Nature or nurture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nature or nurture - Essay Example This at least seem possible conclusions that may be drawn from the work of Michael Kimmel, a sociologist, teaching at the University of New York at Stony Brook. Apart from having written on gender in general and men in particular, he has also produced numerous books and journal articles that deal specifically with the issues of masculinity, particularly that of teenage boys and young men under the age of 30. In a recent book (2008), Kimmel discusses the ‘code of masculinity’ these young men are socialized into, usually from an age earlier than even puberty, and the fear that is created by enforcement tactics used by others around them to ensure that the socialization process is successful. It is not only Kimmel but also others like Kindlon and Thompson (qtd. In Kimmel 2008) who point out that young men are not comfortable with the denial of personal needs and with living in emotional isolation. The cruel treatment they suffer at the hands of their peers leaves them beref t and is the reason for many teenage suicides. The fact that so many young boys and men appear to be extremely ill at ease with ‘wearing the mask of masculinity’ (Pollack qtd. ... nowledges the recent pre-occupation with biology in the area of human identity, and the apparent demise of theories of gender as a social construct, she also points to the fact that the difficulties so-called ‘transgender’ children experience, appear to have been exacerbated by parental indulgence. These children take on role-playing at a very early age – usually the role of the opposite sex – and persist with it, without a sign of change in sight. In A Boy’s Life (November 2008) Rosin maps the options that are open to these children and how their parents agonize over choices they are ill equipped to make. Both Rosin and Kimmel offer a disturbing view of the motivation of peers, parents, communities and professionals, those involved in the negotiation of gender and identity, and how a mix of fear of rejection, a need for normalcy and peer approval, parental weakness and professional ambition can lead to a single-minded homing in on only those solutio ns that serve these purposes. As Kimmel points out, it is not surprising that a system that is held together by fear and constant peer affirmation should selectively look to nature and nurture to justify itself. Like many other ambiguous intellectual constructs, it uses contradictory justifications. Thus, masculinity is described to be the result of evolutionary and chemical processes – biologically determined, unalterable and unassailable (614). It would appear that men come into the world, fully ‘wired’ for masculinity. This is indeed biology at work. Yet, curiously, it is vulnerable. It must be re-enforced by toughening up or it is in danger of lapsing. As Kimmel points out, if it is indeed hard-wired, nothing whatsoever would need to be done to preserve it. But that is clearly not the case, otherwise men

Edouard Lalo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Edouard Lalo - Essay Example During the 1850s, Lalo played an important role in the revival of the Chamber music in France and composed two piano trios which showed his mastery over that form. In 1848, he co-founded the Arminguad Quartet where he performed as a violist and second violinist. Lalo married Julie Berner in 1865, who later became a performer for his compositions. Lalo had to face disappointments, a lot of times during his career. In 1866, Lalo began writing ‘Fiesque’, an opera which was supposed to be performed on the stage but the Paris Opera went against producing his work. Lalo’s career reached its apex when the ‘Societe Nationale de Musique’ was founded in 1871 with the aim of promoting contemporary composers. This motivated Lalo to compose for the orchestra, and he produced impressive compositions during this period which included the famous ‘Symphonie espagnole’, the ‘Cello Concerto’ and ‘Fantaisie norvegienne’. Laloâ€℠¢s most complex yet most celebrated work was Le Roi d'Ys, an opera that was performed in the year 1888 which earned him great reputation as a composer. Lalo left several works incomplete when he died in Paris at the age of sixty three (Edouard Lalo). Works Cited â€Å"Edouard Lalo." Classical Acrhives. 26 04 2011 .

