Teacher Reasearchers in Action: IATEFL Reasearch SIG free download

Hello peeps,
To teachers who are interested in action research, here are some samples on action research courtesy of IATEFL Research SIG. Click on the image.

 

Those who can DO, Those who can do more TEACH

Action Research 2014

Alhamdulillah..managed to  get this action research completed in three days! The deadline for submission to PPD Kluang is today, 24th August 2014. The research was conducted with 5 As Syafie last year but it's only now that I managed to write the report. Perhaps the pressure from the principal was good as it pushed me to complete this report albeit sleepless nights for three days! Been using journals for so long but have never done a research into its effectiveness. Well, let's hope the panel thinks this is worth selecting.

Those who can Do Those who can do more TEACH

Staff Development: Action Research

Date: 9 October 2012
Time: 3.00-5.00 p.m.
Venue: Meeting Room 1

I had a great time conducting this session today despite my cough! My cough seems to be coming back :( I thought the ideas from the panels were doable and specific to warrant a good action research. Sometimes the biggest problem is not being able to narrow down the issue/problem. When faced with this I always remember Dr Hunston's (my M.A supervisor) wise words-'Small is beautiful.'...To be honest two hours is not enough but I did what was possible :)

Selamat Membudayakan Kajian Tindakan di SASEM!

 The Thinking Teacher

Journal of Research in Teacher Education & National Convention in Teacher Education Proceedings, Teacher Education Division, MOE

KKPG Proceedings

Selected papers..

I just received both the proceedings and the journal from Teacher Division, MOE for Konvensyen Kebangsaan Pendidikan Guru 2011. Thanks to BPG. It feels great to have a paper published in a respectable journal. The paper that was published is an action research entitled "A Piece of Cake: Using Multiple Contexts to teach Idioms". Getting an article or research published is the ultimate thing for an excellent teacher in my view as we must also engage in scholarly activities. Surely something to celebrate! Alhamdulillah...

The Thinking Teacher

Action Research- WORDWISE: Using pictures and explicit vocabulary teaching strategies to improve 5S1 descriptive compositions

Recently I posted on the Action Research Seminar I took part in. My apologies for having to retract the report as the seminar isn't over yet - the state level seminar is scheduled for 22nd October. In place of it, I've decided to share this one which I did in 2008, all in the spirit of sharing. I'm posting the action research report below and on the left sidebar under 'Action Research'.  I think it will give those of you interested in action research a headstart. I don't claim it to be the best but it should give you some ideas how to go about it. Incidentally, this research won the following awards:

• Johan Seminar Kajian Tindakan Daerah Kluang (2008)
• Johan Seminar Kajian Tindakan Negeri Johor (2008)
• Anugerah Dr Basil Wijasuriya (Best Presenter),  MELTA International Conference (2009)

 
***I'd appreciate that it is used strictly for educational purposes, that credit be given to the researcher and that copyright is observed.

The report:

‘WORDWISE:Using Pictures and Explicit Vocabulary Teaching Strategies to improve 5S1 Descriptive Compositions’

Kluang District Action Research Seminar 2011

Date: 1st Oct 2011 (Saturday)
Venue: PPD Kluang

Tn Hj Shaharudin Basri Ibrahim giving a welcome speech

Cg Maulana and his research...

making my point...

the jury

another presenter

A total of 269 action research were submitted by Kluang teachers from primary and secondary schools and all the reports were evaluated by a committee. Ten best research were selected from primary and secondary schools and all researchers were given the chance to present today. Prior to that, a pre-seminar stage was held to help presenters fine-tune their presentations. Tn Hj A. Manaf Muslimin, District Education Officer was present to give the opening speech. Each teacher-researcher was given 15 mins plus 5 minutes of Q and A from a panel of jury. I was the sixth participant to share my action research entitled " A Piece of Cake: Using multiple contexts to enhance the understanding of idioms in 5S1". 

