Section 9 –  Conclusions

At the end of this piece of research in my classes conducted together with students and some colleagues I could experience the twofold aim of Action Research: improvement of teaching practices and improvement of teacher’s professional awareness.

“…Action Research can be a powerful means of improving classroom practice and an important tool in teacher education in the field of ELT. I have seen good teachers become better, more effective practitioners, and organizations open up to new ideas and beneficial changes as a result of the impact of Action Research.” ( UEA Reader MLA72, D. Allan,  p. 32)

Action research has allowed me to reconsider my work in depth, by providing a systematic and more professional framework in which I have sectioned and observed with new eyes what I normally evaluate as an indistinct whole with the only observation tool represented by my personal impressions.

“To stop and meditate on what I am doing with my students is intriguing and can open the door to hidden treasures which I might have completely ignored”. ( UEA Reader MLA72, L. Pantaleoni, p. 37)

Finally I have found also an additional value in this experience: the positive response of the students, proud to play a role in this study, eager to contribute with their participation to the improvement of the school work. Students have considered themselves as protagonists not as objects of this study and for them this has been also an experience of self-evaluation and reflection about what is being done, how they learn, and what they should do to improve as learners. I have read and discussed with them the results of data collection and this has led to a growing collaboration between me and my students, because we share the common objective of removing obstacles in order to develop as …learners.