Action Research in Foreign Language Education
June 27-July 3, 2002

Participants:
Experienced and practicing 1) Teacher Educators at institutions of higher education who prepare K-12 foreign language pre-service and in-service teachers; 2) Practicing K-12 Foreign Language Teachers

Institute Leader:
Richard Donato, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

The activity of teaching language is a highly personal endeavor. Understanding how we teach, how students learn, and how we can best assist this learning in our own local teaching situations was the purpose of the Action Research Institute. In this institute the participants:

• explored the uses and benefits of classroom-based inquiry for improving and changing foreign language instruction;
• examined the nature of action research and the tools of inquiry that are typically used in action research;
• read and discussed action research projects across disciplines;
• examined action research projects in foreign language education and the contributions they make to improving practice;
• began to identify their own critical issues in teaching and learning foreign languages, formulated questions, and explored how they could plan for instructional innovation or intervention;
• developed their own action plans to be carried out during the school year, selected appropriate tools of inquiry, and collected and analyzed information;
• explored how action research projects can involve collaboration among classroom teachers and how teacher educators can become members of research teams.

Activity Photos