Learning communities in homework practices: an action research in an 8th grade efl classroom

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2020

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Ayık Şora, Eslem

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Homework has always been in dispute among the authorities of foreign language education as there are numerous opinions about the characteristics of homework practices in language classes. According to the most studies, homework is helpful for learning in foreign language classes, however; there are only a few studies in Turkey about homework models and their effects on students’ performance. This study is an action research that aimed to enhance the homework performance in 8th grade English classes by generating the understanding of Learning Communities in a middle school setting. The study took place a semester and twenty-four 8th graders from the same class in the 2018-2019 education year and three English teachers participated in the study. As it is an action research, the teacher took part in the research both as a teacher and researcher. Data were acquired through teacher observations and teacher diary, student reflection reports, interviews with teachers and students, and student focus-group interviews. Written documents from the first and second semester were also utilized as data. The data were analysed through content analysis based on emerging themes and codes and shaped with respect to research questions. The improvement of students in terms of homework performance and academic success were assessed through presentatios, exam results and homework checklists. All data were triangulated and the results revealed that Learning Communities based homework contributed to students’ homework performance and English development. Based on the findings, it is believed that the study will demonstrate the importance of improving homework model and promote building communities in education.

Subject Keywords

Foreign language teaching, Homework Practice, Learning Communities, Foreign Language Development, Action Research, English Class

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12624900/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/45460

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Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis

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Citation Formats

E. Ayık Şora, “Learning communities in homework practices: an action research in an 8th grade efl classroom,” Thesis (M.S.) -- Graduate School of Social Sciences. Curriculum and Instruction., Middle East Technical University, 2020.