Data Collection Methods

Regular classroom activities Action research data

collection

• Teaching new grammar items • Audio-record classroom interaction or

students’ group work responses to see
how students are using them

• Teaching aspects of writing (e.g.

• Collect students’ texts over a set period
structuring the essay) of time and monitor the improvements
and gaps in their writing
 Regular classroom activities Action research data

• Using different materials • Discuss with students their reactions to

new materials compared with previous
materials

• Teaching vocabulary
• Give students a survey asking them for
their responses to different vocabulary
activities
 Regular classroom activities Action research data

• Encouraging students to take more • Ask students to write a letter to a class

responsibility for learning partner to explain their most effective
strategies for learning English
 Regular classroom activities Action research data

• Extending students’ motivation • Get students to interview each other

about what they like/dislike about
various activities and ask them to record
their responses
 METHODS FOR ACTION RESEARCH
Things you need to see Things you need to know

Examples: Observation Examples: Non-observation

• Observation by teacher or colleague on • Interviews
particular aspects of classroom action
• Class discussions/focus groups
• Brief notes or recorded comments made • Questionnaires and surveys
by the teacher while the class is in
progress • Diaries, journals and logs kept by
teacher
• Audio- or video-recordings of classroom
interactions or learners
 METHODS FOR ACTION RESEARCH
Things you need to see Things you need to know

• Transcripts of classroom interactions • Classroom documents, such as

between teacher and students or students
teacher-made or textbook materials
and students
used, samples of student writing,
speaking tests, assessment portfolios, or
• Maps, layouts or sociograms of the self-evaluations
classroom that trace the interactions
between students and teacher
Photographs of the physical context
 Non-observation data collection methods

• Interviews (Structured, semi-structured, non-structured)

• Class discussions/focus groups
• Questionnaires and surveys
• Diaries, journals and logs kept by teacher or learners
Non-observation data collection methods
• Interviews (Structured, semi-structured, non-structured)
• Class discussions/focus groups
• Questionnaires and surveys
• Diaries, journals and logs kept by teacher or
learners
 Questionnaires /Surveys
• Information about the institution
• Information about the research, their purpose and the use of the data
privately and consent of the participants
• Factual or demographic information (who the interviewees are and their
background/experiences)
• Behavioural information (what they do, or did in the past); attitudinal
(attitudes, opinions, beliefs, interests and values).
 RATING SCALES

• Rating scales give you a broader range of responses than yes/no. Likert scales
(named after their inventor) are the most common and ask people to give the
degree to which they agree with something usually by circling or ticking the
responses.
• Example:
(Please tick ✔ the answer you agree with most)
• Reading English is more important than speaking English
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Thanks!