School – Adarsha Saral
Madhyamik Vidhyalaya , Nagbahal,
Patan
Grade-Eight
No. of Student- 12
Action Research Carried
Out by : Ranjit Kumar Jha
Abstract
Story
writing supports the development of writing skill. It develops overall
proficiency and it provides access to expressing ability in school and out of
the school. However , it has been observed that students can not write any
writing in very well and organize way according to their level. It is a very
big problem in Nepal that the teacher didn’t focus on teaching writing skill in
the school level. In order to respond this issue, I took an action research
project on developing story writing skill among the students.
The major interventions included several
motivational strategies, writing comprehension strategies such as sample
writing, guided writing, free writing, story writing. Results reveal the learner’s development in their writing ability and they
are now more positive towards reading. Also, it has indicated that the
teacher’s role changes the students writing ability. This study suggests that
action research brings about the changes in the student’s writing skill.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We
are grateful to a numbers of individuals for their support and encouragement
which made this project come to this successful completion.
Firstly,
we acknowledge our respected tutor Mr. Ganga Ram Gautam, who always listed potently to all our
problems and questions and provided us very prompt feedback and comment
due to watch the successful completion of this project was made possible.
Likewise
, we are equally thankful to our teachers Mr. Laxman Guwali and Mr. Dhanpati
Subedi who showed us the right direction with valuable advice and encouraging
remarks.
We
will be forever indebted to our principal of Adarsha Saral Madhyamik school, nagbahal Mr. Ishwar
Pokhrel for motivating and giving me to chance for carried out action research
in his school , and also thankful to create and facilitating the favorable
environment in the school during my research.
I
would like to thank also the class teacher for grade 8, Miss Radha Dwadi and
some of my friends who supports me to complete my action research project is
Pema Bhusal and Bir Singh Nayak.
Once
again, I would like to thank to all the above individuals who really deserve
our sincere gratitude as thus project would not have been possible without
their help and co-operation.
Ranjit Kumar
jha.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Abstract
Acknowledgement
1.
Background of
problem………………………………………………………7-8
2.
Research question ………….…………………………………………………08
3.
Objectives……….…………………………………………………………….08
4.
Proposed and implementing
strategy………………………………………….8-10
5.
Action Research
Process……………………………………………………..10-16
6.
Data collection………………………………………………………………16-19
7.
Analysis of data……………………………………………………………..19-21
8.
Strategy wise
reflection……………………………………………………….21-24
9.
Reflecting on the
Process……………………………………………………24-25
10.
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………..25
References
Background of the Problem
Writing
skill is an important skill for English language learners and to have
proficiency in language development. Writing in organized way is one of the
very important part in language learning.
For this, story writing has a great importance for their greater
exposure in writing habit. So many schools and colleges have spent a huge
amount of money for organizing workshop, seminar, and trainings. However,
students could not develop their writing skill low self esteem and engagement
in learning has been a long lasting and widespread problem among the students
In Nepal and it has been established as one of the challenges for English
language teachers in Nepal.
My
school where I carried out my action research (Adarsha saral
Madhymik Vidhyalaya) lies in a quiet place with wonderful surroundings
and sufficient infrastructure with well facility. Although, this is a public
government school, it is also popular and very old school in whole lalitpur
district. This school has highly experienced, stable teachers. Every teacher is
conscious of all round development of the students.
As
we have been teaching English for 12 students in grade 8 as English subject
teacher. So , it is my responsibility to develop their writing skill and
overall English language and performance. Having understood the importance of
writing skill in English language development. I suggested them to write about
anything that came into their mind, but most of them could not write anything
even in a single sentence. Their pen could not move around in the note book.
They cannot express their ideas in written form. They cannot construct story in
their paper. There were not so interested in writing story in the classroom.
So, one of the challenges facing us was how to develop their story writing
skill.
When
I heard about the action research project and studied some of the samples of
action research as provided to us by our tutor Mr. Ganga Ram Gautam , we came
to know how action researches provides opportunities for teachers to work.
Richard (2003) also suggests that taking action with careful plans makes
essential changes to the researches’ teaching practice. We came to be very
clear that teacher’s support and motivation encouragement can be the best
motivational influence that inspires and support the learning process.
