1 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ---***--- HOÀNG VIỆT HÀ TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS & THEIR PRACTICES REGARDING COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN TEACHING EFL IN LARGE MULTILEVEL CLASSES AT VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS QUAN ĐIỂM CỦA GIÁO VIÊN VỀ VIỆC SỬ DỤNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP HỌC HỢP TÁC ĐỂ DẠY TIẾNG ANH TẠI CÁC LỚP ĐÔNG ĐA TRÌNH ĐỘ VÀ VIỆC THỰC THI TRÊN LỚP TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC KINH TẾ, ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI M. Thesis Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 601410 Supervisor: Đỗ Bá Quý, M.Ed TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 2 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES ---***--- HOÀNG VIỆT HÀ TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS & THEIR PRACTICES REGARDING COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN TEACHING EFL IN LARGE MULTILEVEL CLASSES AT VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS QUAN ĐIỂM CỦA GIÁO VIÊN VỀ VIỆC SỬ DỤNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP HỌC HỢP TÁC ĐỂ DẠY TIẾNG ANH TẠI CÁC LỚP ĐÔNG ĐA TRÌNH ĐỘ VÀ VIỆC THỰC THI TRÊN LỚP TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC KINH TẾ, ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI M. Thesis Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 601410 Hanoi, 2012 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Acceptance page .iii Table of content .iv PART A: INTRODUCTION. Aims of the study.
Scope of the study. Significance of the study. Methods of the study .3 7 An overview of the rest of the study .6 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW .1 Underpinning theory of cooperative learning .2 Definition of cooperative learning .3 Principles of cooperative learning .4 Cooperative Learning Methods .5 Benefits of cooperative learning .6 Challenges of cooperative learning .7 Empirical studies related to cooperative learning .8 Research Findings: implementation of cooperative learning .1 Definition of multilevel classes .2 Challenges of multilevel classes .3 Cooperative learning in language pedagogy in multilevel classes……… 25 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY .28 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.4 The Research Context .6 Data Collection Instruments .35 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS OF THE STUDY .1 Teachers‟ perceptions in different aspects of cooperative learning .7 Teachers‟ reflection on CL .2 Teachers‟ implementation of Cooperative Learning in classroom. 52 CHAPTER 4 : DISCUSSION OF THE STUDY .1 Teachers‟ perceptions of different aspects of cooperative learning.
59 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.7 Teachers‟ reflections on CL. Teachers‟ implementation of cooperative learning in their classroom .3 To what extent did their classroom practices reflect their perceptions. Implications for the use of CL in ELT. Limitations of the study.
Suggestions for further research. 73 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 9 APPENDICES Appendix 1A: Contents of the course book New English File Pre-intermediate Appendix 1B: The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages Appendix 2A: Interview questions Appendix 2B: One example of transcription of teacher‟s Interviews TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 10 LISTS OF TABLES AND ABBREVIATIONS Table 1A: Differences between cooperative learning and group learning Table 1B: CL -An overview of some most popular methods Table 1C: Some differences between learners in heterogeneous classes Table 2A: Background information about the participants Table 2B: Phrases of thematic analysis Table 3A: CL benefits for students Table 3B: CL benefits for teacher Table 3C: Difficulties in using CL in classroom Table 3D: Criteria in choosing CL tasks Table 3E: Strategies to form groups Table 3F: CL skills taught for students Table 3G: Types of group works‟ assessment Table 3H: Ways to motivate students Table 3I: The nature of tasks in classroom Table 3J: The types of group forming in classroom Table 3K: Types of group works‟ assessment in classroom Table 3L: Ways to motivate students in classroom List of abbreviations CL: Cooperative learning LMLC: Large multilevel classes VNU, UEB: Vietnam National University, University of Economics and Business VNU, ULIS: Vietnam National University, University of Languages and International Studies M.A: Master of Arts M.Ed: Master of Education Dr: Doctor PART A: INTRODUCTION This initial part states the rationale for the study, the aims, the scope and methods of the thesis. More importantly, the research questions are identified to work as clear TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 11 guidelines for the whole research. Lastly, this part concludes with an overview of the rest of the thesis, serving as a compass to orientate the readers throughout the study.
Rationale It is widely accepted that we are living in a technological-based society where individuals are required to depend on each other and think with others if we want to obtain success. The ability to work together cooperatively has become one of the skills which enable people to survive in the global workforce (Foyle & Shafto,1995). In response, educators have proposed significant changes in educational setting to create an environment where students have the opportunities to work together to develop cooperative skills. As the result, an effective teaching and learning in this global era should be the one which can create a situation context in which students have opportunities to work together, then produce new knowledge, is cooperative learning.
In a very basic sense, “CL is the instructional use of small groups so that students share the responsibility of working together to maximize their own and each other‟s learning” (Johnson, Johnson & Holubec,2002). In the context of Viet Nam National University, University of Economics and Business, English is being taught as a compulsory subject for non-major students. As far as the situation of English language learning and teaching is concerned, students have confronted a number of obstacles preventing them from achieving communicative competence and cooperating with each other. Moreover, because of credit course program, students can choose English class to learn by themselves.