Fire service administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Fire service administration - Essay Example They quickly alerted the teacher who was around who lined all students to vacate the building. As the teacher to make her way out of the class to access the avenue that led to the exit, the smoked was more intense and hence, she was forced to sit back in the class with the students to wait for help. The fire ignited fiercely and more time passed before the school alarm rang (McBride, 1979) At this time, a window was shattered at the staircase’s foot from the intense ignition providing the fire with oxygen. The heat also lit a roll of building paper that along with the oil based waxes triggered the oily, thick dark smoke that led to deaths from the smoke inhalation. The staircase made of wood also got ignited. Just around the same time the janitor noticed the fire and alerted the housekeepers to alert the department of fire. For 330 children and 6 teachers, the remaining outlet was jumping from the second floors or wait for the rescue team to arrive. Noticing the fix they were in, they teachers encouraged the students to sit at their lockers and pray. The intense flames, heat and smoke pushed them towards the windows. One of the teachers suggested that the students should stuff furniture at the door front that slowed the smoke till the rescue team arrived. Out of all the students, 8 got injured, and 2 died. One died out of roof collapse. The other died in the ho spital out of injuries (John K, 2008) What triggered the fire could not be established. A student of 5th grade during the time of ignition confessed to have set the place ablaze and then withdrew the confession. He feared telling this to the parents than to the authorities. He also said that he had been setting a series of fire in apartment buildings in the neighborhood. On that day, the boy had been excused to go the washrooms at 2pm. At this time is when the ignition started in the bin. Succeeding the incident, investigation established

Foreshadowing in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Research Paper

Foreshadowing in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men - Research Paper Example Steinbeck himself cared deeply about the lives of migrant workers as evidenced by his compassionate tone and creation of complex characters struggling in a competitive society. Steinbeck combined styles of modernism and realism to explore the lives of people living in and traveling through Southern California. Steinbeck’s parents, a Monterey treasurer and a school teacher/stay-at-home mom, taught him a love of literature from an early age. Although he did attend Stanford University for three years, he left without completing his degree. These years, as well as his journalism job, provided the formative substance of his writing career for he worked and traveled throughout California as a short-term hired hand at mills, farms, and larger estates. During these years he came face to face with the resilience with which migrant workers faced their destitute, unstable lives. Throughout the rest of Steinbeck’s career he focused Name 2 on the plight of the underdog within an inc reasingly unfair, capitalistic world. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his monumental novel, The Grapes of Wrath, focused on the dreams and tragedy of the Joad family, and for his combined works he was awarded the 1963 Nobel Prize. All of Steinbeck’s characters face issues equally derived from competitive social forces, the economic downfall known as the Great Depression, and the seasonal nature of the farming economy. The 1930s saw vast technological advances in farm machinery that drastically reduced the number of men needed to operate a farm. In 1900, about 125, 000 workers traveled from Minnesota to Washington searching for work, but by the 1930s the numbers of out-of-work men looking for positions had doubled. Farms were becoming corporate industries with the absent owners living in cities hiring managers to run the farms. Migrant workers, nicknamed â€Å"bindle-stiffs† as they packed up and followed the seasonal harvests, were severely underpaid, had no unio n or legal representation, or stable homes. In the later 1930s, violent strikes broke out in several areas leading to some improvements, yet most farm owners continued to treat their migrant workers as disposable. This lifestyle continued until World War II dramatically altered the lives of all Americans as itinerant workers had the option to enlist and the defense industry expanded to insure food rations for citizens and soldiers. Steinbeck’s social experience of living with migrant workers and journalistic knowledge of the economics of itinerant life greatly influenced his novella Of Mice and Men. The very title indicates the central question considering the value of life as it links the smallest burrowing creature’s life to the hopeful pride found in the positive view of Name 3 American manhood. The novella begins with George and Lennie on the run. They are escaping their recent post at a farm called Weeds where Lennie scared a young woman by inappropriately but inn ocently feeling her dress causing her scream as if she were being physically assaulted. This situation introduces readers to the roving nature of their farm work, Lennie’s inability to control his actions, and the tight protective relationship between these two men. These two protagonists create a symbiotic relationship as they feed each other’s dreams of a owning a farm while making their migrant life bearable. â€Å"

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 17

