USING PROJECT WORK AS A SUPPLEMENT TO PROMOTE 11TH GRADERS’ AUTONOMY IN ONLINE CLASSES

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO NGHỆ AN TRƯỜNG THPT HÀ HUY TẬPTEACHING INNOVATION USING PROJECT WORK AS A SUPPLEMENT IN ONLINE CLASSES Scope: Theory and Methodology of Teaching English TÁC GIẢ :

TEACHING INNOVATION

USING PROJECT WORK AS A SUPPLEMENT

IN ONLINE CLASSES Scope: Theory and Methodology of Teaching English

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO NGHỆ AN TRƯỜNG THPT HÀ HUY TẬP

TEACHING INNOVATION

USING PROJECT WORK AS A SUPPLEMENT

IN ONLINE CLASSES Scope: Theory and Methodology of Teaching English

TÁC GIẢ : 1 NGUYỄN THỊ BÍNH

2 CAO THỊ THU HOÀI

TỔ : VĂN –NGOẠI NGỮ

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I- INTRODUCTION 2

1 Rationale 2

2 Aims of the study 3

3 Objects of the study 3

4 Methods of the study 3

5 Schedule 4

II- CONTENTS OF THE STUDY 4

1 Theoretical background 4

2 Practical background 7

3 Using project work as a supplement in teaching Tieng Anh 11(new version) .9 4 Results of applying PBL in ELT, English text book 11, new version 29

5 Conclusions and suggestions 36

REFERENCES 38

I- INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

The SARS-CoV2 virus has threatened the activity of high schools, collegesand universities, which is why the issue of whether or not to continue teachingand learning has been raised, provided that the health of students and ofeducation staff is protected Educational institutions preferred to close traditional(face-to-face) teaching activities, including laboratories, and transferred teachingactivities to the online environment in order to prevent the spread of the virus.Forcibly moving educational activity to the online environment allows forflexibility in teaching and learning because courses are easily accessed.Therefore, it is very difficult for teachers to monitor the learning process and theprogress of students Or if so, it will take more time than usual

On the other hand, teachers' roles today are considerably different than theyused to be Their job is to counsel students, help them learn how to use theirknowledge and integrate it into their lives so they will become valuablemembers of society That is why there is a high risk that formal education mayaffect learners’ autonomy (making their own learning decisions) due to the factthat students tend to be passive and likely just do what they are required to dowithout commenting what teachers implement in classes As the theory andpractice of language teaching enters a new century, the importance of helpingstudents become more autonomous in learning has become increasinglyprominent To its critics, autonomy is an idealistic goal and its promotion adistraction from the real business of teaching and learning languages Autonomy

is like a precondition for effective learning; when learners succeed in developingautonomy, they not only become better language learners but they also developinto more responsible and critical members of the communities in which theylive

The idea behind the project was to foster learners’ autonomy through theapplication of cooperative work, allowing each student to be responsible forspecific tasks and, in general, to take charge of her/his own learning process

As teachers and researchers who have been involved with the promotion ofthe idea of autonomy for a number of years, we decided to choose the topic:

effective than non-autonomous learning In other words, the development ofautonomy implies better language learning.

Finally, project work has numerous positive effects on critical thinking,motivation and engagement As we learn more about how the brain works andhow humans acquire information, we are slowly tweaking our framework forlearning Providing projects can drive students to encounter and struggle withuseful, real-world content knowledge that they could apply to a variety of tasks

2 Aims of the study

This paper endeavors to demonstrate the value of project work inpromoting learners’ autonomy in ELT in general and English teaching inparticular Therefore, my theme focuses on making clear about some issuesbelow:

- What are the most difficult tasks to increase students’ interest in doing aproject?

- What are the most significant remains of making project work?

3 Objects of the study

The research scope includes the three classes, namely class 11A1,11A2 andclass 11D1 at Ha Huy Tap High School, Nghe An province They are selected to

be the participants of the study, all of them have fulfilled English text book 10 inthe previous school year

4 Methods of the study

This study illustrates the findings of an action research developing learners’autonomy through project work It was conducted at Ha Huy Tap High school inVinh city with secondary students The instruments for data collection werejournal, oral interviews, and video recordings The results revealed that learnerautonomy could be developed by means of cooperative work in order to achievecommon interests and support each other Furthermore, students also areexpected to display self-regulation by learning strategies, as well as enhanceintrinsic motivation in order to achieve leaning goals In order to do this kind ofaction research, we must make some attempt to foster autonomy among thelearners we work with In doing so we will frequently find ourselves in aposition where we are able, through careful observation and analysis ofempirical data, to contribute to theory The qualitative methodology wasemployed to collect an amount of information, compare, and then, analyse data

By using the combination of these methods, the study will make clear thequestions in this topic, and reach effectively the targets of the essay with 134respondents who are the students in class 11A1,11A2 and 11D1