I seem to have a habit of exceeding the time limit these days, a 'virus' I picked up at ICELT :)) I took an extra one minute or so to complete everything. The Q and A? Well, it was tough I thought- five questions thrown by the jury and yours truly tried her best to answer them all. Overall I like the questions asked throughout the seminar as they were probing and thought-provoking questions...especially that of Pn Zam Zam Abas. 

I was quietly embarrassed to be the most senior in the group of presenters...eight out of ten presenters were young! Maybe I should call it quits after this one but the problem is I love doing research.  It keeps my mind agile and active! My last participation was in 2009 when I won the district and state level and went on to win the Dr Basil Wijsuriya Award at Melta 2009 for the same research. Time will tell if I should stop and train the young ones who are interested in research perhaps. Meanwhile I look forward to the state level seminar come October!

Results for secondary category:

The jury announced that the following were the best presentations (not in any order):

Mr Mohd Maulana Masbor (SMK Dato Abdul Rahman Andak)

Pn Che Hasnah Nuh (SMK Spg Renggam)

Pn Rahmah Hj Sayuti (SM Sains Sembrong) 

***En Zainuddin from PPD Kluang informed me later in the evening that I will represent Kluang for the secondary category to the state level action research seminar in Kulai on the 15th October 2011. Will do my best and make Kluang proud and stick to the T.I.M.E :))

Majlis Guru Cemerlang Negeri Johor (MGCJ) 1st State Level Action Research Competition 2011

Date: 3 March 2011 (Thursday)
Time: 8.30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Venue: SM Sains Johor, Kluang

En Norazrin Amirhamzah, JNJK MOE

Finally, the planned Action Research seminar took place today. Majlis Guru Cemerlang Kluang played host to this maiden action research seminar for the state. The objectives of the seminar were to :

• promote research as a culture amongst GCs
• encourage academic writing
• identify problems in ss learning and ways to overcome the problems
• share knowledge and expertise

The seminar was attended by En Khair (JPN Johor), En Norazrin Amirhamzah (JNJK, Ministry of Education, Johor GC Coordinator) and about 80 GCs fom Kluang. Ten districts sent their representatives for the primary and secondary categories. The evaluators were:

Secondary Category

• En Yap Poh Lai (Muar)
• En Norazrin Amirhamzah (JNJK, KPM)
• En Khoo Khai Boon (Johor Bahru)

Primary Category

• En Mohd Yusof Mohamed (JPNJ)
• Tn Hj Abdul Kahar Ismail (Pontian)
• Tn Hj Solehi Mansor (Kota Tinggi)

Winners list:

Secondary Category

•  1st: Segamat (Pn Sia Peng Yee, SMJK Seg Hwa)
• 2nd: Kluang (Pn Che Hasnah Nuh, SMK Spg Renggam)
• 3rd: Batu Pahat (Pn Hajah Hairani Razali, SMK Seri Gading)

Primary Category

• 1st: Pontian (Pn Noorjannah Mohamad, SK Belokok)
• 2nd: Kluang (Pn Maimunah Juraimi, SK Seri Intan)
• 3rd:  (need to confirm)

Hj Jalil Satari (PPD Kluang), representing

  the

 Director

The seminar was officially closed by Tn Hj Jalil Satari, PPD Kluang, official representative of Johore State Education Director. Hj Jalil stressed on the importance of action research as a culture rather than a task amongst GCs and the fact that the SKPM emphasises innovation and creativity in order to get a score of band 6 in teacher's evaluation. He urged all GCs to think of variety in research (there were too many using acronyms) and to play an active role in the transformation process taking place in education.

My take on the seminar:

• Research issue- One particular action research caught my attention in that it did not deal with a significant issue/problem that warrants a research. If you intend to teach your ss how to convert years to century vice versa, you just have to show them some examples! There is no need for a research. One of the criteria for action research is the issue must be a significant one and for a subject such as History, there are many more significant issues such as why ss find it hard to memorise facts, why ss are not able to elaborate their answers, the use of graphic organisers to break down facts, note-taking in History etc. etc.

