A handbook for Exploratory Action Research

1. What are the components of a wrapping-up activity?
2. Is it important to wrap up a class? Why?
3. What are the main difficulties you face in this
phase of the class?
4. How do your students react when you wrap up 
classes?
Their answers, overall, were that the components of a 
wrapping-up activity are (a) remembering the objectives; 
(b) naming the contents of the class; and (c) making a 
summary of the class. Two thought that wrapping-up was 
not very important but two felt it was important, for the 
teacher to know up to what point the objectives had been 
reached and for students to clearly know what the class 
was about and if they had reached its goal. The main 
difficulties reported by my colleagues with regard to 
wrapping-up were lack of time and student misbehaviour, 
with students typically not paying attention to this part of 
the class. 
After this short questionnaire, I understood even more 
clearly that students’ participation is crucial – this part of 
the class has to be motivating and student-centered – and 
that one of the most important problems is time. I also 
realised that it is very important to keep in mind the class 
objective at all times, so I can know how much my 
objectives are achieved.
I reflected on my teaching practice and I identified some 
of the features of my wrapping-up activities and compared 
them with how I thought a good closing should be:
My name is Andrea Robles, I am an English Teacher from 
Iquique, Chile. I consider myself a teacher who looks for 
new things, ideas, techniques and I tend to reflect about 
my teaching practice.
My Closings