In order to evaluate the practicality and validity of project work inimproving students’ autonomy, I would follow the subsequence steps:

a Before applying this method:

- Interview students to give their timetable doing tasks by themselves

- Ask students that have they ever make target to acquire in the near future?

b While applying this method:

We intend to give students proper project tasks of some units in Tieng Anh 11

c After applying this method:

In the post stage of doing the study, we would like to re-ask the initialquestions to see the advancement as well as the progress in self-active learning

II- CONTENTS OF THE STUDY

1.Theoretical background

1.1 The concept of autonomy

Discussions on autonomy are often characterised by misconceptions aboutthe nature of the concept and its implementation For example, autonomy isassumed to imply learning in isolation, learning without a teacher or learningoutside the classroom However, the concept of autonomy in language learning

is relevant to the practice of language education and often seen as necessarilyimplying particular skills and behaviours and particular methods of organisingthe teaching and learning process

1.2 Nature of LA

Learner autonomy (LA) is a complex concept which embraces diversefacets related to language teaching such as teachers, learners, training facilitiesand learning purposes, and the educational context (Benson, 2001) Therefore,

LA is interpreted in different ways since Holec (1981, p.3, cited in Benson &Voller, 1997) first defined it as “learners’ ability to take charge of their ownstudy,” which involves making decisions about learning objectives, defining thecontent and learning process, choosing learning strategies, implementing and

making, and collaboration (Benson & Voller, 1997) These skills can be acquiredeither naturally and unintentionally or through training (Dickinson, 1995).Second, LA entails self-control and self- responsibility of learning activities,which can be completely independent from the teacher, or the school; in thisrespect, LA depends upon the different learning conditions although it is theproperty of human, not that of learning environments (Dick- inson, ibid.) For

LA to develop, the learning environment must allow a certain level of freedom

in learning activities (Benson, 2007) This relates to learner control of learning,i.e students are allowed to participate in decisions and choices relating tolearning objectives, methods of teaching and learning materials in the classroom.The concept also has a social attribute, which means skills and attitudes related

to social interaction which allow learners to work collaboratively (Benson,2001)

1.3 The importance of LA

Learner autonomy (LA) plays an essential role in language education since

it can help promote learning achievements, especially during the SARS-CoV2time To this end, various approaches to developing LA have been put forward,and project-based learning claimed to develop learner autonomy (Skehan, 1998)has been documented as an approach which could develop autonomous learningskills and foreign language skills This is why project work has been integratedinto foreign language education In this study, project work was used as thecentral tasks and contents for teaching and learning This current paper reportsthe results of using project work as a supplement to to promote 11th graders’autonomy in online classes

1.4 Promoting LA by project work

There are multiple ways to promote LA Ikonen (2013) summarizes sixapproaches to promoting LA These include resource exploitation and use oftechnology for self-study; study skills; allowing decision making in the classroom;granting learners the right to participate in lessons; and promotion of teacherautonomy The five pedagogical principles of Dam (2011), however, could beapplicable in the classroom They involve providing learners with choices forlearning contents and activities; providing clear guidelines and expectations tofacilitate self-responsibility; focusing on learning process, and not transmittingknowledge; creating authentic communication and actions in the classroom; andencouraging learners to reflect on their learning Such conditions can be optimizedthrough project activities as applied in this current study

The position and nature of a project is an important issue In fact, proposalslabeled as project-based learning take project work as the centre for teaching andlearning activities and contents (Fragoulis, 2009) Through conducting projects,learners construct their knowledge Some basic features identify the nature androle of project work in project- based learning These include:

 a focus on content learning through project work,

 a series of progressive tasks structured to give students the opportunity toreproduce and use their knowledge and skills,

 choice during implementation process,

 inspiring learners,

 equal opportunities for learners to use the individual skills during groupwork,

 ensuring that all learners are responsible for their assigned tasks,

 supporting activities to help practice skills and focus on language,

 teacher feedback and opportunities provided for self-assessment andreflection

(Cusen, 2013, p 163)

In short, projects used as the central teaching and learning activity haveshown a positive impact on learning attitudes and motivation, achievements, andskills related to learner autonomy

1.5 What is PBL?

1.5.1 Definition of PBL

PBL has been defined in many ways For this reason, there exists no singledefinition PBL is based on the constructivist learning theory, which finds thatlearning is deeper and more meaningful when students are involved inconstructing their own knowledge Constructivism is a theory based onobservation and scientific study about how people learn People construct theirown understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing thingsand reflecting on those experiences (Vygotsky, 1978) When we encountersomething new, we have to connect it with our previous ideas and experiences, itmay change what we currently 11 know and believe As we acquire newinformation we need to continue to ask questions, explore, and assess what wecurrently know According to the definition of Ministry of Education ofMalaysia, PBL is a model for classroom activity that shifts away from the usual

Problem situations and questions are created by lectures.

