Summer Travel Grant 2016 Recipient

Min Namkoong

EWC Endowment Scholar

I conducted action research in my classroom during my stay at Ubon Ratchathani University in Thailand, as part of the Department of Second Language Studies Thai Practicum. I also taught an English as a foreign language class to low proficiency Thai university students.

This research study aims to examine the development of novice and less experienced teachers through the summer practicum program, as well as students’ achievement. The results will indicate different types of influence that teaching practicums possibly have on novice teachers. The participants were eight female incoming students and the researcher as a teacher. The class consisted of four days a week, Monday through Thursday, for two to three hours depending on the schedule of the week.

Min Namkoong in her Thai University classroom

In order to assess students’ learning outcome, I conducted pretest and posttest on writing as well as class work. Students were asked to write as much as they can on two given questions for both pretest and posttest. The two questions were similar.

As a result of teaching, I was able to see development of routine in my class. In order to investigate the development of the teacher over time in aspects of material development and teacher identity development, I recorded and collected lesson plans, PowerPoint materials used in the class, teaching materials, and journals.

The East-West Center Association (EWCA) and the EWCA Hawaii Chapter provided Travel Grants ($500 each) to 10 current East West Center students for the summer of 2016.