• The use of acronyms- Many used acronyms...it was as if an action research must have acronyms or probably only a strategy to make it attractive. One research used an acronym that was negative despite all the researcher's good intentions!

• Presentation skills- 85% of the presenters need to polish their presentation skills. The slides were cluttered with too many words and please, don't read your slides... You might as well ask the audience to read them themselves. Have a maximum of 6 lines to your slide with bigger fonts. Stand when you are presenting. One presenter coolly sat down throughout her presentation! Make sure the flow of your presentation is clear. Some were very complicated. Use about 10-12 slides for a 15 minute presentation.

• Commitment- much needed commitment from all Kluang GCs particularly the appointed committee members. I arrived at 8.00 a.m. to find the hall empty except for Ismail Yon (MGC Kluang Chair), Roshizan and one or two others. We couldn't start the briefing of judges and presenters on time because they were either late or not instructed to proceed to the briefing room. I was fumbling with my mobile to get in touch with the relevant committees. Roshizan managed to get her friends to be timekeepers in the nick of time. The lack of coordination resulted in a briefing room that was almost furnitureless and only two reports handed in by some presenters despite the four required. Hjh Roshizan and I played the welcoming committee as well because the welcoming committee was nowhere to be seen!!! We practically chauffered the VIP to the dining hall for breakfast and they tagged us to the briefing room too. The VIPs waited in the briefing room and listened to the briefing too! Am tired of  playing saviour...my dear GC friends...please...forget your DG for a while. Get your hands dirty and get to work!

• Documentation- there was a suggestion from the evaluators that the softcopy and hardcopy of the reports be distributed. 

It is one thing to claim credit  for a job well-done, it's another to do a job to impress...By all means, take all the credit you want but please do a good job first. I was made the advisor of MGC Kluang and I'm doing just that- ADVISING :)

p.s Thanks to Roshizan for helping me. We had a great time despite the madness :)

District Action Research Panel Meeting (1)

Date: 14 Feb 2011
Time: 2.30 p.m.
Venue: SK Bandar Lelaki, Kluang

I was ten minutes late to this meeting after battling the traffic jam (yes, traffic jam in this small town). The meeting was chaired by Tn Hj Shaharudin Basri Ibrahim (Principal of SMK Sri Lalang) who is heading the Action Research District Panel beginning this year. We had a stimulating and fruitful discussion although it ended up rather late. I'm not too concerned about long meetings if it achieves its goals. I like the way it was handled- plenty of opportunity was given to members to air their views without being hampered by time. The following decisions were made:

•  '1 guru 1 kajian' concept will remain
• each school to submit 4 researches -one from each department
• a seminar for primary and secondary schools will be held
• briefing for school  Action Research secretaries
• Action Research courses will be school-based
• District level Action Research seminar- July
• State level Action Research seminar- Oct

District Action Research Panel- Tn Hj Shaharudin Basri Ibrahim

State Level Action Research Seminar for Secondary Schools 2010

Date: 28 Oct 2010
Venue: SM Foon Yew, Kulai

About 200 heads of English Panel from the state attended the first Action Research Seminar organised by the English Unit , JPN Johor. Principal Assistant Director of JPN Johor, Mr Shanmuganathan a/l Suppiah, the main force behind this seminar, delivered the opening speech and seven presenters shared their action research. They were Rani (SMK Convent, Batu Pahat), Ismail, Navinder and Noor Rahilme (group presentation from SIGS, JB),  Maimunah (SMK Spg Renggam, Kluang), Azrina, (SMK Tasek Utara 2) ,Raja Zainon (SMK Tg Adang, Gelang Patah), John Daniel aka JD (SMK Teknik, Batu Pahat) and me.