1.5.2 Types of PBL

In designing PBL, the project can be classified into different types orcategories It is as proposed by Henry, as cited from Sawsan (2014) as follows:The first one is structured projects In this case, the teacher determines andorganizes in terms of the topic, materials, methodology and presentation It hasthe following characteristics: the topic is selected by the teacher as well as themethods for collecting and analyzing the information The second is semi-structured project Accordingly, the project is defined and organized in part bythe teacher and in part by students The teacher defines the general topic of theproject, but the students have full authority to choose their own topic as well asthe way they accomplish the information and the project The last one isunstructured projects The project is defined and organized largely by thestudents themselves Hence, the students have full authority in terms of choosingthe topic, materials, methodology and presentation

1.5.3 Principles of PBL

Poonpon (2014) highlighted five important principles of PBL as follows:

• PBL projects are central, not peripheral to the curriculum;

• PBL projects are focused on questions or problems that drive students toencounter and struggle with the central concepts and principles of a discipline;

• Projects involve students in a constructivist investigation;

• Projects are student-driven to some significant degree;

• Projects are realistic, not school-like

Below are lessons and content of TIENG ANH 11:

GETTING STARTED contains a menu listing and the skills taught in theunit, a conversation introducing the overall topic of the unit, some topic-relatedvocabulary and the main grammar points, a number of activities to check’sstudents’ comprehension and provide practice of the teaching points in thissection.

LANGUAGE includes Vocabulary, Pronunciation as well as Grammar.Vocabulary give in- depth practice of the words and phrases presented inGETTING STARTED and additional vocabulary for use later in the unit.Pronunciation includes aspects of pronunciation that can be problematic toVietnamese students such as sound clusters, weak form, stress patterns andintonation Grammar introduces and practices the main grammar points in focus.They are presented in meaningful contexts and follow the three- stage approach

to language teaching

SKILLS include Reading, Speaking, Listening and Writing Reading contains atopic- related reading text developed to suit students’ interest and age Thevocabulary and grammar points learnt in the previous sections are recycled in thereading text The text also provides an input of language and ideas for students to use

in the Speaking, Listening and Writing sub- sections that follow Speaking includesthree or four activities which are designed and sequenced in a way that ensures anuninterrupted link between them Listening consists of four or five activities whichaim to develop listening skills such as listening for general ideas and/ or listening forspecific information Writing guide students through the writing process and focus

on the specific text types required by the syllabus

COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE includes 2 sub-sections.Communication provides language consolidation and free practice of integratedskills This section recycles what students have learnt in the previous sectionsand introduces extra vocabulary for extension The activities are less controlled.Students are encouraged to express their ideas and opinions freely Cultureproviding information about the ASEAN countries and English speakingcountries around the world connected to the cultural aspects of the unit topic Ithelps students to broaden their knowledge of the world cultures as well asdeepen that of their own Vietnamese culture

It cannot be denied that many teachers have been trying hard to findsuitable and interesting teaching methods to proceed in a limited time andteaching online situation, yet we cannot fulfill all tasks as required in traditionalways Will the completing tasks in the text book help students learn how to takeinitiative and responsibility, build their confidence, solve problems, work inteams, communicate ideas, and manage themselves more effectively? Will thestudents have chance to build important skills such as critical thinking, problemsolving, collaboration, communication in a variety of media, and speaking aswell as presentation skill? More important, will the students be updated withcommunities and the real world while focusing on textbook only?

PBL bearing many good points as mentioned above can bring to a newchange in teaching process, especially for online learning and teaching in Covid-

19 pandemic We therefore forcedly implemented PBL in some stagesconsidered as promotion learner autonomy and time-saving as well in someunits, English text book 11, Education Publishing House to attain much joyfulexperience and core value

3 Using project work as a supplement in teaching

Tieng Anh 11(new version)

Steps for implementing can be various, depending on the real situation interms of students’ ability and the content of each unit, the benefits of PBL can bemaximized when the teachers and students follow the ten-step process ofimplementing project work The ten steps are summarized as follows:

Step 1: Students and teacher agree on a theme for the project At this step,

the students and teacher should choose and reach a consensus on a project themesuch as: the content of project work and what activities should be applied Theteacher therefore should work out the ways in which students can develop somesense of ownership toward the project

Step 2: Students and teacher determine the final outcome of the project.

