Mi based teaching and its effects on efl high school students’ autonomy

between MI-based teaching and EFL high school students’ English proficiency and learning autonomy.. Learners are encouraged to see their goals in these broader terms.” In addition, Chri

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MI-BASED TEACHING AND ITS EFFECT ON EFL HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENTS’ AUTONOMY

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between MI-based teaching and EFL high school students’ English proficiency and learning autonomy An experiment was carried out among sixty high school students, who were divided into two groups (control and treatment) Both of the groups did a general English test and the pre-treatment autonomy test before the experiment and a general English test and post-treatment autonomy test after the experiment The tests were designed to assess the participants’ English proficiency and learning autonomy During the experiment, only the treatment group was taught with the MI-based approach The data indicated that the treatment group obtained better results in English proficiency and learning autonomy than the control group Based on the research findings, implications for English language teachers and students were also proposed

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I would like to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Tran Thi Ngoc Yen, who I believe is the most wonderful supervisor, for her valuable directions, precious orientation, warm stimulation, and continuous support throughout this project Her enthusiasm and positive attitudes were sparkling in such a way that it helped to make my research a serious yet fun task to fulfil

I am grateful to Nguyen Thi Nga, an English teacher at Thanh Chuong 3 high school in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province, for helping me teach MI- based lessons at her classes as well as gather the data for the research; and Phan Thi Hoa, for copying the documents, materials for my experiments quickly

I would also like to thank the administrators, teachers, and students at Thanh Chuong 3 high school in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province for their cooperation and support

Finally, I would like to delicate this work to my parents and family, particularly

my husband, all of whom have been always supporting me with love and sympathy

ABSTRACT i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

TABLE CONTENTS iii

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF CHARTS vi

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale 1

1.2 Aims of the study 2

1.3 Research questions 2

1.4 Scope of the study 2

1.5 Thesis design 3

1.6 Methodology 3

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 4

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2.1 Multiple Intelligences 4

2.1.1 Definitions 8

2.1.2 MI quizzes 9

2.1.3 MI in education 13

2.1.4 MI in teaching and learning English 15

2.2 Autonomy 18

2.2.1 Definitions 20

2.2.2 The role of autonomy in learning 22

2.2.3 Principles of autonomy 24

2.2.4 Accessing autonomy 27

2.2.5 Developing learner autonomy 28

2.3 MI and learner autonomy 35

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 37

3.1 Research questions 37

3.2 Participants 37

3.3 Instruments 38

3.4 Procedures 40

CHAPTER 4 FINDING AND DISCUSSION 43

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Results 43

4.1.1 Pre-test 43

4.1.2 Pre-treatment autonomy test 48

4.1.3 Post-test 52

4.1.4 Post-treatment autonomy test 57

4.2 Discussions 62

4.3 Summary 63

CHAPTER 5 IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION 65

5.1 Conclusions 65

5.2 Implications 66

5.3 Limitations of the study 67

5.4 Suggestions for the study 67

REFERENCES 69

APPENDIX A 72

APPENDIX B 80

APPENDIX C 88

APPENDIX D 92

APPENDIX E 96

APPENDIX F 101

APPENDIX G 106

APPENDIX H 111

APPENDIX 1 112

APPENDIX J 113

APPENDIX K 114

APPENDIX L 115

APPENDIX M 116

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Table 3.2 The lesson plan’s time division 41 Table 4.1 The control and experimental group’s score in the pre-test 44 Table 4.2 The average total scores and standard deviations for both

groups 44 Table 4.3 The experimental and control group’s score in the pre-treatment autonomy 48 Table 4.4 The average total scores and standard deviations of the pre-treatment autonomy test for both groups 49 Table 4.5 The experimental and control group’s score in the post-test (See Appendix J) 113 Table 4.6 The average total scores and standard deviations of the post-test in the control group and experimental group 53 Table 4.7 Initial scores (IS), final scores (FS) and increases (I) in the pre-test and post-test of two groups 56 Table 4.8 The experimental and control group’s score in the post-treatment autonomy test (see appendix K) 114 Table 4.9 The average total scores and standard deviations of the posttreatment autonomy test in the control group and experimental group 51 Table 4.10 Initial scores (IS), final scores (FS) and increases (I) in the pre-treatment autonomy test and post-treatment autonomy test of two groups 55 Chart 4.1 The percentage of different scores on the pre-test in the control

group 45 Chart 4.2 The percentage of different scores on the pre-test in the treatment group 46 Chart 4.3 The mark distribution on the pre-test in both groups 47 Chart 4.4 The percentage ofdifferentscores on thepre-test in the control group 50 Chart 4.5 The percentage of different scores on the pre-test in the treatment group 51 Chart 4.6 The mark distribution on the pre-treatment autonomy test in both groups 52

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in the control group 58 Chart 4.11 The percentage of different scores on the post-treatment autonomy test

in the treatment group 59 Chart 4.12 The mark distribution on the post-treatment autonomy test in both groups 60

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Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn

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of teaching to help students reach their potential However, there has not any research in using MI in order to stimulate the learner’s autonomy MI is still relatively new in Vietnam although this concept has been studied since 1983 in

Frame of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences Because of its newborn

appearance even though it shows striking compatibility with traditional Vietnamese education models The application of this model in English language teaching to develop students’ autonomy has been studied This research was written with the purpose of determine whether MI-based teaching has any effects on learner autonomy and students’ English proficiency