So,
immediately I were motivated and instructed to carry out an action research to
find out the effective strategies for motivating our students towards writing
story for developing their writing skill.
The Students participants in the
Action Research
The
participants were 12 students of grade 8 of academic year 2013 who have a
relatively low reading motivation. The students in the class and not much
interest in writing which is one of the factor to produce bad result in the
school.
Inquiry
Question
“How
can I develop story writing skill”
When
I told the students to write a story, it was very difficult to involve
consciously in writing. They felt very discomfort able to write anything. Their
pen was completely stopped. They cannot think about any story. When I told them
to write to share a story, they completely surrender. They said “we cannot tell
a story”. We have not ability to express my words. We feel very hesitate to
speak anything. Students felt difficulty in organizing the event, using tense,
separating paragraph, managing the length, formatting structure etc. they can
write by looking their textbook but they cannot write by their own. When I
observed such kinds of situation, I came to know that, they didn’t have
realized the value of story writing and they didn’t feel pleasure while writing
any writing.
For
finding out this problem, I observed a class and gave a task about story
writing. I conducted an interview with their English teacher. I also conducted
an interview with students.
Objectives
of research
This
pilot proposal endeavors to address the needs of these struggling learners by
meeting the following objectives.
1.
To develop story writing skill.
2.
To make habituated in writing.
3.
Provide alternative learning strategies,
materials and skill development for content area.
4.
Provide students with integrated writing
skill.
5.
Explore strategies that will help
students to develop writing skill for further studies.
Proposed
and Implemented Strategies.
The
problem that I addressed for an action research is based on the writing. So,
the strategies that I am going to implement for improving the application
writing and story writing should be based on the writing skills.
Before
starting the writing, the writer should think about the idea that they are
going to write on some topic. First they have to gather some idea related to
the problem or topic. It makes to easy while presentation the ideas in
organized way. The following techniques can be used for generating the ideas.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming
is the process of generating g the ideas in which writers should think a
moment about certain topic and write it
in one side to expand it. Brainstorming is used for writing application and
story as well. Writers should think about to whom they are going to write?,
what is the purpose of the writing application? Etc. for story writing, writer
should think that what is the story about and what event they want to narrate.
Clustering
Clustering
is another process of generating the ideas for improving writing. In this
process the writers should write the topic in the middle and write some related
ideas around it for relating the ideas.
Mind
mapping
Mind
mapping is the method of generating the ideas for writing. In this method, the
students should make mind map of the ideas to the topic. The writer should
think about the topic and prepare their mind to expand those ideas in certain
topic.
After
collecting the ideas, we need to apply some strategies for improvement of the
writing. The following strategies are used for writing application.
Strategies
no.1 copying
According
to River.(2002),In this strategies, the teacher will provide some sample of
different types of application like application to the principle, application
for vacancy, and application to the organization. After that students try to
copy for making the concept about the organization of the context. After this
students can be able know where to write date, subject and content.
Strategies
no .2 Reading story books.
According
to Harmer.(2008), These strategies can be useful for writing story as well. In
these strategies, teacher should provide a story book of basic level and told
them to read a story and developed the concept and organization framework of
the story. Teacher also told them to write a story on similar topic that is
given in this story book. After that students try to write story as written in the book. It will
developed writing and reading skill. It will help form a sample for writing
story.
Strategies
no 3 clue writing
According
to the harmer.2008, clue writing can be used for teaching writing in lower in school
level. It is one of the very useful methods for writing. In this strategies,
teacher will give some clue about application and story and told them to write
being based on that clue. After that students use that clue and complete the
application and story in complete order.
Action
Research Process.
Meeting with principal- 1st day- 28 April
I
called a meeting in which I invited our principal. First I welcomed him and informed about my
action research. We gave all the information about what I am going to do? How I
am going to conduct the own going to implement and what changes I would like to
make change regarding writing skill. I requested him for valuable suggestion
and to deal the students with very positive attitudes regarding the writing
activities. I requested to the principal to help me for creating an environment
where I can easily implement my strategies.
Meeting with class teacher 2nd day-29th
April
I
had a meeting with class teacher of grade 8. First I introduced him and
informed him about my action research. I also informed about my plan for
implementing strategies. I asked some questions regarding the student’s level,
interest, hobbies, and problem. I also request him for supporting me for
completing my research. He helped me to introduce myself in the classroom.
