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1. CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research paradigm
This project is based on develop pronunciation using phonics for young
learners, it is wanted to achieve that students have an adequate pronunciation
and contribute in their learning process, we will utilize qualitative research
because it is educational project, we will observe what happen at the moment to
implement phonics, we will analyze the impact of phonics in that population
besides qualitative research consists in non-numerical data and it collects data
using interviews, participant observation, field notes and questionnaires
Johnson, B and Christensen, L (2008, p.33 and 195). This project will pretend
to do observations to analyze the impact of phonics instruction in the
pronunciation of young learners as foreign language and how it contribute in
their process and if teach phonics to these students is effective in their
pronunciation.
Furthermore, qualitative research according to (Hennnik, Hutter and
Bailey, 2011, p. 10) “qualitative research is useful for exploring new topics or
understanding complex issues; for explaining people’s beliefs and behavior; and
for identifying the social or cultural norms of a culture or society” in this study,
we will pretend to observe the young learners population from private school for
that, we will use journals, field notes and questionnaires with which we could
describe each thing what happen in the context according to the research topic,
thus give answer to our question.

2. Research approach
Action research centered in the language teaching according to Burns,
(2010) states:
“AR is part of a broad movement that has been going on in education generally
for some time. It is related to the ideas of ‘reflective practice’ and ‘the teacher as
researcher’. AR involves taking a self-reflective, critical, and systematic approach to
exploring your own teaching contexts. By critical, I don’t mean being negative and
derogatory about the way you teach, but taking a questioning and ‘problematising’
stance towards your teaching” p. 2
In order that, using action approach we will have the opportunity to do a
self-assessment or feedback of our teaching “constructive criticism” to improve
or follow with the same process besides we can observe children’ performance,
at the moment to apply the topic of the project if is understandable for them, if
the activities are adequate and observe which are their learning styles, thus it
can achieve to solve the problem and children learn and have good basis in
their English language.
In addition, our research question expresses the need to contribute in the
pronunciation using phonics instruction to young learners of English as a foreign
language. Hence, in the project will use collaborative action research according
to Kemmis and McTaggart cited by Burns 1999 describes action research as
dynamic and complementary process and consists in four steps: first step is
planning, we are going to teach pronunciation using phonics the idea is to plan
what activities are appropriate for those students for example they are dynamic

3. or attractive for students. Second step is action, we will implement those
activities. Third step is observation we will observe what happen at the moment
to teach it (if they learn, if it was effective, if students develop or improve their
pronunciation) and four step is reflection we will reflect about if phonics are
effective to teach pronunciation in young learners and as collaborative action
research “collaborative action research processes strengthen the opportunities
for the results of research on practice to be fed back into educational systems in
a more substantial and critical way. They have the advantage of encouraging
teachers to share common problems and work cooperatively” (Burns, 1999,
p.13) considering that, as we are a group of three people it will be a work
cooperative and collaborative because at the moment to implement the project
in the population the idea is that while ones teach other can observe what
happen and observe detail weakness and strengthens either in students or
teachers and thus we can have a constructive reflection.
TEACHER’S ROLE
Setting
Fray martin de Porres school is located in Bogota, the capital of the
country. It is a private school locate in the Engativá locality. The school offers
kindergarten level and elementary school, in this school the total of the students
are 150 children.
Participants
The participants of this study are students from six to seven years old of
first grade. They are 22 students, 10 girls and 12 boys, all of them live in
Engativá locality.

4. Although the students studies in a private school the use of pronunciation is so
poor, for this reason students have some communicative needs, because they
practice writing and listening skills but at the moment to pronounce they have
some lack because the guidebook that they have only help to practice the
pronunciation through songs.
Data collection
This section aims to explain the tools and instruments used to collect the
data necessary to carry out this project and answer the research question How
does phonics instructions contribute in thye pronunciation of young learners of
English as foreign language?, from the point of view of Burns (1999). She
describes two mains of tools: the first is observational techniques, the second
instrument is journals and the last one are questionaries.
a. Observational techniques, some different tolls are suggested by
Burns, such as observation, notes and diaries, audio and video
recording.
From these instruments observation and audio and video recording
will be used because the observation is concentrate in the behaviors of a
specific group of people to obtain information about the research, in this
case the use of phonics in first grade; audio and video recording help us t
collect the information about the process of the pronunciation.
Additionally Creswell (2002) defines participant observation as "an
observational role adopted by researchers when they take part in
activities in the setting they observe" (p.200).

5. b. According to Johnson, journals help to identify variables that are
important for teachers and students insomuch as save the learning
experiences and reflect about these, the second instrument is field-
notes because through this the researchers can see the weakness,
abilities, ideas and inspiration that students have.
c. Questionnaires like students are young learners the questionnaires
will be with ended closed YES/NOT students will find some questions
about their learner process and they have to answer yes or no.