(SKKN 2022) experiences in applying project to motivate interest and creation for students in grade 6 at ai thuong secondary school

That's why I choose th topic: “Experiences in applying "Project" to motivate interest and creation for students in grade 6 at Ai Thuong secondary school ", in order to improve the qualit

TABLE OF CONTENTS

4 REFERENCE MATERIALS 17

THE SCHOOL YEARS

19

1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Reasons for choosing the researching

From 2001, the Prime Minister of Vietnam made a decision of approval on the project “Integrating environmental issues in the general education” Nowadays, teachers are still requested to take advantage of environmental contents in curriculum of different subjects to “equip student with knowledge of ecology, environmental preservation skills and attitudes towards surrounding environment”(Government, 2001 , p.1) In reality, this integration is not at all easy Both teacher and student are faced with a huge workload, time constraints and lack

of environmental materials Therefore, it is necessary to seek an option that both provide scaffolding support for students with sufficient materials and motivate students’ attitudes toward learning English In the past years, my colleagues and I has used the project-based learning methodology and we find that it has a lot of advantages as well as some problems which we need to concern about For example: What should the teacher prepare for a project lesson? How can students make a really effective project? What are the criterias for evaluating a student's learning

project? That's why I choose th topic: “Experiences in applying "Project" to motivate interest and creation for students in grade 6 at Ai Thuong secondary school ", in order to improve the quality of teaching and learning the subject in the

secondary school, especially for grade 6 students learning the new trial books

1.2 Researching purposes.

Firstly, this topic aims to research and learn a model of a system of theories of project learning methodology, create and collect different forms of doing the part project in the last period of each lesson

Secondly, the purpose of the study was to promote positive self- awareness in learning properly the spirit of teaching innovation; that is: students play an active, thinking, creative, central role, teachers prompted stimulate bright initiative created

by students The research was carried out in 2020 – 2021 and 2021-2022

education-instruction years at the secondary school Totally 130 students in two different school years in the 6th grade of this school participated in the study

1.3 Researching subjects.

- Some solutions to motivate student’s interest ,creation and promote positive

self-awareness in learning properly the spirit of teaching innovation in grade 6 of Ai Thuong secondary school of the 2020 – 2021 and 2021-2022 school years

1.4 Researching methodology

1.4.1 Methodology of reasoning

- Project-based learning

- Research the throretical basis of the topic from teaching and collected documents

1.4.2 Methodology of reality research

- Observation method, conversation method, experimental method, investigation method

- Develop a question system that will fit the project to the level of the students' developmental level Initially, the use of a question system, project guidelines, and scenario-based study for students to carry out the project

- Expeimental pedagogybto evarluate the quality of the projecr and the effectiveness

of using the project teaching methodology in teaching English language assessment and assessment

- Observe the student acquisition of knowledge during project work

- Learn from your peers and some of your own experiences

2 CONTENT.

2.1 Theoretical background.

2.1.1 An overview of the project.

The word project comes from the Latin word projectum from the Latin verb proicere, "before an action" which in turn comes from pro-, which denotes

precedence, something that comes before something else in time (paralleling

the Greek πρό) and) and iacere, "to do" The word "project" thus originally meant

"before an action"

Project work is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges, simultaneously developing cross-curriculum skills while working in small collaborative groups or individuals to combine the investigating the topic and presenting it in written form illustrated with photos, pictures, diagrams, etc (Blumenfeld et al., 1991; Đỗ, 2011) Project work is student-centred and driven by the need to create an end-product (Bell, 2010) However, it is an itinerary to achieving this end product that makes project work

so worthwhile The process to the end-product brings opportunities for students to develop their confidence and independence and to work together in a real-world environment by collaborating on a task which have they defined for themselves and which has not been externally imposed (Blumenfeld et al., 1991)

Project work is a student-centred methodology, where students are actively involved in their own learning process In project work, students have to define a research question that will be analysed and discussed using different approaches in order to obtain an answer Project work is an intentional and original activity with

a specific goal that promotes the development of skills, such as autonomy, initiative, creativity, critical thought and collaboration as it involves group work However, it can generate complexity and uncertainty among participants Project work is characterized by the creation of an end-product, for instance a presentation,

an abstract, a poster or a three-dimensional model Project work also has a social approach, as a result of teamwork

