VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGÔ THỊ THU TRANG DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS THROUGH PROJECT - BASED LEARNING – AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN BAC GIANG PROVINCE (Phát triển kỹ năng tư duy phê phán cho học sinh thông qua dạy học dự án- Nghiên cứu cải tiến sư phạm tại một trường trung học phổ thông tỉnh Bắc Giang) M. MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 HANOI – 2017 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGÔ THỊ THU TRANG DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS THROUGH PROJECT - BASED LEARNING – AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN BAC GIANG PROVINCE (Phát triển kỹ năng tư duy phê phán cho học sinh thông qua dạy học dự án- Nghiên cứu cải tiến sư phạm tại một trường trung học phổ thông tỉnh Bắc Giang) M. MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Dr. VŨ THỊ THANH NHÃ HANOI - 2017 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DECLARATION I hereby certify the thesis entitled “Developing students’criticalstudents’ critical thinking skills through project-based learning – An action research study at a high school in Bac Giang province” as my own work in the fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts at the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
Bac Giang, 2017 Student‟s signaifiture Ngô Thị Thu Trang i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This thesis would not be completed without the help of a number of people. I would like to express my thanks to all of them. First of all, I would like to express my great gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Vu Thi Thanh Nha, for her continuous support, careful guidance and valuable advice throughout the whole research process.
With her comprehensive instruction, her insprirationinspiration, enthusiasm and immense knowledge, she helped me step by step write up my thesis to the best of my ability and open my knowlegeknowledge of literature. Second, I am also grateful to all teachers attheat the Faculty of Post- Graduated Department at the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their devotion and their useful lectures contributing to my understanding of the problem and leading to the completion of the thesis. Last but not least, I would like to take this opportunity to send my love to my family and my friends, especially my parents, my younger brother, my husband, my little son, who have been encouraging me and supporting me whole- heartedly. Thanks for their spiritual support throughout this study.
To them all I dedicate this thesis. ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT This study is an action research project conducted with students in class 11A1 at Lang Giang 1 High School- a high school in a mountainous province in the North of Vietnam. It provides an overview of the conceptions of critical thinking skills and project-based learning, seeks to investigate the effects of project-based learning on developing critical thinking skills. Classroom observation, questionairesquestionnaires, and interview were used as instruments to collect data for reflection throughout the research.
Data from classroom observations were analyzed quantitatively. Data gained through the questionnaire at the end of the second circle were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics and data obtained from interviews were also analyzed qualitatively. The findings from the observation reveal that activities such as evaluating the realiabilityreliability of sources of information; critical questioning; making connections between prior knowlegeknowledge and topics; collecting, analysinganalyzing and evaluating information; creating the final products; evaluating the projects- using rubrics and feedback form can fostercriticalfoster critical thinking skills among students with the teacher‟ role as a facilitator in the classroom. According to the results of questionairesquestionnaires and interview, almost all students are generally satisfied with project-based learning to develop critical thinking.
They realized the benefits of activities in project-based learning to enhance their critical thinking as well as their English skills. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF ABBRIVIATIONS iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, CHARTS Formatted: Font: Times New Roman, 13 pt, Bold Formatted: Font: Times New Roman, 13 pt, Bold Figure 1: 21st Century Student Outcomes and Support Systems and Support Systems. 1 Table 1: Bloom‟s Taxonomy by Bloom (1956). 6 Table 2: Revised taxonomy by Anderson and Krathwohl (2000).
13 Table 3: Students‟ interest about topics of projects. 36 Table 4: Students‟ changes after taking part in the lessons using project-based learning to develop critical thinking skills. 37 Chart 1 : Project- based learning with the development of students’ English skills. 38 v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Formatted: Font: Times New Roman, 13 pt, Bold, Font color: Auto DECLARATION.
iii LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, CHARTS. Rationale for the study. Aims of the study. Significance of the study.
Scope of the study. Method of the study. Design of the study. 3 PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW.
Critical thinking skills. The importance of teaching critical thinking skills in foreign language education. Project-based learning. Relations between project-based learning and the development of students‟ critical thinking skills.
How can project-based learning improve students‟ critical thinking skills?. Evaluating the reliability of sources of information. Making connection between prior knowledge and topics. Collecting , analyzing and evaluating information.
Creating the final products. Evaluating the project - using rubrics and feedback form. 14 vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Context of the study.
Reasons for using action research. Data collection procedures. Stage 1: Plan - Plan the action. Stage 2: Act- Putting the plan into action.
Stage 3: Observe – Observing the results of the plan. Stage 4: Reflect – Reflecting and planning for further action. Findings from the observation. The first cycle - Project “ For a better community”.
The second cycle - Project “ The best invention”. Findings from the questionnaires .1 Students‟ interest about topics of projects. Students‟ changes after taking part in the lessons using project-based learning to develop critical thinking skills .3 Project- based learning with the development of students‟ English skills. Findings from interview.
