This book combines an authoritative examination of the field of discourse-based research with practical guidance on research design and development. The book is not prescriptive but instead invites expansive, innovative thinking about what discourse is, why it matters to people at particular sites and how it can be investigated. The authors identify a set of questions that, they argue, are crucial for understanding discourse.
This book focuses on how to improve the teaching and learning of primary level mathematics education within resource-constrained contexts. It builds on two large numeracy projects within South Africa which speak to broader, global concerns and highlight how research and development not only enables one to meet ethical imperatives but also explore how further interventions can be developed. Teacher and research communities must work together to create mutually beneficial relationships and establish a cohesive understanding of the requirements of primary mathematics education.
Developing mathematical thinking is one of major aims of mathematics education. In mathematics education research, there are a number of researches which describe what it is and how we can observe in experimental research. However, teachers have difficulties to develope it in the classrooms. This book is the result of lesson studies over the past 50 years. It describes three perspectives of mathematical thinking: Mathematical Attitude (Minds set), Mathematical Methods in General and Mathematical Ideas with Content and explains how to develop them in the classroom with illuminating examples.
This book advances the theory of action research, analyzing how it can be used to develop autonomy among language teachers. Although acknowledging that the research process is not always linear, the authors proceed according to a clear progression which teachers can adapt to their needs. They provide examples, narratives, questions and tasks, and give multiple ideas for establishing research questions, choosing appropriate methodologies, adapting to existing contexts, and collecting data. They also suggest possible instruments, and give clear instructions for carrying out the most common kinds of statistical procedures, and ideas for presenting, discussing, and writing up research findings.
A brief and accessible introduction to the concepts and techniques used in applied linguistics research, which will be illustrated using real-life examples. The book covers both qualitative and quantitative research design, sampling procedures, instrumentation and analyses found in applied linguistics research.