The effects of active learning in speaking classes on grade 10 students at dinh tien hoang high school (masters thesis)

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING BA RIA - VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY --- NGUYEN PHAM KIEU PHUONG THE EFFECTS OF ACTIVE LEARNING IN SPEAKING CLASSES ON GRADE 10 STUDENTS AT DINH TIEN HOANG

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

BA RIA - VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY

-

NGUYEN PHAM KIEU PHUONG

THE EFFECTS OF ACTIVE LEARNING IN SPEAKING CLASSES ON GRADE 10 STUDENTS

AT DINH TIEN HOANG HIGH SCHOOL

MASTER’S THESIS

Ba Ria – Vung Tau, March 2023

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

BA RIA – VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY

-

NGUYEN PHAM KIEU PHUONG THE EFFECTS OF ACTIVE LEARNING IN SPEAKING CLASSES ON GRADE 10 STUDENTS

AT DINH TIEN HOANG HIGH SCHOOL

MASTER’S THESIS

Master’s degree in TESOL Course code: 81401111

Supervisor’s name: Assoc.Prof Pham Huu Duc, Ph.D

Ba Ria – Vung Tau, March 2023

DECLARATION BY AUTHOR

I hereby declare that this thesis entitled “The effects of Active Learning in speaking

classes on Grade 10 Students at Dinh Tien Hoang High School” has not been

submitted to any other universities or institutions in application for admission to degrees

or other qualifications This thesis, which is the product of my own original research, and to the best of my knowledge and understanding, does not contain any material previously published or written by another author, except where reference has been cited

in the text The study reported in this thesis was approved by Ba Ria Vung Tau

University

Author’s Signature

Nguyen Pham Kieu Phuong

Approved by SUPERVISOR

Assoc Prof Dr PHAM HUU DUC

Date: March 30,2023

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This thesis is the hardest challenge and the most meaningful desire in my career path It has been made possible thanks to the assistance, support and encouragement from many people in my life

First of all, I sincerely and gratefully give greatest thank and gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Pham Huu Duc for all his valuable and priceless guidance, correction, helpful suggestions, detailed comments and carefulness in every stage from beginning to the end of the study

In addition, my gratitude is saved for all the teachers of English (my colleagues) and students (eighty participants) at Dinh Tien Hoang High School They provided useful data for the study They gave me encouragement, their kindness, cooperation and patience during this period of time

Last but not least, I save my biggest thanks to my beloved family members and friends who have always supported me in every step of my doing thesis

ABSTRACT

On the way to help students improve their speaking skill as well as increase their confidence in speaking English, the research was conducted in an upper secondary school in Vung Tau City through active learning strategies The writer used Nunan’s experimental research as a main way in CAR – Classroom Action Research It was based

on Kurt Lewin’s design (1946)

The participants of the study were from classes 10T1 and 10D3 at Dinh Tien Hoang High School in Vung Tau City There were 80 students from both classes They were divided into 2 groups: 10D3 (experimental group) in which they were taught using active learning strategies, and 10T1 (control group) who were instructed with textbook instructions and guidelines

Both qualitative and quantitative data were used during the conduct of the study Through analyzing observation results, the writer gained the qualitative data while the quantitative data was obtained through students’ test (fifteen and mid-term tests) Moreover, their speaking scores made during pre- and post-task surveys were also recorded to serve the analysis of the quantitative

Findings from these instruments reveal that, by implementing active learning techniques in teaching speaking, the students have chances to be cooperative and active

in learning speaking Furthermore, they even motivate themselves to speak English more often with or without the presence of their teacher Their achievement in speaking was recognizable It is recommended that teachers should use the active learning strategies

to motivate and encourage students to engage more in their learning

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE THESIS

BA : Bachelor of Arts

C group : Control group

CAR : Classroom Action Research

E group : Experimental group

EFL : English as a Foreign Language

ELTs : English Language Teachers

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION BY AUTHOR i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE THESIS iv

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background to the study 1

1.2.Statements of the problem 3

1.3 Previous researches related to the study 3

1.4 Aims of the Study 8

1.5 Research questions 9

1.6 Scope of the study 9

1.7 Significance of the study 9

1.8 Structure of the study 9

CHAPTER 2 : LITERATURE REVIEW 11

2.1 Definitions of active learning 11

2.2 The importance of active learning 12

2.3 Activities are considered active learning 14

2.3.1 Acting from script 14

2.3.2 Communication games 14

2.3.3 Discussion 14

2.3.4 Presentation 14

2.3.5 Role-play 15

2.3.6 Debate 15

2.3.7 Direct responses 16

2.3.8 Recognizing scripts 16

2.3.9 Using language to talk about language 16

2.3.10 Developing speaking activities 17

2.3.11 Structured output activities 17

2.4 The roles of learners and teachers in active learning 17

2.4.1 The roles of learners in active learning 17

2.4.2 Active learning encourages learners’ cognitive development 20

2.5 The roles of teachers in active learning 22

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 25

3.1 The setting of the study 26

3.2 The aims of the study 27

3.3 Research questions 27

3.4 Participants 28

3.5 Variables 30

3.6 The materials and learning program 31

3.7 Data collection instrument 33

CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 38

4.1 Results from observation sheet 1 38

4.1.1 Results from control group 38

4.1.2 Result from experimental group 39

4.1.3 Comparison of student’ on-task behavior between two groups 40

4.2 Results from observation sheet 2 40

4.2.1 Results from control group 41

4.2.2 Results from experimental group 41

4.2.3 Comparison of overall class motivation between two groups 42

4.3 Results from questionnaires 42

4.3.1 Pre – task questionnaire 42

4.3.2 Post – task questionnaire 49

4.4 Major findings 55

4.5 Chapter summary 56

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS 57

5.1 Conclusion 57

5.2 Implications 58

5.3 Limitations and Suggestions for further studies 59

5.3.1 Limitations 59

5.3.2 Suggestions for further Studies 60

REFERENCES 62

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Globalization has witnessed many countries becoming more developed and as the result, the needs of doing business or communicating has increased In that setting, English plays an important tool in bridging the gaps among people from different backgrounds and cultures English is an international language or a global language which is not only used in several countries that use this language as their mother tongues

or official language (Kirkpatrick, A 2012; Rao, P.S 2019) It is widely used all over the world English has become an integral factor which promotes trade, tourism and studying in many nations Many works or masterpieces were written in English, so we

cannot be left behind due to lacking in such language

Thanks to many advantages that English brings to life, it is always necessary for Vietnamese people to use it effectively The Ministry of Education and Training in Vietnam has made English one of the core, compulsory subjects since 2010 in order that students can prepare themselves for the national examination and further purposes However, up to now, there are still some challenges which prevents learners from using English fluently and effectively The textbook has been officially used in schools in Vietnam since 2006 Four skills of learning a new foreign language which comprise of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing have been changed and updated in the needs

of learning in an new era (Aleksander, 2015) Among them, speaking skill plays an important part in helping learners communicate better (Derakhshan,A 2015) This skill

is also one of most difficult skills students have to master (Lai & Seyedeh, 2016) Rethinking about the objectives of teaching and learning English in Vietnam, we saw that Vietnamese students are good at doing grammar exercises, taking paper tests and learning new words in single, but they cannot communicate confidently and fluently

in speaking contexts because out of class they frequently have no real environment to practice English, so they cannot speak or pronounce the words correctly and fluently

From time to time, they are loss of confidence and they even are afraid of saying English words, sentences or replying in communicating situations From these causes, teaching and learning speaking skills process occur many problems This is an issue that the author hopes to improve speaking skills for grade 10 students at Dinh Tien Hoang High School - Vung Tau City through active learning strategies

The active learning strategy suggests that students must do more than just listen: they must read, write, discuss, present, or be engaged in solving problems Most important, to be actively involved, students must engage in such higher-order thinking tasks as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation Within this context, it is proposed that strategies promoting active learning be defined as instructional activities involving students in doing things and thinking about what they are doing (Chartes, C at al, 1991)

Use of these techniques in the classroom is vital because of their powerful impact upon students' learning For example, several studies have shown that students prefer strategies promoting active learning to traditional lectures Other research studies evaluating students' achievement have demonstrated that many strategies promoting active learning are comparable to lectures in promoting the mastery of content but superior to lectures in promoting the development of students' skills in thinking and speaking (Chartes, C at al, 1991)

The importance of active learning has been known for a long time; however, the lecture still rules in several areas and schools, including my working zone Students were still reluctant to engage themselves in many lessons in general and in speaking practice in particular Embedding active learning into my teaching enhanced my students’ learning Short activities within a lecture and longer duration for speaking and presentation which could take up one or more teaching sessions were conducted in my group of participants I can see this integral and essential active learning part would serve almost the best for the engagement of my students and my colleagues in partnership (Healy et al, 2014; Healey & Healey, 2019)

1.2 Statements of the problem

Through my observation and teaching experiences, although almost all of students have been studying English since primary schools, they have problems with pronunciation, expression of ideas or ability of English speaking The students do not have adequate motivations to speak English, so their confidence in speaking English is decreasing day by day Therefore, teaching English at high schools in general should be well combined between improving speaking skills and grammar skills in order that learners can enjoy learning English and their English can be better and better Teachers should create better learning contexts in which students feel free to express their thinking

as well as practice English naturally To find a better way for students to learn how to speak English to the best of their effort, the researcher decided to choose Active Learning as an effective teaching strategy

1.3 Previous researches related to the study

Prior to this theme, there were many previous studies which carried out in Foreign Countries and Vietnam and related on speaking skills However, these topics only pointed out the difficulties that specialized language students encounter in the process of learning speaking skills in general They have not yet given specific causes and measures to overcome difficulties, as well as specific research on the application of speaking skills for learners

1.3.1 Previous studies carried out in foreign countries

Bashiruddin, (2003) conducted a study with the tittle “To improve student's Oral

Communication Skills (OCSs) in lower secondary public school in Karachi, Pakistan”

He states that the sample of the study consisted of two school systems working side by side One is the private English medium school and second is government Urdu-medium school English is learnt as a second language in both cases Both students and teachers use Urdu language or the regional language to communicate inside the class, and practice traditional methods which focus on reading and writing skills, but productive skills such as: speaking is given on important The results of the study discussed the reasons of weakness of students in communication were the English language teachers (ELTs) are

not proficient in speaking English and this is the main obstacle in the way to teaching English in Pakistan

Urrutia, & Vega (2006) carried out an action research project on the

understanding and actions taken “To improve speaking skills through a role play in a

public school called “Federico García Lorca” in Colombia” They said that the sample

in this study was twenty girls and twenty boys from 14 to 18 years old Questionnaires, teacher’s journals, and video recordings were used as data collection instruments The results of the study were the majority of students considered that speaking is the most complicated ability to work out; also, the researchers noticed that students sometimes spoke English, but the majority of them did not speak during the English class

Rama, Ying Lee & Luei (2007) with an action research study on the hypothesis

of “Using language games to improve speech skills during English classes in a primary

school called “Jurong” in Singapore” They believed that the participants in this study

were 78 students The researchers used two different methods for two different groups; they divided students into experimental group in which was implemented a communicative method where were implemented language games to improve speaking skills, and a control group which was focused in a teacher centered method in which teachers used real- life activities including the essential vocabulary to perform a conversation The results of the study are organized in two tables The first table shows the study of pre-tests and post-tests where 4 students did not were present in class during the pre-test and a total of 35 students were present in pre-test and post-test

Hamzah & Ting (2009) conducted a qualitative and action research study on

“Success of using group work in teaching speaking in English classroom in a school called “SMK Damai Jaya” in Malaysia” In this research, the sample of the study was

33 students and 3 English teachers The researchers conducted three oral activities where students were observed, then they received questionnaires and three experienced teachers where observed as well Questionnaires, observations, and interviews were used as data collection instruments The researchers carried out a series of questionnaires

in Malaysian language were students could provide their opinions about the group work activities to improve speech skills and their consciousness of participation in those

activities The results of the study expressed enthusiasm in group work activities and proficiency in spoken language, because they were secure of expressing themselves in small groups which avoided anxiety to speak in another language

In addition, many other authors also present their research on improving speaking ability

to millions of English learners around the world, delegates such as O'coner & Ladeforged (2000) have not specified the use of stages while speaking

Jung Hyun, Ruth Ediger and Donghun Lee (2017) conducted research about

“Students’ Satisfaction on Their Learning Process in Active Learning and Traditional

Classrooms” They wanted to find out how much satisfied students saved for Active

Learning approaches they used throughout their studying process The learning outcomes were very great and substantial for other teachers and lecturers to use active learning in their teaching practices Although the resources were limited in classrooms, the effect the study received was satisfying The result showed that the satisfaction of students was high with their individual as well as group learning processes Active learning pedagogy activities are significant factors, and the effects are positive

Last but not least, “Exploring Active Learning Theories, Practices, and

Contexts” by these authors Shannon V et al (2019) said that active learning provides

learners a deeper understanding of information Education has evolved From Sophists lecturing to their students centuries ago to instructors lecturing to their students a few short decades ago, school learning has largely consisted of passive activity of listening and processing While that form of pedagogy—transmitting knowledge from the instructor to the student—may have inspired others in the past, modern pedagogy shows that students learn differently and better retain knowledge which they gain actively, rather than passively This is especially true of today’s traditional students Research has demonstrated that higher student achievement and engagement stems from active learning (Bunce, Flens, & Neiles, 2010; Carlson & Winquist, 2011; Freeman et al., 2004; McDermott et al., 2014

1.3.2 Previous studies carried out in Vietnam

Nguyen (2009) with the topic "Studying teaching speaking skills for 10th grade

students at Phu Ly A high school in Ha Nam province" She has also given some basic

factors affecting learners, such as the speed of speakers, teaching conditions but has not yet given the status and some suggested solutions for learners about learning strategies

There was another research, Tran (2014) in the graduation paper with the tittle

“Designing communicative tasks to teach speaking skills for first-year students of associate program in English at University of Social sciences and Humanities (National University of Ho Chi Minh City)” She argues that as students learn to use English in the

classroom setting, they should also be involved in learning about how language works They should be asked to reflect on various aspects of language, to develop a common language for talking about language, and to use this knowledge to evaluate texts critically in terms of effectiveness, meaning and accuracy Someone who speaks well would similarly understand when to use different grammar points

As conveyed from the titles of those studies, the M.A thesis of Nguyen (2017)

named “English speaking ability among high school students in Vietnam: Challenges,

obstacles and recommendations” Through this study, the data collected suggest that

speaking is the most difficult skill to develop, students usually present lack of vocabulary, shyness and fear of being humiliated; besides, the authors explain that students show evidence about the importance of implementing role play in classroom for improving the speaking skills

Nguyen (2018) in "Studying speaking strategies of English major students,

Faculty of Languages and Culture, University of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University, Hanoi" He has not highlighted the difficulties in applying use strategies and

remedies but only stated the reality of speaking strategies that students use

Cao (2018) compared in case study and stated in her research “Language

learning experience of two Vietnamese language adult learners” that their learning

experiences were based on social and cognitive SLA perspectives This finding reveals that these two learners greatly relied on three important elements which consist of identity, inter – linguistic influences and motivation so that the learners could acquire the target language Motivation, which is presented mainly in chapter 2 of this research

is one of the most outstanding factors that make a learner try his or her best to master a

foreign language From the results, an implication about pedagogical suggestions have been made in order to increase the effectiveness in practice in classrooms of English

Looking at another aspect of active learning, we know there are many various forms, in which we see a technique called cooperative learning It is still considered an active learning technique The author Nguyen (2021) found out in her research

“Cooperative Learning in EFL reading classes at Lam Dong Minority Boarding School”

that learning relies on teaching Therefore, a teacher has to seek out ways and methods

to motivate and encourage students’ learning This can be emphasized to be an instructional tool in language learning and teaching From that success in utilizing in reading teaching, it can be used later in speaking skill or writing skill Small groups of students should be divided and work together in order to achieve a common goal

Besides that, Cao (2019) in her research “Teaching English to young learners in

Vietnam: From policy to implementation” reveals that the policy has brought

considerable benefits to Vietnamese educational stakeholders and learners Students are encouraged to study more for their own sake of job opportunities or university entrance exams Vietnam has witnessed a lot of responses to this national language policy such

as restructuring the English programs, writing a new series of textbooks; and training and retraining English primary school teachers From the stage of primary education, students are paid much attention by society and government; therefore, they have motivation to work harder in order to achieve success in the future

On Can Tho University Journal of Science, two authors Tran and Nguyen (2018)

posted an article “Flipped model for improving students’ English-speaking

performance” Flipping is a creative way for teachers to maximize class time for

students’ instructional method in teaching content subjects Keywords of a flipped classroom model are EFL students’ speaking performance and students’ attitudes towards the model Blended learning flipped were further explored The results showed that the students improved their classroom, perception, speak- speaking skills thanks to the flipped model, and they had a positive performance perception about the model The study provides useful implications of integrating flipped instruction in foreign language

teaching Active learning in this case is proved successful in making students engage

more in study and improve their English speaking ability

Last but not least, Ho (2020) in this research “Instructional Methods are

implemented to Facilitate Active Learning” showed that Active learning is a method of

designing instruction so that students can actively engage in class activities not only to explore concepts and knowledge but also to practice skills This author implements a detailed analysis on the role of a teacher in the modern educational environment and the proposal of 11 instructional methods to shift from a traditional role These survey results indicate that students not only actively engaged in class activities but also strongly give constructive feedback on these instructional methods utilized on that course

From what has been discussed above, there is the need to study the effects of active learning in English speaking classes on grade 10 students at Dinh Tien Hoang high school

1.4 Aims of the Study

The main aim of the study is to enhance English speaking skills of the 10th graders

by using active learning In order to reach the aim, the study is set to fulfill the following objectives:

- To identify the current English speaking learning strategies of grade 10 students face

in learning English-speaking skill

- Examine active learning strategies that enhance students' learning from presentation, role-playing, discussion, debates

- Maintain students’ interests in speaking English in classroom

- To evaluate the effectiveness of active learning applied to the learning of speaking skills

English Encourage the implementation of active learning strategies for the students at Dinh Tien Hoang High School

1.5 Research questions

In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, the following research questions must be addressed:

(1) What currents do grade 10 students face in learning English speaking skill?

(2) Are there any differences between the current learning strategies and active learning strategies?

(3) How does active learning affect students’ improvement in the teaching and learning

of English-speaking skills?

1.6 Scope of the study

The study was conducted at Dinh Tien Hoang High School in Vung Tau City This study focused on two aspects, the effectiveness of Active Learning on students’ speaking performance and their interests in the active learning techniques during speaking periods

The study focuses on an experimental research to compare two group: control and experimental group Each group has 40 grade 10 students chosen conveniently The implementation of the plan was held during 2 months from February to April 2022, during the academic school year (2021 – 2022) at Dinh Tien Hoang High School

1.7 Significance of the study

In this study, the researcher hopes that students can improve their English speaking skills after experiencing Active Learning strategies Through active activities, the researcher will be able to help students improve their English teaching skills as well

as maintain their interests in speaking English in classroom Besides that, it is expected that the results of the study will be a source of reference for teachers to decide what techniques they can use in class or contribute more solution to the same problem

1.8 Structure of the study

In addition to the references and appendixes, the thesis comprises five chapters:

Chapter 1 – Introduction: This chapter gives a brief and reasons for choosing the

thesis, scope and aims of the study with the research method and the structure of the study

Chapter 2 - Literature review: This chapter focuses on the knowledge active

learning strategies in teaching English language, analyzes active learning strategies that applied by the theory, characteristics and the development of interests of learners and teaching English at a high school

Chapter 3 – Methodology: This chapter reports the context, research hypothesis,

participants, instruments, and the procedure of conducting active learning for the study The detailed results of the surveys and a critical comprehensive analysis of the data collected are presented

Chapter 4 - Findings and discussions: This chapter gives the data analysis from

an experimental research results to make the foundation for giving the suggestions

Chapter 5 – Conclusion and Suggestions: This chapter summarizes the study,

suggestions some typical activities and practical tips for secondary teachers to improve their lectures for 10th grade students’ English speaking and limitations of the study and suggestions for the study in further

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

In this chapter, the researcher finds out what active learning is, what activities are considered active learning, what roles of students and teachers are in motivating active learning, and the model of active learning in English speaking in classroom

2.1 Definition of active learning

Bernadette V.H et al (2002) stated that Active Learning is defined as a form of learning in which the learner uses opportunities to decide about aspects of the learning process Another definition of active learning is that there is a connection between active learning and mental activity: it refers to the extent to which the learner is challenged to use his or her mental abilities while learning Thus, active learning on the one hand has

to do with decisions about learning and on the other hand taking an active advantage of thinking

Active learning is defined as an instructional approach rather than lectures that make students work more and engage more in learning (Prince, 2004) Active learning which is an alternative for conventional teaching engages students in educational strategies This process permits them to acquire knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values (Anastasiou & Alves, 2004, as cited in Konopka, Adaime & Mosele, 2015) Students are asked to have critical thinking or to work more creatively, discuss the problem with

a partner, in a small group, or with the entire class, express ideas through writing, provide and receive feedback, and reflect upon the learning process (Eison, 2010; Freeman et al., 2014) Therefore, active learning encompasses a various set of methods that commonly require students to perform significant proactive activities and take more responsibilities for various decisions associated with the learning endeavor (Hiemstra, 1999; Prince, 2004)

When a lecturer stops lecturing and then moves the tasks of searching for information and learning towards students, active learning appears By actively doing something, students make progress toward a learning objective through working on a problem in a small group or using “clickers” to answer a conceptual question (Dolana

& Collins, 2015) Teaching is not pouring knowledge into a student’s head anymore

“To teach is to engage students in learning.” (Christensen, Garvin, & Sweet, 1991, foreword, xiii) Since the “pedagogies of engagement” concept in Education White Paper were introduced by Russ Edgerton in 2001, a great deal of effort has been made

to increase students’ engagement in college and university or in classrooms As a result, different kinds of learning methods, such as collaborative learning, cooperative learning, and problem-based learning have emerged to promote student engagement in higher education (Prince, 2004; Prince & Felder, 2007) All these methods fit into an emerging category of pedagogy called “active learning.” In the 4.0 era, we have presentations, debating or role playing to be one part of active learning

2.2 The importance of active learning

Bernadette V H et al (2002) said that passive learning is less attractive for learners than active forms of learning Students are said to be more encouraged and excited when they can decide about their studying and when activities for the mind appear to interest themselves Through being involved in some decision making which

is relative to learners’ studying, they can connect their prior knowledge and their needs optimally Moreover, by discovering things independently, students can pursue their interests and motivation Until the present, there has been a switch of thinking about active forms of learning It is suitable for every learner who always desires new knowledge and a new horizon in academic studying

Most studies show that the impact of active learning on students’ ability to retain

as well as understanding new material is positive Many researchers (Braxton, Sullivan,

& Johnson, 1997; Hurtado & Cater,1997; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991; Stage & Hossler, 2000) recorded that student interactions, both with other students and with faculty, were the predictors of student and quality learning In a study that checked faculty practices, student engagement, and student perceptions, it was found that the more the faculty interacted with the students, the more students were challenged and engaged in meaningful activities (Umbach & Wawrzynski,2005) Also, students reported increasingly achieved well in personal or/ and social development and general knowledge These results are equivalent to the research done by Astin (1993), which

found student interaction to be defined as the most important factor affecting student learning In comparison to a standard lecture format, active learning instructional approaches help improve students’ attitudes (see Armbruster, Patel, Johnson, & Weiss, 2009; Marbach-Ad, Seal, & Sokolove, 2001; Mills & Cottell, 1998; Prince, 2004; Preszler, Dawe, & Shuster, 2007) and increase students’ ability to think and write (Bonwell, & Eison, 1991; de Caprariis, Barman, & Magee, 2001; Johnson, Johnson, & Stanne, 2000; Jungst, Licklider, & Wiersema, 2003) In addition, active learning instructional approaches positively impact learning outcomes (Armbruster et al., 2009; Ebert- May, Brewer, Sylvester, 1997; Freeman, & Herron, 2007; Hake, 1998; Knight & Wood, 2005; Udovic Morris, Dickman, Postlethwait, & Wetherwax, 2002;)

It is a clearly supported conclusion that teachers using “active learning” techniques improve students’ performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, exams and conceptual assessment (National Research Council [NRC], 2000; Singer Smith, 2013) whilst students, especially from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM subjects, are less likely to fail or withdraw (Prince,2004; Haak et al., 2011; Ruiz-Primo et al., 2011; Freeman et al.,2014) In addition, the study of Jung Hyun, Ruth Ediger, and Donghun Lee (2017) pointed out that many studies have shown Active Learning Classrooms [ALCs] help increase student engagement and improve student performance However, remodeling all traditional classrooms to ALCs entails substantial financial burdens Thus, an imperative question for institutions of higher education is whether active learning pedagogy can improve learning outcomes when classroom resources are limited The study examined the effect of active learning pedagogy on students’ satisfaction of learning processes in ALC and Traditional Classrooms [TCs] The results show that active learning pedagogy activities are significant factors that increase students’ satisfaction with their individual and group learning processes In addition, active learning pedagogical activities in both TCs and ALCs influence students’ satisfaction with their learning processes positively

2.3 Activities are considered active learning

In teaching English speaking, researchers usually focused on activities considered active learning like acting from script, communicating games, discussion, presentation, role-play, debate, direct responses Each of them is summarized as

followings

2.3.1 Acting from script

Script is a text prepared by teachers or others and it will be given to students to learn by heart and act in front of the class When students participate in this activity, they will become actors or actresses and try their best to show the feelings or emotions that the characters in the script are appearing; and this way of acting helps them to imagine what will happen in a dialogue and helps them to find an appropriate way of responding if they fall into similar situations in the future Sometimes, teachers can elevate this activity by asking students to write the script themselves and act what they have written in front of the class This activity can be called role play in its simplest concept

2.3.2 Communication games

Students in general like to learn through games a lot For that reason, speaking activities which are based on games are often an effective and interesting way of practicing the skill

2.3.3 Discussion

Discussion is the direct way of using speech to convey and express ideas, and it

is considered the effective way to improve speaking skills Nevertheless, there is a fact that students, especially in our country, do not take much interest in activities involving discussions or group work Therefore, teachers should encourage students so they can

be more confident to join the task

2.3.4 Presentation

An activity in speaking teaching and learning that requires students to have time

to prepare is called a prepared talk It is the form of speaking working differently from script or discussion, namely presentation or role – play For instance, students choose a

specific topic on their own and then present it in front of the class in a prepared talk They can use a piece of paper which is called a note to help them arrange the ideas in the sequence of importance, remind them in case they do not remember what to be spoken first or to recall something relevant to the chosen topic Nowadays, Ss also take advantage of IT in presentation, especially the PowerPoint This technique used in speaking brings many benefits to language learners as well as for teachers to work at home to make a lesson plan for Ss It can be said to be one of the most effective ways

to represent a useful and successful speaking genre If it is properly organized, prepared talks can be very intriguing for both listener and speaker

As for presenters, the presentation will need students to prepare the presentation carefully, logically, and constructively so that it can meet the requirements of the audience’s interests Meanwhile, from the perspective of other students who are going

to listen to the presentation, they can raise questions over the presentation to evaluate their classmates’ work Whether the presentation can be achieved or not somehow depends on the engagement or participation from the audience Some pedagogical advantages of this sort of presentation have been suggested to teach the students to listen and learn from others (Weimer, 2013)

2.3.5 Role-play

This is one of the most popular teaching techniques, which have still been applied

at schools In role-play activities, students imagine that they are other people like the neighbors, doctors, famous people, etc and they will act like they are these people and solve their problems This way of teaching can be used to stimulate students’ interest and through these kinds of activities, teachers can guide students to give proper responses in a specific situation In role-play activities, students have chances to imitate, apply, give their own opinions, analyze and synthesize their knowledge and skills

2.3.6 Debate

Debate is considered one of the most effective teaching techniques to improve students’ speaking competence This is an activity in which students will be divided into groups, each of which represents a point of view of a big topic Each representative of a

group will present and argue to prove that their opinions are correct By carrying out debates, students were given opportunities to engage in using more grammatical structures and words for the purpose of defending one side of an issue convincingly

2.3.7 Direct responses

Language learners who lack confidence in their ability to participate successfully

in oral interaction often listen in silence while others do the talking One way to encourage such learners to begin to participate is to help them build up a stock of minimal responses that they can use in different types of exchanges Such responses can

be especially useful for beginners In class, teachers can ask small questions and encourage students to respond by using a minimal response That will help students to join in a lesson and be more proactive in building a lesson

2.3.8 Recognizing scripts

Some communication situations are associated with a predictable set of spoken exchanges - a script Greetings, apologies, compliments, invitations, and other functions that are influenced by social and cultural norms often follow patterns or scripts So do the transaction exchanges involved in activities such as obtaining information and making a purchase In these scripts, the relationship between a speaker's turn and the one that follows it can often be anticipated

2.3.9 Using language to talk about language

Language learners are often too embarrassed or shy to say anything when they

do not understand another speaker or when they realize that a conversation partner has not understood them Teachers can help students overcome this reticence by assuring them that misunderstanding and the need for clarification can occur in any type of interaction, whatever the participants' language skill levels Teachers can also give

students strategies and phrases to use for clarification and comprehension check

By encouraging students to use clarification phrases in class when misunderstanding occurs, and by responding positively when they do, teachers can create an authentic practice environment within the classroom itself As they develop control of various clarification strategies, students will gain confidence in their ability

to manage the various communication situations that they may encounter outside the classroom

2.3.10 Developing speaking activities

The purpose of real communication is to accomplish a task, such as conveying a telephone message, obtaining information, or expressing an opinion In real communication, participants must manage uncertainty about what the other person will say Authentic communication involves an information gap; each participant has information that the other does not have In addition, to achieve their purpose, participants may have to clarify their meaning or ask for confirmation of their own understanding

2.3.11 Structured output activities

Two common kinds of structured output activities are information gap and jigsaw activities In both these types of activities, students complete a task by obtaining missing information, a feature the activities have in common with real communication However, information gap and jigsaw activities also set up practice on specific items of language In this respect they are more like drills than like communication

2.4 The roles of learners and teachers in active learning

2.4.1 The roles of learners in active learning

Gardener Murphy (1968) stated that “the term of learning covers every modification in behavior to meet environmental requirements” Each student can improve their learning through the current environment in which they are living and working It doesn’t depend on whether the learning environment positively or negatively changes, the students can improve and broaden their knowledge with hard-working efforts and attitudes The more grown up a child becomes, the more essential learning activities are in his or her life, from then, the greater of that role in the child's development changing from turning to secondary school from the primary school Learning is a key action for students, but at the age of eleven to fifteen, their learning has fundamentally changed Studying at lower - secondary school is an important milestone in a child's life

At the early age of primary schools, events and phenomena are gained simply They understand or study a set of events through simple relationships or pictures The higher their schooling phase appears, the more complicated their learning becomes With the support of IT or sciences, more systematic studies are beginning to be accomplished by the learners The learners are becoming self-conscious and independent in learning The school subjects require students to perceive its own concepts, definition and rules that make students be more active in learning In the field

of foreign language in general and in English learning and teaching in particular, students can improve themselves more and develop progress in studying a language by doing the role play, engaging in a debate, or preparing a presentation over a minor topic through individual work or group work

Heavy syllabus, fear of having tests, lack of time, study pressures or weak memory are among difficulties faced by language learners Students can tackle the problems by hard work, persistent efforts, rehearsal, practice and experience At the first

or middle stage of schooling, teachers may create an environment in which their students have to work more, become excited to discover more to have deeper understanding an aspect of problem given by their teachers Language learners share the same characteristics as follows:

➢ Curiosity

Students are very keen on learning new things and craving for new experiences They are eager to adopt something novice, trying to find a resolution for a problem or solve a difficult task The role of teachers is to create an approach so that students can follow to find a new horizon of knowledge

➢ Careful understanding

A good learner possesses the attribute of careful understanding Hard work and good efforts make knowledge belong to someone more simply and naturally A learner should try his or her best to have a deeper understanding of an aspect, a viewpoint or a matter of problem An efficient “worker” in the field of profession tries to combine the problems, categorize them, interpret the stimulus and apply to them a meaning

Personal quality makes a person understand a subject matter quickly and solve the problems fast Different learners possess different personal and social cognition A student who has grown up in a different society or social environment may come up with different matter during every phase of studying Difficulties or challenges can make them adapt more or integrate themselves more into the hard situation because he or she has a strong personality or good endurance

Learner’s characteristics are subject to his mental and intellectual growth and development Education and training are helpful to positive growth and development A good educationist takes the responsibility to himself of identifying the characteristics of the learner and developing skills in him or her

Willingness to learn and open – mindedness create good learners They possess broad points of view, have spacy mental space, and accept changes consistently Their inquisitive nature develops an urge in them to acquire more and more knowledge from their parents, siblings, neighbors, relatives, teachers, society and many more

A teacher always plays an important role in assessing the learners for their interest and aptitude so that they can guide according to their aptitude because there is a difference between the interest and the attitude of learners

However, it is not possible for all learners to do the same thing easily or smoothly

in every situation since a different learner has different characteristics of adjustment Some learners easily adapt to a classroom environment, and some feel uncomfortable in the class environment So, a good learner should adjust or integrate himself or herself into any learning environment according to the situation

➢ Motivation

Motivation is an important factor for a learner to achieve their goals Learners differ in their capacity for motivation Some learners are easily motivated while some feel hesitation for a long time before they get motivated by their instructors

➢ Fastness in learning

Some learners very quickly understand the questions and solve the problems If the learners solve the problems easily, it means the understanding level of a learner is high as compared to another person who takes more time to understand and solve the problems

➢ Anxiety

Anxiety is the natural attribute of learners If the learner feels nervous or anxious,

it means that they lack knowledge about the things It can be removed with the help of the teaching learning process

➢ Creativity

All learners have a different approach to their lives Most of the learners accept what is taught to them but there are learners who have many creative abilities They have the ability to explore things and think about innovations

Moreover, application of mind is necessary to remain ahead In society, different people have different professions, such as doctors, scientists, innovators and discovers These are from the categories of learners who are creative

2.4.2 Active learning encourages learners’ cognitive development

In order to have good mutual understanding between two people or in a group of people, they use speaking as a bridge for them to transmit their ideas or thinking forward Byrne (1986) points out that oral communication requires effective efforts of giving speech and receptive understanding skill between speakers and listeners The speakers,

as well as the listeners, have a positive function to perform The speakers have encoded the message to be conveyed and use the appropriate language while the listeners (no less active in decoding or interpreting) have to decode the message

Characteristics of cognitive development of student’ age at secondary school could easily be seen to have changed in the way of thinking, mindset, and logic:

➢ Perception: secondary students can analyze and synthesize things, or more complex situations when adopting things and phenomena The level of perception has been increased and become relatively accomplished

➢ Memory: The basic feature of memory at this age is the enhancement of the characteristic as well as the ability to intentionally remember has significantly increased The way of memorialization is improved, and memory performance is also changing positively Students have made much progress in memorizing abstract documents and words They have the skills to organize thinking activities, have critical thinking, know how to conduct comparison or identical systematization and classification to memorize documents Their skills in memorizing are highly developed, and they start to use special methods to memorize and recall The speed, the level and the volume of memorization and the number of memorized documents increases Therefore, teachers need to help their students in memorizing the new knowledge by:

- Instructing students to use logical methods

- Explaining to students clearly the need to remember exactly the definitions and the rules It is important to show here that if the student misses a word, its meaning may be different or changed

- Training students to have the skills to present lessons correctly in their wording

- Guiding their students to apply both ways of machinery memorizing and memorizing by their ways appropriately

- Helping students know how to merge the new knowledge and the old ones to help them boost their understanding

Burns (2006) mentioned speaking is a means of expressing thoughts, knowledge and feelings for others through oral communication It is the most important way for the speaker to be able to express themselves through a language Before the cognitive process begins, learners should think carefully before speaking Then, if their speaking works well, they can remember the knowledge more; besides that, if the speaking process does not go smoothly, speakers can learn something through feedback from their teachers or their peers Therefore, the thinking process is very important Several changes have appeared in thinking activities among students at high school places:

- Thinking in general and abstract thinking in particular or diving into new knowledge in particular, is a basic feature of adolescent thinking But the component of figurative thinking - specifically, continues to develop, it still plays

an important part in the structure of thinking They understand the nature signs

of the object, but they are not always distinguishable and that effected in some cases When grasping concepts, they sometimes narrow or expand concepts which are not appropriate

- At this age, their thinking is also developed, and they know how to solve the problems reasonably They have learned how to apply reasoning to practice getting their own observations and experiences to illustrate their knowledge Above characteristics, teachers should show students how to practice critical and independent thinking skills

2.5 The roles of teachers in active learning

Teachers play a significant role in teaching (Harmer, 1998) They must design an interactive lecture In interactive lectures, when student concentration begins to wane, a short structured in class activity is assigned; teachers’ questions require responses; Students‘ responses to teachers’ questions are commonly made by using a clicker; Student to student talk is encouraged; Students often work with partners or in groups; Student comprehension during the lecture is assessed directly; Opportunities to correct misunderstandings are periodically provided within the lecture; High rates of attendance often are reported

Teachers usually apply the language students are learning to deal with the subject matters and besides, stimulate the involvement of students in the class; ask the fewest number of display questions In other words, teachers should encourage students to

“display” their background and subject knowledge by asking questions instead of giving information directly; build the speaking topic with the students and giving advice and comment to each of their contributions; encourage students to speak as much as they can by giving some further suggestions based on what students have just spoken and trying not to use a student’s short utterance to be a springboard for another length y turn Including a clarification of the intention of what students say by extending your

opportunities to another student and trying not to cut off an exchange too early; take serious notice of the usage of natural feedback rather than assessing or evaluating the utterance of the students and asking them to follow the judgment deliberately; give explicit credit to the students by quoting them and trying not to take credit for the contribution that students have made by giving the intention for the content of the conversation that the teacher had prepared previously”

From what we have discussed so far, it can be seen that the role of teachers in speaking activities like in other types of every scheme of classroom is very significant and important Nonetheless, the point of view of Brown (2000) showed that there have been three most exceptional parts that require more attention from the teacher:

- Prompter: During speaking activities, owing to various reasons, students can get lost,

get distracted or cannot think of what should be spoken from time to time, or even have trouble speaking fluently and correctly pronouncing In order to help students, overcome this, teachers can leave them to deal with the struggle on their own and ask them when they come up with a possible solution

- Participant: Students are the main participants of every speaking activity, so the

teacher should be a good guide and also a model participant when requiring them to speak

- A person who gives proper feedback: After each student presents their ideas or

produces a short piece of speaking, teachers should immediately give comments to stimulate the students However, if there are some points that students need to improve, teachers should also let them know

2.6 The model of active learning in English speaking in classroom

From above theories, the research designs a model of active learning strategies in English speaking in classroom for grade 10th students at Dinh Tien Hoang High school as following

English speaking classes

Active learning strategies

Role play Presentation Debate

Table 1 Model of active learning in English speaking in classroom

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLODY

This chapter presents the research method of the study It begins with the research setting Then it includes participants in the second part and the third one is variables The fourth part is the materials and learning program The fifth part is the data collection instruments which focuses on the methodology used for doing this research

PROCEDURES OF THE RESEARCH

Preparation

• Students’ questionnaire

• Lesson plans

• 15 – minute and 45 - minute Tests

• Semi-structure Interview Question

Pre – task survey questionnaires → Students

STAGE 2:

Acting

Speaking Lessons (With Active Learning Approach)

Observation Sheets given to observers

Post – task survey questionnaires after the lessons

(only for Experimental Class)

STAGE 4:

Reflecting

Gathering the data, analyzing data

Findings and discussions

It describes the speaking lessons in which the data are collected and the data collection instruments, which comprises observation and pre-task and post-task survey questionnaires The last one is a research procedure with Nunan’s Experimental research

as the main method

3.1 The setting of the study

The study was proceeded at Dinh Tien Hoang High School, Vung Tau City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province The school is ranked in the top three out of five state schools

in Vung Tau City However, it is a common problem for Ss throughout Vietnam that they are always afraid of or have no confidence in communicating in English Although the Ss were born in a city and they have studied English for a long time, they cannot speak English fluently and confidently Teachers and Ss still have difficulties teaching and learning English My English Group consists of 13 graduated teachers with BA (Bachelor of Arts) and MA (Master of Arts) degrees from different Vietnamese Universities These teachers are between 28 to 50 years old All of them were enthusiastic with their teaching and had at least 5 years experienced in teaching English

Dinh Tien Hoang teachers are co-operative and enthusiastic in teaching Most students are interested in studying natural science subjects (such as Maths, Physics and Chemistry) rather than English English is important at this school and has been taught

as a compulsory subject for all students but some of them only learn English as a foreign language They spend most of time studying what they consider to be more important than English such as the group of three school subjects for taking national examination

A small part of students who are taking IELTS test in the future think that speaking lessons in the class are boring than those in foreign language centers where they have a rich environment to interact with a native teacher The employees at the learning center care much more for them than what they receive in a bigger class at a state school Therefore, Ss tend to prefer to speak more at a foreign language center

As a result, being an English teacher, I come up with so many difficulties in teaching such skills as reading, listening, speaking, and writing especially teaching speaking for my students With my students, they in particular usually feel bored with speaking (even though some of them are quite good at grammar) They said that

speaking skill was very difficult to master because they did not have enough vocabulary, words, or phrases to talk They are afraid of mispronouncing and making mistakes Moreover, they also have not changed their learning habits, such as writing words on paper, trying to learn by heart or learning passively through the teacher's explanations

From the reason above, this research aimed to find out a way to improve speaking skill in learning English by using active learning methods and suggest some effective resolutions

3.2 The aims of the study

The main aim of the study is to enhance English speaking skills of the 10th graders

by using active learning In order to reach the aim, the study is set to fulfill the following objectives:

- To identify the current English speaking learning strategies of grade 10 students face

in learning English-speaking skill

- Examine active learning strategies that enhance students' learning from presentation, role-playing, discussion, debates

- Maintain students’ interests in speaking English in classroom

- To evaluate the effectiveness of active learning applied to the learning of speaking skills

English Encourage the implementation of active learning strategies for the students at Dinh Tien Hoang High School

3.3 Research questions

In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, the following research questions must be addressed:

(1) What currents do grade 10 students face in learning English speaking skill?

(2) Are there any differences between the current learning strategies and active learning strategies?

(3) How does active learning affect students’ improvement in the teaching and learning

of English-speaking skills?

3.4 Participants

The subjects involved in this study were 80 tenth graders at Dinh Tien Hoang high school who belong to 2 classes: 10T1 (control group) and 10D3 (experimental group) Each class consists of 40 students at the age of 16 The number of males and females are not equal in both classes All of them have been learning English for 7 years

Students at Dinh Tien Hoang High school in general, especially students at two classes have the similar competence of English Although they have been learning English since grade 3, they hardly have opportunities to use English outside the classes Moreover, most of these students have poor vocabulary lists, so they are not good at speaking skills

Before doing the experiment, the researcher collected data from 2 written tests (45 minute- and 15 minute - tests) to define the level of students (Appendix 2) The results are illustrated in the chart below

Chart A: Result from fifteen - minute test

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Mark 4 Mark 5 Mark 6 Mark 7 Mark 8 Mark 9

Chart B: Result from forty-five-minute test

As can be seen from the charts, both classes had nearly equal numbers of students got each type of mark ranked from 3 to 9 From this result, the two classes were found

to be at almost the same level of English

Moreover, I have been teaching English the two classes and I could say that all

of them are not much different in level, learning modes and passion in learning English

In general, two groups selected for the research share the following characteristics:

- These two groups are almost equal in terms of number

- In terms of age, they appear to be mostly in the same group from 16-17

- They have been using the same English textbook

- They have almost the same level and interest in learning English

- They have been taught by the same teacher

However, class 10T1 has more boys than girls in this class itself while class 10D3 have more girls than boys itself The rate of talking during a class period is nearly the same There is no difference between the two classes that boys and girls talk to others similarly Class 10T1 are the one that choose group A1 (including Mathematics, Physics and English) to be their university taking exam orientation Meanwhile, class 10D1 is

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Mark 3 Mark 4 Mark 5 Mark 6 Mark 7 Mark 8 Mark 9

the one belonging to group D of school subjects (Mathematics, Literature and English) that help them be able to pass university entrance examination later in the future

In addition, the English periods was arranged in different time of the day, therefore, the researcher chose experimental periods carefully after searching the timetable The two classes share almost the same timetable for the subjects as shown in the table below:

Class 10T1 (Control group) Class 10D3 (Experiment group)

Table 1: Timetable of two groups

Basing on the above information, the researcher has chosen class 10T1 to be control group (Control group - the group under normal condition), class 10D3 to be experimental group (Experimental group - the group under experimental condition)

Another participant in this study was one English teacher at Dinh Tien Hoang High School In order to increase the correlation of the observation, Mrs Nguyen Thi Hong Dung was a co - observer to one class in several speaking lessons I taught I also became an observer in these classes

3.5 Variables

In this study, experimental lesson plans including role play, presentation, debates and control lesson plans (following the textbook instructions and guidelines) are

independent variable and motivation is dependent variable Dependent variables are shown in items such as levels of interest, enthusiasm, effort, persistence with the learning task, concentration and enjoyment during the lessons

3.6 The materials and learning program

The 10th-grade students at Dinh Tien Hoang upper secondary school have been using the new English textbook of Ministry of Education and Training published in 2006

with the name “Tiếng Anh 10” This book follows a theme-based approach including

16 units and 6 tests (Test yourself: A, B, C, D, E) for consolidation Each unit is designed follows

A Reading

There are some paragraphs in each reading lesson consisting of 180 to 220 words The passage aims at getting students familiar with the topic of the unit providing information, new words, new structure and developing students’ comprehension reading skills

B Speaking

Speaking lesson is the second one in each unit introduced just after reading lesson These speaking lessons are under the tendency theme-based and task-based approaches In general, the textbook provides students with a variety of topics and speaking activities with the aim of helping students improve their speaking skill To be more specific, some of the topics are of the students’ interest such as talking about one’s daily activities (Unit 1) or talking about a school day routine or school day work (Unit 2), etc However, there are some speaking topics that are unfamiliar and far from the students’ background knowledge such as talking about different types of media and their uses or how to make a phone call from a phone box which cannot be seen anywhere in Vietnam (Unit 7) or talking about the new kinds of zoos (Unit 10)

Therefore, an effective technique should be exploited to motivate students in these speaking lessons