Professional Practice I - Week 2 - Introduction to Research Approaches

Introduction: Hello and welcome to Week 2 of the Professional Practice I of the BA in English Teaching at ULACIT term IIIC 2022. In today's class we will explore discuss our expriences and beliefs regarding the value of research, explore the philosophical and procedural differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods, and participate in a workshop about designing warm up activities.

Today's Goals:

Define the concept of academic research and explore how research can benefit teachers.
Compare and contrast the features of qualitative and quantitative approaches to research.
Explore a variety of strategies for designing warm up activites.

Guiding Questions:

What is research?
What are the characteristics of qualitative and quantitative research approaches?
What are the qualities of an effective warm up activity?

Warm Up: Arrange the Text

Click the group link below and follow the instructions with your partners.

Group Link: CLICK HERE

What is your interpretation of the text?
How can you connect the dual message of the text with other aspects of your life?

Personal Life
Academic Life
The Pandemic
The Challenges of this Course

For what other teaching purposes could you use an activity like this?

Task 1: Syllabus Clarification

Let's take a moment to review and clarify any doubts about the syllabus, important dates, and activities of this course. Can you answer these?

What is the purpose of this course?
What is the basic structure of the project you will create?
How many drafts of your project will you submit?
How many hours are you required to accumulate this term?
How will those hours be distributed?
What are the roles of the professor in this course?
Let's Check: CLICK HERE

Task 2: Weekly Check-In

It's week two! What have you been up to since our last meeting?

Have you given any thought to the institution in which you would like to complete your hours?
Have you contacted anyone at the institution?
Have you thought about how you can arrange your weekly schedule in order to meet the in-person hours?
Let's share your Teaching-Learning Manifestos!

Task 3: Initial Beliefs about Research

Before beginning our exploration of research approaches, let's take a moment to discuss what you already know and believe about research, knowledge, and the nature of reality.

Group Link: CLICK HERE

Task 4: Reality, Knowledge, Reasoning, and Paradigms

What is reality and our connection to it? What is knowledge and how do we acquire it? Let's take a look.

Group Link: CLICK HERE

Task 5: Research Approaches

There are two main research approaches, quantitative and qualitative. It is essential for any researcher to have a clear understanding of the similarities and differences between them. Click the group link below.

Group Link: CLICK HERE

Now let's test your understanding on a deeper level. Click the link below and follow the instructions in the document.

Group Link: CLICK HERE

Teacher Development Workshop

A Principled Approach to Warm Up Design

Task 6: And then what happened?

Work with your partners to tell a story. Each of you will contribute one word at a time. You can only say a single word (no phrases) and your word must make grammatical sense.

One day, nine year old Billy Johnson was playing with his friends in the street in front of his house. Suddenly, Billy heard a strange sound coming from behind the garbage can next to the light post so he...