VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES TRẦN MẠNH HÙNG USING PROJECT-BASED LEARNING TO IMPROVE THE 10TH GRADERS’ ENGLISH PARAGRAPH WRITING SKILLS AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN HUNG YEN PROVINCE MA THESIS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE HANOI, 2021 VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Trần Mạnh Hùng USING PROJECT-BASED LEARNING TO IMPROVE THE 10TH GRADERS’ ENGLISH PARAGRAPH WRITING SKILLS AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN HUNG YEN PROVINCE Field: English Language Code: 8220201 Supervisor: Assoc. Hoàng Tuyết Minh, HANOI, 2021 DECLARATION BY AUTHOR I, the undersigned, thusly guarantee that the thesis named “Using project-based learning to improve the 10th graders’ English paragraph writing skills at a high school in Hung Yen province " is the aftereffect of my own research for the Degree of Master of Arts in English Language. The substance of the thesis has not, wholly or in part, been submitted for any other degree to any other universities or institutions. Except where reference has been made in the text, this thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person.
The study reported in this thesis was approved by Graduate Academy of Social Sciences. Author’s Signature Trần Mạnh Hùng i ACKNOWLEGDEMENTS Although only one name appears as the author of this work, writing a thesis is indeed a collaborative effort. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the many people who made it possible. First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my M.A thesis’s supervisor, Assoc.
Hoàng Tuyết Minh, for her kind consultation, invaluable encouragement as well as thorough correction in the process of completion. But for her helpful guidance, this study would not have been achieved. Next, I would like to convey my sincere appreciation and thanks to Dr. Đặng Nguyên Giang - Dean of the Department of Foreign Languages and the other staff at Graduate Academy of Social Sciences the Department of Foreign Languages, Graduate Academy of Social Sciences for granting me the honor of writing this thesis as well as their assistance and most valuable comments.
Especially, millions of my special thanks go to the teachers and students of my High School in Hung Yen, who participated in this study for their kind and patient co-operation and encouragement. They helped provide me with valuable data for the study so that I could have a better view of activities in English writing classes at my High School in Hung Yen province. Last but not least, I am deeply indebted to my family for their sympathy and support during all the time I was studying for M.A degree at Graduate Academy of Social Sciences. Without their unconditional love and sincere contribution, I could not have overcome my difficulties and concentrated on my studies.
ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DECLARATION BY AUTHOR i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT vi LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF FIGURES & CHARTS viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1. Aims of the Study 3 1. Scope of the Study 4 1. Significance of the Study 5 1.
Structure of the Study 6 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 7 2. Concepts of writing 7 2. Definitions of writing 7 2. Characteristics of writing 8 2.
The importance of teaching writing 9 2. Teacher’s roles in teaching writing 11 2. Concepts of paragraph 12 2. Definitions of paragraph 12 2.
Structures of paragraph 13 iii 2. Approaches to teaching paragraph writing skills in foreign 14 language 2. Project-based learning 17 2. Definitions of project-based learning 17 2.
Types of projects 20 2. Key features of Project-based learning 20 2. Advantages and challenges of project-based learning 23 2. Process of Project-based learning 25 2.
Summary 29 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 31 3. Design of the study 34 3. Procedures of the study 35 3. Data collection instruments 42 3.
Pre-test and post-test 42 3. Semi-structured interview 45 3. Data analytic method 46 3. Summary 48 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 49 4.
Data Analysis from Tests 49 4. Analysis from the survey Questionnaires 53 4. Analysis from the Interview 63 4. Discussion of findings 66 4.
Summary 68 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 71 5. Limitations and Suggestions for Further Studies 74 References APPENDIX 1: Pre-test for students I APPENDIX 2: Post-test for students II APPENDIX 3: Rating scale for Writing test III APPENDIX 4: Survey questionnaire IV APPENDIX 5: Post- survey questionnaire VI APPENDIX 6: Interview XII APPENDIX 7: Transcripts of interviews XIII APPENDIX 8: Sample project plans XVI v ABSTRACT In a diligent attempt to investigate the impacts of PBL on students’ paragraph writing skills and their attitudes towards the new approach in my own teaching conditions to see whether it is applicable at my school or not, this research addressed two issues: (1) the effectiveness of using PBL on students’ paragraph writing Learning in their English optional lessons; (2). students’ attitudes toward the use of Project-based learning. Especially, an action research project was carried out with the participation of 40 students in Class 10A11 at a High School in Hung Yen province as a research class as a compared class by dint of the same age, level and size of students.
The study lasted 12 weeks and involved some data, pre- test, post-test and interviews. Research findings showed that students had positive attitudes towards the use of PBL in their English lessons. It was also acknowledged that the PBL was beneficial for helping students improve their performance in writing lessons. Based on the findings, some implications would be given for both the teachers and the students.
