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I. Methodological Framework

1. Methodological Approach
The methodological approach of this research is based on a mixed method
design, which in accordance with Hernandez et al (2008) represents a group of
systematic, empiric and critical procedures in investigation that imply the collection
and analysis of QUAN and QUAL data. Additionally, the authors state that both
QUAN and QUAL data must mingle during their interpretation and discussion
process, in order to make metainferences (inferences made through the
combination of both data types interpretations). In this sense, both qualitative and
quantitative data gathering techniques are used.

2. Type of Research
2.1 Definition and Features of Action Research
The current investigation is based on an action research model. There are
several definitions and traits about action research, but in the educational context,
action research is also described as a generic term to denote a wide range of
strategies conducted for improving both the educational and social system in the
schools (Latorre, 2007). In accordance with Mackernan (2008, p.112) it is a form
of collaborative and collective self-reflective inquiry that is conducted by
participants in order to solve practical problems and to improve the quality of life in
any social setting.
Doing action research is not a spontaneous and spur-of-the-moment action, but
it must be carried out through a systematic process. According to Latorre (2007),
action research shares the same features of any valid and good quality
investigation and as equal it has its own features, which differentiate it from other
types of investigations. Concerning the authors view, these features are:


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a. It requires action, due to the fact that it is considered as a part of the
investigation process.
b. Its focus is placed on the values of the professional practice and on the
professionals own values.
c. It is an investigation concerning the people, in the sense that the
professionals investigate about their own actions.

Consequently, Mackernan (2008) also illustrates a systematical view related to
the stages or procedures under which, action research is carried out:
a. Recognizing the difficulty or problem.
b. Clarifying the problem.
c. Conducting a situational analysis.
d. Creating action proposals/possible solutions.
e. Developing an action research plan and timetable.
f. Implementing and reflecting on the plan.
g. Collecting the data.
h. Gaining situational insight and understanding: explaining the data.
i. Disseminating the results.

2.2 Contributions and Benefits of Doing Action Research in
Educational Contexts
Action research is a helpful tool for teachers in the classroom context
because it contributes to both the teaching and learning process, and it is a
process that implies learning and knowing ones own practice in the field
(Mackernan, 2008). Moreover, throughout the implementation of action research,
case-based inquiries can have a better development and a deeper significance,
because it gives more practical and realistic solutions to the participants
(Mackernan, 2008). Action research also allows the researchers to use a wide


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range of methods and techniques to carry out an investigation, and it may be
applied from participant observation to case study and triangulation (Mackernan,
2008, p. 130). Therefore, it contributes to diminish the dichotomy between
qualitative and quantitative methods.

3. Research Design
The current investigation is a transversal research with a quasi-experimental
design. Furthermore, the research counts on intact groups; an experimental and a
control group. The experimental group will be manipulated in an intentional way
(receive treatment or stimulus), and the control group will not receive any
treatment.

The following diagram shows, the research design explained above:
RG
1
0
1
x 0
2
RG
2
0
1
-- 0
2

R: random assignation, G: subject group, X: treatment, 0: pre-test and post-test, --:
stimulus absence.

In closing, the experimental group will be manipulated by the application of
interventions directed to teach the participants how to use DLLS during reading
comprehension tasks. On the contrary, the control group will not be manipulated
because any intervention directed to teach them how to use DLLS will be carried
out. However, the participants of this study will be taught the same contents and
will use the same learning material and both pre and post-tests.




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4. Variables
The variables to be explored in this research are two, an independent
variable and a dependent variable. The independent variable corresponds to the
Direct Language Learning Strategies (defined by Oxford, 1990), and the dependent
variable corresponds to Reading Comprehension (defined by Snow, 2002).
These variables are defined as followed:
a. Direct Language Learning Strategies (DLLS): This variable considers the
Language Learning Strategies that directly involve the target language
(Oxford, 1990, 37). Additionally, among the DLLS there are three sub
strategies, which are memory, cognitive and compensation strategies
and are linked to some learning activities such as: Creating mental
linkages, applying images and sounds, reviewing well and employing
action, Practicing, receiving and sending messages, analyzing and
reasoning, creating structure for input and output, guessing intelligently,
overcoming limitations in speaking and writing.

b. Reading Comprehension: This variable is understood as a process of
simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction
and involvement with written language (Snow, 2002, p 42).