41 PART C: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION. 42 vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Recapitulation of the research. Limitations of the study.
Recommendations of the study. Suggestions for further study. 48 APPENDENCES APPENDIX 1 LESSON PLAN Project 1: “ FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY” I APPENDIX 2 LESSON PLAN Project 2: “ THE BEST INVENTION”. III APPENDIX 3 ACTIVITIES IN PROJECT-BASED LEARNING TO DEVELOP CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS.
V APPENDIX 4 PRE-OBSERVATION. VII APPENDIX 5 CLASSROOM OBSERVATION. VIII APPENDIX 6 QUESTIONNAIRES .IX APPENDIX 7 TALLY SHEET .XI APPENDIX 8 SAMPLE PRODUCT 1. XII APPENDIX 9 SAMPLE PRODUCT 2.
XVII APPENDIX 10 FEEDBACK FORM. XX APPENDIX 11 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. XXI APPENDIX 12 TRANSCRIPT OF STUDENTS’ ANSWERS IN THE INTERVIEW. XXII viii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ix LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com x LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION 1.
Rationale for the study While the traditional classroom tends to require passive learning, the classroom over the last few decades has taken place a significant shift to meet the demand of the changing workforce. It focuses attention on fostering important skills required for 21st-century education: critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity that are developed in the Partnership Forum for 21st-Century Skills. Figure 1: 21st Century Student Outcomes and Support Systems and Support Systems Critical thinking has been included in many models of skills that are important for education and workforce success (Trilling & Fadel, 2009). Understanding and fostering the ability to help students think critically is essential to their educational success.
Students need to think deeply about global issues, solve problems creatively, work in teams, learn ever-changing technologies and deal with a flood of information. Teaching critical thinking in the classroom is vital for students. Learning critical thinking leads students to develop other skills, such as a higher level of concentration, deeper analytical abilities. It is teachers‟ job as educators to equip students with the strategies and skills which they need to think 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com deeply about global issues, solve problems creatively, work in teams, learn ever- changing technologies and deal with abundant information.
Unlike students in Western educational systems, many Vietnamese students, epeciallyespecially students at schools in remote and mountainous areas, have not benefited from the explicit inclusion of developing critical thinking skills as an educational goal over a number of years. Critical thinking skills are also the point missed in Vietnamese students. In Vietnam, “teachers provide information for the students to learn by heart forexaminationsfor examinations” and “the students are notmotivatednot motivated to learn beyond the exam” (OanhOanh, 2006). As a result, learners emphasiseemphasize repetition, recitation, memorisationmemorization of factual information from the textbook while they are uncritical of the information they receive from their teachers or from the textbook ( Le, 2011).
One question coming to the researcher‟s mind is “How to develop my students‟ critical thinking skill?”Manyskills? “Many scholartsscholars report that project- based learning provides opportunities for students to learn deep content knowledge and critical thinking skills (Bell, 2010, Blumenfeld et al, 1991). Many benefits of incorporating project work in teaching foreign languages have been suggested. The facts above urge the researcher to carry out the action research, which is aimed at developing students‟ critical thinking skills through project-based learning. Aims of the study The study aims at exploring the impact of project-based learning on the development of students‟ critical thinking skills, and use project – based learning as a guiding framework for teachers‟ implementation.
Aware that the goal is to know the effect of project-based learning to scaffold critical thinking, the researcher thinks of activities focusing on developing critical thinking skills. Research questions In order to achieve the research objective, the researcher will answer the following questions: 2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com (1) What activities in project-based learning can teachers do to develop critical thinking for students? (2) What are the students’ attitudes towards project-based learning to develop critical thinking skills ? 4. Significance of the study The study focuses on exploring how project-based learning influences the development of students‟ citicalcritical thinking skills. Hence, once the thesis is completed, it can have both theoretical and practical contributions.
In terms of theoretical contributions, the research is expected to provide the demonstration of critical thinking skills in foreign language classroom and influences of project- based learning to the development of students‟ critical thinking skills. In addition, this thesis is hoped to serve as a realiablereliable and useful reference material about project-based learning in a pedagogical environment for high school teachers in Vietnam. Scope of the study The researcher is concerned with the implementation of project-based learning to developing students‟ critical thinking skills. The participants of study include 40 students from class 11A1 in Lang Giang 1 High School- a mountainous school in Bac Giang Province.
Method of the study The method employed in this study is action research, with the use of a number of instruments, namely observation, questionnaires, and interview. Action research has been proved to be the best choice for this study because the study was aimed at improving the students‟ critical thinking skills within a certain context. The combination of different instruments used in this research would help the researcher to gain reliable data and have a close investigation into the effectiveness of project-based learning.