Writing the Research Report

Jayson Parba, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, & Hoa Le, Harvard University

What are we writing?

We will use a Research Report, similar to Short Communications, format, which is ideal for teacher research and our own purposes:

• focused
• concise
• grounded in classroom data

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Turn and talk (5 mins)

1. Why might a shorter research report be a better fit for teacher research than a full-length journal article?
2. What makes this format especially appropriate for classroom-based inquiry?
3. What are some of the most challenging aspects of writing an academic paper?

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What is a Research Report?

• Focuses on one clear issue or problem
• Uses small-scale, classroom-based data
• Emphasizes insight over scale
• Is typically 1500–2000 words

Why use this format for teacher research and why does it work:

• Fits real classroom constraints
• Allows us to publish without large datasets
• Values practitioner knowledge

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What this session is and is not

This session is about preparing to write:

• We are learning to read a research report like writers
• We are identifying the parts, moves, and expectations of the genre
• We are not drafting the report today

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By the end of this session, you should know what a strong teacher research report looks like, what each section does, and how to begin planning your own report when you write it in January 2027.

Sample Article

We will analyze:

“Articulating struggle: ESL students’ perceived obstacles…”

Focus:

• Structure
• Organization
• Writing moves

We are not reading this article for content alone. We are reading it like writers. Ask yourself:

• What is this section trying to accomplish?
• Why does the author include this information here?
• How much detail is enough?
• How does the paper stay focused?

Quick Skim Task

Take 3 minutes to skim:

Look for:

• Section headings
• First and last sentences of sections
• Where the research question appears

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You don’t need to understand every detail. Focus on structure and flow.

Group Task – Structure Hunt (10 minutes)

In groups, identify:

1. What does the Introduction do?
2. What is the research question?
3. What kind of data is used?
4. What counts as findings?
5. What does the discussion do?

Be ready to share 1–2 observations.

Focus on patterns: how the paper begins, how it moves, how it ends

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Activity: 5 Groups work on each section then prepare to share.

Introduction – What It Does

The Introduction:

• Establishes context (community college ESL)
• Identifies a problem (student struggle, failure rates)
• Points to a gap (lack of qualitative research)
• States purpose of the study

Notice how quickly the author moves from context to problem and to research purpose? There is no long background. It is focused and purposeful.

Common moves in the Introduction

A strong introduction often:

• introduces the teaching context
• identifies a classroom issue or puzzle
• explains why it matters
• situates the issue in a broader conversation
• states the purpose of the report

Task (3 minutes): Look at the sample research report again and underline or highlight where each move appears in the sample article.

Research Question

The study asks:

• How do students frame their struggles?
• What do they attribute their lack of success to?

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Strong research questions are specific, grounded in context, and answerable with available data. This makes the paper coherent.

Grounding your work in relevant literature

Where are you in the process of searching for, reading, and notetaking with literature?

• Which forms of relevant literature have you found or read so far?
• What are you still looking for?�

Based on experience, what has been challenging trying to find useful literature? How have you attempted to resolve these challenges?

A Process for Synthesizing Literature

From Notes to Paragraphs

Useful reporting verbs:

• Agree (disagree)
• Argue
• Believe
• Claim
• Describe
• Explain
• Feel
• Imply
• Propose
• Question
• Recommend
• Warn

Types of Scholarly Literature (from Belcher, 2009)

Original literature (primary data)

• Reports original research (data, analysis, findings)

Derivative literature (secondary sources)

• Synthesizes existing studies (e.g., reviews, meta-analyses)

Contextual literature (background)

• Provides historical, social, or cultural context

Methodological literature

• Explains research design, methods, and tools

Theoretical literature

• Presents frameworks and concepts for analysis

Related literature (prior research)

• Studies directly connected to your topic

Taking a Stance on the Literature (Belcher, 2009)

You can position your work in various ways:

• Inadequate (filling a gap)�Existing studies are limited in scope, context, or population. Your study addresses what is missing.
• Sound (extending the line)�Prior research is strong and relevant. Your study builds on it by applying, expanding, or refining the work.
• Unsound (challenging or correcting)� Existing research has limitations or problematic assumptions. Your study re-examines, critiques, or offers an alternative perspective.

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Methods – Notice the Simplicity

Data collection:

• Questionnaire
• Student narratives
• Interviews

Analysis:

• Thematic analysis

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The study is not complex. It is clear and systematic. This is exactly what teacher research should look like.

What needs to be clear in Methods?

Readers should understand:

• who participated
• what classroom context the study took place in
• what data was collected
• how the data was analyzed
• why these methods fit the question

Task (3 minutes): What does the sample article include in methods, and what does it leave out?

Findings – What Counts?

Findings are organized into themes:

• Internal attribution
• External attribution

Supported by:

• Student quotes
• Narrative examples

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Findings are not just summaries. They identify patterns, interpret meaning, and use evidence.

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Findings are not just description

Weak findings:

• list what happened
• summarize student comments
• repeat the data

Stronger findings:

• Identify patterns or themes across the data
• Use evidence (e.g., quotes, examples) to support those patterns
• Begin to interpret what those patterns suggest

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Discussion – The “So What?”

Note that the discussion:

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interprets what the findings suggest

• explains what the results mean, not just what they show

connects to broader research

• links findings to theories and previous studies

highlights implications for teaching

• shows how the results inform classroom practice and decision-making

offers implications, not just conclusions

• Moves beyond summary to suggest applications, changes, or next steps

What does the Discussion do beyond repeating the findings?

What implications does the sample article draw for teachers?

One good way of thinking about the discussion is this is where the paper contributes to the field. It answers:

Why does this matter?

Your Report Structure

Your report will include:

1. Context + Problem
2. Research Question
3. Brief Framing
4. Methods
5. Findings
6. Discussion / Implications

Template

Pau. End.

Planning your research with mentors (1 hour)

Work with your colleagues again and share your research ideas, refine by talking with each other and mentor

1. During this time, share what you wrote in the template, talk to your mentor, ask for some feedback.
2. Fill out your timeline and ask for feedback.

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Trang Phan: Hanh Nguyen, Janpanit

An Sakach: Ye Min Tun, Trang Tran, Hoan Nguyen

Huy Phung: Chan, Sakti, Jennie Tran

Anna Mendoza: Arti, Lady

Priscilla Leal: Amy Peria and Precious Arao, Imelda Gasmen, Quang-Nhan and Thu Vo, Chinoko

Pau. End.

Potential Publication Outlets

• Harvard Asia Center Journal of Southeast Asian and Diaspora Language Education (to be launched in May, open-accessed, double blind peer reviewed, will have a research report section, and will be co-edited by Hoa and Jayson)
• An Sakach and Trang Phan’s edited volume: Southeast Asian Languages on the Move: Teaching, Learning, and Multilingual Life Across Borders and Platforms
• Language Awareness - section on Focus on Practice
• Journal of Second Language Writing - Short Communications
• Indo-Pacific Transdisciplinary Review (IPTR), Department of IPLL, UH Manoa

Reflection and Open Discussion (30 minutes)

1. Ethical issues (IRB and other ethical practices of doing classroom research)
2. Sample consent form
3. AI use policy: ARAL, Lingua, systematic examination of generative artificial intelligence

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What’s next

1. Work closely with your mentor(s) and collaborators to make steady progress toward implementing your research project.
2. For publication mentors - projects shared folder - kindly bookmark this folder
3. Complete a 1,500–2,000 word research report by the end of January 2027.
4. Feel free to share drafts of your manuscript with Hoa and me before Jan 2027.

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