MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY --------------- TRAN PHAN NGOC TU EFL STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS PROJECT-BASED LEARNING AND THEIR SELF-REGULATED LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES USE: A STUDY AT BUI THI XUAN HIGH SCHOOL Major: English Language Course code: 60220201 HO CHI MINH CITY, AUGUST 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY. i RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS. viii LIST OF TABLES. ix LIST OF FIGURES.
x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS. xi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION. Background to the study. Statement of the problem.
Aim and objectives of the study. Scope of the study. Significance of the study. 7 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW .2 Project-based learning .1 Definitions of project-based learning .2 Principles to project-based learning .3 The significance of project-based learning .4 The challenges of teaching project-based learning .1 Definitions of attitudes .2 The components of attitudes .4 Self-regulated language learning .1 Definitions of self-regulated language learning .2 The importance of self-regulated language learning in project-based learning .3 Self-regulated language learning strategies .4 Sample and sampling procedures .2 Semi-structured interview .6 Data collection procedures .7 Data analysis procedures.
39 CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .1 EFL high school students’ attitudes towards PBL .2 SRLL strategies use in PBL .1 EFL high school students’ attitudes towards PBL .2 SRLL strategies used in PBL .1 Summary of the main findings of the thesis .4 Recommendations for the further research. 99 vii APPENDICES Appendix A: Questionnaire for Survey Appendix B: Questionnaire for Survey (Vietnamese translation) Appendix C: Interview Protocol Appendix D: Interview Protocol (Vietnamese translation) Appendix E: Sample of interview data analysis Appendix F: Sample of the project period in the new English textbooks Appendix G: Viper Plagiarism Scan viii LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Participants’ general information .1: Total mean scores of attitudes towards PBL .2 EFL high school students’ attitudes towards PBL .3 EFL high school students’ cognitive attitudes towards PBL .4 EFL high school students’ affective attitudes towards PBL .5 EFL high school students’ behavioural attitudes towards PBL .6: Total mean scores of SRLL strategies use in PBL .7 SRLL strategies use in PBL among EFL high school students .8 The frequency of using goal setting strategy in PBL among EFL high school students .9 The frequency of using planning strategy in PBL among EFL high school students .10 The frequency of using self-motivation strategy in PBL among EFL high school students .11 The frequency of using attention control strategy in PBL among EFL high school students .12 The frequency of using flexible use of strategies strategy in PBL among EFL high school students .13 The frequency of using self-monitoring strategy in PBL among EFL high school students .14 The frequency of using self-evaluation strategy in PBL among EFL high school students. 58 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Tripartite Model. 19 Figure 2: ABC Model.
20 Figure 3: CAC Model. 20 Figure 4: Conceptual framework of the relationships of PBL, attitudes and self- regulation learning. 30 x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS EFL English as Foreign Language PBL Project-based learning SRLL Self-regulated language learning xi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. Background to the study It is obvious that the history of language teaching has significantly innovated in the 21st century.
Project-based learning (PBL) is one of the ideal choices to teach students in the modern classroom. Bender (2012) indicates that when teachers utilize PBL, they change their traditional roles into the new modes of teaching. Therefore, one of the effective ways to foster students’ ability is to implement PBL for students to acquire knowledge and skills in their learning process as Bell (2010) and Bradford (2005) assert that the 21st century skills are in associated relationships with PBL. According to an educator and philosopher, Dewey (1959), who is considered as one of the pioneers of PBL, when students implement meaningful tasks related to problems in real-world situations, they can achieve more profound comprehension.
Many researchers such as Krajcik, Czerniak and Berger (1999) and Helle, Tynjala and Olkinuora (2006) have regarded PBL as an alternative choice for teaching because it is a powerful tool to encourage students to engage more in solving real-world problem. It is believed that PBL assists students to take part in learning activities as active and confident participants (Doppelt, 2003; Krajcik, Blumenfeld, Marx, & Soloway, 1994). Moreover, as Westwood (2006) indicates that projects are the combination of the new and prior knowledge and skills that students experience in the past and present in order to promote students’ self-direction and motivation. These combinations are vital in language acquisition as effective ways for students to revise what they have learnt and how to apply it into their real life.
Furthermore, it is believed that one of the most influential elements in language performance is the learners’ attitudes. In order to achieve in-depth insights into this topic, a widespread research interest in many studies by different researchers has been implemented recently. Brown (2001; as cited in İnal, Evin, & Saracaloğlu, 2005) highlights the significance of attitudes on learners’ learning process. 1 According to Gardner and Lambert (1972), attitudes are of importance to master a language and facilitate language acquisition.
Alacapinar (2008) and Kalayci (2008) indicate that attitudes, along with cooperation in teamwork, self-concept and 21st skills are among the key factors that aid project-based learners to reinforce their learning ability, attain insightful comprehension on conceptual knowledge as well as enhance their learner autonomy. Obviously, learning performance can be enhanced and facilitated when students have positive attitudes. However, the students’ performance and results in language acquisition may be worsen if the students have negative attitudes (Tella, Indoshi, & Othuon, 2010). It is apparent that when the learners have positive attitudes towards the projects correlating with their own life, they acquire knowledge and apply it into solving the problems in the real life more effectively and efficiently.