Hence, a class may include a number of highly achieving students having spent years on English learning at secondary schools, some of them may have attained pre-intermediate level, and another number of real beginners. The dramatic difference in student language competence actually creates a great deal of impediment to instructors and learners and constitutes an important part of inefficiency of the ELT. Cooperative learning is certainly an appropriate instructional strategy for large multilevel classes where the teacher and the more capable students can create supportive conditions for less capable students through cooperative work. Cooperative learning has been composed on two fundamental basis of language education which is psychological characteristics of learners in language classes and instructional theories of language acquisition.
TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 12 Although there have been very few studies on CL in Vietnamese context, a review of studies that were done in Asian countries found that CL promotes learning is equivocal and, moreover, it is of little interest to Asian teachers.However, no research was studied about Vietnamese‟ teachers‟ perceptions and classroom practices regarding CL in teaching English in large multilevel classes. From the above-mentioned reasons, this thesis on teachers‟ perceptions of implementing CL meets the research demand of the context. Aims of the study Firstly, the research thesis is expected to investigate EFL teachers‟ perceptions of different aspects of cooperative learning in their classroom at VNU, UEB. Secondly, it aims to explore how the teachers implemented cooperative learning in their classroom.
Finally, it aims to explore how teachers‟ practices in their classroom reflect their perceptions. In brief, these aims could be summarized into three research questions. Research questions The study was guided by three main research questions: 1. What were the EFL teachers‟ perceptions of different aspects of cooperative learning in their classroom at VNU, UEB? 2.
How did they implement cooperative learning in their classroom? 3. To what extent did their classroom practices reflect their perceptions? 4. Scope of the study The study is restricted to the area of investigating the perceptions of six teachers at VNU, UEB about different aspects of CL and exploring their actual classroom practices. After that similarities and differences between their perceptions and practices were discussed.
The samples of the study are also limited to six teachers at VNU, UEB and only first year students from main stream classes in one semester of school year at Vietnam National University, University of Economics and Business. In second term of school year 2011-2012, the students were learning A2 English Program with course book New English File, Pre-intermediate. Significance of the study TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 13 As one of the trail-blazing studies on implementing CL in LMLC at VNU, UEB, the thesis could be particularly useful for students, teachers, and researchers who develop an interest in the topic. Specifically, since the study looked into implementing CL in LMLC and some suggestions for implementing CL effectively, students can gain more knowledge to use CL for communicative purposes, learn social and inter-personal skills which are very important for them in global world now.
As for the teachers, they would get useful information on different types of CL methods, CL activities, as well as some ways to apply CL effectively in their classroom. Besides, they would have more ideas of implementing CL in other countries. In addition, the study also provides teachers with some helpful suggestions so that they could take their own initiatives to effectively implement CL in their classroom situations. Finally, with regard to the researchers, those who happen to develop the same interest in this topic could certainly rely on this research to find reliable and useful information for their related study.
Methods of the study 6.1 Data collection methods The qualitative teachnique was employed to collect data relevant to the research. During the process of data collection, the researcher employed two different instruments interview, and classroom observation. To be more detailed, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 6 teachers at VNU, UEB. The interview was constructed to enable each teacher to elaborate on the eight open questions about teachers‟ perceptions of different aspects of cooperative learning and barriers hindering cooperative learning practices.
In addition, classroom observation was also used to explore how teachers implemented cooperative learning and answer the question “is there any gap between their perceptions and their real teaching?” During observation, the researcher filmed the lessons. Each lesson lasted approximately 50 minutes and observations were conducted during two lessons-100 minutes for each class.2 Data analysis methods TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 14 The researcher analysed qualitative data based on phrases of thematic analysis such as familiarizing yourself with data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming the themes and producing the report. To be more detailed, for the interview, the researcher transcribed all of the interview and open-minded questions into Vietnamese. The researcher coded each document by sentence and paragraph and questions.
The researcher first constructed the initial list of the most general concepts that spatially the connection in the data related to descriptive, lexical meaning or low level inference of text. Then the researcher investigated various aspects of each main idea to develop sub-categories. Besides, the participants‟ answers to open-ended questions in interviews would be summarized and presented in the form of quotation and cited if necessary. For the classroom observation, the researchers watched the videotapes for many times, and emerged main ideas of teachers‟ implementation of CL in classroom and sub-ideas of their CL implementation in LMLC were also found out.
7 An overview of the rest of the study The rest of the thesis includes four chapters Chapter 1 (Literature review) provides the background of the study including definitions of key concepts, aspects of cooperative learning, multilevel classes and previous findings of cooperative learning. Chapter 2 (Methodology) describes the aims, research questions, context, participants and instruments of the study, as well as the procedures employed to carry out the research. Chapter 3 (Results of the study) presents all results collected from data from the interviews and classroom observations Chapter 4 (Discussion of the study): summarizes main findings, analyzes the findings, and compares them with previous research to answer three research questions.