Champion Teachers Mexico II: Stories of Exploratory Action Research

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This collection presents the research narratives of nine Mexican teachers illustrating their professional journeys to become teacher-researchers. These teachers, along with fourteen others, took part in 2019 in the Champion Teachers Programme, which promotes the professional development of teachers of English as a foreign language by guiding and supporting them in carrying out their own classroom research projects.

This was the second cohort of the programme, following on from the success of the first cohort in 2018-2019. An important development of the Champion Teachers Programme in its second cohort was the inclusion of Mexican mentors. In the first cohort, experienced mentors from Chile supported their Mexican colleagues, but given the experience gained, five teachers were selected due to their personal attributes, dedication, and overall performance in the programme to become mentors for their peers.

The nine stories included in this publication were selected and edited from the narratives teachers wrote at the end of the programme in 2019 . These teachers work in rural, semi-rural and urban elementary and middle schools teaching learners from a range of socio-economic backgrounds in diverse contexts and regions of Mexico

Each of the nine stories is focused on a different issue. Two focus on promoting participation: one through the use of competitive team activities, the other through the use of letter tiles. Two address issues of classroom management: giving instructions so students know what to do, and achieving the right L1/L2 balance with low-level learners. There is a story about learners using rubrics to evaluate their peers, and another related to getting learners to review and reflect. Two stories focus on developing language: one questions the effectiveness of worksheets in teaching vocabulary, and the other seeks to evaluate the use of the teacher’s own videos in presenting vocabulary and grammar. And finally, one story examines the value of culturally based activities with learners who feel little connection to either English or the countries in which it is spoken.

