 This Investigation examines what it means to make disciplined-as opposed to intuitive-

statements about teaching.

Think about a class or lesson in which you have recently participated. It may be a class that you taught
or it may be one in which you have been a student. Think about something that you know to be true of
that class. Write it down as a statement. Write down how you know this statement and on what basis
you make it. Now, using the same statement, outline how someone else could investigate it. What could
he or she do to find out whether the statement is the case? Draft a set of instructions for how that
person could investigate the statement. The instructions can be in the format: First, ... second, ... then ...
etc.

 THE LANGUAGE OF SCIENCE

This Investigation examines the language we accept as sounding scientific. What are the words or
constructions that trigger the sense that we are reading or listening to a scientific account? Imagine you
are reading a scientific article or listening to someone present a scientific paper. Jot down some of the
phrases you would expect to read or hear. Interview a couple of friends or colleagues. Ask them to do
same activity and note their responses. It is interesting to perform this Investigation with children at
various ages.

Account #4.1: Kim Mortimer,. "Adolescents, anxiety, and second language learning"

LOCATING THE INQUIRY This Investigation begins a series of Investigations throughout this chapter that
are aimed at helping you think through a research plan. In this Investigation two alternatives are
suggested: (AJ using reflective writing, and (BJ using videotape as a prompt.

Alternative (A): Reflective writing Think about the teaching you have done recently or that you will be
doing. Think about the school context, the students, and the content you have been teaching.
Brainstorm the following questions, making notes for xourself as you go along:

• What do you wonder about in your teaching and your students' learning?

• What puzzles you about your students, the content, or the organization of your classroom?

• What aspects of the students' learning do you want to understand better?

• What are some aspects of your teaching situation that intrigue or trouble you? Why?

• What do you know about your teaching or their learning that you are interested in verifying?

Use the loop-writing process, outlined in Appendix A (p. 198), to sharpen your inquiry.

Alternative (B): A video prompt Arrange to have your class, or a portion of it, videotaped. Ideally you
would have someone else run the camera as you are teaching. Perhaps a colleague or even a student
will do so for you. However, you can also videotape yourself very satisfactorily without help. You need to
set up the camera using a wide-angle focus to take in as much of the classroom as possible. Be sure the
image catches as many students as possible. Start the tape recording at the beginning of the lesson and
let it run until the tape runs out or the lesson ends. Review the videotape. Look carefully at what is going
on and who is doing what. Think about the following prompts as you watch it:

• What questions do you have about your teaching as you watch your students' learning in
this lesson?

• What puzzles you about what you see? What are you unsure of?

• What aspects of the students' learning do you want to better understand?

• Why do you think things are happening as they are on the tape? How would you
know? What speculations do this raise about students' learning and/or your teaching?

• What do you know about your teaching or their learning that you are interested in
verifying?