Research paper - Essay Example They also realized that they had a lot in common. Eventually, tribes and races intermarried hence socialism became the norm. However, in the modern world, there exist people who practice racism against other races. Different types of races have different types of music. Music from all over the world differs on harmony, melodies, rhythms and musical instruments. Different tribes and races, dance differently and sing differently. Why should it be different then when it comes to music? This paper seeks to explain this difference, its importance and beauty. Those who interact with other people from other races end up enjoying music from a different cultural background. A clear difference between races and ethnic communities can be seen from a comparison of their music. It is easy to tell the difference between African, Spanish, Indian and South American music. Therefore, it is important to experience a communities’ music before interacting with them since it help in understanding their practices and interest. Music is diverse, but it seeks to develop a tendency and pattern of growth1. However, some types of ethnic music carry a message that relates well with people of other races as well. The methods used to compare various types of ethnic music include: timbre, harmony, rhythm and universals such as: sound perception, scale structures, and melodic contour. Timbre refers to the distinct sound made by various voices and instruments. Harmony refers to the sound created when two or more pitches are combined. Moreover, rhythms also vary in various ethnic communities.2 The song ‘Love is color-blind’ by Sarah Connor clearly shows that there is really no distinction among various races. It also shows the way children of different races grow together without discrimination but grow to learn of their differences and deviate from their previous fellowship. This people grow out of love and

Anthem - Ayn Rand Essay Example for Free

Anthem Ayn Rand Essay In the book Anthem, Equality 7-2521 (Equality) lived in a society where everyone was equal and treated with disrespect. The society had no tolerance for being different and having their own opinion and ideas. People couldn’t even pursue the career they dreamed of having. They were punished for disobeying any of these â€Å"rules†. Despite Equality’s strict society, his motivations in conducting his experiments are finding individuality, starting a new revolution, finding freedom, and trying to become a scholar. Equality’s inspiration, will, and determination lead him to spark a new revolution. After Equality found the black hole, he kept habitually going back to it, to discover new things and gain intelligence. He was finding more about himself and discovering that everyone was not the same and not everyone has the same talents in life. Even though it was against the government’s expectations about everyone being equal, Equality was happy to break the law, so he could learn more. Equality says, â€Å"And yet there is no shame in us and no regret. We say to ourselves that we are a wretch and a traitor. But we feel no burden upon our spirit and no burden upon our spirit and no fear in our heart.† (Rand 37) Equality was curious. He wanted to find out about the unknown. By showing his invention, he would spark a new revolution of light. He would inspire people to create and learn. True joy comes from what a man can do with inspiration, desire, will, to better people, and while doing that Equality learns that it will allow him to achieve more in society. Equality wanted to accomplish something by himself and prove that not everyone meets the expectations of their job. In other words that’s saying that just because you come from a poor family, doesn’t mean you’re going to be poor when you become an adult. Anyone can achieve what they set their mind to, and Equality made up his mind, he wanted to be different and he wasn’t going to give up. When Equality discovered his invention he wanted to prove the scholars wrong and to prove to them that not everything had been discovered. Equality says, â€Å"The Council of Scholars has said that we all know the things which exist and therefore the things which are not known by all do not exist. But we think that the Council of Scholars is blind. The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who will seek them. We know, for we have found a secret unknown to all our  brothers.† (Rand, 52) He just wanted to prove that he was smart enough to be a scholar. His invention proved that anyone can do great things and his brother’s look up to him. Equality only knows what he is capable of not â€Å"we†. Throughout the process of his invention, going to the Palace of Corrective Detention, going before the Council of Scholars, and running away, Equality has found his individuality. After he ran away, and found his new house, he came across the word â€Å"I† in the manuscripts, and he has started a new way of living. Equality says, â€Å"Then I called the Golden One, and I told her what I had read and what I learned. She looked at me and the first words she spoke were: â€Å"I love you.†Ã¢â‚¬ (Rand, 98) Equality is determined, strong, motivated, and won’t let anyone bring him down. â€Å"Then, tonight, we knew that we must escape. For tomorrow the World Council of Scholars is to meet in our city.† (Rand, 66), say’s Equality. Equality has realized how different he is than others. He is smarter than the Council and the Scholars. He knows now he can teach others about electricity. He can help people find individuality and help them find out how they’re unique. Joy comes from his heart because he has never done anything on his own and now he can achieve more expectations that just any street sweeper. Throughout the book, Equality goes against the government because he is searching for freedom. In the book, Equality talks about wanting to see himself but that is against the law, when he runs away, he finally seems himself. Equality wants to see his own image because, his entire life he has never seen it, and he has only seen the faces of his brothers. Equality sees his own face for the first time and says, â€Å"We sat still and we held our breath. For our face and our body were beautiful. Our face was not like the faces of our brothers, for we felt no pity when looking upon it. Our body was not like the bodies of our brothers, for our limbs were straight and thin and hard and strong. And we thought that we could trust this being who looked upon us from the stream, and that we had nothing to fear with this being.