With all these information, this study is expected to be useful to both teachers and students in teaching and learning English writing skills. vi LIST OF TABLES Page Table 2.1: Assessing Writing Performance- Level B1 (CEFR) 10 Table 2.2: Observation Checklist 37 Table 3.1: Procedures of the study 41 Table 4.1: The results of pre-test and post-test 50 Table 4.2: Students’ responses to the questionnaire 54 vii LIST OF FIGURES & CHARTS Page Figure 2.1: Stages of the process approach to writing 16 Figure 3.1: Action Research Cycle 34 Chart 4.1: Students’ mean score of average mark 50 Chart 4.2: A comparison of mean scores on pre-test and post-test 50 by five criteria Chart 4.3: Students’ opinions of being afraid of writing English 52 lessons in class Chart 4.4: Students’ opinions of difficulties in English writing 53 lessons Chart 4.5: Frequency of practicing writing English lessons 54 Chart 4.6: Students’ being active in English writing lessons 54 Chart 4.7: Students’ interest in writing English lessons in class 55 Chart 4.8: Students’ attitude towards PBL 58 Chart 4.9: The benefits of PBL 59 Chart 4.10: The benefits of PBL in learning paragraph writing 60 skills Chart 4.11: Students’ difficulties when implementing PBL 60 viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AR: Action Research CEFR: Common European Framework for Reference CLT: Communicative Language Teaching EFL: English as Foreign Language PBL: Project-Based Learning T: Teacher Ss Students ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale In recent years, project-based teaching has been focused on and applied effectively in Vietnamese education. The phrase "Project-Based Teaching" has been mentioned in many books on teaching methods and techniques as well as many other scientific works.
Research has shown that project-based teaching or project-based teaching methods and techniques have been shown to be positive and effective. It is a learner-centered teaching model, through open tasks, encouraging learners to explore, perceive knowledge learned during implementation, and create their own products. Instead of following a model lesson plan that guides learners through a specific path of learning outcomes and goals, project-based instruction leads students to undertake an in-depth investigation of a topic under discussion and essay. Through project- based teaching, learners have more autonomy over what they learn, stay interested, and are motivated to take greater responsibility for their learning.
The project-based teaching approach “focuses on the realism of how teachers facilitate high-quality learning experiences” (Suzie Boss and John Larmer 2018). Along with the changes in the world, the demand for project-based teaching is increasing. We see schools and districts working towards a more student-centered approach that includes question-and-answer learning, personalized learning, performance-based assessment, and a large amount of engagement. interest and implement project-based learning.
Project-based learning (PBL) is a showing strategy where understudies get information and abilities by working throughout a drawn-out timeframe to examine and respond to an inquiry, issue, or challenge, authentic, engaging, and complex. PBL is the transformation of project-based teaching. PBL and project-based 1 teaching presuppose each other. So, in this thesis, project-based teaching was experienced through my exploration of the field of PBL.
PBL is a constructivist-based learning method (Hmelo-Silver 2004) first proposed by John Dewey (1859-1952) in the late 1890s (Douglas and Stack 2010). Dewey's philosophy is to be child-centered and to incorporate real-life situations and contexts into the school environment. His ideas were further developed by Kilpatrick in the early 1900s in his book "Project Methods" (1918). Since then, the PBL has been elaborated and applied to different school subjects and learning situations.
As a result of such an effective experience, our understanding of PBL has been greatly enriched. With the theory of "learning by doing and experiencing", Dewey advocates teaching students how to learn through building a specific project and finding reasonable solutions to bring the project to success. According to Thomas (2000), this learning method gives learners a good opportunity to improve general skills such as language competence and other necessary expertise in the 21st century. PBL allows teachers to demonstrate diversity in learners, such as interests, abilities, and learning styles.
Having taught English in a high school for over twenty years, I have noticed that students can read and write English well but they cannot write paragraphs clearly and academically. Writing is one of four skills which are taught at high school. In particular, Writing is compulsory in 10 Units and 4 reviews in Grade 10, Grade 11 and Grade 12. However, most of the students showed little motivation in writing.
They are quite passive, not active in writing classes. The importance of writing is revealed more with the integration of other language skills. Being academic in English is a priority for many foreign or second language learners. Our learners often rate their success in learning a foreign language as well as the effectiveness of their 2 English learning on the basis of how much they feel they have improved in their language proficiency.
In order to deal with the emergence of educational development trends, globalization, and internationalization, as well as to improve students' learning efficiency, the researcher has been trying to find out the most appropriate and effective methods of teaching English. The methods being implemented can be for the four English skills, in which the writing skill requires the most attention. Realizing the benefits of PBL, the researcher is interested in applying it to his teaching work to improve his learners' writing skills. Therefore, the project “Using project-based learning to improve the 10th graders’ English paragraph writing skills at a high school in Hung Yen province” has been carried out.
The goal is to develop the most effective ways to help students overcome the barrier of low self-esteem when learning writing skills through this innovative method as well as students' motivation, self-control can be promoted and improved significantly. Aims of the Study The aim of the study is to improve the 10th-graders’ paragraph writing skills at a High School in Hung Yen province. In order to achieve the aim, the study is expected to reach the following objectives. - To evaluate the effectiveness of the project-based learning techniques applied to paragraph writing skill teaching and learning.
- To find out the attitudes that 10th grade students at a High School when leaning paragraph writing skills when project-based learning is applied. Research Questions To achieve the above-mentioned aims, the following research questions (RQ) are raised: RQ 1. To what extent does project-based learning better the 10th students in improving paragraph writing skills? RQ 2.