The buzz word for this seminar was 'the thinking classroom', an idea that the JPNJ will pursue next year. What a co incidence! I truly believe that teachers must be thinking teachers first before you can have a thinking classroom hence I thought it most appropriate to share my blog , whose tagline is  ' the thinking teacher' with the audience.  The closing was officiated by Deputy Director of JPN Johor, Tn Hj Markom bin Giran. Peggy Loh from the New Straits Times was also there to cover the seminar. Met some old friends and FB friend like Rabiah from SMK Seri Gading.  Good to meet some old colleagues from Muar (forgive me for forgetting your names- it has been many years since we last crossed paths). On the way home, silly me took the wrong turning  (trust my bearing) and was on the way to Saleng ...I used to go to school in Kulai but how Kulai has changed..crrrazzy traffic! Well, a u-turn put me back in the right direction :)

Deputy Director of Johor Education Dept-
Tn Hj Markom Giran closing the seminar.

The Heads of Panel from the state.

Azrina (right) gave an excellent presentation.
Well-done!

MGC Kluang Action Research Seminar

Date: 23 Oct 2010
Venue: SMK Jalan Mengkibol, Kluang

As the coordinator for judging, my task was to brief the judges and the participants. After a few postponements, the seminar finally took place. Congratulations to the winners!

Secondary Category:  1st:   Pn. Che Hasnah bte Nuh
                                  2nd:  Pn. Zaiton bintiDaud
                                  3rd:   En.Zulkifli bin Pungot

Primary Category:  1st: Pn.Maimunah bt. Juraimi
                             2nd: Pn. Wahidah bte Abdul Rahman
                             3rd: Pn. Maslia binti Darum

Judges: En Parmin, Pn Roshizan and Pn Khatijah

Professional Development 4: Action Research

Date: 10 Oct 2010
12.45 p.m. - 2.30 p.m
Venue: Lab 1

Four teachers who conducted their action research this year - Anand, Murniyati , Azrimah and I shared our research with all the teachers as part of our professional development session.

My sharing session on a research on Idioms.

Murniyati presenting her action research in Chemistry.

Anand taking about his PJK action research.

Teaching idioms (Part 3)

The loudest group!- evadne, qiao wen, joyce and jin lye

 Can you guess the idioms?

 

Wee Nee, Shiau Chean, Jia Hui and Bao Yee hard at work!

It's raining cats and dogs

The two politicians do not see eye to eye (notice the eyes hehe)

Another lesson on idioms as part of my action research am working on now. These are some posters produced by the groups to illustrate the idioms assigned to them. All students had to guess the idioms by looking at the drawings.  Although this lesson was a bit of a rush we managed to complete the activity. Some feedback from my students:

• 
  
  This lesson uses an interesting way to teach the student idioms. I like the lesson very much as student can put on the thinking cap and think what to draw on a piece of paper. The lesson is fun ^ ^
• It is interesting and involving group work. However, I think this way of learning idioms are not really effective. We actually learn a few idioms only during the lesson compared to lesson 1 and 2.
• This lesson help me to understand and remember the idioms better through the drawings. It was an unforgettable lesson because those drawings are very interesting and we ourselves drew it.
• Picture or image is always the best for our brain to understand and remember something. Idioms Poster makes me learn the idioms more easily and leisurely. I like drawing as well.
• I haven't learnt idioms through this before. It is an interesting activity. I like this activity most as it helps me to remember the idioms through pictures.
• By using our creativity to draw the poster and guess what the idioms are, we can remember and understand the idioms better and longer.

My reflections:

I personally found the lesson very stimulating! It gave me insights on what a visual context (and a richer one at that) can do to teach idioms. I always like to challenge myself and see how far I can go with methods I've never tried. Although my students were too excited (to the point that my voice was drowned in all that noise...the teacher next door must be thinking what on earth was I doing in the class and I would have failed  badly if the inspectorates were to observe me in this lesson ...phew!!) I think they didn't miss the point. Two students however commented that they were not too comfortable learning this way-they are probably so used to textbook lessons in their previous forms. Well, the research continues...