There have been many researchers who notice the importance of MI-based teaching in stimulating students to learn better as well as fostering learner

autonomy Richard and Rodgers (2001: 120) stated “The MI classroom is one

designed to support development of the „whole person’, and the environment and its activities are intended to enable students to become more well-rounded individuals and more successful learners in general Learners are encouraged

to see their goals in these broader terms.” In addition, Christison (1997:9) also

emphasized MI’s vital role to learner autonomy, he claimed “The more

awareness students have of their own intelligences and how they work, the more they will know how to use that intelligence to access the necessary information and knowledge for a lesson”

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There is much evidence that influence schools influenced by MI theory are effective (Gardner, 2006: 83) and with understanding of theory teachers can better understand learners They can allow students to safely discover their strengths, learn in many ways and they can help their students to be in control

of their own learning (Guignon, 1998, March 12) Nevertheless, nowadays, students have not almost had full awareness about the importance of autonomy Most of them learn because they are forced to learn Besides, the traditional teaching method always focuses on grammar, vocabulary, reading and ignores important parts such as listening, speaking and pronunciations As a result, the lesson is really boring Particularly, this teaching method focuses on teachers or centered-teacher teaching, or other words, teachers are the center of teaching and learning process, students only listen so students are extremely passive in learning From these above reasons, I wonder whether IM-based teaching can help students develop learner autonomy and English proficiency This is the reason why I choose this major to study and make experiments In this study, I really hope to make a minor contribution to improve the students’ autonomy

1.2 Aims of the study

The aim of this study was explore different perspectives of MI-based teaching method on high school students’ learner autonomy It was set out to examine the impacts of MI teaching on learners’ autonomy and EFL high school students’ English proficiency

1.3 Research questions

The study was conducted to seek the answers for the following questions

- Will MI-based teaching help to develop EFL high school students' autonomy?

- How does MI-based teaching affect EFL high school students’ English proficiency?

1.4 Scope of the study

With the aim of discovering the effect of MI-based teaching on EFL learners’ autonomy, a survey was conducted to collect the needed data from the learners Sixty students of a high school in Nghe An province were involved in this study

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1.5 Thesis design

The thesis consists of five chapters

Chapter 1 is the introduction, which provides a brief introduction, rationale and an overview of the thesis

Chapter 2 is the literature review, in which previous research about MI quizzes, MI in education, MI in teaching and learning was presented In addition, autonomy’s role and principles as well as accessing and developing autonomy will be discussed carefully

Chapter 3 introduces the research methodology of the study It provides information about the materials, participants, instrument for data collection, research procedures and data analysis

Chapter 4 presents the detailed results and discussions developed after the impacts analyzed

Chapter 5 contains the implications and conclusions This chapter summarizes the main issues touched upon in the research, the limitations of the research and some suggestions for further studies Following the chapters are the references and appendices

1.6 Methodology

The main methodology used in the project was experimental Groups of high school students, the control group and the treatment group in Thanh Chuong were involved in the study

The study is intended to measure students’ autonomy as well as to see benefits

of MI-based lessons with learners’ autonomy Using MI-based lessons to improve learners’ autonomy is effective or not

This chapter presents a brief review of the literature on the topics that are

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generally related to the research in this thesis Previous studies on the MI quizzes, MI in education, MI in teaching and learning In addition, autonomy’s role and principles as well as accessing and developing autonomy will be discussed

2.1 Multiple Intelligences

Gardner and Armstrong set the stage for exploring the many ways MI theory which is applied in educational settings around the world Numerous great people, researchers, educators, and teachers around the world are working seriously to apply MI theory, MI-based activities in the lessons as well as educational activities in order to improve the education and make the learning periods become more interesting, particularly make learners more interested in the lessons

The theory about MI has important implications for teaching in general and for language learning in particular (Armstrong 2007; Azar 2006; Buchen 2006; Campbell & Dickinson 2004; Christian 2004; Fogarty & Stoehr 2007; Tracy & Richery 2007; Viens & Kallenback 2004; Barrington 2004; Chan 2006; Christion & Kennedy 2004; Hall 2004)

Gardner defines intelligence as “the ability to process information that is

activated in a cultural contest for problem solving or creating products which are worthy in a culture” (Gardner 1999, p 33) According to him, MI has

been influential in language teaching circles Teachers who recognize the multiple intelligences of their students acknowledge that students bring with them specific and unique strengths, which are often taken into account in classroom situations

Gardner claims that all human beings have multiple intelligences in varying

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amounts Each person has a different intellectual profile These intelligences are located in different parts of the brain and can either work independently or together These intelligences can be nurtured and strengthened, or ignored and weakened According to Gardner, we can improve education by addressing the multiple intelligences of our students Gardner (1999) identifies not two, but nine different intelligences: linguistic, logical mathematical, spatial, bodily- kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, and existential Gardner defined the first seven intelligences in Frames of Mind (1983) He added the last two in Intelligence Reframed (1999)

