ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a rationale for teacher-initiated enquiry and introduces a flexible 12-step framework for conducting action research in classrooms with reading skills development goals. Of particular interest will be the following:
• a general introduction to action research that highlights its value and versatility
• a list of general reading-related topics that can be explored through action research
• a detailed, and easy-to-use, description of a 12-step action research process
• two sample action research projects that illustrate each step of the process
• good ideas and resources that can be used for teaching reading
Those of us who are responsible for teaching reading find ourselves in a range of instructional settings, including classrooms devoted solely to reading skills development, classrooms that emphasise integrated skills and classrooms with sheltered or other forms of content-based instruction. We teach young, adolescent and adult readers. Some of our students have already learned to read in their first languages; others are learning to read for the first time in their second languages. We have students who are motivated to read and others who are not ( yet) motivated to read. What we have in common is the desire to guide students toward becoming more skilled, motivated and strategic readers. To be effective in our reading instruction, we need to go beyond superficial theories of reading, instructional fads, out-of-date perceptions of reading, loose intuitions based on our own experiences learning to read (as if one can really remember) and certain instructional procedures proposed by popular textbook series and
curriculum guidelines. A current understanding of reading – based on theory (as explained in Chapters 1-2), research (Chapters 3-4) and practice (Chapter 5) – helps us improve our teaching effectiveness and provides us with the tools to do the following:
1. Determine students’ reading needs. 2. Adjust curricular priorities to meet students’ reading-related needs. 3. Articulate relevant instructional goals and objectives. 4. Design (and redesign) courses. 5. Plan purposeful reading lessons. 6. Adopt, adapt and develop instructional materials and assessment
instruments. 7. Provide meaningful feedback to students on various aspects of reading. 8. Adjust daily lessons in response to students’ immediate needs, responses
and attitudes.
