College of Education

Course Code M.Ed. L.Ed. 208

Course Title Action Research in Language Education
Module Number 3
Module Title Workshop 1: Action Research Problem Identification
Week Number & Dates Week 1 – October 2 – 8, 2021

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

A. Identify priority problems in own classroom;

B. Select the most pressing problem to be researched;

C. State the action research title and specific research questions.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES

Read the Lecture Notes

Watch the following videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8af5k3qRRQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yplWZs3dqNQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-Eq7KkaICE

Also Read:

https://www.deped.gov.ph/2017/03/20/do-16-s-2017-research-management-guidelines/

file:///C:/Users/Jaymar/Downloads/PROBLEM_SOLVING_AS_ACTION_RESEARCH.pdf

Page 1 of 17
 College of Education

INTRODUCTION

“Good things happen when you set your priorities straight.” – Anonymous

Teaching-learning problems besetting the classroom teacher are aplenty. The confluence
of these concerns makes the teaching act a complicated undertaking. Action researchers find the
difficulty of determining which problem needs to be resolved over the others. With this
dilemma, you as teacher-researchers need to discern the problem to be prioritized to look into. In
the beginning, the process of problem conceptualization is challenging. However, given the
necessary tools to guide in sensing the most pressing problem, you can go about identifying the
action research relevant to your concerns in the classroom. It pays to go about the process with
some struggle but along the way. Modifications could be made until the final action research title
surfaces – the Eureka moment in problem conceptualization. This is the goal of this lesson.

BODY

ACTION RESEARCH PROBLEM CONCEPTUALIZATION

Action Research Problem and Objective Identification

The identification and definition of any research problem is the first

step of undertaking an action research. The process involves the observation and recognition
that a problem exists and that an action could be done to make it better. Problem identification
and definition involves the understanding of the nature of the classroom situation and
discovering the factors that cause it.

According to Johnson (2012), a problem is a difference in the present state and the
desired state. Using the matrix below to illustrate his viewpoints, he begins that to define a
problem, start by describing the present state and desired state. Then list any and all objective
facts in the first column. Next, list the possible consequences of the present state (second
column). That is, what could happen or what is happening in regards to the present state? In the
third column include the possible causes of the situation you have encountered in the classroom.
With these details, you can now, state the problem as simply and succinctly as possible.
Finally, restate the problem using different words.

The process as described above is exemplified in the problem definer matrix:

Page 2 of 17
 College of Education

Present State: High percentage of students with low mastery of high order reading
comprehension skills.

Desired State: High percentage of students with good mastery of high order reading
comprehension skills.

Objective Facts Consequences Possible Causes

Majority of students are good Students perform low in Poor prior reading skills
only in answering literal level of inferential, evaluative, and development
comprehension appreciation questions and Poor reading habits
tasks Low motivation to read
Traditional teaching strategies of the
teacher

The Problem: Traditional teaching strategies of the teacher.

Restate the Problem: Low mastery of high order reading comprehension due to poor
teaching strategies.

After identifying the problem, the next step is to state the action research objective.
Using the matrix below, specify the objective of your research.

Intervention/s Objective Direct Consequence/s

What interventions/ actions are Now that the problem is If you will be able to attain your
you going to implement? identified together with the objective, what will be its
causes and consequences, what consequences?
is now your objective?

Using graphic organizers to To enhance the high order Improved level of mastery of
guide the development of high reading comprehension skills of high order reading
order comprehension skills the students comprehension skills of the
students

Page 3 of 17
 College of Education

Other Modes of Problem Identification

As most beginners in research usually experience, they do not know where to get a
research problem to study. If you are like them, Kumar (2015) provides assistance. He says that
most research in humanities and social science like language research revolves around four P’s:

 People which may be individuals, organizations, groups or communities.

 Problems which is the study of issues, situations, associations, needs etc.
 Programs which is the study of contents, structure, outcomes, satisfaction, service
providers etc.
 Phenomenon which is the study of cause and effect relationship, the study of
phenomenon itself etc.