The nine Kinds of Intelligences proposed by Gardner are as follows

1) Linguistics (called Word Smart): The capacity of using a word effectively whether orally or in writing and language to express and appreciate complex meanings This intelligence includes the ability to manipulate the syntax or structure of a language, the semantic or meaning of a language, and the pragmatic or practical use of a language There are some characteristics about this intelligence for example the ability of learning other languages; enjoying reading, writing and discussing; remembering what have been said or read; speaking and writing effectively Linguistic intelligence is the most widely shared human competence and is evident in poets, novelists, journalists, and effective public speakers Young adults with this kind of intelligence enjoy writing, reading, telling stories or doing crossword puzzles Their suitable occupations are poets, novelists, journalists, and effective public speakers, lawyers, linguistics, PR and media consultants, teachers, translators TV and radio presenters, voice-over artists, writer

2) Logical-Mathematical (called Number/Reasoning Smart): The capacity of using numbers effectively as well as calculating, quantifying, considering propositions and hypothesizing, and carrying out complete mathematical operations This intelligence includes sensitivity to logic patterns and relationship Logical-Mathematical intelligence is usually well developed in mathematicians, scientists, and detectives It is familiar with the concepts of

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quantity, time, and cause and effect Abstract symbols are used to represent concrete objects and concepts Liking math and using technology to solve complex problems The people whose logical intelligence are interested in patterns, categories, and relationships and their favorite careers are analysts, arbitrators, bankers, certified public accountants, computer programmers accountants, engineers, insurance brokers negotiators, researchers, scientists, statistician and traders

3) Spatial (called Picture Smart): The ability to perceive the visual-spatial word accurately This intelligence involves sensitive to color, line, shape, form, space, and the relationship that exist between these elements It seems to learn by seeing and observing such as objects, faces, details and scenes as well

as use visual images as an aid to recall information Major capacities include mental imagery, spatial reasoning, image manipulation, graphic and artistic skills, and an active imagination Some careers such as sailors, pilots, sculptors, painters, and architects, architects, artists, cartographers, city- planners, engineers, graphic designers, landscape architects, photographers, sculptors all exhibit spatial intelligence People with this kind of intelligence seem to be fascinated with mazes or jigsaw puzzles, or spend available time drawing or daydreaming

4) Bodily-Kinesthetic (called Body Smart): Expertise in using one’s whole body to express idea and feeling and facility in using one’s hands to produce

or transform things It is the capacity of manipulating objects and using a variety of physical skills such as being good at concrete learning experiences such as field trips, model building, or participating in role play, games, assembling objects, or physical exercise as well as the ability of demonstrating skills in acting, athletics, dancing, sewing, carving or keyboarding Some careers such as athletes, biologists, dancers, geologists, instrumentalists, nurses, physical education teachers, physical therapists, physicians, actors, sign-language interpreters exhibit this kind of intelligence

5) Musical (called Musical Smart): The capacity to perceive, transform, and

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express musical forms Expressing interest to a variety of sounds including the human voice, environmental sounds, and music, and organizes such sounds into meaningful patterns Being eager to be around and learn from music and musicians Learners seem to learn most effectively when they use sounds or music to do the exercises or homework Moreover, they have the special ability of music such as composing the songs, singing the songs On the other words, musical intelligence is the special capacity to discern pitch, rhythm, timbre, and tone This intelligence enables us to understand, recognize, create, reproduce, and reflect on music and rhythm The appropriate occupations for the young adults whose musical intelligences are composers, conductors, musicians, vocalist, judges’ musical competitions and sensitive listeners, DJs, entertainers, environment and noise analysts, music producers, musical instrument repair specialists, musical performers, singers, voice coaches

6) Interpersonal (called People Smart): The ability to perceive and make distinctions in the moods, intentions, motivations, and feeling of other people

It also is the capacity of understanding, communicating and interacting effectively with other Working and cooperating with other partners effectively are the great strengths from the interpersonal intelligences and they seem to be easy to become leaders among their peers, are good at communicating, and seem to understand others’ feelings and motives The people whose interpersonal intelligence would like to work with various people in groups, teams or pairs Expressing an interest in interpersonally-oriented careers such

as teachers, social workers, consultant, managers or politicians, advertising professionals , care givers, coaches and mentors, counselors, educators, health providers, HR professional mediators, psychologists, sales-people, therapists, trainers

7) Intrapersonal (called Self Smart): Self-knowledge and the ability to act adaptively on the basic of that knowledge This intelligence includes having an accurate picture of oneself, awareness of inner mood, intentions,

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motivations, temperament and desires as well as use this knowledge in planning one’s life The people whose interpersonal intelligences seem to work on their own rather than with others and obviously, they are easy to get better results when doing individually in comparison with cooperating with other partners Psychologist, spiritual leaders, and philosophers may be really appropriate for the people’s intrapersonal intelligence

8) Naturalist (called Nature Smart): having ability of recognizing and classify

of the numerous species of an individual’s environment (Armstrong, 2008, pp 6-7) as well as having an interest in and good knowledge of how the body works and keeps abreast of health issues The more special thing is the ability

of “read” weather signs Moreover, having an understanding of, and interest in are the main global environmental issues It is the human ability to discriminate among living things such as plants and animals as well as sensitivity to other natural features of the natural world for example clouds and rock configurations

9) Existential Intelligence Existential intelligence is sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here

2.1.1 The definitions

Up to now, there have been various definitions about MI, for learners MI are abilities to do something effectively, especially in learning English as second

language Discussing about the vital role of MI, Gardner (1983) states as “the

ability to solve problems or to create products that are valued within one or more cultural settings

