1 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN THỊ TUYẾT AN EVALUATION OF THE AMERICA-VIETNAM JOINT EDUCATION PROGRAM AT DOAN THI DIEM SECONDARY SCHOOL ĐÁNH GIÁ CHƯƠNG TRÌNH HỢP TÁC GIÁO DỤC VIỆT –MỸ TẠI TRƯỜNG TRUNG HỌC CƠ SỞ ĐOÀN THỊ ĐIỂM M.A Minor Programme Thesis Field: ELT Methodology Code: 601410 HANOI, 2010 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 2 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN THỊ TUYẾT AN EVALUATION OF THE AMERICA-VIETNAM JOINT EDUCATION PROGRAM AT DOAN THI DIEM SECONDARY SCHOOL ĐÁNH GIÁ CHƯƠNG TRÌNH HỢP TÁC GIÁO DỤC VIỆT –MỸ TẠI TRƯỜNG TRUNG HỌC CƠ SỞ ĐOÀN THỊ ĐIỂM M.A Minor Programme Thesis Field: ELT Methodology Code: 601410 Supervisor: Phùng Hà Thanh, M.Ed HANOI, 2010 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. Rationale for the study .10 2 Aims of the study. Scope of the study. Methods of the study.
Significance of the study. Overview of the rest of the paper .14 CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW .1 Conceptions of program evaluation .1 Definition of program evaluation .2 Purposes of program evaluation .2Overview of Immersion program .1 Definition of Immersion program. Models of immersion program .3 Characteristics of immersion programs .4 Overview of evaluation of immersion programs .30 CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY. Setting of the study .4 Data collection instrument .1 Justification for the use of semi- structured, open- ended interviews.2 Description of interview schedule .3 Procedure of data collection.36 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 7 CHAPTER THREE: RESULTS, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS .1 Results of the teacher interviews .2 Result of student interviews .1 The strengths of the program .2 The weaknesses of the program .59 APPENDICE 1: TEACHER INTERVIEW SCHEDULE .60 APPENDICE 2: STUDENT INTERVIEW SCHEDULE .61 APPENDICE 3: CÂU HỎI PHỎNG VẤN HỌC SINH .62 APPENDIX 4: CONTENTS OF THE READING STREET BOOK .63 APPENDICE 5: CONTENTS OF THE SCIENCE BOOK .66 APPENDICE 6: CONTENTS OF THE MATH BOOK .67 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 8 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS DTD : Doan Thi Diem L1 : first language L2 : second or foreign language MOET : Ministry of education and training US : United States WTO : World Trade Organization LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 9 LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1: Model of early total immersion program in Canada Figure 2: Model of middle immersion program in Canada Figure 3: Model of late immersion program in Canada Table 1: A summary of the strengths and the weaknesses of the program LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
Rationale for the study In recent years, especially after Vietnam’s entry into the WTO and the becoming of English as an international language, there has been an unprecedented increase in English learning. Along with this surge in interest for English language learning is the increasing demand for native speakers and foreign educational program. In addition, the Education and Training Ministry has cooperated in delivery of foreign language courses in Vietnam. One of the priorities in Vietnam is “overseas studies at home” hence, there have been independent or joint- venture schools established to implement such cooperation program such as Hanoi International School, UN School, South International School, Grammar school- Ho Chi Minh City and Japanese primary School.
According to “Sai Gon Giai Phong Online”, the number of students enrolls the international school or foreign education program has been increasing the past two years. For example, in 2009 there were only 200 students enrolling the Asian Pacific College. This year, 2010 this number has raised up to 1000 students; at American International School, there were less than fifty students taking part in the program in 2009 but in 2010, this number has doubled. More and more parents want their children to learn with native speakers of foreign languages because they believed that this is the best way to learn foreign languages.
The increasing demand for learning at international schools leads to the increase in the number of this type of schools. So far there have been thirty international schools established regardless of private schools which have several international classes. Doan Thi Diem is one of the schools which have applied the model of international schools. The school has cooperated with schools in America and Singapore to form joint education programs in which students have chance to follow two educational curriculum simultaneously namely Vietnamese curriculum and oversea curriculum.
The joint education program involves using an additional language for teaching and learning both language and content. In fact, this is an adaptation of immersion program in which two (or more) languages are used for learning and teaching both language and content. One of the languages is students’ mother tongue and the other is a second or foreign language which is not the subject to be taught but the medium of instruction to teach other subjects such as math, science or history. LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 11 Immersion program originated in Canada in the 1960s, is one of the most thoroughly researched areas of second language learning.