Teaching idioms (Part 2)

Jia Hwei wrote in her class journal today that she didn't like the story used in the lesson. The word she used is 'boring'. But it wasn't clear why. Was it too long? Was it too difficult? Too many idioms? Food for thought this. I was pleased though that the girls looked for the meaning online and came prepared. Well, the first part of the lesson was rather tedious I must admit but the second part was better. SS were able to write a short story  using the idioms that they have learned thus far. Some stories were just hilarious but the most important thing is to be able to use the idioms correctly. We will continue tomorrow as time didn't permit evey group to present its story today.

On another matter, I could see my girls so restless with the impending CNY! Well, teachers too you bet. Am so looking forward to this break..I can't deny that. Let's see...I've got two write ups for a Sasbadi series and MGCK, an innovation to complete and this action research. Besides, there's bun-baking (is there such a word?) too during CNY. When am I going to read that Jefrrey Archer book given by Madam Tan (my x-principal) ? And I  hope to visit Meng Huat at his home this CNY too..too many things to do and so little time. Was it Evadne who wrote in her journal last year "24 hours is not enough for me to do all the things I need to do" and I responded " Well, even President Barrack Obama has 24 hours!" :D

Teaching Idioms (Part 1)

Getting my students to locate 29 idioms in a story was not easy (especially after the cross-country event, with them complaining of being tired etc. etc). Yet most of them were able to identify between 20-29 idioms in our English class today. The feedback to the question, "Why did you select those expressions as idioms?" gave rise to the following responses:

• 'because they are strange words'
• 'because they are different from the rest'
• 'because they are interesting'
• 'because I don't know what they mean' (very interesting response!)

 As this was part of my action research lesson, their responses will be useful data for me. As the class was a 40-minute class, the lesson ended with the identification of the idioms only. Their task at home was to look up the meanings of the idioms we had listed. Tomorrow we will list out the meanings of the idioms as used in the context of the story. This is where meaning-making comes into play- literal and figurative meanings.  It would be interesting to see whether they are able to give the right meaning to the idioms.

Explaining 'context' to my students was not easy but extremely important, so that they know what is the intended meaning of the idiom. I've planned some strategies for tomorrow's lesson and hope to achieve the objectives...

State Level Action Research Seminar for KRK Schools 2009

Top pict: Kahar, me and Rosizan
2nd from top: me presenting
3rd from top: selling my ideas
Bottom: kahar receiving his cert

Date: 18th August 2009
Venue: SMK Simpang Renggam, Kluang
Participants: 260 teachers

The state level Action Research Seminar for KRK schools was held today at Jauhar Hall, SMK Simpang Renggam. I was invited to present the action research that I won at the state level last year. This was my 8th sharing session with teachers and principals. It was great to meet Kahar and Roshizan again and to listen to Kahar's 'Jari Mat Malaysia' rsearch where he taught students how to remember the periodic table in Chemistry. I thought it was very innovative! My session went well except for the fact that I had to use a lot of BM as the audience was a mixed group. I hope my BM was okay :) The event was well-organised but the front seats were not occupied. Teachers preferred to sit at the back...this is typical isn't it?

District Action Research Course 2009

Top: me delivering my slot
2nd from top: Farhana the mc and Kala (facilitator)
3rd from top: sharing session
Bottom: the participants

Date: 23 July 2009
Venue: SMK Taman Sri Kluang, Kluang, Johor
Participants: 44 teachers (Heads of Panels and One Lower Secondary Teacher per school)
Facilitators: Cik Kalanadesan (SMK Taman Sri Kluang), Pn Zahida (SM Kahang Timur) and Pn Rahmah (SMK Canossian Convent, Kluang)

The Action Research course finally took off on this day. It was organised by SMK Taman Sri Kluang in collaboration with the District Panel. After my meeting in Kota Tinggi, I dashed to SMK Taman Sri Kluang for my slot at 3pm. After driving for about 15km towards Kluang, a friend called to tell me I left my notebook in Kota Tinggi so you can imagine what happened. I might get a ticket for speeding but you will only get to know near Hari Raya when the JPJ rounds up offenders (me included most likely). I was 5 minutes late for the slot but I managed to share my action research with the teachers. Thanks to Kala and Zahida for a job well-done and to En Mahyudin (Language Officer) for the welcoming speech!