As applied to language research, these 4 Ps could be operationalized in the following

scenarios:

People. In studying people, it may involve a group of language learners in a particular

school or in a school district. The following examples illustrate this point:

Individuals: Reading proficiency of Grade 8 learners

Organizations: English NAT performance of Lal-lo National High School
Communities: Reading habits of Indigenous People in Northern Cagayan

Problems. Issues and concerns related to language teaching and language learning can be
a source of research topic. Examples on this aspect include:

Ilocano language interference in Grade 7 learners’ grammatical competence

English teachers’ poor modelling of diction
Low productive vocabulary of Grade 10 learners

Programs. DepEd has implemented a lot of language education programs that could be
studied. For examples:

MTB-MLE as a factor in the poor English pronunciation of Grade 10 learners

Philippine Individual Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) profile of Grade 7 learners
Page 4 of 17
 College of Education

No Read-No Move program

Phenomenon. Events and circumstances that prevail in the schools, particularly

language learning and outcomes, can be studied. As examples, the following are potential
sources of problems.

Low passing rates of SH graduates in the English tests of call center companies
Decreasing English scores in the National Achievement Test
Use of gay lingo in FB posts
Gender sensitivity in the writings of learners

If hard up identifying the action research problem, try using the starting points to identify
an issue you would like to research (Caro-Bruce, 2000). Sometimes it helps to use a variety of
questions such as:

I would like to improve ____________________________________

I am perplexed by________________________________________
I am really curious about __________________________________
Something I think would really make a difference is ___________
Something I would like to change is _______________________
What happens to student learning in my classroom when I _____?
How can I implement ____________________________________?
How can I improve ______________________________________?

Moreover, DepED Order 16 s. 17 enumerates different research themes for action

researches. The research agenda could give you insights as to how they could give you ideas in
deciphering the most pressing problem you may be encountering in your classroom or in your
school setting (See Annex document).

Formulating the Action Research Title

After analysing the problem situation in your school or classroom, you are now ready to
formulate the title of your action research. The following are guidelines in formulating the
action research title:

 A good title predicts the content of the research paper.

Page 5 of 17
 College of Education

 It should contain important keywords that will make it easier to be located during a
keyword search.
 Indicate accurately the subject and scope of the study
 The independent variable (the intervention or innovation) and dependent (expected
outcome) should be in the title. By independent variable, it means the factor
(innovation, intervention, experimental treatment) that is implemented to bring
changes (improvement) in the expected outcome. It is the presumed cause in the
changes in the students after they are exposed to the factor. On the other hand, the
dependent variable refers to the expected result or change that is observed in the
students after exposure to the independent variable.
 Use of acronyms is allowed to catch the attention of the reader. An acronym is
considered as one word.
 In cases where grade level is placed, use Hindu Arabic Number (e.g. Grade 5)
 Use words with positive connotation.
 Maximum of 15 words excluding the function words.
 It should be set in capital letters.

Categories of Action Research Topics

Sample research topics are given to serve as your samples in identifying the research
topics. Dörnyei & Ushioda (2013) offered these as possible research topics:

1. Designing task-based activities, lessons, and units

You may be particularly interested either in preparing materials based on this approach,
implementing activities, or evaluating their own lessons and units from this perspective. Sample
research topics on this area are:

Page 6 of 17
 College of Education

Fostering Students’ Interaction in ESL Classrooms: An Emphasis on Learning to

Communicate through Interaction in the Target Language
The Use of Games in secondary EFL classrooms
Reflection on Task-based Language Teaching in Lower Secondary School through the
Analysis of a Teaching Unit
Material design: Secondary school EFL teaching unit on Global Warming

2. Teaching and evaluating speaking

You may want to focus on speaking skills, an often neglected aspect of secondary school
English language in public schools due to large classes (often thirty pupils or more in upper
secondary) and to a traditional focus on (authentic) texts. You may also get interested on
analyzing learner production (e.g., fluency and accuracy) while others seek to create
opportunities for less proficient and often less motivated learners to improve their spoken
language through a combination of live and recorded presentations. Studies of this cluster can
have these as research topics:

Different activities implemented in class to help learners to speak

Making technology programs learners in upper secondary willingly communicate in
English as a Second Language (ESL)
How to generate and facilitate speaking in ESL classes?