Evidence and concern and interest in immersion program are shown through a large body of research studies on different aspects of immersion program. The effects of immersion program on second or foreign language learning have been carefully examined through research done by Genesee (1984), Lambert (1984), Swain (1980), Swain (1984), Swain (1996), Genesee (2005), Zhou (2008). These researches show that immersion program has positive effects on language learners. Despite such a wealth of research data in the effectiveness of the immersion program, research implications can not be applied in every context due to different social- cultures.
Seeing the benefits of the immersion program in language learning, the educators have applied the immersion program in international schools in Vietnam for the past few years. However, there has been no research conducted to investigate the effectiveness and the results of the immersion program in Vietnam in general and at Doan Thi Diem School in particular. The fact that, every program needs evaluating from time to time in order to improve the quality of teaching and learning for all learners within an educational system. This is to ensure that the teaching is on tracks and that learners are learning what they are supposed to learn so that the desired results can be attained.
The above reasons have made the researcher conduct this study. 2 Aims of the study The study aims to evaluate the America-Vietnam joint education program at Doan Thi Diem Secondary School from the perspective of the teachers and the students. Specifically, the research focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of the program. These aims could be achieved by seeking answers to the following six research questions: From the perspective of the teachers: 1) What are the expectations of the program? 2) What are the strengths of the program? 3) What are the weaknesses of the program? LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 12 From the perspective of the students: 4) What are the expectations of the program? 5) What are the strengths of program? 6) What are the weaknesses of the program? 3.
Scope of the study Every evaluation is based on a framework which determines both the strategies for gathering data and the extrapolation of judgments from these. In some evaluation processes, this framework is either implicit or explicit, but increasingly the exigencies of openness and accountability in such processes require that criteria be clearly stated. According to Dudley- Evans and St. John (1998), in the evaluation process, the evaluator must take evaluation criteria into account before any evaluation takes place.
Criteria for evaluation depend on what is being evaluated and why they need to be evaluated. This research was conducted to evaluate the America- Vietnam joint education program at Doan Thi Diem secondary school from the teachers’ and students’ perception. The researcher focused on investigating the strengths and weaknesses of the program after a year implementation. Strengths of the program in this study are identified as the factors of the program that meet the needs of teachers and students.
As a result, teachers and students can reach the achievements. And the weaknesses of the program are the factors of the program that do not meet the needs of teachers and students. As a result, teachers and students can not reach the achievements. In so doing, first and foremost, the researcher investigated the expectations of teachers and students in terms of facilitators which include environment, facilities, management, methodology and content; and their expectations of achievements.
Based on this framework of facilitators and the achievements at the end of the first year implementing, the strengths and weaknesses of the program from the perspectives of teachers and students would be presented. Then the researcher would figure out the strengths and weaknesses of the program. LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Methods of the study This case study was conducted at class 6M, Doan Thi Diem secondary school.
With a view to support the research with varied and valid data, the qualitative research was used together with the quantitative one. The main tool of the research to collect data is semi- structured open- ended interviews with teachers and students. The interviews were conducted with two native teachers teaching in the program of the school year 2009-2010 and with thirty- one students of class 6M. The interviews were conducted after one year of teaching and learning in the program.
Significance of the study After finishing the study, the researcher hopes that this case study can have some practical contributions. Firstly, this research can provide useful information for the stakeholder and supervisors of the program. The joint education program is a new model in education in Vietnam and it is quickly widened at not only Doan Thi Diem secondary school but also many other private schools. This study involves specific information that is definitely needed to be taken into consideration.
The study is the description of the teachers’ and students’ perception of the program. Through the insiders’ view, the stakeholders and supervisors can have a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the program. Then they can figure out methods to enhance the outcomes of the program. Furthermore, from the weaknesses perceived by teachers and students, some solutions can be applied to minimize the weaknesses of the program.
Secondly, the teachers can have a full view of their teaching process. The students’ opinion is a powerful tool for teachers to form a better reflection of their teaching. The teachers can base on this to apply the most effective teaching methods to improve the quality of teaching and learning process. Finally, this study once being completed can be a valuable source of information for further related researches.
LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Overview of the rest of the paper Besides the first part which gives general introduction and the final part as the concluding segment, the research is divided into the following sections: - Chapter one which traces back the literature review in the field of evaluation of educational program as well as an overview of immersion programs. - Chapter two which presents the methodology of the research. - Chapter three where the data are presented, the findings come up with the recommendations built upon the basis of the evaluation in the previous chapter.
LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 15 CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter offers a review of the literature related to program evaluation and an overview of immersion programs. In each section, the definition, explanation of the key terms is presented together with the studies over the world.1 Conceptions of program evaluation 1.1 Definition of program evaluation Evaluation is in fact, a very natural activity that most people do; something that is very much of the daily existence.