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    Culturally based activities in the English classroom
    (2021) Rodríguez, Alejandra Castillo
    Context: This study was conducted in a semi-rural secondary school in Cuencamé, Durango, Mexico, focusing on a second-grade group of 38 students aged 13-14 with a beginner level of English. The teacher aimed to explore the impact of culturally based activities, which she had been incorporating into her lessons to introduce English-speaking cultures and enhance language learning. Students were motivated but had limited exposure to diverse cultures due to socioeconomic constraints. Aims: The research sought to understand how culturally based activities could involve students in learning English while introducing cultural aspects. The teacher also aimed to assess the effectiveness of these activities in teaching vocabulary and expressions, promoting engagement, and addressing students' perceived disconnection from the language. Methods: The study employed a student questionnaire, a digital journal, a recorded lesson observation, and lesson plan analysis. These tools gathered feedback on students' perceptions, documented the teacher's reflections, analysed classroom interactions, and evaluated the integration of cultural content. Findings: The study revealed that students found culturally based activities engaging, describing them as "pleasant" and "interesting." Students appreciated learning common phrases and cultural facts but felt they needed more vocabulary and extended time for activities. Observations highlighted the relevance of everyday expressions and students' active participation. Challenges included insufficient vocabulary support and limited time to consolidate learning. Implications: The teacher implemented changes, including dedicating entire lessons to cultural content, increasing vocabulary from 5-7 to 8-10 items per lesson, and using flashcards for reinforcement. These adjustments improved student confidence and participation while making activities more effective and enjoyable. Teachers might learn from this approach to integrate cultural content into the curriculum while focusing on vocabulary and practical expressions to enhance engagement and comprehension.
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    Closing activities
    (2021) Vilchis, Verónica
    Context: This study took place in a rural elementary school in Buenavista, Jilotepec, Mexico. The teacher focused on her sixth-grade class of 20 students aged 11-12 with a basic level of English. Students attended English lessons three times a week for 45 minutes. The teacher aimed to address her students'difficulty in retaining knowledge from previous lessons and her struggles with low engagement during closing activities. Aims: The research aimed to explore and improve the effectiveness of closing activities in helping students reflect on and retain their learning. Specifically, it sought to understand the objectives of these activities, how they promoted reflection, and students' perceptions and engagement during this part of the lesson. Methods: The teacher used a student questionnaire, peer observations, and a reflective journal. The questionnaire, administered in Spanish, explored students' feelings, preferences, and perceptions of closing activities. Peer observations provided external insights into classroom behaviour, and the journal captured the teacher's reflections on the activities and students' responses. Findings: The research revealed that students viewed closing activities as primarily for setting homework, with little connection to reflection or learning consolidation. Many students found these activities either boring or confusing. A majority expressed a preference for games and pair work, while others valued opportunities to write notes. The teacher discovered that her methods often excluded many students from reflecting and that her own objectives for closing activities lacked clarity. Implications: The teacher implemented two strategies: a 'thinking dice' activity for pair-based reflection and learning journals for individual writing. Both tools successfully engaged students, promoted reflection, and catered to different learning preferences. Teachers might learn from this example to design closing activities that combine interactive and introspective elements, allowing students to consolidate learning effectively within a short timeframe.
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    The use of L1 in the L2 classroom
    (2021) Cardoza, Karla Rocha
    Context: This study took place in a rural middle school in Durango, Mexico, where an English teacher worked with first-year students (ages 11-12) who had minimal prior exposure to English. The class consisted of 27 students, most of whom were boys, leading to high energy and frequent misbehavior. Students often complained of not understanding English, which led to reliance on Spanish (L1) during lessons. Aims: The research aimed to explore and address the overuse of Spanish in the English (L2) classroom. The teacher sought to understand her objectives for using L1, when and why it was used, and how her students perceived her use of both languages. Methods: The teacher employed peer observations, a student questionnaire, and reflective journaling. Video recordings of lessons were shared with peers, who used an observation tool to document when and why L1 or L2 was used. The student questionnaire, written in Spanish, collected feedback on language preferences and perceptions. The journal captured the teacher's reflections on her teaching practices. Findings: The teacher discovered that she used Spanish more frequently than expected, often to manage behavior, clarify instructions, and translate English. While students appreciated her use of Spanish for understanding, they also expressed a desire for more English exposure to learn the language. Observers noted that Spanish dominated lessons, though it was used effectively for explanations and maintaining order. Implications: This study suggests that teachers in similar contexts might benefit from gradually increasing L2 use to foster comprehension and classroom engagement.
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    How do competitive activities affect student participation?
    (2021) Cuadros, Lourdes Sánchez
    Context: The study was conducted in Iguala de la Independencia, Guerrero, Mexico, at a public elementary school damaged by an earthquake. The teacher faced challenging conditions, teaching English outdoors to fifth graders in a noisy, shared space. The group consisted of 17 students aged 10 to 11 at a beginner English level. Competitive activities emerged as a promising strategy to improve student participation. Aims: The research aimed to explore how competitive activities affected student participation in English lessons. Specifically, the study investigated the teacher's perceptions of student participation, students' feelings about competitive activities, and their behaviors during these activities. Methods: Data was collected through reflective journaling, an anonymous questionnaire in Spanish, and peer observations of lessons. The journal documented student behaviors and engagement, the questionnaire gauged their feelings and preferences, and peer observers provided external insights into classroom dynamics. Findings: The teacher discovered that students were highly motivated by competitive activities, especially team challenges, which they preferred over individual or pair competitions. Students reported feeling more engaged and collaborated well in teams. The introduction of relay-style challenges improved participation and reduced waiting time, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. While most students responded positively, some isolated instances of distraction or interpersonal issues highlighted the need for ground rules. Observations confirmed that students were actively involved, attentive, and eager to succeed, with intrinsic enjoyment of competition outweighing the need for extrinsic rewards. Implications: This study suggests that structured competitive activities can enhance participation and collaboration in language learning. Teachers might learn from this example to design activities that involve all students simultaneously, ensuring inclusivity and fostering teamwork. Feedback mechanisms like questionnaires and peer observations can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of classroom strategies.
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    Using rubrics to peer evaluate oral production
    (2021) Sandoval, Andrea Martínez
    Context: This study took place in Toluca, State of Mexico, in a sixth-grade English class with 35 students aged 12, at CEFR A2 level. The students participated actively and were attentive during two weekly 50-minute English lessons. The teacher focused on improving the use of rubrics for peer evaluation of oral production tasks. Aims: The research aimed to explore the effectiveness of rubrics for peer evaluation of oral tasks. Specifically, the teacher sought to understand the importance of rubrics, students'perceptions of the rubric format, and their opinions on using rubrics for peer evaluation. Methods: Data were collected through a student questionnaire, reflective journaling, and material analysis. The questionnaire, administered in Spanish and anonymously, gauged student opinions and feelings. The journal captured the teacher's observations and reflections on peer evaluation processes. Material analysis assessed the completeness and accuracy of rubric use by students. Findings: Most students felt comfortable or confident using rubrics, attributing this to their clear format and simplicity, though some initially found the criteria confusing. Students overwhelmingly considered rubrics important and effective for evaluating oral tasks, with a preference for the redesigned version, which featured clear instructions, eight criteria, and a scoring system using faces and numbers. The new format resulted in more complete evaluations, greater student independence, and improved confidence during peer assessment. Implications: The findings underscore the benefits of involving students in evaluation processes and refining tools based on their feedback. Teachers might learn from this approach to simplify evaluation criteria, provide clear instructions, and design formats that enhance engagement. This study illustrates how peer evaluation, when well-structured, can foster active participation and meaningful feedback in language learning.