5. Hypothesis
The current action research suggests that if students use DLLS when
performing in reading comprehension tasks, their reading comprehension will
improve. Therefore, the hypothesis will be expressed as followed:
The use of Direct Language Learning Strategies by Chilean secondary
students of 1
st
grade, improves their reading comprehension in English as a
Foreign Language


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6. Sample and criteria for students selection.
This research has a nonprobability sampling, which in accordance with
Hernandez et al. (2002) takes place when the subjects of the study cannot be
chosen randomly. On the contrary, it is the researcher who arbitrarily sets the
features to select the sampling depending on the purpose and design of the
research, as well as on the viability of it. In first place, the school was assigned by
the university in order to allow the researchers of this investigation. to fulfill their
professional internship. In second place, the courses were selected depending on
the anticipated purposes of the research and on the time table of the researchers.
Consequently, this action research has a convenience sampling, which refers to
the sampling chosen due to the viability of opportunities of working with the
participants.
6.1 Participants
The subjects of this study are Chilean secondary 1st grade students. Two
courses were selected from a subsidiary school located in Talcahuano, in which
the students have a low intermediate level of English (according to the MINEDUC,
2014).
6.1.1Learning Context of the Participants
Both courses have 4 pedagogical hours of English a week with the same
teacher, divided in two different days. The courses selected for the research are 1
st

grade E and 1
st
grade A. 1
st
Grade E. The table below shows the main features of
both courses.





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Course Number of
Students
Number of
Male
Students
Number of
Female
Students
Grade Points
Average
Best
Point
Average
Lowest
Point
Average
1st A 41 21 20 5,1 6,7 3,7
1st E 42 22 20 4,2 6,9 3,1

1st Grade E: The course is composed of 42 students, 22 male students and
20 female students. A total of 34 students failed 1
st
grade of secondary education
last year and there is one female student diagnosed with special educational needs
(NEE). Regarding to their non-school context, and according to their head teacher,
at least 50% of the students, have some sort of family problem (most of them
dysfunctional families and financial problems).
Regarding to the students behavior during the English classes, in one hand
and in accordance with the observations made during a month, it has been seen
that most students have a low motivation to participate actively during the English
classes and most of the times they dont work in the activities assigned by their
teachers. Notwithstanding, they show no violence responses and are respectful
with their teachers.
Students Reading Comprehension Level
The Preliminary English Test (PET) is is one of the Cambridge ESOL exams
with a difficulty level for low intermediate learners of English (B1). The PET exam counts
on three parts: Reading and Writing, Listening and Speaking. For the reading and writing
part 90 minutes are given, for the listening part 30 minutes and for the speaking part 10
minutes. http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_for_schools_reading4.html

Who is it for?



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diagnostic reading comprehension test (PET sample) was taken fromand
it
The original PET reading comprehension test sample was composed of 35
questions, which were divided into 5 parts. Concurrently, part 5 was eliminated
because it was related to Use of English, which was not relevant for the purpose
of the diagnostic reading comprehension test that the researchers of this
investigation aimed. As a consequence, the diagnostic test was divided into 4
sections, which were equal to 25 questions (25 points).
The test The results of the test show that students reading comprehension
level is situated below the intermediate level. See Appendix 3.
The results of the reading comprehension test in the experimental group
were the following. The highest score reached 12 points; meanwhile the average
score reached 8 points and the lower score reached 4 points. (See the graphic
below)






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1
st
grade A: The course is composed of 41 students, 21 male students and
22 female students. None student has failed 1
st
grade of secondary education and
there are not students with special educational needs.
Regarding to the students behavior, and according to their head teacher,
they are mainly a much disciplined course and most of them have no major family
problems. Furthermore, with regard to the students behavior during the English
classes, after the observations made during a month, it has been seen that the
students are motivated to learn English, they work actively during the classes.
Additionally, these students seem to enjoy the English classes.