Dr Basil Wijasuriya Award, MELTA 2009

sallina and I

my session in progress...

Dr Basil, me and Dr Ganakumaran

Carol- story-teller extroadinaire

The 18th MELTA (Malaysian English Language Teaching Association) International conference came to a close yesterday in Puteri Pan , Johor Bahru. We had a plenary by Carol Read and I enjoyed her session very much. This time around I managed to follow the conference till the end and it's kind of sad that it had to end. As is usually the case with conferences, you must pick your sessions carefully because sometimes you may end up disappointed. I had two such sessions! I didn't really want to go to Dr Malachi's session but the Mutiara room was located on the second floor so I decided to stay put- what this meant was I had to listen to Dr Malachi's unsymphathetic comments about teachers not doing what they were supposed to be doing in the classroom! Mind you , I have attended a few of his sessions and the slant and tone were always the same-that we teachers are not really doing our jobs!! Well, that's food for thought for you out there. We've got to ask ourselves whether this is really the case. However, I think it's so easy for someone who has a PHD to make such comments because you are not there on the ground to go through the motions of teaching in schools. Perhaps he had a stint in school (and left for greener pastures...) but it's not the same as being there through and through.

There are two things I want to share. First, I won the Basil Wijasuriya Award as the best teacher presenter in the conference! This was something totally unexpected as I came with the intention of only sharing my action research with the participants. In the midst of my presentation, I suddenly coughed and a gentleman sitting in the front row handed me some lozenges (the original fisherman's lozenges mind you. What could have been better for my itchy throat!). It was only when I returned the pack that I saw his name tag and knew that he was Dr Basil! He had come to evaluate the session obviously. Well, I took home RM500 and a certificate from MELTA. A special thanks to Fiza @Pizza (a good friend who's pursuing her PHD now) for taping my session and to all friends who came to my session. Second, a teacher from Johor Bahru (she won first place in the teacher's showcase competition) approached me to tell me that I had inspired her to take part in the competition. By chance she stumbled upon my blog and was inspired by it. That's really great isn't it? That's what teachers should do- be inspired to do something they have never done before and to go to unchartered territories. I feel deeply humbled if I had inspired her through what I do and write in my blog and I hope to inspire many more. On top of this, I also met old friends, Dr Zahariah Pilus and Dr Nuraihan Mat Daud from UIA after 20 years! This MELTA is definitely something I will remember for a long time :)Thank you God!

Professional Development in SMK Tun Hussein Onn, 30 May, 2009

It was a wet morning and the sun was about to show its head as I reached the roundabout towards school. My first session was with 5 Science 2 in 5RCA where 33 out of 40 students came for the extra class. We dealt with the common errors in SVA and articles in their writing. This was also in response to their class journal where some requested me to teach them more grammar. At 10.45 a.m, I had a session with 67 teachers from SMK Tun Hussein Onn from 10.45 a.m-12.45 p.m. Pn Normah, the principal invited me to share my action research. During the workshop session, I was in time for a presentation from the Science group and went through a report already completed by a Maths teacher and a proposal by an Economics teacher. It was interesting that during our discussion, the Maths teacher realised her area and scope of research was too wide hence making the interventions complicated and unclear. She wanted to deal with three things at the same time. However, it was a commendable effort on her part. The teachers seemed very enthusiastic to carry out their research and I was glad help.

JPNJ 4th Monthly Assembly, 22 April 09, Dewan Gemilang, SMK Teknik JB

I was invited to this monthly JPNJ assembly plus nine others from the state last 22April 2009, to take part in an exhibition of the action research we had conducted. The Kluang PPD, Tn Hj Saharudin Sharif was also there and so were many other officers. I was only informed of the invitation a day before so I did what I could.

Top pict: a gadget from one of the participants
2nd from top: the audience
3rd from top: Kluang PPD (Tn Hj Shaharudin) with Latifah and me
4th from top: registation
Bottom pict: me at my booth