MI-based teaching usually concentrates on students’ unique abilities, which is reported by Richard & Rodgers (2001: 123) that MI approach has been grown

in the increasing popularity to characterizing the ways which learners are unique and to developing instruction to respond to this uniqueness Moreover

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MI is considered one of a set of such perspectives dealing with learner differences and borrows heavily form these in its recommendations and designs for lesson planning

Having discussions about MI theory Barrington (2004); Kornhaber, Fierros, and Veenema (2004); Cohen & Weaver (2004); Curtin (2005); Mitchel & Myles (2006); Oxford, Cho, Leung, & Kim (2004); Oxford & lee (2008) stated that MI theory can be a new and effective method for presenting different strategies of teaching and can help students achievements ameliorated

Gardner describes intelligence as “the ability to process information that is

activated in a cultural contest for problem solving or creating products which are worthy in a culture” (Gardner 1999, p 33) Richard and Rodgers (2001)

define MI theory as a way that not only has been attended to in public instruction but also in teaching English and its application in teaching English

is recent and new (p 117)

According to Gardner (1999a), intelligence is the ability to create an effective product or offer a service that is valued in a culture, is a set of skills that make

it possible for a person to solve problems in life, and is the potential for finding

or creating solutions for problems, which involves gathering new knowledge

MI theory can be a new and effective method for presenting different strategies

of teaching and learning as well as can help students get achievements (Barrington 2004; Kornhaber, Fierros, and Veenema 2004; Cohen & Weaver 2004; Curtin 2005; Mitchel & Myles 2006; Oxford, Cho, Leung, & Kim 2004; Oxford & lee 2008)

2.1.2 MI quizzes

The Multiple Intelligence quizzes’ aim is to measure the learners’ intelligences including verbal (linguistic), visual logical, musical, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic intelligences With each intelligence, there are different activities and quizzes to measure learners’ intelligences

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According to Gardner (1983), Logical-Mathematical Intelligence provides us the ability to use the numbers as well as to understand the principles of a logical system This intelligence is presented in performing a mental arithmetic calculation; creating a process to measure something difficult; analyzing how a machine works; devising a strategy to achieve an aim; assessing the value of a business or a proposition; expressing in careers such as accounting, computer, technology and law as well as using abstract symbols to represent concrete subjects and concept Armstrong (1999: 99) recommends several tactics used in

solving problem “find analogies; separate various part of a problem; propose

the possible solution and then work backward"

Musical Intelligence is the ability perceives and appreciates the rhythm, pitch and melody This intelligence is shown in listening and responding with the interest to a variety of sounds including the human voice, environmental sounds, and music, and organizes such sounds into meaningful patterns; performing a musical piece; singing a song; reviewing a musical work; developing the ability to sing or play the musical instruments; specifying mood music for telephone systems and receptions Up to now several researchers have studied about the effects of music in classroom such as Rauscher, Shaw and Ky (1997), Benenzon (1995) It can be seen that development of musical intelligence in the classroom can help students concentrate more, stimulate the creative process and foster the relaxation

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence refers to the ability to use the body to express yourself for example; gestures are movements of to communicate an idea,

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intention or feeling Other activities are involved including role plays, drama, games, project work, model building or physical exercises This intelligence is performed in demonstrating skill in acting, athletics, dancing, and sewing, carving or keyboarding Phenix (1964:165) explains about the importance of

movement in every human activity “To be alive is able to respond to be moved

and to move All perceptions of surrounding world are accompanied by motor reactions No instrument is as elaborative, sensitive and responsive as the human body” Kellerrnan (1992) proposed the use of video-recorded

interactions in order to improve listening comprehension skill

The Spatial-Visual Intelligence is the ability to perceive all of the elements including shape, size, form, color, line and space which are very necessary to create metal images of something This ability is learned through seeing and observing as well as visual images are used to a aid in recalling information Many activities are proposed for the Spatial-Visual Intelligence, for instance designing a costume; interpreting a painting; creating a room layout , a corporate logo; designing a building; packing a suitcase or the boot of a car and reproducing objects in visual form The view of Tomlinson (1998) about the relationship between reading comprehension and metal images was that when metal images are used systematically they will become a remarkably useful strategy, because the visualizing while trying to understand a context is really important for meaning making

Interpersonal Intelligence is the ability to understand other people’s perspectives, to harmonize with others, to work cooperatively and communicate effectively as well as to convince others in order to achieve personal purposes Hymes (1971) and Canale and Swain (1980) supposed that language learning is

a social process which has a main goal of development communicative competence Vygotsky (1978) emphasized that learning is shaped and influenced by social interactions Casal (2002), who had a total agreement about application in the classroom, proposed that cooperative learning is a good method which helps to develop this intelligence in language classroom Some

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activities are used to examine this intelligence such as interpreting moods from facial expressions; demonstrating feelings through body language; affecting the feelings of others in a planned way; coaching or counseling another person; forming and maintaining the social relationship Besides it is the ability of co-operate and co-work with other people with several other activities for instance working in groups, teams or pairs

Intrapersonal Intelligence gives us the capacity to understand the internal aspects of the self and to practice the self-discipline Understanding your capacity and limitation to optimize personal performance is one of tremendous opportunities of learning style research applied to language learning (Christison, 1999; Reid, 1995, 1998) Language learning tasks for this ability including asking learners to think the color, size and texture which express their feeling or reading activities where students to develop their attitude towards a problem (Robles, 2002) There are numerous activities relating to Intrapersonal Intelligence, for instance, considering and deciding one's own aims and personal changes required to achieve them (not necessarily reveal this to others); and deciding options for development; considering and decide one's own position in relation to the Emotional Intelligence model (being aware of a wide range of emotion); identifying and pursuing one’s goals