3. Investigating classroom interaction: teacher and learner participation

It may interest you to study the effect of the classroom interaction occurring in your
classes. You may use your own strategy to test how it works. Other topics possible along this
area are:

Impact of Role-plays in ESL class on Student Talking Time and Teacher Talking Time
Balance
Strengthening the development of Student Talking Time (STT) in the ESL secondary
classroom: student-centered activities and differentiated instructions

4. Differentiation: addressing diverse learner needs

Another common area of focus for novice teachers is differentiation, a popular topic in
language teaching and indeed other disciplines in education at present. You investigate different

Page 7 of 17
 College of Education

approaches to accommodating different learner needs, from mixed-ability pair work or grouping
by proficiency, to separate tasks for different groups. Research topics on this cluster include:

Working with different proficiency levels in the ESL classroom: out-of-class activities
Benefits & Limits of a Differentiated Instruction in an English Class
Impact of Differentiated Pedagogy on Learner’s Motivation
Differentiating reading and listening comprehension activities in a mixed- ability class.

5. Motivation

One research topic you may want to delve into is on language motivation and attitude.
You may be interested to know the effect of highly motivated language learner with those who
have lower motivational level. Their attitude towards ESL and the activities introduced could
also be another interest. Some research topics on this area are:

Enhancing Learners’ Motivation and Interest in ESL Classrooms

Arousing Students’ Motivation in ESL Classrooms: Increasing and Enhancing
Participation, Interaction and Production.
Implementing Ideal Future Selves in the Second Language Classroom
Group work as a potential source of motivation

6. Tools for teaching

Your research may be focused on particular tools for language teaching, using paper-
based materials such as dictionaries and flashcards to aid comprehension and retention of lexical
items, and perhaps encourage learner autonomy. Or you may use the complex use of Google
applications such as maps and street view, and how these might be exploited for learning about
the culture of English-speaking countries. Sample research topics on this area could be:

Using the dictionary Inside and Outside The Classroom

Integrating Web Online Mapping Services in the Teaching of EFL
Teaching Vocabulary & the use of flashcards.

7. Classroom language: English or mother tongue or mixed

You want to study questions surrounding language, including use of English language
and local languages in teaching: monolingual, bilingual, Taglish, codeswitching, etc. Sample
research topics could be:
Page 8 of 17
 College of Education

Perceptions of students in regard to native English and non-native English speaking

teachers
ESL teaching: Questioning L2 exclusivity and its effects on learners and teachers in a
Lower Secondary School
Acceptability of Language Mixing in the classroom
Acceptability of Gay Lingo among Peers

Stating the Action Research Questions

After prioritizing your research problem to solve, determining the specific objectives, and
formulating the research title, you are now ready to state the action research specific questions.
From the research experts, it is suggested that the action research questions should –

 Be meaningful, compelling, and important to you as a teacher-researcher.

 Be manageable and within your sphere of influence.
 Be important for learners.
 Benefits your students by informing your teaching and the curriculum, by providing
new insights about students and their learning, by broadening and deepening your
perspectives, or by improving practice.
 Lead to taking an action

Specific research questions could either be descriptive or inferential. Descriptive

questions tell the numerical and descriptive information about the samples or respondents of the
study, while the inferential questions tell about the presumed relationship of variables (usually
the independent and dependent variables) or about the differences between or among groups.

Sample Action Research Title and Research Questions

AR Title:
ENHANCING READING COMPREHENSION THROUGH GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS
AR Specific Questions:

What is the students’ reading comprehension performance before and after exposure to the use of
graphic organizers to guide reading comprehension? (descriptive question)

Is there a difference in the pre-test and post-test reading performance of the students?
(inferential question)

Page 9 of 17
 College of Education

What is the students’ retention rate of the reading comprehension skills learned? (descriptive
question)

How extensive is students’ participation in class recitation guided by the graphic organizers?
(descriptive question)

Reflect on your experience in this lesson by answering the

following:

1. “First things first,” Stephen Covey says in order to succeed in any

endeavour. How is this true in action research problem
conceptualization?
REFLECT 2. As a teacher-researcher, how important is being fixated to your
research title and objectives as you proceed with the action research
process?
3. Based on your self-assessment, how confident are you to undertake
the problem conceptualization, formulating the research title, and
the specific research questions?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Demonstrate your understanding of the lesson by answering the
following:

Activity 1. In your own words, differentiate each of the following pairs of

terms:
a. Independent and quantitative variables
b. Descriptive and inferential research questions
RESPOND .
ND Activity 2. Use the Problem Identifier Matrix to shortlist your classroom
or school problem you are interested to study for your action
research. With this output, do the following:

a. Formulate the action research title

b. State the action research objective
c. State the specific action research questions (label them if
descriptive or inferential)

Page 10 of 17
 College of Education

Activity 3. Of the 4 P’s of problem identification and of the categories in

the sample action research topics, where does your action
research belong? Explain briefly.

SUMMARY/CONCLUSION

In this lesson, you learned about:

 Action research follows a process for its smooth implementation.
 Each step of the action research process needs to be adequately considered to
ensure the collection of valid and reliable information.
 The results of an action research leads to the identification of another intervention
to adequately understand a problem encountered in the classroom.

REFERENCES

Burns, A. (2010). Doing action research in English language teaching: A guide to

practitioners. New York: Routledge Inc.
Carr, W. & Kemmis, S. (1986). Becoming critical: Education, knowledge and action
Philadelphia, Falmer Press.
Dörnyei, Z., & Ushioda, E. (2013). Teaching and Researching: Motivation (2nd ed.). New York:
Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315833750
Johnson, A. P. (2012). A short guide to action research. New Jersey: Pearson Education
Kumar, R. (2015). Research methodology: a step-by-step for beginners. Thousand Oaks:
California: Sage Publications
Mills, G. E. (2011). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher. NJ: Pearson Education.
Norton, L. (2009). Action research in teaching and learning. New York: Routledge Inc.
Wiersma, W. (1995). Research methods in education: An introduction. Boston: Allyn & Bacon

ANNEX A – DEPED RESEARCH AGENDA

Page 11 of 17
 College of Education

THEME 1: TEACHING AND LEARNING

General Research Questions Topics

What factors affect the teacher’s delivery of the  Class size
curriculum?  Contact time
 Materials and resources
 Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) in Education
 Language/Medium of instruction/ MTB-MLE
 Continuing professional development and
support (e.g. coaching and mentoring, Learning
Action Cell)
 Classroom management (e.g. positive
discipline)
 Learning space/environment
 Lesson planning and creation of Instructional
Materials (IMs)
 Teacher’s profile (e.g. background,
specialization, knowledge, motivation)
What teaching and learning strategies can teachers  Inclusive education
apply to ensure inclusive and learner-centered o Special Education (SPED)
education? o Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd)
o Madrasah Education
o Alternative Learning System (ALS)
o Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMs)
 Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate
Change Adaptation (CCA)
 Child-centered approach
 Emerging good practices
 ICT in Education
 Differentiated instruction
 Individual learning styles and multiple
intelligences
 Collaborative learning
 Classroom management (e.g. positive
discipline)
How is the curriculum able to contribute to  Contextualization
achieving learning outcomes?  Various subjects
 Spiral progression in the curriculum
 Higher order thinking skills

Page 12 of 17
 College of Education

 Integration (e.g. DRR and CCA)

How is the curriculum responsive and relevant to  Contextualization
learners?  Localization
 Indigenization
What factors affect the learning behaviors of  Child development
learners?  External and internal environment
 Teaching strategies
 Multiple intelligences
What contributes to the values formation of  School influence
learners?  Community
 Culture
 Extra- and co-curricular activities
What factors affect the implementation of  Classroom assessment (i.e. formative and
classroom assessment? summative)
 Emerging good practices
 Teachers’ expertise in constructing various
types of assessments
 Availability of assessment tools and resources
(e.g. materials, manpower, environment,
portfolio assessment)
How is assessment conducted and utilized in the  Classroom assessments
Philippine education system?  National assessments
How effective is  Basic Literacy Program A&E
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in  PEPT (Grade Level Placement)
determining students to special programs?  Special Programs
What factors affect the achievement of learning  Teacher’s profile (e.g. specialization, training,
outcomes? experience)
 Learning environment
 Learning resources
 Language Assessment
How does achievement of expected learning  Regional, division, and school variation
outcomes vary in terms of practices per region,  School typology
division, and/or school?  Role of leaders
 Geographic, political, and economic factors
 Partnerships (i.e. LGUs, other private and
public organizations and institutions)

