MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY --------------------------------- NGUYEN THI THU HIEN EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF STUDENT TEAMS - ACHIEVEMENT DIVISIONS TECHNIQUE ON EFL STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION IN A VIETNAMESE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL) Ho Chi Minh City, 2021 Tai Lieu Chat Luong MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY ------------------------------ NGUYEN THI THU HIEN EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF STUDENT TEAMS - ACHIEVEMENT DIVISIONS TECHNIQUE ON EFL STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION IN A VIETNAMESE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION Major: TESOL Major number: 8 140 111 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL) Supervisor: Dr. Nguyen Vu Phuong Ho Chi Minh City, 2021 TRUONG DAI HQC Md CQNG HdA XA HOI CHIT NGIIiA VI1TT NAM THANH PH6 Hd CHi MINE DOc IAp - Tu do - Hanh phfc KHOA DAoIAq r4qDAr HQC GIAY XAC NHAN *^ rdi rdo Ia:. Ma hsc vion: .r:APA 0 Tdi ddng ! cung cAp todrr vdn th6ng tin luan 6nl luan vtu t6t nghiCp hAp lC vA ban quydn cho Thu viQn hudl1g dai hqc Md Them phii Hd Chi Minh. Thu viQn tnrong dai hqc Md Thdnh ph6 Hd Chi Minl sd kar n6i todn van th6ng tin lu6n rin-/ luin vdn t6t nghiop vAo hC th6ng th6ng tin khoa h9c cira Sd Khoa hgc vd C6ng nghQ Thdnh ph6 H6 chi Minn." Cln @h*W- CQNG HdA XA HQI CHU NGHIA VIPT NAM DOc lip - T u do-H! nh uhfc f TIEN CHO PHEP BAO VE LUAN VAN THAC Si C TA GIANG VITN HU6NG DAN j Y ki6n cua gilio viCn huong din vd vi€c cho ph6p hoc vidn dugc bao vQ luin vin truric HQi ili)ng: lta.Sq 1r*;s;',vrzfv: -a*rt Thdnh phri Hi Chi Minh, ngiry/:lkfitlng lx1 ndm 2a .24 Nguoi tthdu x6t Wql\/lffiev i STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I certify my authorship of this thesis entitled: “Examining the impact of Student Teams-Achievement Division Technique on EFL students’ reading comprehension in a Vietnamese Higher Education Institution” for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL), is the result of my own research.
This thesis has not been submitted for any certificates at other institutions. To the best of my knowledge, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by other people except where the reference is made in the thesis itself. Ho Chi Minh City, 2021 Nguyen Thi Thu Hien ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis was made possible by the contribution of a lot of people. Firstly, I would like to express my grateful appreciation to my supervisor, Dr.
Nguyen Vu Phuong for his strong motivation, assistance and support throughout the stages of this thesis journey. His ideas, suggestions, and advice have been truly invaluable and have given me great encouragement for my thesis work. My genuine thanks go especially to all the lectures and staff at Graduate school- Ho Chi Minh City Open University giving me valuable knowledge and necessary assistance during my master study period. I am especially indebted to CLC- Creative Language Center at Ton Duc Thang University for agreeing and providing me with a chance to conduct my research at the center.
I feel deeply grateful to all my research participants- 16 students in class English 1 who willingly took part in my research. Thank you so much for their participation during the process of implementing the intervention. The data collection would not have been completed without their great contribution. My gratitude is due to all of my colleagues, friends and students for their support and sharing of the experiences, joys and sorrows during my teaching and learning process.
Finally, I offer my deepest thanks to my family and relatives for their support and encouragement that inspired me towards the successful completion of this thesis. I am profoundly grateful to my parents and my twin sister who always love, support, believe in me throughout the years. iii ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of Student Teams- Achievement Divisions (STAD) – one of the strategies in cooperative learning on EFL students’ reading performance in a Vietnamese Higher Education Institution. A qualitative case study design was chosen to capture the impact of the implementation of STAD on improving students’ reading comprehension as well as their perceptions and the challenges under this practice.
Data was collected through multiple data collection methods, including tests and test reports, observation, semi- structured interview and student diaries. Findings were explored through thematic analysis of the data. The findings indicated that STAD strategy as cooperative learning model could improve the students’ reading achievement. The findings also indicated the promoted reflection on students’ learning, the positive engagement in class activities, the increase of students’ confidence, the enhancement of students’ friendship, interaction and motivation in learning.
Moreover, it was clearly reflected from the improvement of students’ score of reading test in groups and individuals as well during the implementation of the intervention. However, there were several challenges to the implementation of STAD, including the domination, conflicts, arguments, unequal division of tasks in group discussion, the lack of cooperative actvities and difficulty with controlling the class. The findings suggest that cooperative activities should be promoted together with ensuring the safe, trusting and well-organized learning environment and raising the awareness and knowledge of using CL in the classroom. It is recommended that a revised framework should be used for applying CL productively in academic setting.