Naturalist Intelligence is the ability to discriminate among a variety flora and fauna, enjoyment the natural world and ecological sensitivity (Arnold and Fonseca: 2004) Several activities are used to measure this ability such as recognizing and name many kinds of the trees, flowers and animals; describing the process of recycling or tasks involving direct field observation and classification of vegetables and animals; having an interest in and good knowledge of how the body works and keeps health issues; being conscious of tracks, nests, and wildlife even on a walk and can “read” weather signs; having

an interest in the main global environmental issues

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As Armstrong clarifies (2009), each person has different capacities in various intelligences which are outlined above (2.1); however, they function together in different ways that are unique to each It is really interesting to define that intelligences can be associated and related to the key competences in a rather direct way As an example, mathematical competence has the relationship to the use of logical-mathematical intelligence, knowledge of interaction with the physical world can be linked to visual spatial and also naturalistic intelligences, competence in social skills and citizenship is associated with interpersonal intelligence, autonomy and personal initiative in addition to learning to learn competence can be related to the use of intrapersonal intelligence, and cultural and artistic competence-to musical intelligence (Curso, 2012) Varied tasks which require different intelligences an actually trigger the enhancement of the key competences As a result, MI-based activities, in theory, could actually bring to EFL classroom double advantage, both allowing students to use their personal strengths and private intelligences and also develop new ones, alongside improving their proficiency in English As Rubado (2002) proposes,

if using of strong points in the process of learning would be made, students could more easily realize that they are all smart and intelligent in many ways as well as they explore their own potentials, which would also help them to become more motivated and enjoy themselves in classes

According to Sam and Lunenburg (2004), by using the multiple intelligences approach in your classroom, the teacher will provide opportunities for authentic learning based on his/her students’ needs, interests, and talents The multiple

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intelligences classroom acts like the “real” world For example, the author and the illustrator of a book or the actor and the set builder in a play are equally valuable creators Students become more active, involved learners Teachers and students come to view intellectual ability more broadly Drawing a picture, composing or listening to music, sculpting an object, watching a performance, writing a poem, passage about the lesson, participating role play-these activities can be vital learning experiences These activities will provide students with opportunities to show all of their strengths as well as their full potentials Moreover, the lessons seem to be more fascinating, interesting and exciting, avoid boredom There are many ways to apply multiple intelligences theory in the classroom

Silver, Strong and Perini (1997: 24) insist that exploiting MI in classroom minimizes potential limitations and stimulate students’ abilities, therefore, enhance productivity as a result of increasing motivation Pokey (2003), suggest that using MI stands for a positive change not only as far as students are concerned, but also for teachers

Discussing about applying MI theory in education, Armstrong (2009) states that

MI theory opens the door to a wide range of teaching strategies that can be easily implemented in the classroom In many cases, they are strategies that have been used for decades by good teachers In other cases, the theory of multiple intelligences offers teachers an opportunity to develop innovative teaching strategies that are relatively new to the educational scene MI theory suggests that no one set of teaching strategies will work best for all students at all times All children have different proclivities in the eight intelligences, so any particular strategy is likely to be highly successful with one group of students and less successful with other groups For example, teachers who use the Rhythms, Songs, Raps, and Chants strategy discussed in this chapter as a pedagogical tool will probably find that musically inclined students respond while nonmusical students remain unmoved Similarly, the use of pictures and images in teaching will reach students who are more spatially oriented but

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Sam and Lunenburg (2004) claim that at all levels of education, teachers explore more effective methods of assessment which encourage their students

to demonstrate understanding through multiple intelligences Elementary students compose and perform songs about grammar concepts Middle school students create multimedia presentations combining animations, compositions, and writing to accommodate interdisciplinary units High school students demonstrate mastery of self-developed research questions through art, writing portfolios, and delivering presentations to education stakeholders During a writing unit, cooperative learning groups help edit other students’ essays

2.1.4 MI in teaching and learning English

There is numerous evidence that students and schools that are influenced by Multiple Intelligence theory effectively (Garner 2006:83) If teachers have good understanding of the theory, they, of course, understand better about their learners Therefore, they can allow the learners to safely explore their own strengths and teachers can help their learners to be in control of their own learning (Guignon, 1998)

The main goal of MI in teaching is to encourage students to deeply understand the matter and strengthen solving-problem ability Classroom activities often activate more than one of the Multiple Intelligences For example, consider the following classroom activities:

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Writing passage, report, journal or essay is one of the best ways to activates Linguistic Intelligence Armstrong (2009) suggested writing a poem about the next summer holiday which is contributed by a group and each person writes a line Moreover, reading passages or stories and discussing about any problems

to find out the solutions relate to the Linguistic Intelligence In these exercises, students can express their use of language and knowledge of linguistics

Different studies carried out by Simeon (1995) and Mettetal, Jordan & Harper (1997) prove that students, teachers and parents tend to show a very positive attitude towards the idea of implementing MI-based activities in classroom with the aim of improving students’ English proficiency Broderick and Allen (2000) offer a model for practical application of MI-based tasks to teaching in general