† (Rand, 80) Now that he is thinking for himself he wants to know more about himself. He never received the chance to find out what kind of person he was when he was young, so now that he is older he wants to know more about himself. He falls in love with Liberty the first time he sees her, and in their society they’re not supposed to take notice of the opposite gender.  Equality whispers, â€Å"For men are forbidden to take notice of women, and women are forbidden to take notice of men. But we think of one among women, they whose name is Liberty, and we think of no others.† (Rand, 38) When Equality and Liberty both run away they can finally be together, and start their family. Equality wanted Liberty, so he found a way, and got her. When Equality finally finds freedom, on the first day in the forest, he says, â€Å"We awake when a ray of sunlight fell across our face. We wanted to leap to our feet, as we have had to leap every morning of our life, but we remembered suddenly that no bell had rung and that there was no bell to ring anywhere. We lay on our back, we threw our arms out, and we looked up at the sky. The leaves had edges of silver that trembled and rippled like a river of green and fire flowing high above us.† (Rand, 78) Equality was free. In conclusion, Equality’s self-determination and perseverance allowed him to conduct his experiments without anyone telling him otherwise. Even though he had tough obstacles to climb over to have his invention, he didn’t let anything stop him. The Council of Scholars was his biggest challenge with his experiment and he overcame them. The biggest part of Equality conducting experiments was finding individuality within himself. He knew that people should not be treated the exact same and everyone had a mind of their own. Equality’s self-respect and determination paved the way to a life of his own.

Action research

Action research ACTION RESEARCH, ITS BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION Action research in English Language Teaching is relatively a recent development which has been predominant in the literature in late 1980s and early 1990s. This essay explores the definitions, literature, benefits and challenges of action research as a method of teacher research in teacher education and development. It concludes by a critical assessment of the application of this research methodology and its sustainability in ELT. 1. INTRODUCTION There is a plethora of definitions of action research just as there is myriad literature on the subject by many scholars in many fields of human endeavour. Burns (2005) in her seminal paper on action research has explored definitions of action research by extensively highlighting the views of educators such as Denzin Lincoln (1998), Rogers (1961), Grotjahn (1987), Freire (1970), Schutz (1967) among others. She sums up that action research is a part of a quiet methodological revolution towards qualitative research approaches which impacted on the social sciences and emerged in reaction to scientific, experimental and quantitative paradigms. It encourages participative, naturalistic enquiry with its exploratory-interpretive underpinnings (Burns, 2005:57). Action research, since 1940s, and its related branches such as action science, action learning, practitioner research, participatory research, and collaborative/cooperative enquiry have been part of the new revolution towards change in human social and economic situations. Burns further explains that action research is a general movement that attempts to create meaning and understanding in a problematic social situations and improving the quality of human interactions and practices within those situations. The relevance of action research to English Language Teaching and teacher education, as we can deduce from the foregoing, is that it cuts across many disciplinary fields which include the field of applied linguistics. It is seen as a flexible research methodology suitable for research that supports change. According to Hopkins (1985: 32) and Ebbut (1985:156) the combination of action and research presupposes action as a form of disciplined inquiry in which personal attempt is made to understand, improve and reform practice. Cohen Marion (1994:186) see action research as small-scale intervention in the functioning of real world thus a closer examination of the effects of change of such intervention integrates social research with exploratory action to promote development. Lisa (2008:4) states action research involves fluid and overlapping cycles of investigation, action planning, piloting of new practices and evaluation of outcomes incorporating at all stages the collection and analysis of data and generation of knowledge. She maintains that the outcomes of action research are both practical and theoretical. The knowledge it generates has a direct and ongoing impact on changing practice for participants and on a wider audience through its publications, and application. This essay, however, focuses on educational action research (teacher action; as in Borgs paper on Conditions for Teacher Research; Condition 9: Community) with inclination to English language teaching. Thus the essay explores educational action research, its processes, purposes and characteristics in line with the views expressed by Burns (2009). The essay draws its conclusion from the challenges, status and how action research can be encouraged, maintained and promoted in English language teaching. 