Meeting with Parents 3rd day-30 April.
I
had a meeting with parents. I share my plan and vision to them. I asked some
question regarding the student’s home work and studies. I asked them questions
like what kind of activities do your child? Is your child involved in writing
activities? Are you found any assignment regarding writing in their note book?
I requested them to help me and support me in this research because it will
give benefit for those students.
I
requested them to encourage their children to write about something and take
interest on them asking about they are writing some story or not or, what kind
story they writes?
4th
day-1 june
It
was a good day for me when I started my action research on the students of
grade 8 in Asdarsh Saral secondary school, nagbahal. There were total 14
numbers of students in that class and most of them are girls. When I entered in
the classroom, I felt quite easy for implementation of strategies. It was easy
to apply any activities in small numbers of students.
At
first I started my activities from introduction. First I introduce myself and
have a introduction section in class. Then after I talked about my vision and
request them for support me. Now I started my activities from class work. At
first I wanted to test them about writing skill. I needed to check their level.
My action research is about writing story so I told them to write any
hypothetical story that they have heard in their childhood. For this activities
I gave them 19 minutes. After 10 min what I found that no any single students
can even in single sentence about a story. During their writing process, I
wrote some of the basic ideas about the story like how to start story, which
structure can used in story, and what are the elements of story etc. I
explained those elements in class. I told them there is plot; event and moral
in any story and story should be based on the title. I told them to use past
tense while writing any story. I provide them one of hand written sample of
story and to read and told them write a story as same way.
It
was the 5th day of my
activities applied on the students of grade 8. I started today class from
checking the assignment that was I gave them in my first class. I checked that
assignment about story I saw that strategies worked. Now students can write
some of sentences about any story. Today I was not going to apply any new
strategies but I have a plan to modify that strategies. I told to students to
think about any story about some specific topic that I am going to write on
white board. So for this I wrote a topic like “The Cleaver Dog” and told to
students to think any story based on that title and wrote in your notebook.
After some time, they became able to think a story but they could not share so
I checked all story one by one for giving feedback.
For
some days, I continued these strategies. I continued on 6th ,7th
,8th ,9th 10th
and 11th day I took a
test for their improving the writing and on 12th day I checked their
test copy and evaluate them.
It
was the 13th day of my field work on action research. I entered in
the classroom and as observed the evaluation of first test, I came to
conclusion that I should modify my strategies. First I should help them to
create a story event first in their mind than after I encourage them to write
story. I told a story that was I heard in my childhood. After that i told them
to share a story but again they replied me “sir I could not say in English. So
what I thought that for this situation Translation method can be suitable for
them. So I told them to share in Nepali and I translate that whole story in
English language. It will help them for showing how can a story formed in
English language. So I used translation method as a strategies of teaching
story writing. I suggest some word meaning that I used in English translation. After
that I gave a class work to write a story in Nepali and translate them into
English language. After 10 min I collected all the story and took it out in my
room for check it. After checked what I found that some students are gradually
improved. So I continued that strategy for some days.
In
my 14th class of applying
activities in the class room. My plan was to show a sample of stories once
again for developing the concept about the organizational part of a story. For
that I took a book of short stories and gave to one of the students and fixed a
time about 10 min to read and analysis how story is written? What kind of
language is used? How the whole story relate with the title? I started my class
room activities from collecting the homework from all the students. I checked
in class and gave feedback for improving it. I started from book reading
activities. Everyone should a read a story once time and share what they
understand from that story.
This
strategies shows some improvement to form a story and now to some extend they
can share story that written in the story book. So, I think it will continue
for in some days, so I continued 3days
of my 15th , 16th and 17th class. Now students
showed their interesting in reading story. After that in 18th and 19th
class again I conduct a test for check their improvements. For some days, I
mean the day of 21st ,22nd and 24th I conduct
rewrite method. When I checked all those test, I marked out where did they
mistake and I corrected there and provide them those all copy to each
individual to rewrite the story on same topic. So , what I found from that
method was how many times they rewrite the same story, their mistake was going to less. Their mistake was
decreasing.
It
was 25th day of action
research activities. Today I had a plan to improve story concept through story
game. First I collected home work from all. After that I announce that today we
are going to play a game that is “complete the story” and I dictated some rules
and regulations that should be follow during game. All the students became
excited to play. The game was I wrote a title of a story and students job is to
form a story by telling a sentence from each student suitable with that title.