Composing a song is an active activity to not only promote Musical but also Linguistic Intelligences This activity makes a great contribution for students to create most effectively In addition, musical melodies will definitely brings learners lessons more interesting and fully exciting A suggestion for Armstrong (2009) is that making a rap or a song about summer

Group discussion has been growing in the enormous popularity in order to

activate linguistic and interpersonal intelligences “Having a group discussion

about what you think make a great summer and collect a spokesperson to summarize your conclusion in font of class”, another suggestion from

Armstrong (2009)

Making a video is combination many Intelligences such as Logical- Mathematical, Musical, Linguistic, Interpersonal, and Spatial Intelligences Putting on a play also enhances several Intelligences including Musical, Linguistic, Interpersonal and Spatial Role play is another activity which requires numerous Intelligences such as Kinesthetic, Linguistic, interpersonal Within language teaching, it is fair to say that role play is used to relatively little and where it is used it is essentially considered for a fun activity which brings psychological and tactical benefits (Skelton, Hammond, Wiskin,

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There is much evidence that schools influenced by Multiple Intelligence theory are effective (Gardner 2006:83) and with an understanding of theory teachers can better understand the learner They can allow students to safely discover their strengths and their full potentials as well as learn in many ways and they can help their students to be in control of their own learning (Guignon 1998, March 12)

It is very common that schools have been emphasizing the reading skill, writing skill and grammar in learning teaching Multiple Intelligence theory opens the door to the variety of teaching strategies which can easily be applied in the language classroom It gives teachers opportunities to wide modern teaching strategies by using various assignments and activities (Armstrong 2000:51) These new strategies brought students many ways to acquire knowledge subconsciously and effectively It means students were not aware that they were learning, their learning lessons seemed to have been relaxing and less stressful

Teachers have to use many different strategies and activities to meet all needs

of students and stimulate their full potentials The theory can be used in different ways in entire school systems This method offers opportunities for students to use and to develop all of the intelligences It also offers different

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learning styles and methods as well as various activities Each of intelligence is prospective in every learner and it is the part of the teacher’s job to look after and help children to develop their own intelligences (Nolan 2003: 119)

Armstrong (2000:51) states that as long as teachers use a range of different intelligences There are 8 Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom a number of ways of introducing the model or of following up your five minute introduction with reinforcing activities and supplementary experiences

It is interesting to find that many different methods have the close the relationship with Multiple Intelligences such as Silent Way, Total Physical Response or The Communicative Approach For example the Silent Way emphasizes the development of students’ inner thinking (Intrapersonal Intelligence) Total Physical Response improves learning through physical actions (Body-Kinesthetic Intelligence) The Communicative Approach and cooperative stress the the necessarily relationships among people (Interpersonal Intelligence) (Lin 2005 March 12)

2.2 Autonomy

In theory, we may define autonomy as the freedom and ability to manage one’s own affairs, which entails the right to make decisions as well (Scharle and Szabo: 2000) To get any achievements, the autonomy plays an important role

in successful progress Having discussed about this issue, Scharle and Szabo (2000) state that some degree of autonomy is also essential to successful language learning No matter how much students learn through the lessons, there is always plenty more they will need to learn by practice, on their own Also the changing needs of learners will require them to go back to learning several times in their lives: then again, they will need to be able to study on their own The best way for them to prepare this task is to help them become more autonomous

There have existed a large literature on autonomy in language learning until to

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now, with Holec (1981) commonly cited as a seminal contribution to the field Benson (2011) provides a comprehensive analysis of key issues in learner autonomy, while there have also been a number of edited collections dedicated

to the topic (Barfield & Brown, 2007; Benson, 2007b; Benson & Voller, 1997; Lamb & Reinders, 2008; Little, Ridley, & Ushioda, 2003; Palfreyman & Smith, 2003; Pemberton, Li, Or, & Pierson, 1996; Pemberton, Toogood, & Barfield, 2009; Sinclair, McGrath, & Lamb, 2000; Vieira, 2009)

Learner autonomy was first defined by Holec (1979) He describes an autonomous learner in various aspects An autonomous learner is capable of determining the objectives; defining the contents and progressions; selecting methods and techniques to be used; monitoring the procedure of acquisition properly speaking (rhythm, time place, etc) and evaluating what has been acquired (p 3)

Studying about this issue but Sinclair (2000) suggests 13 other characteristics

of learner autonomy which appear to have been recognized and broadly accepted by the language teaching profession including autonomy is a construct

of capacity; autonomy involves a willingness on the part of the learner to take responsibility for their own learning; the capacity and willingness of learners to take such responsibility is not necessarily innate; complete autonomy is an idealistic goal; there are degrees of autonomy; the degrees of autonomy are unstable and variable; autonomy is not simply a matter of placing learners in situations where they have to be independent; developing autonomy requires conscious awareness of the learning process for instance, conscious reflection and decision-making; promoting autonomy is not simply a matter of teaching strategies; autonomy can take place both inside and outside the classroom; autonomy has a social as well as an individual dimension; the promotion of autonomy has a political as well as psychological dimension; autonomy is interpreted differently by different cultures

