Effects Of Increased Wait-Time On The Quantity Of Attempted Responses Essay

Effects Of Increased Wait-Time On The Quantity Of Attempted Responses And Correct Responses From Elementary ELL Students To Questions In A Classroom - Essay Example It gives the educator, as a scholarly practitioner, the opportunity to examine relevant issues in his or her own classroom or school which may complicate, compromise, or complement the learning process—and to find meaningful, practical, research-based answers. In Action Research, teachers are empowered to design a research-based plan, identify learning issues or problems, review relevant literature that examines identified problems, implement specific, research-based strategies, and discover convincing evidence that supports or contravenes their teaching strategies. The most exciting part of Action Research is the teacher can often observe student improvement during the project and can demonstrate, in a quantitative manner, the improvement of student learning. Sagor notes, â€Å"Seeing students grow is probably the greatest joy educators can experience† (2002, p. 5).... I chose this research topic because I became quite interested in the positive effects of â€Å"wait time† when the concept was first introduced early in this program. Through self-examination of my own teaching behavior and practices, I came to realize that I was not allowing sufficient time for all students to answer questions. I began to wait longer for answers and I noticed a definite improvement in the number and in the quality of answers provided by my students. I extended my "wait -time" in all areas of my classroom, talking circle, small group projects, full class lectures. I notice improvements in the number of answers, participation, and the engagement levels of my students. "Wait time" is one of several tools and techniques learned in this course that I am in the process of implementing in my effort to create a more inclusive and equitable classroom-learning situation. I endeavor to continuously develop as a teacher and I am committed to improving in a manner that in sures each student in my classroom learns and develops to their full potential. I have concluded that implementing "wait time" into my teaching behavior is an important aspect of this development. RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the effects of increased wait-time on the number of attempted responses and the number of correct responses from elementary ESL/ELL students? DEMOGRAPHICS DEMOGRAPHIC DATA: Where / What is the research site? Who is directly involved? How will statistics be acquired to give a clear understanding of the context and culture of the research site? (Do not use name as an identifier.) Provide references for sources used. The research site is ‘Iowa after-school program’ learning center where