For this I wrote a title that “A Greedy Tiger” and I told to start to form a
story from back bench. Than one of students started by telling that “Once upon a time there was an old tiger”. It
means now students know how to start story. After complete that game I found
the outcome was so good and useful. Story game became success for forming a
story on curtain topic. Now students felt enjoy to play such game. I found that
they have a lack of words in their mind so I suggested them to increase word
power by using different strategies.
It
was 26th day of research activities on my implementing strategy in
my classroom on improving of story writing. Today I had a plan for teaching
story from ‘clue writing’. First I explained what I was going to do today,
after that I wrote a topic about one story and below the topic I wrote some
clue related to that story. I mean I break the whole story in some clue and
told them to write a story on same topic from helping with those clue. I also
wrote some difficult word meaning on whiteboard so they feel easy to understand
about story. When they finished than I checked all and I found clue is helping
them to create a story in well organized form and this time students forced me
to give same work in class and in homework. Students felt very interesting
about this strategy. It was going to improve their writing, it need to continue
for more days. So I was continued for 27th,28th and 29th
class
Today
was 30th class of my action research project and today my plan was
to conduct an interview and ask some question about their feelings and comment
on the process that I applied in previous class. Today I had collected some
story writing sample from students written by them. Samples are like this:
Data
Collection
I
have decided to use the following tools to observe and findout their
improvement on the problem.
·
Questionnaire
·
Informal interview
·
Written samples
·
Story telling
Questionnaire
First
of all, I made a sample questionnaire to find the initial data to find the
problem and this is this second time I made some question to know about their
improvement and expression , comment about the developing story writing skill.
Out
of 12 students, 10 students wrote that they became very happy and thankful to
me for developing their writing skill. They wrote that no any teacher used to
teach writing before, that’s why they could not be able to write such a story.
Other 2 students wrote that they need more class to improvement better. Now ,
they are reading a story and writing that same in their own way.
Informal
Interview
In
this process, I conducted a personal interview with all students to know about
their problem and their improvement. These are some questions that I asked. Can
you write story now? What kind of improvement occurs in your writing skill? Do
you suggest anything more to develop your writing skill? Are you felling any
trouble while writing story?
These
are some questions that I asked to my students informally just as the way of
informal conversation but we got very important information that would help us
reaching to the depth of problem and helps to improve their story writing
skill.
Written Samples
In
this tool, I told them to write some stories about different titles before and
after. I have collected written samples in three parts first I collected before
I applied strategies, during the applying the strategies and after I completion
the strategies. All these samples helped me to identified their problem, their
difficulty level, and their improvement. It also helps me to use appropriate or
suitable strategy for developing their story writing skill. These are samples:
Story Telling
I
think, who could not share the story than they could not write story. So for 2
days, I told them to the students to share any story that they heard in their
childhood in front of their friends. It help me to check their creativity about
organizing the event and what kind of structure they used to share story.
Analysis
of Data
I
made this following parameter for analysis of data that I have collected during
the whole research period. It is hard to analysis whole data so I selected some
of the major samples in three different parts for analysis.
1. Way
to start
2. Organizing
the event
3. Organizing
the paragraph
4. Using
tense
5. Length
of Story.
Way to Start
At
the first stage, when I used to analyze data in this parameter I found that
before my starategy implementation, students didn’t know how to start. They
started haphazardly like “Tiger go
to the jungle and eat goat.” But after I
taught it was gradually going to improve during my strategy implementation.
Students used to mention about time about when was event happened. Now students
use some of the words like, many many years sgo, a few days back, one month
ago, long time ago etc…
After
complete my action research, I found now students know about how to start
story.
Organizing the event.
Students
were completely unknown about how can organize the event in the story.
According to the data that I have collected before starting action research, I
found there was no any one –another connection about story. They wrote whatever
came in their mind. But after that, we can see in above data, now students
became able to organize the event in the story. Before they wrote like
“
A lion live in jungle. A goat lives in jungle. Lion eat goat.”
After
completion the research, now they can write in this way
“Once
upan a time, there was a lion who lived in jungle. At the same jungle, there
was a goat………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Organizing
the paragraph
Organizing
the paragraph is also one of skill of good writing. My action research aim is
also to develop the skill about how to organize the paragraph in story writing.