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2.2.1 Definitions

One of the earliest definitions by Holec (1981) characterizes autonomy as “the

ability to take charge of one’s own learning” (p.3) As Benson (2006) notes,

variants on this definition appear in the literature, with ‘ability’ sometimes replaced with ‘capacity’ (for example, in Little, 1991) and ‘take responsibility for’ or ‘take control of substituting for ‘take charge of Some definitions (e.g Dam, 1995) also include the notion of ‘willingness’ to stress the point that irrespective of their capacity, learners will not develop autonomy unless they are willing to take responsibility for their learning These broad understandings

of what learner autonomy is, then, seem to be well-established in the literature (but see also Benson, 1996 for an analysis of the complexities involved in defining what learner autonomy means); additionally, following Little (1991) some accounts of learner autonomy start by defining what it is not

Learner autonomy has been a central topic of many discussions for a long time Therefore, definitions of learner autonomy have of course varied The author will give a summary of typical definitions

Thansoulas (2000) cited from Holec (1982) about the autonomy’s qualification that someone qualifies as an autonomous learner when he independently chooses aims and purposes and sets goals; chooses materials, methods and tasks; exercises choice and purpose in organizing and carrying out the chosen tasks; and chooses criteria for evaluation In general, autonomous learners are regularly active in choosing their own appropriate strategies and scheduling the detailed learning plan

Having discussed about typical characteristics of autonomy, Little (1991) claims that autonomous learners have the capacity to determine realistic and reachable goals, select appropriate methods and techniques to be used, monitor their own learning process, and evaluate the progress of their own learning

(Deci & Ryan, 1985; Bandura, 1989; Doyal & Gough, 1991) give out their

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perspectives about autonomous learners is that autonomous people are intrinsically motivated, perceived themselves to be in control of their decision-making, take responsibility for the outcomes of their actions and have confidence in themselves Autonomous learners seems to be interested in their own learning process, in improving their knowledge as well as they regularly inspire themselves to learn better

One of the most well-known definitions of autonomy was reported by Holec (1981:3), who considers autonomy to be “the ability to take charge of one’s own learning” Another key contribution to autonomy, inspired by the work of

Holec (1981), was reported by Little (1991), who claims that “autonomy is a

capacity for detachment, critical reflection, decision making, and independent action.” For Little (1991), this capacity includes the planning, monitoring, and

evaluating of learning activities and involves both the content and process of learning

Several other works, for instance, those from Dickinson (1987), Little (1991), Pennycook (1997), Benson & Voller (1997), Benson (2001), Nicolaides & Fernandes (2002), and Littlewood (1996) have also contributed to the discussions about autonomy Dickinson’s work (1987: 27), for example

approaches autonomy as “a mode of learning- one in which the individual is

responsible for all the decisions connected with her learning, and undertakes the implementation of these decisions”

The assumptions presented by Holec (1981), Little (1991), and Dickinson (1987) represent the highest degree of autonomy, which enables the learner to choose what, how, and when to learn, with no external constraints, such as those of formal education This idea is discussed by Crabbe’s (1993) ideological argument:

“The individual has the right to be free to exercise his or her own choices as in other areas, and not become a victim (even if an unwitting one) of choices made by social

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institutions” (p 443)

This definition matches explanation of autonomy with expression - “the ability

to act and make decisions without being controlled by anyone else” printed in

the Oxford advanced learner’s Dictionary (AS Horn by 8th

edition)

Freire (1997) considers autonomy as the learner’s capacity and freedom to construct and reconstruct the knowledge taught Although the concept of freedom remains as a core issue, Freire does not disregard the importance of the teachers whose role, in his view, is not to transmit knowledge, but to create new realms of possibility for students to produce and construct knowledge

2.2.2 The role of autonomy in learning

Obviously, autonomy has had a great contribution to learning process, therefore, it there have been a variety of educators and researchers who studies about the relationship between autonomy and learning

Some degree of autonomy is also essential to successful language learning No matter how much students learn through the lessons, there is always plenty more they will need to learn by practice, on their own Also the changing needs

of learners will require them to go back to learning several times in their lives: then again, they will need to be able to study on their own The best way for them to prepare this task is to help them become more autonomous.(Scharle & Szabo : 2000)

In Borg and Al-Busaidi’ ELT Reearch Paper about Learner Autonomy: English Language Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices, the result of the questionnaire, 93.4 per cent of the teachers agreed that learner autonomy has a positive effect on success as a language learner, while 85.2 per cent agreed that learner autonomy allows language learners to learn more effectively than they otherwise would Overall, then, the teachers expressed strong positive views about the contribution of learner autonomy to language learning In the interviews some

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people asked the teachers to elaborate on these positive views and they suggested a number of relationships between learner autonomy and successful language learning These are listed below with a supporting quote after each

First of all, autonomous learners are more motivated effectively It not only is very important but also has a huge effect on motivation Moreover, the more autonomous the learners are, the more motivated they are More particularly, learner autonomy affects their ability to learn the language as well as to learn numerous other things in their life

Secondly, normally autonomous learners are more committed In traditional lessons, teachers give students the information and necessary explanations, which are useful for learning process However, involving the students into the lessons meant that they are more committed to it when they could identify with what they are doing because they have decided it Instead of listening negatively, participating the lesson actively makes students be more responsible for their learning process as well as the autonomy is remarkable stimulated It is the actively learning participation that helps students learn more effectively and stimulate the autonomy more