2. THE ORIGIN OF ACTION RESEARCH The popular belief is that Kurt Lewin is the originator of action research in the 1940s. His work was intended to change the life chances of disadvantaged groups in terms of housing, employment, prejudice, socialization and training. The combination of action and research has contributed to the attraction of this method of research to researchers, teachers, academic and educational community. Kurt was a psychologist, influenced by the work of the social philosopher, J. L. Moreno, in group dynamics and social movements in early 20th century Germany. Kurt conceived of research as leading to social action, and saw action research as a spiral of steps each of which is composed of circle of planning, action and fact-finding about the result of the action (Lewin, 1948:206, cited in Burns, 2009:58). Zuber-Skerritt (1996a) suggests emancipatory action researchis collaborative, critical and self-critical inquiry by practitioners into a major problem or issue or concern in their own practice. They own the problem and feel responsible and accountable for solving it through teamwork and through following a cyclical process of: strategic planning; actions, i.e. implementing the plan; observation, evaluation and self-evaluation; critical and self-critical reflections on the results On the basis of points 1-3 decisions could be made for the next cycle of action research. Earlier, Zuber-Skerritt (1996a:3-5) argues action research is emancipatory when it aims not only at technical and practical improvement and the participants better understanding, along with transformation and change within the existing boundaries and conditions, but also at changing the system itself or those conditions which impede desired improvement in the system/organization There is no hierarchy, but open and symmetrical communication. The emancipatory interest is based on the notion of action researchers as participants in a community of equals and as improvement to professional practice at the local, perhaps classroom level, within the capacities of individuals and the situations in which they are working. Action research is part of a broader agenda of changing education, changing schooling and changing society. A review of action research frameworks reveals several common features. An action research project seeks to create knowledge, propose and implement change, and improve practice and performance (Stringer, 1996). Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) suggest that the fundamental components of action research include the following: (1) developing a plan for improvement, (2) implementing the plan, (3) observing and documenting the effects of the plan, and (4) reflecting on the effects of the plan for further planning and informed action. New knowledge gained results in changes in practice (see also, Fullan, 2000a). Action research is often conducted to discover a plan for innovation or intervention and is collaborative. Based on Kemmis and McTaggarts (1998) original formulation of action research and subsequent modifications, Mills (2003) developed the following framework for action research: Describe the problem and area of focus. Define the factors involved in your area of focus (e.g., the curriculum, school setting, student outcomes, and instructional strategies). Develop research questions. Describe the intervention or innovation to be implemented. Develop a timeline for implementation. Describe the membership of the action research group. Develop a list of resources to implement the plan. Describe the data to be collected. Develop a data collection and analysis plan. Select appropriate tools of inquiry. Carry out the plan (implementation, data collection, data analysis). Report the results. This deductive approach implements a planned intervention, monitors its implementation, and evaluates the results. A more inductive approach, formulated by Burns (1999), is to carry out action research to explore what changes need to be made or what actions need to be taken in a specific instructional setting. Burns suggests the following interrelated activities: Explore an issue in teaching or learning. Identify areas of concern. Observe how those areas play out in the setting of the study. Discuss how the issue might be addressed. Collect data to determine the action to be taken (e.g., student questionnaires, observation reports, journal entries). Plan strategic actions based on the data to address the issue. Kemmis and McTaggerts approach focuses on implementing an action plan, whereas Burns focuses on planning for action. Commonly used data collection tools in action research projects include existing archival sources in schools (e.g., attendance reports, standardized test scores, lesson plans, curriculum documents,), questionnaires, interviews, observation notes and protocols, videotapes, photographs, journals and diaries, and narratives (e.g., stories told by teachers, see Hartman, 1998). ACTION RESEARCH IN EDUCATION Burns (2009) points out that the modern seeds of AR in educational contexts can be found in the work of John Dewey (and can be traced to Aristotle). Dewey had argued against the separation of theory from practice, and this had profoundly influenced educational enquiry in the first part of the 20th century to the present time. This has been the basis for future research by educators, academics and social scientists into their various fields with the aims of improving the human conditions. Nevertheless, in recent years a great body of literature in language teacher education has focus on teacher beliefs and reflection. Movement such as the teacher as researcher