Students Reading Comprehension Level
The diagnostic reading comprehension test (PET sample) was composed of
25 questions (25 points), divided into 3 parts. The results of the test show that


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students reading comprehension level is situated below the intermediate level.
See Appendix 2
The results of the reading comprehension test in the control group were the
following.The highest score reached 23 points; meanwhile the average score
reached 6 points and the lower score reached 0 points. (See the graphic below)







1.1.7 Data collection


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The current action research has a sequential method for the data collection,
which in accordance with Hernndez et al (2008) in a first stage QUAL or QUAN
data is collected and in a second stage the data from the other method is collected.
This methodology is expressed in the following way:
QUAN qual (Hernndez et al, 2008)
Consequently, in this research a sequential methodology for the data
gathering is applied with a greater weight in the QUAN method which is expressed
in the following way:
QUAN/qual (Hernndez et al, 2008)
Three data gathering instruments will be used in this study, which are:
a. Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) Versin 7.0 (Rebecca
Oxford, 1990): SILL is an inventory to assess the use of LLS defined by
Oxford (1990), which has been widely used to assess strategy use by
EFL/English as-a-second language (ESL) learners from a large and
varied group of language and cultural background. (Khalil, 2005, p.11).
Oxfords SILL Version 7.0 includes six categories of language learning
strategies, which are memory, cognitive, compensatory, metacognitive,
affective, and social. This inventory includes 50 items, each one of which
represents the six categories mentioned above. It is 5-point scale range
from never or almost never to always or almost always.

b. Reading Comprehension Test (Adapted from KET): A Reading
Comprehension PRE and POST tests adapted from KET will be used to
assess students reading comprehension level. In a fist stage, the test
was selected taking into consideration the level of English expected in
the students after finishing their secondary education (intermediate level
according to the MINEDUC). Therefore, an adapted PET exam was
applied to the students in order to proved this assumption and observe
students response to the examination. In the second stage, the results


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of the test and the observations made were analyzed and it was
concluded that there is a huge branch between the students level of
English and the level of English that the PET exam assess. In
conclusion, the researchers of this action research decided to use a
reading comprehension test adapted from KET.

c. Group semi-structure interview: Guarantee a major possibility to obtain
relevant information from what it wants to be investigated, because it
provides a thematic and well structure index of questions, which are
applied to the interviewees. Equally important, semi-structure interviews
provide more variability in its answers given by the interviewees and
more information to the topic studied.











APPENDIX 1
Teacher Interview


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Entrevistador: Cmo definira usted el nivel de Comprensin lectora, desempeo en ingls que
tienen los alumnos?
Profesora: El nivel que tienen ellos es buensimo, traen un nivel bien alto en comparacin con los
otros primeros medios, se puede trabajar bien. Son medios conversadores pero si uno los
encamina no es necesario hablarles ni 3 ni 4 veces sino que con unas 2 veces que se les hable se
puede trabajar bien con ellos, es un buen nivel el que tiene el 1A.
Entrevistador: Utiliza algn tipo de tcnica o estrategia para ayudar a sus alumnos durante
actividades de comprensin lectora?
Profesora: Si, o sea, utilizo lo que es el skimming y el scanning. Ehhh, ovbiamente lo primero que
reconozcan los verbos los cognados y despus vamos viendo por frase o por.. prrafo y vamos
analizando yyy.. eso sera ms que nada.
Entrevistador: Cmo considera usted la actitud de sus alumnos durante la realizacin de
actividades de comprensin lectora?
Profesora: Es que con este curso, es como todo.., les gusta todo lo que yo hago, entonces no hay
como una o sea la actitud es siempre querer aprender y querer saber y querer mejorar y estar
constantemente preguntando, les gusta trabajar, por eso ..los premio tambin de repente, con
los stickers en ingls que tengo, la decisin de ellos, la actitud que tienen ellos es de querer
aprender.
Entrevistador: Con Respecto al 1 E
Entrevistador: Cmo definira usted el nivel de Comprensin lectora, desempeo en ingls que
tienen los alumnos? 1E
Profesora: Osea!, el nivel que tienen ellos es psimo. De hecho hay un sola, na una sola alumna,
no, como 2 otros que se destacaran en comprensin lectora, el desempeo, el resto, son la
mayora alumnos repitentes, y que la mayora de ellos repiti tambin, repitieron y una de las
causas es el ingls, pero de comprensin lectora, bien poco.
Entrevistador: Utiliza algn tipo de tcnica o estrategia para ayudar a sus alumnos durante
actividades de comprensin lectora? 1E
Profesora: Ehh, utilizo las mismas estrategias que con el 1A, que es skimming y scanning, pero
ehh hay que repasar harto con ellos, o sea desde que no saben la estructura de la oracin ni
siquiera en espaol, as es que ah es harto el trabajo que uno tiene que hacer y es harto el
tiempo que uno realiza, utilizando esas mismas estrategias.
Entrevistador: Cmo considera usted la actitud de sus alumnos durante la realizacin de
actividades de comprensin lectora? 1E