Further research should focus on developing effective and beneficial CL strategies for the improvement of language learning and communicative competence of EFL students. iv TÓM TẮT NGHIÊN CỨU Mục đích của nghiên cứu này là để khảo sát tác động của Student Teams- Achievement Divisions (STAD) - một trong những chiến lược trong phương pháp học tập cộng tác đối với hiệu quả đọc hiểu của sinh viên tại một trường Đại học ở Việt Nam. Phương pháp nghiên cứu định tính đã được áp dụng để tìm hiểu tác động của STAD đối với việc cải thiện khả năng đọc hiểu cũng như nhận thức của học sinh và những thách thức trong quá trình thực hiện nghiên cứu. Dữ liệu được thu thập bằng nhiều phương pháp thông qua các bài kiểm tra và báo cáo kiểm tra, quan sát, phỏng vấn và nhật ký sinh viên.
Các dữ liệu nghiên cứu sau đó được phân tích theo chủ đề. Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy rằng chiến lược học cộng tác STAD có thể cải thiện khả năng đọc của sinh viên. Nghiên cứu cho thấy sự thúc đẩy trong quá trình phản ánh quá trình học tập của sinh viên, sự tham gia tích cực vào các hoạt động trong lớp, tăng sự tự tin, nâng cao tình bạn, sự tương tác và động lực học tập cho sinh viên. Hơn nữa, điều này còn được phản ánh rõ qua sự cải thiện về điểm số của học sinh trong bài kiểm tra đọc theo nhóm và cá nhân cũng như trong quá trình áp dụng chiến lược STAD.
Tuy nhiên, nghiên cứu còn gặp phải một số thách thức đối với việc thực hiện STAD, trong đó có sự chi phối, thống trị của một vài sinh viên cùng với những mâu thuẫn, tranh luận nảy sinh trong quá trình thảo luận nhóm, việc phân chia nhiệm vụ không đồng đều giữa các thành viên, bên cạnh đó còn thiếu các hoạt động cộng tác nhóm được tổ chức trong lớp học và khó khăn trong quá trình kiểm soát lớp học của giáo viên. Các kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy rằng việc tổ chức các hoạt động học cộng tác trong lớp cần được thúc đẩy cùng với việc đảm bảo môi trường học tập an toàn, tin cậy, được tổ chức tốt và nâng cao nhận thức, kiến thức về việc sử dụng phương pháp học cộng tác trong lớp học. Việc sửa đổi và xây dựng một mô hình lí thuyết được đề xuất để áp dụng phương pháp học cộng tác một cách hiệu quả trong môi trường học thuật. Các nghiên cứu xa hơn nên tập trung vào việc phát triển các chiến lược học cộng tác hiệu quả để cải thiện khả năng học ngôn ngữ và giao tiếp của sinh viên.
v TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP. viii LIST OF TABLES. ix LIST OF FIGURES. Rationale for the study.
The aim of the study. Significance of the study. 7 Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW. Reading and Reading Comprehension.
Cooperative Learning Methods. Structured Team Learning Methods. Informal Group Learning Methods. Student Teams - Achievement Divisions .Stages of Student Teams - Achievement Divisions Implementation.
Benefits and Challenges. Conditions of applying STAD in the classroom. The theoretical framework of the study. 31 Chapter 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.
Research objectives and questions. Choice of approach. Research Context and Participants. Data Collection Method.
Data Collection Procedure. 43 Chapter 4: FINDINGS OF THE STUDY. Positive changes under STAD practice. Promoted reflection on learning.
Improved reading comprehension. Greater engagement in class activities. Enhanced confidence in learning. Enhanced friendship and motivation for CL.
Challenges to the implementation of STAD. The domination in group discussion. The lack of willingness to work in groups. The happen of students’ arguments or conflicts.
Unequal assignment of tasks among group members. The lack of the practice of cooperative learning in the classroom. 59 Chapter 5: DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS. Positive changes under STAD practice.
Promoted reflection in learning. Improved reading comprehension. Greater engagement in class activities. Enhanced confidence in learning.
Enhanced friendship and motivation for CL. Challenges to the implementation of STAD. The domination in group discussion. The lack of willingness to work in groups.
The happen of students’ arguments or conflicts. Unequal assignment of tasks among group members. The lack of the practice of cooperative learning in the classroom. Summary of the findings.
Limitations of the study. Recommendations for further research. 90 viii ABBREVIATIONS CL Cooperative Learning CIRC Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition DIA Diary EFL English as a foreign language ESL English as a second language GI Group Investigation LT Learning Together INT Interview OBS Observation RC Reading Comprehension STAD Student Teams Achievement Divisions ST Student TGT Teams Games Tournament TAI Team-Assisted Individualization ix LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Data collection procedure Table 4.1: The result of students’ changes through the test scores Table 4.2: Participants’ test scores (Individual Tests) Table 4.3: The Groups’ Scores x LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1: Integration of theoretical perspectives on effects of cooperative learning on learning Figure 3.2: Theoretical framework for the study 1 Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1. Background There is no doubt that education is a process of teaching and learning (Khan, 2008, as cited in Endeshaw, 2015).
Learning performance is the result of teaching instruction outlining which any type of information that can be passed on. This demands for encouraging and inspiring ways of teaching from the teacher who is also the one provoking full students’ interest and motivation for learning. English is considered as a global language which is used both as native language by developed countries and as second language by other countries like Asian ones. It is known as an international language for communication worldwide.
Therefore, attaining English language proficiency is very crucial through four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In English language learning, Alvermann and Earle (2003) stated that reading comprehension was considered as the most important for students since it was mostly the chosen instrument to widen their knowledge in learning from the basis of instruction.