In addition, autonomous learners are happier When the learners are in charge they know what they are doing and on a day-to-day basis, or task-by-task basis understand why they are doing something, why it is important to them, then they are going to be happier learners and they’re going to be more motivated, and more willing to do what is necessary to reach their goals

Moreover, autonomous learners benefit from learning opportunities outside the classroom It is commonly known that classroom time is not enough, therefore, using some additional opportunities outside the classroom like watching TV, reading books, reading the website, and just communicating with people, just involving themselves in different activities, so just working autonomously, it will have more positive effects on them as a language learner, so definitely it

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will bring students to a successful career as a language learner

Last but not least, autonomous learners take more risks Students would decide

to do things that maybe the teacher would never dream that they could do, maybe it is not perfect; however, it shows that in the long run they seem to develop a much more sophisticated use of the language

A number of the benefits of learner autonomy noted here have been discussed

in the literature; the link between learner autonomy and motivation is one in particular that has been the focus of much discussion Benson’s (2001: 86)

review of this issue concludes that “the link between autonomy and motivation

is well-established at a theoretical level ”, although the precise nature of this

link is a focus of continuing empirical activity (see Ushioda, 2011 for a more recent discussion)

2.2.3 Principles of autonomy

According to Little (1991), principles may be suggested to express the characterization of an autonomous learner in language classroom 1 learner empowerment, 2 reflectivity, and 3 appropriate target language use

The first principle Little (1991) defined is principle of learner empowerment It entails that teachers bring their learners to accept responsibility for their own learning A truly dialogic process entails joint exploration: teacher’s understanding should grow along with that of their learners If it does not, that

is a sure sign that teachers are standing outside the process, going through the motions rather than engaging with their teaching in the way that they demand their learners should engage with their learning Teacher should guide or give the instruction if students get stuck in challenging situations and then give students time to complete, never correct immediately when students cannot do the tasks

The principle of reflectivity is one of the most important principles for

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autonomy’s characteristics It is already implied by the principle of learner empowerment In the autonomous language classroom, reflection begins as a collaborative activity in which teacher and learners seek to make explicit their joint understanding of the process they are engaged in Reflection must be pursued as a routine that retains this meaning because the scope of the learners’ responsibility is always expanding outwards, which means that the reach of their reflection is always being extended Reflection on the learning process is another key component of learner autonomy By reflecting on the learning process, learners become more aware of how and why they choose the methods and strategies they use in different projects, and for solving different tasks Being aware of the learning process helps makes them autonomous (Turloiu & Stefansdottir, 2011) It is the awareness of the learning process that brings the opportunities for students to “understand” themselves about what materials, what strategies or what schedules which are truly appropriate to them

According to Clark (1997), reflection is unlikely to progress far without the support of writing because of several following reasons: It is by writing things down that we provide ourselves with something to reflect on in the first place; It

is easier for teachers to step back from their own utterances and thoughts when they have been written down; The reflective process itself is greatly facilitated

if teachers use written notes to help them work out what they think When reflection is explicitly focused on the learning process, it is likely to take

account of motivation and affect; but it should always try to focus on the specific quality of the experience that gave rise to positive or negative feelings For that is how learners gradually become aware that a growing capacity for metacognitive control nurtures intrinsic motivation

The last principle is the principle of appropriate target language use It requires that from the earlier stages teachers must engage their learners in forms of exploratory dialogue that require them to use the target language to express their own meanings Using target language in communicating with other students by exchanging the daily conversations or academic written forms or

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using the target language as much as possible is also useful for students’ learning process and even improve the learners’ autonomy They must help students to construct and maintain multiple scaffolding in writing and in speech; and they must include in appropriate target language use the activities required by the principle of reflectivity

The three principles of learner empowerment, reflectivity, and target language use do not refer to three discrete aspects of the language teaching-learning process Rather, they offer three closely related perspectives on one holistic phenomenon, the web of pedagogical dialogue that is partly in interaction between the participants in the process and partly in each participant’s head Their consistent and sustained pursuit produces a learning community in which teaching is learning, learning involves teaching, and language learning is inseparable from language use In an autonomous classroom the starting point is not the textbook but the learners It should be considered that each member of the class has interests, and emotional as well as educational and communicative needs It should be considered that learning is not a simple matter of the unidirectional transmission of knowledge, skills, and expertise On the contrary,

it is a bidirectional process, for anything can only be learned in terms of what

we already know Learning is also a messy and indeterminate process, impossible to control except in rather superficial ways Learner autonomy comes into play as learners begin to accept responsibility for their own learning But they can do this only within the limits imposed by what they already know and what they have already become What is called the textbook approach to language teaching involves learning “from the outside in”; the textbook author’s meanings are first learnt and then gradually adapted to the learners’ own Inonu University Journal of the Faculty of Education The autonomous approach, by contrast, insists that language is learnt partly “from the inside out”, as learners attempt to express their own meanings for their own learning purposes (Dam, 1995) In the autonomous approach, learning is anchored in the achieved identity of the individual learner and the interactive processes by which learners collaboratively construct their shared learning space

Tiêu đề	MI Based Teaching and Its Effects on EFL High School Students’ Autonomy
Người hướng dẫn	Dr. Tran Thi Ngoc Yen, Supervisor
Trường học	Vinh University
Chuyên ngành	English Language Teaching
Thể loại	Research Paper
Năm xuất bản	2023
Thành phố	Vinh

Định dạng
Số trang	143
Dung lượng	1,73 MB