2.1.2 An overview of the project-based learning.

The basis of project-based approaches is hardly new Early in the 1920s, Project-based instruction was advocated by William Heard Kilpatrick His notion was that such instruction should include four components: purposing, planning, executing, and judging (Foshay, 1999) Since the students learn with interactive

technology and since the teacher has to design, to facilitate and to monitor student activities Thomas (1999) stated that the idea of assigning projects to students is not a new one and the benefits of learning by practice have long been touted; the roots of the idea go back to John Dewey (Blumenfeld et al., 1991; Foshay, 1999) While each of these designs has different pedagogical objectives,

we believe that all good pedagogical designs should include somewhat structured pedagogical scenarios and that the teacher's role is crucial For over

100 years, educators such as John Dewey have reported on the benefits of experiential, hands-on, student-directed learning Doing and creating projects is a long-standing tradition in education history (Merkham et al., 2003)

A project-based activity allows our students to identify and project their own problems They become active, not passive; a project engages their hearts and minds, and provides real-world relevance for learning Besides that students develop a question and are guided through research under the teacher‘s supervision (Bell, 2010) Instead of using a inflexible lesson plan that directs a learner down a specific path of learning outcomes or objectives, project-based learning allows in-depth investigation of a topic worth learning more about Thomas (1999) also described projects within project-based learning as based on challenging questions and making students having central role in problem-solving, designing skill, negotiation and decision making processes so giving students the chance to work relatively autonomously In project-based learning activities, students plan, implement, and evaluate projects that have real-world applications beyond the classroom (Blank,1997) Project-based learning is an active approach to classroom teaching and learning that is designed to engage students in investigation of complex, authentic problems and carefully designed products and tasks (Blumenfeld et al., 1991) The use of project-based learning in class is possible after providing the information that is needed for the project The classroom activities should be student-centred, cooperative, and interactive (Moursund, 1999)

Project-based learning increases the students’ attitutes of mind students toward their learning style Project-based learning is still in the developmental stage within educational settings Moreover, these studies which were on the investigation of project-based learning were carried out in elementary level by comparing project-based learning with traditional methods From this perspective, this research can be stated to have a significant value In this sense, It is hoped that this empirical study can provide a close link between project - based learning and language learning and, at the same time, propose guidelines for English language teachers who wish to implement project-based learning to enhance their students’ language learning as well as development of attitude towards learning English as a foreign language On the other hand, by carrying out this study, we hopes that teachers and students can p a y more attention and enjoy more popularity on "project" at all grade levels

2.2 Reality basis.

From grade three on, English is taught at Primary school This demand for English offers opportunities for Teaching English as a Second or Other Language

(TESOL) in Vietnam but at the same time this creates not only many challenges but also mismatchs between the expected and actual levels of competence, and educators claim EFL preservice teacher education is largely inadequate (Pham, 2001) We have changed our English Curriculum from Primary school to High school in order to get language proficiency levels and interpret language qualifications defined in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which plays a central role in language and education policy nationwide Morover, we have done our best to inspire our students to study English, using different modern teaching methods, applying CALL – activities (Computer-assisted language learning) into our teaching stage and renovating testing system

As a shown in the problem indenfication of the motivation in English learning process through traditional methods, it’s possible to confirm that the solution to the pr oblem is related to the working hypothesis which is the solution for the lack of motivation on students PBL (Project-Based Learning) will increase their interest to use contents of English classes and to improve basic skills for the understanding and communication in English language To apply the proposal of this research based on the application of PBL to motivate English learning, in order

to improve English communication skills and students’ attitudes in learning

Figure 1: Problem indenfication

2.3 The context of the studies

2.3.1 To the curriculum.

Project work is only one part of a period which lasts 45 minutes, so teachers and students do not have much time to spend on doing project That's why some teachers cannot pay enough attiention to this part of each Unit