and teacher as reflective practitioner have been trying to promote the benefits of empowering teachers to take control of their professional development and curriculum development through reflection on practice. The new trend encourages teachers to carry out systematic rigorous enquiry into problematic areas of teaching, learning and curriculum in their classrooms, devise plans of action, carry out these plans of action and collect data to evaluate the revised plan in a cyclic pattern(Denny,2005:59-60). It is however noteworthy to understand that the movements teacher as researcher and teacher as reflective practitioner developed in different forms by different proponents of AR in UK, the USA and Australia, though they have much in common and strongly influenced by teacher education(Zeichner,2001 in Denny, 2005) . After all the polemics, it is obvious and important that teachers need support in order to carry on AR, streamline the research process, understand and imbibe group research ethics, ability to learn fast and become familiar with the literature on the theme of the research. Teachers on training like us, and practicing ELT/ESL with less experience or even completely unfamiliar with AR should be enlightened, given guidance on background reading in research methodology before any assignment or to initiate AR project. Where resources are available, there would be the need to organise a workshop at the beginning for a group with a varied and differing experiences to teach the principle of action research, methods of finding a focus which is realistic, selecting and designing the data gathering tools and planning the research timeline(Denny,2005). Also in line with Dennys (2005) suggestion, I feel that teacher researchers involved in group project should be also be involved in organising initial workshops and dissemination of the results of the workshop through publication. The group should include a researcher experienced in AR and with experience in applying for grants, presenting and publishing research reports. 3. MERITS AND BENEFITS OF ACTION RESEARCH Action research has made some significant positive impacts in language teaching field, especially ELT/ESL and on teachers involved in it, individually and collectively, however, the precise nature of these impacts on language teaching and learning may be difficult to ascertain in tangible concrete terms. This may not be unconnected to the argument that AR is not a research method can be sustained and replicated, because of lack of formal unified theory and training its conduct. Nonetheless, scholars such as Kemmis and McTaggart (1982:2-5, in Burns, 2005:68) claim that AR has enable teachers to develop skills in:  ¨ thinking systematically about what happens in the classroom  ¨ implementing action where improvements are thought to be possible  ¨ monitoring and evaluating the effects of the with a view to continuing the improvement  ¨ monitoring complex situations critically and practically  ¨ implementing a flexible approach to school or classroom  ¨ making improvements through action and reflection  ¨ researching the real, complex and often confusing circumstances and constraints of the modern school  ¨ recognizing and translating evolving ideas into action. Many more claims concerning the benefits of AR are made, Burns (1999: 14 15) states that the Australian teachers collaborated with her had experienced:  ¨ deeper engagements with their own classroom practices  ¨ a better understanding of research and methods for carrying out research  ¨ less sense of isolation from other teachers  ¨ a personal challenge, satisfaction and professional growth  ¨ heightened awareness of external factors impinging on their classrooms. 4. ARGUMENTS AGAINST ACTION RESEARCH Action research as a form of research is not without problems; articulation, conception and application. It has attracted a lot of criticisms; one major criticism is that research is an activity best left to academic specialists who have the training and capacity. Thus AR has no academic prestige and finesse. Jarvis (1981) is one of the proponents of this line of thinking in the language teaching field and similar views were expressed in TESOL Newsletter (2001), (see Burns, 2009:66-67). However, scholars like Borg (2002) feel differently, and reject the traditional boundaries between teachers and researchers. In fact Borg is championing the cause for teacher-researcher, has written extensively on this topic; Borg (2006) Conditions for Teacher Researcher. There is therefore need to address views such as Jarvis, if AR is to be considered as a research methodology. Many more criticisms against AR that deserve our attention are that it:  ¨ has not developed sound research procedures, techniques and methodology  ¨ is small-scale and therefore not generalizable(has low external validity)  ¨ shows low control of the research environment and therefore cannot contribute to causal theories of teaching and learning  ¨ exhibits strong personal involvement on the part of the participant and therefore is overly subjective and anecdotal  ¨ is not reported in a form that conforms to a recognisable scientific genre (Burns,2009:67). In addition to above criticisms AR has been criticised as messy, informal, and structurally unformed involving imprecise cycles of research and action. 