Karya, Academic Year 2019/2020. The subject of this study was a teacher at 187 / X Bangun Karya Elementary School, Rantau Rasau District, Tanjung Jabung Timur District, Jambi Province. This class action research was carried out in two cycles, each cycle consisting of two meetings. The results of the evaluation are converted into a recapitulation table of the results of cycle I. The conversion results state that the research has not yet reached the target, it needs to be continued with cycle II. The results of observers in the implementation phase of the second cycle showed that all parts of the learning activities were going well, so that there were no more parts of the learning activities that needed to be improved. While the results of the second cycle are converted with the results of the recapitulation table states that the study has reached the target limit of completeness criteria in the first cycle that is equal to 50% and an average of 68.7 in the initial conditions of improvement in the second cycle completeness criteria to be 100% and the average namely 91.7 states that the Focus Group Discission can improve the ability of teachers to apply the Problem Centered Learning learning model in learning in 187 / X Public Elementary School Build Work Year 2019/2020.

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