2.3.2 To the teachers.

Firstly, all the teachers are having difficulty in the little time for teaching part "project" and some even think that this part is not very important This is the main reason why this part is normally ignored

Secondly, some teachers have not got access to the Project-Based Learning yet and they are still affected the traditional method Some even don’t know how

to arrange a project learning lesson

Thirdly, because of the students' poor quality, many teachers always worry that our children are too poor, they can’t know what to do, how to do…Therefore, they often explain too much This makes students confused

Finally, challenges for teachers invole:

- Allocating time

- Teaching process skills

- Assessing process as well as product

- Assessing individual as well as group learning

2.3.3 To the students.

Secondary school students are more familiar with teacher-centred approaches, which tend to lead to a more passive learning style In fact, most of our students are afraid of taking part in the group work So that their group work is not effective

Some weaker and lazier students will depend on the better ones and some even do not do any things

Moreover, the real quality of our students is very poor Students need to be

at level A1 so that they will be able to adapt to the higher level So that they get trouble with their project

Finally, students do not have enough time to create their ideas They often have to find out a new thing for a short time This seems very difficult for not only children but also the specialists

2.3.4 The result of the survey before applying the initiative

Let's have a look at my survey of students' participating behavior in doing project activity

School year Grade Number

of students

Unsatisfactory Satisfactory

2020-2021 6 55 35 63,6 20 36,4

At the end of 2020-2021 and at the beginning of the 2021-2022 schoool year , I had students do a project as a fifteen-minute test and here is the result:

Shool

year

Grade Number

Of Students

2020-2021

6

3

15 27,

3

7 12, 7

2021-2022

1

10 13,

5

30 40,

5

21 28,

4

10 13.

5

From the results of the survey, we find that the problem of students' and

teacher's awareness is worrying All of these proplems make me decide to research and apply some experiences in teaching project and guide my students to do

project work in my teaching process in the school year 2021-2022 for students of grade 6

2.4 Solutions and procedure

2.4.1 Solutions

The first: Take a survey to check the behavior and ability of doing project work

of our students

The second: Make a plan, research, choose learning methods which suit for the

students' level and for the content of different projects

The third: Carry out the research on grade 6 students at Ai Thương secondary

school where I am teaching

2.4.2 The applications of doing the project work.

2.4.2.1 Challenges for teachers and students

What are the challenges facing teachers?

When we bring project-based learning into the classroom we may have to adopt new instructional strategies to achieve success Having the teacher take the role of guide or facilitator is not the way that most educators were taught, nor even the way they were taught to teach Direct-instruction methods that rely on textbooks, lectures, and traditional assessments do not work well in the more open-ended, interdisciplinary world of project-based learning Rather, we do more coaching and modeling and less "telling." Specific challenges facing teachers include:

* Recognizing situations that make for good projects;

Assigning an authentic task; project-based work is supposed to be about the

real world and reflect things that people out in the real world actually care about and need to know This means that the teacher need to stay away from tasks that seem to “live” only is schools such as asking them to write an essay or transform sentences Instead, the tasks should reflect things that people in the real world engage in or need to know

* Structuring problems as learning opportunities;

Using an appropriate topic; not every topic works as a project-based work – it’s just that simple But even beyond that, we have to find the chosen topics engage the student in the way that we hope it would That’s why it’s so important

to forcus on big, specific issues that are relavent to them or that reflect some aspects of their interest We’re most motivated to learn when the task before us is matched to our student level of skill: not so easy as to be boring, and not so hard as

to be frustrating Deliberately fashion the learning exercise so that students are working at the very edge of their abilities, and keep upping the difficulty as they improve

* Managing the learning process;

Assigning a unique task; the poin of view project-based learning is to engage the students in a task that seems new, exciting and interesting There’s a good chance that they’re going to be very interested Specially, project-based activities are good at teaching procedures to students or at helping them to memorize fact, so include these things as part of their task will miss the point of PBL Memorizing information is boring Discovering the solution to a puzzle is invigorating Present

material to be learned not as a fait accompli such as state high school curricula, but

as a live question begging to be explored Some learning tasks, like memorizing the multiplication table or a list of names or facts, are simply not interesting in themselves Generate motivation by encouraging students to compete against them: run through the material once to establish a baseline, and then keep track of how much they improve (in speed, in accuracy) each time

