VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES VU THI DUNG đọc của hoc sinh tại một trường Trung học cơ sở ở Ninh Bình: Một nghiên cứu hành động) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Hanoi — 2024 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES INTERACTIVE GROUP IN EXTENSIVE READING TO IMPROVE STUDENTS' READING SKILLS AT A LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL IN NINH BINH: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT đọc của học sinh tại một trường Trung học cơ sở ở Ninh Bình: Một nghiên cứu hành động) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231. Vo Dai Quang Hanoi — 2024 DECLARATION I herewith declare that I wrote this thesis titled “Interactive Group in Extensive Reading To Improve Students' Reading Skills at A Lower Secondary School in Ninh Binh: An Action Research Project” (Sử dụng nhóm tương tac trong hoạt động doc mở rộng dé nâng cao kỹ năng doc của học sinh tại một trường Trung học cơ sở ở Ninh Binh: Một nghiên cứu hành động) submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts at the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi on my own and did not use any unnamed sources or aid.
Thus, to the best of my knowledge and belief, this thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where source indications are properly provided as required. Hanoi, 2024 Approved by SUPERVISOR (Signature and full name) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My thesis would not have been completed without the assistance and encouragement of many people to whom I am grateful. First and foremost, I especially would like to express my deepest thanks to my supervisor, Assoc. Vo Dai Quang for his invaluable assistance and insights leading to the writing of this study.
In addition, I wish to express my gratitude to all of my lecturers in Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Postgraduate Department for their wonderful lectures, which serve as the foundation and guidance for me in this study. Furthermore, I wish to express my gratitude to the Management and teachers of a local lower secondary school for their approval, encouragement and useful recommendations during the research process. My special thanks are delivered to all the students of a local lower secondary school for their participation and support during the research process. Last but not least, I am deeply grateful to my family whose understanding and love strongly support me through the fulfillment of the study.
1 ABSTRACT Extensive reading skills are beneficiary to students in foreign language acquisition; hence, it is critical that learning and teaching techniques should be adopted for the improvement of students’ extensive reading and overall reading skills. The present study endeavored to investigate the effects of using interactive group in extensive reading activities on students’ reading skills and their perception towards the use of interactive group. In order to obtain the research objectives, the researcher performed an action research with two cycles that integrated interactive group in extensive reading lessons as the intervention in eight weeks. 72 Grade 8 students of a local lower secondary school were selected as the research participants through purposive sampling.
The researcher used three research instruments, including tests, questionnaire, and interviews for collecting quantitative and qualitative data. The analysis of data revealed the following research findings, including 1) Significant improvements in students’ reading skills as the effects of using interactive group in extensive reading that was reflected by an increase of writing test scores of Grade 8 students; and 2) Students’ positive perceptions towards the use of interactive group in extensive reading to promote students’ reading skills because of its benefits of reading performance, reading environment, reading autonomy, confidence and so forth. Based on research findings, the research proposed some implications for the effective use of interactive group in extensive reading to promote students’ reading skills. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION.----c-- < Ăn Họ họ vợ i ACKNOWLEDGEMENITS.ccssscssssscsscscscscsscccssescescssssescsssescssssescsssccssssscscssescscsssosssssscesssscessessencssses iii LIST OF TABLES.
Họ c1 g8 vi LIST OF FIGURES.-- «5< «Ăn Họ te vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION. Rationale to the S{UY. Aim and objectives Of the SEUY. Aim Of the StUỦY.
Objectives Of the StUAY. Research QU€SfIOTS. Scope Of the SEU(Y. A summary Of methOdOÏOBV.
Theoretical and practical significance of the r€S€arCHh. Structure Of the fÏh€S1S.v 87 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND.-- ĂG ng n070 9 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND. Types Of T€AđITĐ. Pf€VIOUS SLUCICS .v 000 21 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.
Research QU€SẨIOTS. Samples and sampling DTOC€dUT€S. Data collection 1TSETUIN€TIES. Pre- and DOSẨ-ECSES.
Semi-structured InCTVICWS. Data collection and anaÏS1S. Data collection procedure. Data AaTAÌVSIS.
Reliability and Validity. g6 40 CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS. co c0 HH ng nga 42 4. Impacts of interactive group on students’ extensive reading skIlÌS.
Students’ perceptions towards the use of interactive group to promote students’ extensive reading SIÌÌS. Discussions of students’ perceptions towards the use of interactive group to promote students’ extensive reading skills in the questionnaire and interview. Suggestions for further S{UI€S.--- c5 «Ăn Họ họ 59 APPENDICES. | LIST OF TABLES Table 3.
Score Caf€ØOTIZAfÏOH. Test-scores of Grade 8 Student. Paired samples test of Grade 8 students’ test SCOT©S. Students’ perceptions towards the use of interactive group to promote students’ EXtensive reading SKIÏÌS.98 00016 47 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.
Stages of action research Figure 4. Changes in Grade 8 participants’ proficiency of extensive reading skills. vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale to the study Reading, according to Pongsatornpipat (2021), is as important as other communicative skills; yet, reading practice is unlikely to be learners’ first choice of practice.