Recently, there has appeared the demand of regulating learners’ own learning, which has underlined self-regulated learning. Self-regulation is regarded as one of the most significant developments in English language learning. In order to be successful in the future, especially lifelong learning, it is of the essence for the students to be equipped with self-regulated learning. It is PBL that plays an integral part in supply the students with these factors.
It is believed that PBL triggers learner autonomy in sufficient ways by incorporating self-regulated learning into English language teaching. It is apparent that through SRLL learners can monitor their learning progress, adjust their learning strategies and put in more efforts into achieving expected outcomes. According to Berk (2003) and Zimmerman and Schunk (2011), self-regulation has a great influence on learning, motivation and autonomy. Its skills play significant roles for learners so as to “extract maximum benefit from the different learning environments they may find themselves in” (Collins & Muñoz, 2016, p.
Learning strategies for self-regulation is also of importance for learners to master English language. It is the key elements to foster learner autonomy among students in English language learning. According to Jane and Suzie (2013), autonomy, together with knowledge and life-long learning, is of 2 the three factors that PBL brings to students. In language acquisition, it is vital that students be stimulated to be more and more autonomy and set up “a personal agenda for learning” (Little, 1994 & Chan, 2003).
So as to encourage, engage students more in their study, enhance their learner autonomy as well as create a practical environment for them to integrate the knowledge they acquire at school into their realistic situations, PBL is considered as the key element in language teaching and learning. It is obvious that the roles of students have changed positively thanks to the applications of PBL approach into their learning environment. Self-regulated language learning (SRLL) strategies are divided into some main categories of learning strategies, listed as follows: goal setting, planning, self-motivation, attention control, flexible use of strategies, self- monitoring and self-evaluation. Comprehending the imperative roles of PBL to facilitate students’ learning and create productive classroom environments for the students to enhance students’ fundamental skills and 21st century skills as well as self-regulation, the MOET attempts to initially introduce and apply PBL in the new ten-year English textbooks designed by the National Foreign Language 2020 Project.
Project is recommended in each unit with the aim of aiding EFL high school students to be familiar with implementing projects and assist students to achieve fruitful outcomes in the future through learner autonomy. Students in the 21st century have become more and more self-regulated, active and creative in their study process. At Bui Thi Xuan High School, students have been familiar with operating with PBL since they learnt the new English textbooks in 2013. However, the frequency of project implementation is not as expected due to the inadequate skills as well as SRLL ability.
Statement of the problem Students at Bui Thi Xuan High School have studied the new English textbooks grade 10, 11, 12 designed by the Ministry of Education and Training since 2013. Each of the English new textbook includes a new section for each unit called 3 project, whose aims are to give them a chance to apply the language and skills they have learnt in the unit to solve a task in the real-life activities (English textbook 10, 2017). Nevertheless, it is obvious that students encounter numerous challenges when they implement PBL designed in the new English textbooks at high schools. First and foremost, one of the most challenging problems that students face is that they initially get acquainted with self-regulated language learning (SRLL).
In traditional teaching methods, students are not familiar with SRLL due to the tendency of schooling implementation based on the teachers’ instruction and assignments. Most of the time of teaching and learning occurs in the classroom and the teachers’ roles are to transmit and access the knowledge while students absorb the lessons passively. Therefore, they have no chance to improve their SRLL. Another problem that students encounter when they operate PBL is that they do not have adequate skills.
Much as they have experienced in operating the project for years, it is difficult for them to implement PBL effectively due to the lack of experience and skills so the students depend mainly on the teachers’ assignment and supports. This may lead to the reduction in their eagerness to practice the project devotedly. Moreover, when students are in attempt to fulfill enough skills for the projects, it is time-consuming for them to do so. One of the major problems that students encounter when implementing PBL is that they are not familiar with SRLL.
Students who are more acquainted with traditional approaches in the classroom do not have enough SRLL strategies for learning outside classroom during the project process. For this reason, students usually do not achieve desired outcomes for their project products. The students’ attitudes may be another problem for students. Most of the students are familiar with traditional learning methods; therefore, it may be challenging for them to shift from the traditional methods to the new ones.
Furthermore, in the new methods, they are required to be more creative with the equipment of the new 4 skills as well as self-regulation in learning, which forces students to make more attempts and efforts in their learning. The fact that teachers lack experience in teaching PBL is one of the difficult problems in implementing PBL. Apparently, when applying the new teaching methods, teachers need to be well-prepared for the changes of teaching methodology. Some of the teachers, especially those who are in middle age or more, may be resistant to change as it takes time and efforts.
It is important that teachers need to instruct students carefully, explain the roles clearly, give assistance if necessary; however, there is not enough training for the teachers to apply PBL effectively in their teaching.