The Qualitative Research Article

1. The Qualitative
Research Article
Lecture based on Jiménez (1997)

2. What are the problematic issues that
Latino/a children face in American
schools?
What problematic issue does Jimenez (1997)
state in relation to literacy instruction in
middle school?

3. The Statement
of the Problem

4. The Statement of the Problem
• Under this section, authors present the
problem or issue they intend to investigate.
• Problems can be viewed:
– From a global perspective (e.g., the importance
of English in the world)
– From a local perspective (e.g., the instructional
issues involved in teaching English at a language
program)

5. “Latina/o students often experience
difficulties with literacy in both English and
Spanish because they must contend with less
than optimal learning conditions, such as
inadequately funded schools (Kozol, 1991),
segregated schools (Valencia, 1991), and
teachers without training in second-language
acquisition or multicultural education
(Berman et al., 1992; Nieto, 1992).”
(Jiménez, 1997, p.224)
One idea from the Statement of the Problem

6. Paraphrasing Academically
• To paraphrase:
– Understand the idea first by reading carefully.
– State in your own words what the author
intends to say.
– In your paraphrasing, strive to maintain the
meaning and the references the author makes
in the original text.

7. The Process of Paraphrasing 1:
First Read and Understand the Idea
Original Idea from Jiménez (1997):
• “Latina/o students often experience difficulties with literacy in both English
and Spanish because they just contend with less than optimal learning
conditions, such as inadequately funded schools (Kozol, 1991), segregated
schools (Valencia, 1991), and teachers without training in second-language
acquisition or multicultural education (Berman et al., 1992; Nieto, 1992).”
(Jiménez, 1997, p. 224).
My thought process (Enrique thinks aloud to understand the idea
first):
“Hum…Jiménez is saying here that developing literacy in English and
Spanish is difficult for Latino/a students… or children… because the
conditions…the educational conditions…in the context…which I guess is
the US here…are not great. Jiménez cites some authors in parenthesis…
hum…maybe to give the reader examples of some of the problems that
Latino/a children face in schools…so, Kozol (1991) says that schools are
not funded…Valencia says that schools are segregated, and Berman et al.
& Nieto say that teachers of these students do not receive training in SLA
or in multicultural education…”

8. Version 1:
Jiménez states that literacy development in English and Spanish in the US
is a challenge for Latino/a students due to poor conditions in schools, and
Jiménez refers to Kozol (1991) to report that American schools are not
appropriately funded. The author draws from Valencia to point out that
schools are segregated, and from Berman et al. and Nieto to affirm that
the teachers of Latino/a children are not well-trained in SLA or in
multicultural education, and so Jiménez is talking about how the school
circumstances contribute to the difficulty of Latino/a children in their
development of literacy.
The Process of Paraphrasing 2:
Crafting Writing for Accuracy, Clarity, and Academic Writing
Style
“Hum…Jiménez is saying here that developing literacy in English and Spanish is
difficult for Latino/a students… or children… because the conditions…the
educational conditions…in the context…which I guess is the US here…are not
great. Jiménez cites some authors in parenthesis…hum…maybe to give the
reader examples of some of the problems that Latino/a children face in
schools…so, Kozol (1991) says that schools are not funded…Valencia says that
schools are segregated, and Berman et al. & Nieto say that teachers of these
students do not receive training in SLA or in multicultural education…”

9. Jiménez states that English and Spanish in the US is a
challenge for Latino/a students due to poor conditions
in schools, and Jiménez refers to Kozol (1991) to
report that American schools are not appropriately
funded because the author draws from Valencia to
point out that schools are segregated, and from
Berman et al. and Nieto to affirm that the teachers
of Latino/a children are not well-trained in SLA or in
multicultural education, and so Jiménez is talking about
how the school circumstances contribute to the difficulty
of Latino/a children in their development of literacy.
Version 1: First attempts at paraphrasing, but issues of accuracy,
clarity, and APA format

10. Jiménez states that literacy development in
English and Spanish in the US is a challenge for
Latino/a students due to poor conditions in
schools. Jiménez refers to Kozol (1991) to
report that American schools are not
appropriately funded. The author draws from
Valencia (1991) to point out that schools are
segregated, and from Berman et al. (1992)
and Nieto (1992) to affirm that the teachers of
Latino/a children are not well-trained in SLA or in
multicultural education. With these examples,
the author reports how the school circumstances
may contribute to the difficulty of Latino/a children
in their development of literacy.
Version 2: Polishing my academic
paraphrasing:
Fixing APA, accuracy, and run-on statements

11. Challenge: Pair up and paraphrase
“Adding to the difficulties of these
students, the knowledge base for
teaching literacy to linguistically
diverse students is, as yet, still in its
formative stages (Bernhardt, 1991;
Garcia, Pearson, & Jimenez, 1994;
Weber, 1991). Further exacerbating
the problem, middle school teachers
traditionally have not viewed literacy
instruction as central to their mission
(Garcia et al., 1995).” (Jiménez,

12. Another problem for Latino/a students in US
schools that Jimenez (1997) reports, is that the
education community does not have sufficient
knowledge and strategies to teach literacy to
students who do not have the same linguistic
background. As Garcia et al. (1995) reported,
middle-school teachers do not take into
account literacy as the focus of their instruction.
Consequently, a lack of quality literacy
instruction implies that the students have to
struggle with literacy at school.

13. In addition to the increasing problems that
Latino/a students face with literacy learning in
American schools, the research base for teaching
literacy to students who speak a variety of
languages is, at the moment, still developing
(Jimenez, 1997). To point out more struggles at
the spotlight of the problem, middle-school
teachers do not see literacy instruction as part of
their job. In other words, teachers assume that
learners know how to read and write perfectly
(Garcia, 1995).

14. • ….Is at the moment, still developing
• …in the process of construction
• …in its first stages of development
• …is still in its initial stages of development
• …is still in its infancy
• …is still forming

15. Jimenez (1997) draws from Garcia
(1995) that there are more struggles
at the spotlight of the problem.
Garcia (1995) claims that middle-
school teachers do not see literacy
instruction as part of their job. In
other words, teachers assume that
learners know how to read and write
perfectly (Garcia, 1995).

16. Useful Verbs to Paraphrase
agree complain emphasize note
analyze concede explain observe
argue consider find offer
ask conclude grant point out
assert contend illustrate refute
believe declare imply report
claim deny insist reveal
comment describe maintain say
see show speculate state
suggest suppose think write

17. Under the literature review of the article,
find what characterizes the reading of
proficient and less proficient bilingual
readers according to research.
Also under the literature review, point out
why the use of high-quality children’s and
young-adult literature is important in
teaching students to read.
From the section in the lit review that refers
to the role of word recognition and reading
fluency in reading, infer the importance of
effective word recognition in reading.

18. The
Literature
Review

19. The Literature Review (Lit
Review)
Under this section, authors present the
relevant studies and theories that
frame their topic
–Research & Conceptual Pieces
–Use reported speech to report
others’ work

20. What were the
research questions
that guided the
Jimenez (1997)
study?

21. The Research Questions
• Guide the study. Findings should be
connected to the research questions.
• May be presented under the statement of
the problem or after the lit review.
• May change throughout the development
of the study (we don’t see that process in
a published article)

22. What was important about
the researcher’s
background for the study?
What were some
commonalities amongst the
participants of this study?

23. Methodology

24. Methodology
•Also called Study Design
•Includes the how of the study.
•Participants, context, methods
of data collection, data analysis,
researcher’s role/identity.