Embedded Files
Data Sources
Data Sources
Multiple data sources were used to focus my action research. Through utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data, I identified areas to conduct a thorough review of the literature and developed an action plan.
Quantitative Data
- 52% of my students in both Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 have retaken their respective course at least 1 time
- 46% of my Spanish 1 students scored below a 70% on the reading section of their chapter test
- 17% of my 180 students maintained a 4 or 5 (D or F) prior to the study
Qualitative Data
- When I begin to start a reading activity in Spanish, I notice a trend of students to use the restroom
- I see a greater increase in participation in small group versus whole group with my TPRS stories
Justification
Justification
My students demonstrated (1) low reading comprehension scores and (2) a minimal display of participation during reading instruction. Many of my students displayed a negative mindset about achieving in Spanish coursework. For example, students avoided activities when asked to orally read sentences and passages. While teaching my Spanish classes, I noticed an increase of restroom use and restroom requests once the reading activity began. Moreover, participation and achievement in reading activities was markedly less than other areas such as vocabulary.
The importance of reading comprehension with the target language is crucial for my students because it is one of the main concepts of language. As students progress to more advanced courses, such as Spanish 3 and 4, the ability to read excerpts proficiently will be expected.
The use of TPRS strategies to support comprehension in language learning is an emerging area of research with multiple implications. Specifically, this approach is nascent in beginning language acquisition courses such as Spanish 1. Click here to read a review of research related to reading comprehension in beginning Spanish courses.
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