Dickinson (2017) also affirms that reading is one of the most important abilities a person should learn and master since it is an input-enabling activity that allows readers to capture information and enhance academic knowledge. A wide range of second/foreign language (L2) studies (Cain, 2010; Dickinson, 2017; Moreillon, 2019; Yamashita, 2018), confirm that reading is not only important for English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' comprehension and information acquisition purposes, but also for students' language competency improvement. Gayo et al. (2014) contend that reading provides ESL/EFL learners with vocabulary and grammatical enrichment as well as background knowledge for the development of other language abilities such as writing and speaking.
As a result, reading ability is strongly linked to the total growth of language competence in ESL/EFL learners. However, students frequently struggle with reading because they do not understand the meaning of the phrases or words in the reading texts. This is one of the reasons why students become to be hesitant readers (Cahyono & Widiati, 2006). Furthermore, when studying students' reading challenges, the researchers conclude that students require more time to comprehend the content presented by the teachers in class (Day & Bamford, 2004; Richards & Schmidt, 2010).
Sometimes the time allotted in class is insufficient for students to fully absorb the reading texts. According to Ruzin (2019), students reading a book or text in the classroom frequently have limited time, which causes students to struggle to understand what they read, such as the information from the text. As a result, teachers must develop appropriate teaching pedagogies and methods to increase students’ motivation and interest in reading. There are numerous teaching approaches for teaching reading, one of which is extensive reading.
According to Harmer (2002), in foreign language learning, intensive reading and extensive reading represent two valuable strategies that cater to different aspects of language acquisition. Referring to the former, Grellet (2010) states that intensive reading involves a meticulous examination of a text, emphasizing a deep understanding of language structures and nuances. Learners engaging in intensive reading often dissect sentences, analyze vocabulary, and explore grammatical intricacies (Krashen, 2004). This approach is particularly beneficial for honing specific language skills and comprehension abilities.
In the context of foreign language learning, intensive reading allows students to grasp the finer details of the language, enabling them to build a solid foundation in grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Teachers may implement intensive reading by selecting challenging texts and guiding students through focused exercises that emphasize linguistic analysis (Grellet, 2010). Conversely, according to Renandya (2007), extensive reading encourages learners to cover a broad range of materials, prioritizing overall comprehension rather than intricate analysis. This method promotes reading for pleasure and aims to develop reading fluency through exposure to diverse language patterns.
In foreign language learning, extensive reading provides students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language, reinforcing vocabulary and enhancing overall linguistic intuition. The Extensive Reading Foundation (2011) suggests that teachers can implement extensive reading by offering a variety of reading materials at different proficiency levels, encouraging students to choose texts aligned with their interests. This approach nurtures a love for reading in the target language, fostering a more natural and enjoyable language learning experience (Liao & Wang, 2020). Referring to extensive reading, Ruzin (2019) affirms that it is a powerful tool in promoting and enhancing students' reading skills.
Unlike intensive reading, which focuses on in-depth analysis, extensive reading encourages learners to engage with a large volume of material at a more comfortable pace. This approach plays a pivotal role in developing reading skills by fostering fluency, comprehension, and a genuine love for reading. According to (Day & Bamford, 2004), one of the primary benefits of extensive reading is its contribution to fluency. As students immerse themselves in a variety of texts, they gradually become more adept at processing information swiftly and naturally.
The continuous exposure to different language structures, vocabulary, and contexts helps learners build reading stamina and increases the speed at which they can comprehend written material. This fluency is a key component of effective reading, enabling students to tackle more complex texts with greater ease. Moreover, it is stated by Fakhruldeen (2021) that extensive reading cultivates a genuine interest and enthusiasm for reading. When students have the freedom to choose materials that align with their interests, they are more likely to develop a positive attitude towards reading.
This intrinsic motivation becomes a driving force behind their engagement with texts, prompting them to explore a wide array of genres and topics voluntarily. As a result, students are not only improving their reading skills but also fostering a lifelong habit of reading for pleasure (Meng, 2009; Alzu'bi, 2014). While intensive reading is commonly used in the classroom to improve students’ reading skill, extensive reading is used as a supplement to intensive reading (Grabe, 2010; Liao & Wang, 2020). Recent research indicates that extensive reading enhances language learners' exposure to real reading materials, hence contributing to the growth of vocabulary gains, reading comprehension, and competency (Alzu'bi, 2014; Fakhruldeen, 2021).
Despite the necessity of extensive reading, ESL/EFL students have failed to improve their extensive reading skills. English teachers have used a variety of learning and teaching strategies to develop students' comprehensive reading skills; among these methods, interactive groups as a type of collaborative learning are regarded as one of the most effective (Fakhruldeen, 2021; Liao & Wang, 2020; Pongsatornpipat, 2021). According to Jacobs and Shan (2015), collaborative learning is a learning technique in which students work in small groups with their peers to complete a task or achieve a learning goal. According to Feri and Erlinda (2014), collaborative learning creates a learning environment in which all students participate in tasks, work and interact with other group members, and learn from others.
Furthermore, collaborative learning is more than just the intersection of similar goals; in nature, goals are attained through sharing knowledge, learning, and developing agreement (Macias et al. Among the various modes of collaborative learning, interactive groups have been shown to be one of the most effective. Interactive groups in foreign language learning provide a dynamic and engaging approach to collaborative learning.