* Integrating technologies where appropriate;

Choosing multi-faceted resources; part of what a project-based learning is supposed to do is present different points-of-view and get student to from their own opinions after reading about “facts” that often oppose each other Therefore, that’s not easy to do if we use resources that all seem to be staying the same things Project-based learning can be applied to all age-group, and all levels in which students have to collect information from website, seveys, and interviews Besides, Internet use can bring back students advantage of opportunities to be taught critical thinking skills

* Collaborating with colleagues to develop interdisciplinary projects;

Developing authentic assessments indeed, we may have to be willing to take risks to overcome initial challenges Almost students do projects at the same time They complain that they have more than three projects due in the same week Therefore, we should talk to one another and space projects out over the course of the year This would result in higher quality projects A supportive administration

can help by implementing more flexible schedules, such as block schedules or team planning time, and providing teachers with professional development opportunities

According to my observation, the best way to know if we have created a successful project-based activity is if our students come up with different answer to the same problem This way, we know that they have engaged with the topic and formed their own distinctive viewpoints based on the information As our world continues to increase in speed and complexity, this kind of higher-lever thinking is going to be invaluable to ensure that they have a successful future On the other hand the teacher should be well trained and embrace the constructivist methodological principles that are supported by the usage of this tool

As a teacher of English in secondary school we can see that the use of acquiring project-based ware can open the door for incorporating other teaching tools in while accommodating the needs of new generation of students who are currently or will come into classrooms It is possible that using project-based ware as a constructivist internet based tool will also help meet the school modernization and technology incorporation push currently underway by the MOET as part of an attempt to reach the modernization standards set by the most developed countries

2.4.2.2 The process of doing the project work.

Solve with the time problem

Because we do not have much time to do a project in a period at school, the teacher and students have to prepare the asignment before the lesson Each unit consists of 7 periods and part "project" is usully taught with part Looking Back In the first lesson, Getting started, students get to know the topic of the unit, so we(teachers) should tell our students about their project By this way, we will save

a lot of time in class and students will be able to think of their project more carefully and also have time to find more information related to the project

Steps of doing the project work

Step 1: Making project plan

Whether students work individually, in pairs, or in groups, having them design something from scratch taps their creative abilities When using the project-based learning strategy, it is almost guaranteed that the endeavor will be interdisciplinary The teacher's role is to serve as coach, guiding students to use a variety of resources, employ a strategy that is fun and motivating, and uncover content with depth and breadth

For example: "Doing the Project 1" - My

school-* For Teacher's Preparation.

Step 1: I explain the content of the project: My school

Request1: Draw your school

Request 2: Write about your school

- Think of your school What does it look like? What can you do there? Is it

- in a different town or country?

- a boarding school?

- a boys'/ girls' school?

Does it have

- a swimming pool?

- video game rooms?

- a greenhouse or a farm?

Step 2: Class arrangement.For this project, I would like students to work

individual first They use their imaginary to write their school After that, students are divided into 3 groups to exchange and discuss about their new school in groups

Choose one member to be the leader of the group and one to be the vice-leader

I also give them the time limited They have to hand in their work by the time of the lesson "skills 2" To motivate students, I hold a competition in which the team has more better results will win

Step 3: Project evaluaion

Teachers and students discuss about how to evaluate the project work

Criteria 1: Design your dream school You can draw a picture, take a photo

and stick on your papers more creative- 5 points

Criteria 2: Your writing, accuracy- 5 marks

Criteria 3: Your participating behavior and your cooperation: 10 points

From the beginning of the school year, I put more pressure on the awareness of taking part in doing the project than their language result By this way, everyone will have skills on working individually and in groups

* For students' preparation.

Group leaders need to discuss in group to decide:

- Give task to each person Be sure nobody is free from the project

- The time they finish the personal task

- The time and the place all the group work together