Conducting Action Research in a Practicum: A Student Teacher’s Perspective

eScholarship, University of California 2015-01-01

This article looks at my reflection as a teacher during a master’s degree practicum for a Second Language Studies Program. This particular practicum differs from the other common student teacher–training courses found in master’s programs as it incorporated a teacher-training session on conducting action research (AR) in the classroom, a practice that has recently become a decisive element of TESOL programs (Ho, 2012). I taught for 8 weeks at a university in Thailand where my class met 4 times a week for 1 hour, and I also partook in teacher-training courses, 1 specifically on teaching training (3 hours a week) and the other specifically on conducting AR in the classroom. Through the AR methodology I was able to conduct meaningful research that contributed to a greater understanding of myself as a teacher, to improve the classroom environment, and also to bring insight into current research in the field of second language (L2) learning through grounding the AR in current theory. Through following the cyclical process of AR, I was able to gain a deeper insight into my own classroom, teaching, and abilities to conduct meaningful research. This reflective article acts as a reference for other student teachers who may be interested in applying a similar framework to their practicum experience, empowering them to go beyond just understanding teaching practice but also to potentially develop research grounded in L2 theory.

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The CATESOL Journal vol 27, iss 2 1535-0517

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