A Meta-analysis of Teacher Research on the Acquisition of Second Language Literacy
Sharon H. Ulanoff, Lillian Vega-Castaneda, and Francisco Rios (CSU, San Marcos)

Summary
The relationship between teaching and research is often viewed from varying perspectives. While some would argue that research informs teaching, it is clear that that same research is dependent upon the actual teaching that takes place in the classroom. Teacher research, that engaged in by practitioners in the field, serves to add to the body of knowledge that exists in relation to classroom practice by offering a unique perspectives on teaching and learning (Cochran-Smith and Lytle, 1993).

Teacher researchers, both novice and experienced, examine the products of their research through two different lenses, that of practitioner in the field as well as that of examiner of identified practice. This unique perspective affords the teacher researcher both outsider (etic)and insider (emic) perspectives in terms of the data they gather and analyze. This data gathering and analysis, in turn, serves to assist the teacher in uncovering and clarifying his/her own "...implicit assumptions about teaching, learning and schooling" (Cochran-Smith and Lytle, 1990, p. 4) and further gives them a means of working toward solving various problems within the framework of the educational system on both macro and micro levels. These teachers use their own classrooms as research labs and in collaboration with their students "...are changing the way we work with students as we look at our classrooms systematically through research" (Hubbard and Power, 1993, p. xiii).

The notion of changing instruction is critical in terms of inquiry in the classroom. Teachers that engage in research themselves are more likely to see the relationship between teaching and research as they uncover answers related to their own curriculum and instruction. Furthermore, there are connections between what they are learning in the classroom and how they are teaching in the classroom. As preservice teachers engage in teacher research they come to understand the classroom culture. As more experienced teachers participate in inquiries in their own classroom, they begin to negotiate changes in both what and how they teach. These changes have implications related to classroom structure and student engagement.

This paper examines the inquiry projects of approximately forty teacher-researchers, completed as part of a course entitled Literacy development of speakers of English as a second language at California State University, San Marcos. In doing so it explores critical questions posed by practicing teachers who work with ethnolinguistically diverse populations as they look for ways to negotiate the classroom context. It further examines the teachers' reflections on their inquiries, specifically the relationship between their research and their practice.

The literacy development course is required for the Master of Arts in Education, option in Literacy Education, program and members of the class have varying amounts of experience in the field. The course, offered in the second semester of the program, was run as a writer's workshop in that the main assignment was an inquiry paper which would be compiled into a research anthology and presented at a symposium at the end of the semester. A total of forty inquiry papers from 1995, 1996 and 1997 serve as the data source. There were both monolingual and bilingual teachers as well as elementary, middle and high school teachers in the groups.

As part of the course content, teachers were asked to think about a question they wanted to answer in relation second language and literacy acquisition. They were encouraged to look for a "burning question," to answer that related to their own classroom practice and were asked to include the following sections in their papers:

* Statement of the question;
* Setting and sample;
* Theoretical framework: what others have said about their topic;
* Methodology: how they intended to answer the question;
* Instrumentation;
* Data Collection and Analysis;
* Findings; and
* Conclusions.

The assignment was structured in order that the teachers would turn in some part of the assignment almost every week. This allowed for discussion and feedback in writing groups during class time.

The research methodology used was qualitative in nature. Teacher-researchers generally relied on classroom observations, interviews and student artifacts. Some teachers chose to use surveys and others analyzed texts and documents. Class time was devoted to examining and analyzing data.

Findings indicate that teacher-researchers are concerned about a variety of issues in their classrooms and also are eager to find solutions to burning questions related to practice. Several underlying themes formed the basis for the inquiries. The teacher-researchers consistently examined questions related to the classroom and school district contexts for learning. They also examined a variety of strategies and their impact on academic success. There was also a focus on emergent literacy and biliteracy. Burning questions/issues included:

* What happens when students are pulled out for ESL programs?
* How does vocabulary development impact second language reading success?
* How does second language writing develop?
* How does early transition impact reading and writing in L1?
* What is the relationship between first and second language reading?
* How do the sociopolitical attitudes affect the learning climate for students from ethnolinguistically diverse backgrounds?

Teacher reflections indicated that teacher-researchers choose questions as a means of finding out about their own classrooms, schools and districts. They were concerned with the evolution of their questions and also with links between their own findings and their theoretical frameworks. As teacher-researchers they were reluctant to make generalizations based on their own research, but also felt that the inquiry helped them come to better understand their students, classrooms, schools and/or districts.

The papers and reflections of these teachers clearly demonstrates that they are aware of critical issues facing their students, in this case second language learners, in today's classrooms. They are concerned with both practice and the contexts within which that practice takes place. As they engage as teacher-researchers they begin to examine the relationship between theory and practice in order to make decisions regarding what they do as teachers. Teacher-researchers truly examine practice through multiple lenses. Their research can only facilitate their growth as practitioners and way they themselves engage the students they teach.

References

Cochran-Smith, M. and Lytle, S. L. (1993). Inside outside: Teacher research and knowledge. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Cochran-Smith, M. and Lytle, S. L. (1990). Research on teaching and teacher research: The issues that divide. Educational Researcher, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 2-11.

Hubbard, R. S. and Power, B. M. (1993). The art of classroom inquiry: A handbook for teacher-researchers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann