(Skkn 2023) using some effective approaches to help the 10th grade students of bac yen thanh high school conduct the projects successfully

1.4 Monitoring the students and the progress of the project 7 LEARNING 10 2.1 Some problems in implementing PBL method 10 2.2 Some techniques to overcome the problems 11 THE PREOJECTS

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Subject: ENGLISH

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Subject: ENGLISH

1.4 Monitoring the students and the progress of the

project

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LEARNING

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2.1 Some problems in implementing PBL method 10

2.2 Some techniques to overcome the problems 11

THE PREOJECTS ALONG WITH AN ORAL PRESENTATION

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3.1 Implemented topics in Tieng Anh 10 , Global

Success

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3.2 Some projects implemented in classes of Bac Yen

Thanh high school

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APPROACHES IN IMPLEMENTING PBL LEARNING

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URGENCY AND FEASIBLITY OF PROPOSED SOLUTIONS IN THE TEACHING EXPERIENCE

ATTITUDE AND INTEREST IN PROJECT BASED LEARNING

a range of challenges and formulate the 21st century skills for students to engage a lifelong learning in which those are what actually needed by students today

In the school year 2022-2023, the Vietnamese Government implemented a new curriculum so called the Curriculum 2018 for the grade 10 in all state schools This curriculum is designed to put emphasis on learners’ creativity and morality Through a wealth of learning activities, learners are demanded to develop their creativity to enhance the learning objectives in cognitive, affective and psychological domains Along with innovations in education, the role of English as

an international language has increased in the few years English is widely used as

a communication tool on the global There is no doubt that this language has become one of the most popular languages all over the world

Among modern teaching methods, Project Based Learning ( PBL) is highly

recommended in teaching subjects as well as in English It is a learner- centered, motivational, creative and meaningful teaching approach Through doing the

projects, students have opportunities to be involved in a wide range of projects and show their knowledge, skills as well as special abilities on different topics During the school year 2022- 2023, my colleague and I worked together and conducted the

research “ Using some effective approaches to help the 10 th

grade students of Bac Yen Thanh high school conduct the projects successfully” in order to

improve the quality of teaching and learning the subject in the upper secondary school, especially for grade 10 students when learning the new books in Yen

Thanh high schools At the same time, we want to share some experience in

teaching the projects in English 10, Global Success

II AIMS OF THE STUDY

Secondly, the purpose of the study is to promote positive self-awareness in learning which is in line with the spirit of teaching innovation: that is, the students play an active, creative, central role whereas teachers promote, stimulate creativity of students The research has been carried out since the beginning of the school-year 2022- 2023

III SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH

- Parts "Project" of the lessons: Looking back + Project, from Unit 1 to Unit 9 in English 10, Global Success

- Students in the 10 grade of Bac Yen Thanh high school

- Project- Based Learning method

IV Researching methodology

1 Methodology

1 Methodology of reasoning

- Project-based learning method

- Research the theoretical basis of the topic from teaching and collecting

documents

2 Methodology of reality research

We have used a range of methods such as quantitative method, qualitative method

in implementing the project- based learning and teaching The data serving the research analysis and discussions are collected by means of a survey questionnaire for students and observation We have already conducted the surveys for English teachers and students on the urgency and feasibility on using some approaches to help the 10th grade of Bac Yen Thanh high school conduct the projects effectively

In addition, another student survey was carried out to check students’ attitude and interest in doing project work.The data serving the research analysis and

discussions are collected by means of a survey questionnaire for students and

observation

Moreover , experimental pedagogy is used to evaluate the quality of the project and the effectiveness and feasibility of using the project teaching methodology in teaching English language During English classes , we observed the students’ acquisition of knowledge through project works

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V NEW FEATURES OF THE INITIATIVE

This study is really significant for English teachers and learners in Bac Yen Thanh high school and in other high schools in Viet Nam The educators, students were directly affected by this study and benefited from its actualization, analysis and conclusions By participating in this research, the participants and the school were exposed to applying new language learning approaches in implementing project based learning and teaching This exposure enables the teacher participants to determine if these proposed enhance the quality of learning English as a foreign language at Bac Yen Thanh high school or if changes should be made to address the challenges of PBL Either way, taking part in this research assisted teachers of English have more experience with a language learning method

Although Project - Based Learning has been implemented in teaching Tieng Anh

10, Global Success since the school year 2022-2023, the area of the study still lacks significant data Therefore, this research adds to the preexisting data and could bring a wealth of benefits for English teachers in Nghe An province They could know how to deal with challenges they are facing and improve the efficacy

of their teaching strategies

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B CONTENT OF THE RESEARCH

I The theoretical background

1 An overview of the project-based learning

1.1 What is the project - based learning

First of all, it is important to understand the term of “project” in English, which is commonly understood as a project, or a plan that needs to be implemented to achieve its intended goal The concept of the project is widely used in most socioeconomic fields and in scientific research Then, the concept of the project went from the field of economics to the education and training sector, not only in terms of educational development projects, but also as a teaching form or teaching method

Project teaching is a form of teaching or a complex teaching method, in which, learners acquire knowledge under the guidance of teachers, and learners develop skills through problem solving (project) It is closely connected with the realities of life, closely follows the curriculum, combination of theory and practice and the creation of specific products

Moreover, in implementing Project- based Learning, it generally takes time since

it is regarded as a long- term(several days) activity which is part of an

instructional method which promotes the simultaneous acquisition of language, content and skills It facilitates learning and assesses students' competence It is also a kind of independent learning

Students use technology and inquiry to respond to a complex issue, problem or challenge It is not a teacher-based learning method (PBL) focuses on student-centered inquiry and group learning The teacher plays the role of a facilitator, adviser and checker Projects vary in length, from several days to several weeks or even a semester because Project-based learning method (PBL) emphasizes long-term learning objectives This approach is less structured than traditional, teacher-led classroom activities In a project-based class, students often must organize their own work and manage their own time Within the project-based learning framework, students collaborate working together to make a sense of what is going

on Students work on a project over an extended period of time – from a week up

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to a semester – which engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering

a complex question They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by developing a public product or presentation for a real audience

As a result, students develop deep content knowledge as well as critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills in the context of doing an authentic, meaningful project Project Based Learning unleashes a contagious, creative energy among students and teachers Project-based learning can help students apply collaboration and creativity skills, problem -solving skills, and develop a more in-depth understanding of content It can also foster civic engagement and decision-making while empowering youth to affect change in their communities

1.2.Types of Project- Based Learning

In designing Project- Based Learning, the projects can be classified into different types or categories as follows:

1.2.1 Structured projects

In designing structured projects, the teacher determines and organizes in terms of the topic, materials, methodology and presentation It has the following characteristics: The topic is selected by the teacher as well as the methods for collecting and analyzing the information

1.2.2 Semi- structured projects

In designing structured projects,the project is defined and organized in part by the teacher and in part by students The teacher defines the general topic of the project, but the students have full authority to choose their own topic as well as the ways they collect information and conduct the project

1.2.3 Unstructured projects

The project is chosen and organized mainly by students themselves Therefore, they take full responsibility for the topic, materials, methodology and presentation

II The practical background

In the year 2022- 2023, English 10 Global Success began to be taught at high schools in Nghe An province Every unit has the part “ Project” in the lesson 8 “ Looking back and project” Although all English teachers in Bac Yen Thanh high schools have already been introduced and got to know the project- based learning method in some training courses, we have faced a long list of challenges when implementing PBL in English foreign language environments Inadequate teacher training, lack of resources , lack of time are just a few of the hurdles teachers have

to overcome in order to implement PBL in our EFL classrooms Moreover, students at Bac Yen Thanh high school are not good at productive skills, especially speaking skill They are also not confident when taking part in the oral presentation before the class

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To overcome these challenges , when my colleague and I have researched and implemented the project- based learning method in classes 10A1, 10A5, 10A6, 10D1 , we have adopted some approaches to teach this part “ Project” of the lesson

8 in each unit more effectively and help students conduct the final outcome of the project successfully

II SOLUTIONS:

1.APPROACH 1:

APPLYING SIX BASIC STEPS OF PROJECT- BASED LEARNING METHOD

It is very necessary for teachers to know how to implement project- based learning method in English classes In our research, we have applied 6 steps for Project- based learning and teaching process.The six steps of project-based learning are shown in the following flow chart and explained as follows:

1 1.Identifying the problem

Identify the problem

Plan the project

Schedule

Monitor the progress

Assessment

Evaluation

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This step was as the first step in implementing the project- based learning method and it must be done in the lesson “ Getting started “ of each unit The problem or the question that will launch a project- based learning lesson must be the one that engages students The projects range from structured, semi- structured to

unstructured in terms of the degree to which the teacher defines the project The problem is an open- ended question so that students could explain and collect information to answer the question.This problem can be related to the curriculum and may be affecting the school, the community, the city or the country

1.2.Planning the project

As the second step after determining the essential questions, the teacher along with students determine the final outcome or the end product of the project( e.g.,written report, debate, wall magazine, brochure, letter, oral presentation, video….) The activities in designing a plan for the project based on the observation as follows: + Grouping students:

The teacher divided the students into small groups The teacher may let students choose their own group

+ Showing some example of students’ project

+Telling the criteria for students’ project

1.3 Designing a fixed schedule

After the topic and the final outcome of the project are determined, the teacher and students work out the project details The teacher also guide students to make their timeline and decides the deadline for submitting the project

1.4 Monitoring the students and the progress of the project

In this stage, students and teacher have different role Students are ready to work completing their project Working in group, students collect and organize

information and discuss the value of data they have collected, keeping some and discarding others.The goal is to identify what information is critical for the

completion of their projects

While students are working on their projects, teacher monitors students’ activity and their project progress There are several activities that the teacher can do in this stage :

+ Monitoring students’ group discussion

+ Delivering some probing questions to students in order to encourage

participation of the students in the learning process such as how they gain the

information and how they present it in their project

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+ Checking students’ project progress by asking them whether they find

difficulties or not The teacher reminds students that every part of the process belongs to them and needs their total involvement

1.5 Assessing students’ outcome

During this stage, the teacher provides students with feedback on their language and content learning The assessment rubrics are adopted to identify how well they understand the information and what they need to improve on Below are some models of rubrics we have applied in this stage

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1.6 Evaluating students’ experience

The teacher allows students to evaluate the project through doing individual reflection as well as group reflection and discussion The teacher guides students to share their feelings and experiences and discuss what works well and what needs change Students are also asked to make recommendations that can be used to improve the projects in the future

2 APPROACH 2: USING SOME STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME

CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT- BASED

2.1.2 The use of mother tongue

During the discussion or even students’ presentation, some students tended to use Vietnamese instead of using English

2.1.3 Chaotic class condition

Based on the observation, during group discussion, some students did not pay attention to their friends’ presentation and students tended to do negative behaviors such as talking and joking too loudly, using their smart mobiles, or even playing games in their phones As a result, it led to a chaotic class condition

2.1.4 Misleading topic

During group discussion, the teacher found that some groups had wrong topics Their topic was not relevant with the topic that was already discussed in a whole class

2.1.5 Uneven participation

In group working, some students participated frequently in doing projects, and some of them had less contribution Moreover, during the presentation, some students had a lot of opportunity to speak, and some of them were reluctant to speak

2.1.6 Students' performance

Even after the teacher explained some tips and tricks at the beginning of the class,

it was still found that some students were lack of speaking skill and lack of

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confidence While presenting the project, some students only read their slides repetitively

2.1.7 Students' speaking content

The teacher noticed that students' language need to be checked The teacher found that students did not pay attention on their word choice and pronunciation

2.1.8 Determining students' assessment

Different from the previous curriculum, in the New Curriculum , the teachers are demanded to assess students in the direction of developing competence at four levels from identification, comprehension, application and high application

2.2 Some techniques to overcome the problems

While implementing PBL in experimented classes, we have found out some solutions to tackle these problems All of them are listed in the table as follows:

1 Time Allotment The teacher gave a clear timeline to the

learners in doing the projects She also asked students to do the rest of the project

at home Therefore the deadline for handing in the final outcome ( wall magazine, drawings, slide presentation, videos…) was only two weeks The teacher had a role as a time reminder

2 The use of the Mother

Tongue

The teacher always instructed and encouraged students to speak in English and asked students not to pay much attention to some mistakes in pronunciation or the use of vocabulary In addition, the teacher motivated students to speak in English by always giving instructions in English, “ Please, discuss

in English when you work in pairs or in groups”

3 Chaotic class Condition The teacher tried to control the class by

giving instructions: “ Keep silent”, “ Listen to the presentation carefully”,

“Everyone has to give comments afterwards”……Moreover, the teacher

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could give some questions about what students were discussing to get students’

attention

4 Misleading topic The teacher scrutinized the group

discussion by asking the topic of each group She directed students to keep on track based on the discussed topic If the students’ topic was out of the topic, the teacher discussed with the group about the selected topic and asked them to change the misled topic

5 Uneven participation During the discussion time, the teacher

provided students with chances of practise speaking skill Furthermore, the teacher asked some probing questions and called members of the group by random to answer them By that way, the teacher got

to know who were really involving in doing the project At the same time, the teacher motivated and stimulated all students to speak by responding to her questions

6 Students’ performance The teacher reminded students some

techniques while presenting the project

The teacher said “ It is unnecessary to

present all information on slides Try to understand the topic entirely and remember main points Do not stare at slides and read them” It was very

effective when the teacher showed videos that gave examples of well- done presentations by good students

7 Students’Speaking

Content

The teacher took notes during students’

presentations, then discussed some popular mistakes, asked the feedback from the class and reexplained them or gave more example of the correct version

at the end of the class

3 APPROACH 3: DIVERSIFYING THE FINAL OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECTS ALONG WITH AN ORAL PRESENTATION

As we know, the final product of the project is an oral presentation Thank to electronic devices , students today are very good at using information technology and they are also very interested in doing the projects They can use Microsoft PowerPoint to design beautiful slides Besides, students use CANVA to design slides, videos and can share their designs to everyone through social networks like Instagram, Facebook, Tweet, In addition, with Canvas they can also share their designs for others to see and share with them Therefore, using Canva is very useful for working in groups or teams

While implementing the project- based learning method, students not only give an oral presentation but they also show some products they have made while doing the research such as creating recycled items, drawing some pictures relating to the topics…

Here are the topics that we adapted in Tieng Anh 10, Global Success so that students are not fed up with repeated oral presentations in every part of “ Project”

in lesson 8 In addition, involving students in diverse activities such as making the videos, drawing paintings, writing articles, making interviews, creating stuff by using waste paper, used items…helps teenagers develop social skills like communication skills, time management skills, problem- solving skills, team spirit that are very essential for them in the future The students also have numerous opportunities to develop their creativity, build up confidence in their abilities

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3.1 Implemented topics in Tieng Anh 10 , Global Success

N0 UNITS The topics of projects The final

outcome

1 UNIT 1: Family life Doing research on

Family Day, Mother Day

or Father Day in Viet Nam or in other

countries

Oral presentation and Slide

presentation

2 UNIT 2: Humans and

the environment

Environmental problems and some solutions to these problems

Oral presentation and paintings

3 UNIT 3: Music Doing research on a form

of traditional music in

Vietnam or in local areas

Oral presentation, and articles

4 UNIT 4: For a better

community

Doing a research on volunteer activities in your community

Oral presentation

& Wall magazine

5 UNIT 5: Inventions Creating a new invention Posters & oral

presentation

6 UNIT 6:

Gender equality

Doing a survey on students’ jobs

Video production& oral presentation

7 UNIT 7:Viet Nam and

international

organisations

Doing research on an international organization

Video production

& oral presentation

8 UNIT 8:New ways to

learn

Doing a survey to find out how students use electronic devices to learn

Recycled items& oral presentation

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=> Can’t let the future generations suffer the consequences of our

irresponsible actions toward the environment

- Only we can change it and solve it Pollution can be prevented by

the actions we take everyday:

+ save energy : not wasting water; turn off the lights as well as

electric devices when they are not in use; go by bike or by bus

more, drive less

+ Avoid plastic bags : use reusable bags or reuse one plastic bag

until it wears out

+ Use recycled paper -> we save trees -> We plant more trees

- Besides:

+ Keep a clean environment is also to protect natural resources:

conserve old forests and rain forests

+ Prohibit hunters who hunt animals illegally

+ The government should set a limit on the exploitation of

resources

- The Environment will become unpolluted if we are aware of our

living environment A clean and green environment will help us

lead to a healthy life

Let’s work together to protect our beautiful planet Protecting the

Earth is also protecting ourselves

Thanks for your attention

3.2.3.Unit 3 : Writing articles about folk music in Viet Nam or in your local areas

+ The final outcomes of the projects: Articles about folk music in Viet Nam or in your local areas

+ Oral presentations before the class