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Profesora: Ellos se sienten les gusta, o sea, yo.. hago que ellos trabajen bien y todo, pero
como se llama?, son bien flojos, haarto flojos dira yo, entonces hay que estarlos chicoteando .. a
cada rato, pero la actitud es siempre positiva, de querer aprender ms eso va en uno igual , como
vea a los chiquillos y todo.


















APPENDIX 2


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Diagnosis Test Results 1st grade A

APPENDIX 3
PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4
STUDENTS POINTS /5 POINTS /5 POINTS /10 POINTS /5 total Expected Score
1 2 0 6 1 9 25
2 2 0 7 2 11 25
3 2 0 6 0 8 25
4 2 0 0 0 2 25
5 1 0 3 0 4 25
6 1 0 0 0 1 25
7 3 5 0 0 8 25
8 4 4 10 5 23 25
9 4 0 0 0 4 25
10 1 2 7 3 13 25
11 1 0 1 1 3 25
12 0 0 0 0 0 25
13 1 0 4 0 5 25
14 1 1 6 0 8 25
15 1 4 0 0 5 25
16 0 2 3 0 5 25
17 1 1 2 1 5 25
18 1 1 3 0 5 25
19 3 0 4 2 9 25
20 2 1 10 3 16 25
21 2 1 2 1 6 25
22 1 1 3 0 5 25
23 2 0 2 0 4 25
24 1 0 6 0 7 25
25 0 0 0 0 0 25
26 2 0 3 0 5 25
27 2 0 0 1 3 25
28 2 1 7 1 11 25
29 0 1 3 1 5 25
30 1 2 0 2 5 25
31 2 1 7 0 10 25
32 1 1 3 0 5 25
33 1 4 2 0 7 25
34 0 0 0 0 0 25
35 1 0 0 0 1 25
36 1 0 4 1 6 25
37 0 1 4 0 5 25
Diagnosis Test Results
Average 6
Highest Score 23
Lower Score 0


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Diagnostic Test Results


PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4
Students POINTS/5 POINTS/5 POINTS/10 POINTS/5 TOTAL Extected score
1 0 1 3 1 5 25
2 1 0 4 0 5 25
3 2 0 6 0 8 25
4 1 0 3 0 4 25
5 3 0 6 1 10 25
6 2 0 5 0 7 25
7 1 1 9 1 12 25
8 1 2 4 0 7 25
9 2 1 6 1 10 25
10 3 2 3 0 8 25
11 2 1 4 5 12 25
12 0 0 4 0 4 25
13 4 3 0 0 7 25
14 2 2 4 3 11 25
15 2 1 2 2 7 25
16 1 0 4 2 7 25
17 4 3 0 1 8 25
18 1 1 7 1 10 25
19 3 1 5 2 11 25
20 1 0 4 1 6 25
21 1 2 4 0 7 25
22 0 1 6 2 9 25
23 2 0 6 2 10 25
24 1 1 6 0 8 25
25 2 2 6 2 12 25
26 2 0 8 1 11 25
27 0 1 5 1 7 25
28 2 0 6 0 8 25
29 1 1 7 1 10 25
Diagnosis Test Results
Average 8
Highest Score 12
Lower Score 4