The students and teacher come to a decision about the final outcome of theproject, e.g., bulletin board display, written report, debate, brochure, letter,handbook, oral presentation, video, multimedia presentation, and theatricalperformance They also negotiate the most appropriate audience for theirprojects, e.g., classmates, other students, parents

Step 3: Students and teacher structure the project After the theme and

final outcome of the project are defined, the students and teacher figure outproject details that guide students from the opening activity to the completion ofthe project At this step, students consider their roles, responsibilities, andcollaborative work groups After negotiating a deadline for project completion,students arrange the timing for gathering, sharing, and compiling information,and then presenting their final project

Step 4: Teacher prepares students for the demands of information gathering

The language, skill, and strategy demand associated with information gatheringshould be provided As the teacher is aware of student ability levels, he preparesinstructional activities for each of the information-gathering tasks

Step 5: Students gather information After practicing the skills, strategies,

and language needed for gathering information, the students can readily collectinformation using methods such as interviewing, questionnaire, letter writing,and library searches Whenever possible, the teacher provides relevant contentresources to get students started on their information search

Step 6: Teacher prepares students to compile and analyze data At this step,

the teacher should help the students master the language, skills, and strategiesneeded to compile, analyze, and synthesize the information that they havecollected from different sources The instruction for the teacher depends on thetypes of information collected and the ways in which it was collected, e.g., tapedinterviews, brochures received in response to solicitation letters, libraryresearch, and note-taking

Step 7: Students compile and analyze information The students compile

and analyze the gathered information They work in groups, organize informationand then discuss the value of the data that they have collected, keeping some anddiscarding others They have to identify information that is critical for thecompletion of their projects

Step 8: Teacher prepares students for the language demands of the final

activity The teacher designs language-improvement activities to help studentssuccessfully present the final outcome of the project The activities may focus onskills for successful oral presentations, effective written revisions and editing,persuasive debates, and others The students should focus on form at this point

Step 9: Students present the final product The students present the final

outcome of their projects, as planned in the second step

Step 10: The teacher remarks the results and elicits the core content of the

lesson through students’ activities The students reflect on the language masteredand the subject matter acquired during the project They are also asked to make

SUGGESTED ACTIVITES ADAPTED FOR ONLINE LESSONS

SAMPLE 1: UNIT 1- GENERATION GAP- Getting started

The following project work was applied to the Pre- stage of the lesson

1 Aims:

Help students to get familiar to the topic “Generation Gap” and discover

reasons and solutions to the related topic

2 Content:

Make a survey basing on these questions:

1 What are the conflicts between you and your parents?

2 What are the reasons for those conflicts?

3 What are the solutions to these problems?

3 Product:

- Students’ answers and survey

4 Procedures:

4.1 Teachers’ assignment to students

Teacher asks students for the demands of information gathering andexchanging ideas Students gathered information from many resources such aswebsites, newspapers and their real lives They then compiled information,deciding on who to interview and when to interview and what questions should

be used to make in project

4.2 Students’ preparation for the task

Student works in group of 8 and interview10 teenagers, aged 15-17, who

live in your area, and take notes of their answers Students then hand in theirwork to teachers

4.3 Students’ presentation

Choose one student in each team to report the results, the other group willtakes notes and compare with their own ones

+ Time allotted: 5-7 minutes

+ Group shows their presentation/result/survey

1 What are the conflicts between you and your parents?

(hobbies, food, technology, music, friends, clothes,……)

2 What are the reasons for those conflicts?

(different age, lifestyle, habits…)

3 What are the solutions to these problems?

(communicate, spend time together, respect,…)

Link to sts’ products & presentation: https://bitly.com.vn/9coggf

( Photo from the video clip)

SAMPLE 2: UNIT 2- RELATIONSHIPS – WRITING

The following project work was applied to the Pre- stage of the lesson

4.1 Teachers’ assignment to students

Teacher asks students to make a list of problems with friends or parents thatthey often have Students gathered and compiled information in their work.Teacher encourages students to write their own story basing on the chart

4.2 Students’ preparation for the task

Students work individually, complete the teacher’s requirement and thenhand in their work to teachers through website: https://azota.vn/

4.3 Students’ presentation

Choose some students’ products and ask them to present in front of class,the other students will takes notes and compare with their own ones

+ Time allotted: 5-7 minutes

+ Individual work

4.4 Teacher’s feedback

The teacher remarks the results and elicits the core content of the lessonthrough students’ activities From their own story, students will find easy towrite an online posting about relationship problems

Some students’ answer:

SAMPLE 3: UNIT 5- BEING PART OF ASEAN – Writing

The following project work was applied to the Pre- stage of the lesson

4.1 Teachers’ assignment to students

Teacher asks students to find out the information related to their favoriteplace in Viet Nam or in the world from many resources such as websites,newspapers Students gathered and compiled information in their work Teacherencourages students to design a leaflet covering all collected information

4.2 Students’ preparation for the task

Students work individually, complete the teacher’s requirement and then

hand in their work to teachers through website: https://azota.vn/

Link to sts’ product & presentation: http://surl.li/butcn

Some students’ products from class 11A1,11D1,11A2: