Implementation Week 1 & 2

A lesson on Energy

Accessing the data collection tool
Please click here to take a look at the proforma I did for the first and second session.



Defining a Proforma
According to Burns, A. (1999) a proforma is a grid that separates the "descriptive aspects of one's observations from the reflective aspects" allowing the "analysis and interpretation to become more focused".

As the reader may see the research question appears on the top of the chart as well as the constructs: reading, decoding information, and content-based element. The objective of having the research question written in the data collection instrument is to guide the observation process. When a researcher is taking notes, many variables might appear that are not relevant to the object of study; that is why the researcher should always keep in mind the phenomena s/he is interested in investigating. On the second row of the data collection instrument the date and type of activity are written. Then, two columns are displayed; the left column corresponds to the description of what happened in the classroom during that activity, and the second column corresponds to comments I was making as I was re-writing what I had observed in class. These comments were categorized according to the constructs they were describing.


Every time I met with fifth graders and we developed one of the activities whitin the implementation stage, I took one white piece of paper with the research question and the constructs and as the class was going on, I took notes using short sentences or sometimes key words of the events that were related to the constructs. Afterwards at the end of the day, these observations were re-written on the computer and comments regarding the meaning of those observations or inquires were also noted down.

Reference
Burns, A. (1999). Collaborative action research for English language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Image taken from http://www.alistaircraven.com/java/basic/energy4.jpg