Action Research Design Outline

I.                    What is the topic of your action research?

Kindergarten is a grade where students enter the world of letters for the first time. They have a lot to say but need help putting their ideas in order or writing them down meaningfully. After several months into the school year, we see how students still need to learn to think about an idea or write it down. Therefore, it is challenging to achieve the stated objectives: opinion writing, informative and narrative writing. This is a recurring problem that we have year after year in our classrooms, and that invites us to immerse ourselves in the search for new perspectives and alternatives, as I propose in my Innovation Proposal, taking into account the characteristics of today's children who are immersed in a digital world and need motivators that align with their technological interests.  Based on this objective and persistent problem in children's learning to write, my action research topic will be to recognize the techniques and methods used in the kindergarten writing program and the impact that implementing blended learning will have on students' motivation during the writing process.

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II.                  What is the purpose of your study

The current research aims to apply innovative methodologies through blended learning, whereby students can acquire the habit of writing by themselves and enhance their motivation and writing skills, particularly in kindergarten. In particular, it will assess how much integrating technological resources and online activities develops writing skills in structure and content.
 

III.                What is your research question?

How does implementing blended learning impact the motivation and development of the writing process in kindergarten students?

 

IV.                What is your research design (Qualitative, Quantitative, or Mixed Methods)

The study should use a combined-methods approach since it plans to understand the quantitative impact, which is measurable in terms of outcomes in developing writing skills, along with qualitative experiences regarding motivation and the learning process.

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a.      Why did you choose this design

The qualitative method is valuable in research because it allows us to explore and understand students' and teachers' experiences, perceptions, and feelings about the writing process in a blended learning environment. It makes it possible to collect detailed information about how students experience the learning process, how they feel about using new technologies in writing, and what motivates or demotivates them. On the other hand, the quantitative method will allow us to evaluate students' progress in their writing skills in an objective way. It will analyze trends in the responses and compare different student groups.

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V.                  What data will you collect?

Methodology The research approach to be used in the study, "Learning to Write in Early Childhood Education through Blended Learning," will adopt a mixed-methods approach in which both qualitative and quantitative data will be considered. Qualitative data obtained should include classroom observation, interviews, and review of the student's work. Quantitative data included standardized writing tests before and after using blended learning about progress in specific skills: text structure, grammar, coherence, and content. Engagement and motivation questionnaires and technology use data help develop usage statistics for technological tools, such as how many minutes students use the digital platform and their most frequent activity. 

 

VI.                What types of measurement will you use?

The measurement tools that might be utilized in the study to assess such aspects are the rubric to measure the level of participation in interaction with technological tools and collaborative writing activities. Still, a Likert scale, such as 1 to 5, might be used to rate the students' and parents' surveys regarding the level of motivation and enthusiasm for writing activities before and after intervention.

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VII.              What is the focus of your literature review?

In light of the preceding, the literature review shall outline aspects of the research study.

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• Writing in Early Childhood Education.

• Blended Learning in Early Childhood Education.

• Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Early Childhood Education.