5. CURRENT TRENDS IN ACTION RESEARCH Despite the arguments and counter arguments for and against AR as a methodology in language teaching fields, its range of activities has impacted on the participating teachers who have been engaged in it. It is now being accepted as a movement in the language teaching field, though it is not internationally widespread. This is because some essential conditions that promote AR, such as motivation, support, research knowledge, skills, and the potential for dissemination of findings are not readily available. This is in contrast to where AR has taken room, teachers are well supported, teaching in instructional contexts, such as in Australia and North America (Borg, unpublished, cited in Burns, 2009). Most ELT/ESL professional are still uninvolved in AR and despite the enthusiasm in favour of AR interest and involvement in it is on the decline. Most ELT and especially ESL teachers are not exposed to AR, and may not even have an idea of how it works. Some extensive workshops and conferences where teachers are involved in practical demonstration of teaching planning and presentation may result into AR. A case in point is my personal experience in Alfaisal International Academy, Riyadh. The Academy in collaboration with British Council organised a Training Workshop on the Teaching of Composition between the months of September and October, 2007. All participating teachers were given papers with spaces, and were asked to freely express the problems they encounter in the teaching of composition. The teachers were asked to present their views in groups and discuss the problems which include the choice of topic, sentence and paragraph development, logical arrangement of ideas, styles and soon. At the end of the month-long training most of the participating teachers were able to improve upon their composition class. The composition training was highly contextualized and localized in its attempt to investigate a situation in a specific school. We were able to convert tacit knowledge of student progress in composition writing to explicit knowledge that could be communicated clearly to other constituents, such as board members and parents. The training confirmed our individual opinions, observations, and intuitions based on investigation of our inputs in the training. If our observations were taken into considerations, it would provide impetus for changes in practice and curriculum, based on information that was systematically collected and synthesized. This information would lead to the expansion of the language capacity of the Arab ESL students through a revised curriculum that involved storytelling, sentence-level production of the language, and the use of content-based discourse-level speaking tasks. The research was participatory and collaborative, involving all of the international community English as second language teachers in Alfaisal International Academy, Riyadh Saudi Arabia. The problem is that such workshops are once-in-a-blue-moon events, wide apart and hardly sustainable. Moreover, we did not call it AR. However, it has all the features of action research. 6. CHALLENCES FACING ACTION RESEARCH AS A PRACTICE One of the major challenges of action research is to create awareness about its nature, scope, benefits in language teaching fields. Besides its inclusion as a certificatory requirement course, it should be encouraged through conferences and worldwide professional body where contacts can be maintained. Dissemination of individual and cooperative research findings would ensure the growth expansion of AR. Despite AR impacts in the language teaching learning field, more interesting challenges and tensions are still prevalent. I share Burns (2009) concerns that there are differing understandings, of ARs purpose, scope, and practices in various contexts. We should really consider finding answers to questions concerning the future directions of AR in a number of broad areas, such as: How should we envisage the primary purposes and outcomes of AR? Is it mainly a vehicle for practitioners personal and professional development, or can it also have a role in the production of knowledge for the field? Is AR simply an accessible version of research for teachers, or does it also denote an emerging paradigm with its own epistemology, methodologies and investigative practices? If so, how should standards of quality be addressed? In what ways can AR open up opportunities for collective forms of knowledge about teaching and learning that are inclusive of academic and teaching communities? What kinds of relationships between teachers, teacher educators and researchers will need to emerge to facilitate collective knowledge production? (How) can AR activity in language teaching also address broader issues of curriculum development, social justice and educational political action, thus contributing to the greater sustainability of effective educational practices? 7. CONCLUSION This research methodology, despite many contentions, criticism, arguments and counter arguments on the nature, scope and processes, is used in many fields of human endeavour such as social and health services, community development and education, to address a long history of difficulties in successfully transferring research knowledge into changes in practice. It is a means of combining the generation of knowledge with professional development of practitioners through their participation as co-researchers. It also serves as a barrier breaker between policymakers and practitioners, giving them richer insights into practice and an active role in policy development as well as its implementation respectively. This is clear in a research where teachers are involved in the identification of problem, plan on how to solve the problem in a participatory, collaborative, cooperative way. The various inputs of individual teacher researcher and all participating teacher researchers are the data t hat would inform the policy of change. Thus when teachers are part of the planning of policy and designing curriculum, its implementation and improvement would better and easier. The essay has been able to critically explore action research, teacher research, meaning, arguments and processes as a research methodology. 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