Before I started my research, organizing part of their writing was not so good.
They didn’t know how to organize the paragraph. They used to write everything
in one paragraph. They didn’t know how to make separate paragraph. But when I
taught them to explain one event in one paragraph. Than now students can
organize their event in different separate paragraph.
Using Suitable tense
Generally,
story written in past tense but most of the students use to use present tense
while writing the story. They didn’t know which tense is used in story writing.
After I completed my action research , students became able to use past tense
in story writing. Initially , they used to presant tense and how they became
able to use past tense while writing a story.
Length of the story
If
we are writing a story, we should care about length also, story should be in
proper length. It should not be so long and not should be so short. But if
students writes a story in 2-3 sentences than it is not a story. As a same way,
students of my class used to write story. They wrote like this.
“Lion
go to the jungle and eat a goat”
After
my action research, I tried to improve the length of the story. Now, students
can write story in proper length. They can write according to the length of
event. Now they can write in 40-80 sentences. If I talk about words, they can
write about 100 to 200 hundred.
Strategy
wise Reflection
Sample writing
I
started my action research process from sample writing. According to the
problem, first I applied sample writing in classroom for developing story
writing skill. I believe that without copying students cannot develop the model of writing. I thought,
first sample writing can be effective for them. So, I applied sample writing. I
were conduct a activity that I provide a hand written sample of story and I
told them to write as same. In this strategy, I felt that students were very
enjoying in writing story. First I used to give very short and simple fanny
story that can help them to make interesting about writing. It remember my past
experience when I started to learn about writing. I also started my writing
from sample writing. So, I feel very interesting during the process of applying
sample writing as a strategy of developing writing skill.
Reading story book
Student reading story book
Reading
story book was very useful strategy that I applied in action research process.
Students never used to read story books before. If they didn’t read than how
could they write. So, I analyse that problem and I felt first I should make
them to read story book and than after they can write some similar stories. So,
this strategy became very effectual in developing story writing skill. I
believed that reading creates creativity for writing. So, overall students feel
very interesting during applying the strategy.
Clue
–Writing
I
used clue writing as a last strategy for developing story writing skill for
last 5 days. I divided all students in three group and I gave each group each
topic with clue and I announced which group can write suitable story . students
involved in writing the story very seriously. After 10 min I have collected all
notebook and I checked. I found each group wrote very interesting story. One
group wrote very well organized. This strategy worked very effectively and
usefully because clue helped to form a story easily and how they can
organize the whole event from clue and
without clue.
Reflecting
upon the process.
This
action research project was success now that I feel comfortable that my
students became able to write stories and most importance was the experience I
gained in creating an environment and procedure from teaching language skills.
By having clear outcomes, I was able to engage the children at the outset of
the activity. My focus became their focus. This is not to say that classroom
management problems have eliminated, but that I was able to effectively guide
the children back to the lesion because I knew where to direct there attention.
The students commented that the writing is fun and they begain to write
different kinds of story using different character.
Not
detail in this report are my initial
attempts at formulating the concern for this research. It took very careful
reflecting and planning. It need to proper guideline . some of the internal and
external problems can be stand in front of us, but it will clear gradually.
Also critical to the process were the in depth discussion with associate staff
of my faculty and staff are very much supportive in nature.
Continuing
with action research requires identifying new concern and goal. I wish to look
further at aspects of assessment in writing. Also to further enhance the
intergrated lesson apporoach. I anticipate examing how other have used other
strategies in writing. In essence, this form of research is never quiet
concluded, as one concern leads to new and exciting investigations.
Conclusions
As a result of this action research project, I
have an increased awareness of the importance of story writing in developing
writing skill. Attempting to include
effective story in all of my lesion has certainly addressed a concern about in
teaching practice and has improved my teaching writing greatly . this action
research attempt has made me increasingly aware of the need for teachers to
pursue professional and personal development throughout this carriers.
References
1.
Costello, Patrick J.M (2005), ACTION RESEARCH, Continuum: New York.
2.
Bruce, Cathy Caro (2007) Action Research, NSDC: K.U
3.
Harmer, Jeremy (2006) Teach English, Rutledge: New York