THEME 2: CHILD PROTECTION

Page 13 of 17
 College of Education

General Research Questions Specific Topics General Topics

How can DepEd best address the  History of problem
following child protection  Prevalence
concerns:  Factors contributing to the
Bullying  Physical Bullying problem (e.g.
 Emotional Bullying  access to technology,
 Cyber Bullying environment)
Teenage Pregnancy · Reproductive Health Education  Vulnerable

Child Abuse  Grave Child Rights  Segments (e.g. gender,

Violations (GCRVs) location, economic status,
 SHS Work Immersion persons with disabilities,
Context children in conflict with the
Addiction  Substance Abuse law, children at risk)
 Online Gaming  Effects (e.g. physical,
 Social Media mental, emotional, social)
Media Consumption  Internet  Policies/ programs/
 TV and film interventions
 Magazines  Learning interventions
 Radio  Monitoring and evaluation of
interventions
 Partnerships

THEME 3: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

General Research Questions Specific Topics Additional Explanations

How effective is the professional  Specialization This research question intends to
development framework in the  Quality of years of examine the responsiveness of
delivery of the K to 12 experience the Department’s existing
curriculum?  Language proficiency professional development
 (Mother tongue) framework.
 Academic skills
 Psycho-social skills
 ICT integration in teaching
What qualifications and Skills for:
competencies are required for  Inclusive education
teaching in an inclusive learning  Teaching Beginning Reading
environment?  Qualification standards and
criteria for hiring
 Psychosocial skills
Page 14 of 17
 College of Education

 Interpersonal skills
How can pre-service teacher  Teacher education
education be improved to institutions
develop teachers who can Core courses
effectively deliver the K to 12 Relevant non-core courses
curriculum? New courses
Preparation on:
 Contextualization of the
curriculum
 Integration
 Teaching Beginning
Reading
 Inclusive education
What are the issues and  Localization law
challenges in hiring public school  Ranking system
teachers, and how can these be  Natural vacancies
addressed?  Planned positions
 Notice of Organization,
Staffing, and Compensation
Action
 Political influence
 Competition between public
and private sector
 Emigration and/or foreign
contractual work
 Entry levels
 Qualification standards and
criteria for hiring
 Allocation of teacher items
 Verification of eligibility
documents
How can selection, retention,  Career path and progression
assessment, development,  Personal considerations
promotion, and recognition be  Quota system
enhanced to support DepEd  Item reclassification
employees in different career  Mentoring
stages?  Training and development
 Patronage and corruption
 Results-Based Performance
 Management System
(RPMS)

Page 15 of 17
 College of Education

 Scholarships and grants

 Succession planning
What kind of capacity building  Overall training program
activities are necessary and most  Specialized training program
effective in addressing  Process of capacity-building
development needs and  Training strategy
improving the work performance  Selection process
of teachers and other DepEd  Practical application
personnel?  Monitoring and evaluation
 Other development options o
Classroom training o
Coaching and mentoring o
Experience
What motivates teaching and Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
non-teaching personnel to sustain
commitment and passion to high-
quality teaching, learning, and
work performance?

THEME 4: GOVERNANCE

General Research Questions Topics

How can DepEd determine effective and efficient  Process/tools o Typologies and classifications o
standards for critical education resources for Planning considerations for nonformal
schools, community learning centers, and other education
delivery units?  Comprehensive School Safety or
 Disaster Risk Reduction and
 Management in Education
 Critical resources
 Teachers, teaching-related, and nonteaching
personnel
 Education facilities (e.g. laboratories)
 Tools and equipment
 Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)
 School sites
 Health and nutrition
How can DepEd improve its planning process Strategic planning (e.g. contingency planning)
across levels? Operations planning
Data management
Monitoring and evaluation
Policy research and development

Page 16 of 17
 College of Education

Prepared by: MARCELO R. RAQUEPO

Course Facilitator

Checked by: EMMELINE T. AREL

Chairperson

Approved by: JOHN MARK F. BONDOC

Dean, College of Education

Page 17 of 17