After completing this project, I realize that action research is a great way to improve practice as a teacher. One of the responsibilities of a teacher is to identify problems in the classroom and come up with solutions to improve them. In a way, I think teachers are always conducting action research, formally or informally. Taking the time to complete this action research project has helped me identify and address a problem that I see in my own classroom with my ESL students. My students seem to really struggle with academic vocabulary words in Science and Social Studies. These subjects, for ESL students, are difficult because many of them do not have any background knowledge on the topics that we study in fourth grade. Because of this, it is hard for them to connect meaning to the new and unfamiliar words in our textbooks. After seeing the result of keeping a word journal to record academic vocabulary, I realize how valuable action research can be in the classroom.
Section 2: Ideas generated as a result of my project
For my project, I had my ESL students keep a word journal of all of their academic vocabulary words in Science and Social Studies after being introduced to the words in class. For each word, they had to write the word, write a definition in their own words (not copy from the glossary of their book), write a sentence using the word correctly, and draw a picture to help them remember what the word means. After seeing how much my ESL students enjoyed this assignment and really showed improvement because of it, I have decided to start making my entire class keep a word journal to reinforce these words.
Section 3: Suggestions to ESL professionals based on your my findings
To ESL professionals, I would highly recommend the use of word journals for their students. I found that it was very beneficial in Science and Social Studies, but this idea could be generated across the curriculum. The teacher could have students keep a journal for any subject, it is not just limited to the two that I suggested. My students loved the part where they got to draw a picture for the word, and I think that drawing is a great way for students to attach meaning to a word even if they don't understand the words that explain it.
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