The impact of think pair share strategy in improving english majored students’ speaking skill

Trang 1 BANKING ACADEMY OF VIETNAM FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES GRADUATION THESIS THE IMPACT OF THINK-PAIR-SHARE STRATEGY IN IMPROVING ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILL Supervisor

BANKING ACADEMY OF VIETNAM FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

GRADUATION THESIS

THE IMPACT OF THINK-PAIR-SHARE STRATEGY

IN IMPROVING ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS’

SPEAKING SKILL

Supervisor : Ms Tran Thi Thu Thuy (M.A)

Student’s name: Do Thi Quynh Trang Class : K22ATCA

Student code : 22A7510019

Hanoi, May 2023

DECLARATIONS

I declare that the thesis entitled “The Impact of Think Pair Share Strategy (TPS) in Improving English-majored Students’ Speaking Skill” is my own research work, not copied from anyone else, which I have researched, read, translated, synthesized and performed by myself The theoretical content in the thesis I used some references as presented in the references section The data, software program and results in the thesis are honest and have not been published in any other works

Hanoi, 22nd May, 2023

Do Thi Quynh Trang

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To everyone who helped me successfully complete my thesis, I would want to offer my profound gratitude I was able to accomplish the most challenging assignment during my four years of university because to everyone's assistance, direction, and support during

my studies

First of all, I want to express my sincerest thanks to the instructor, Ms Tran Thi Thu Thuy She eagerly provided me with the knowledge I needed right away and diligently edited as I conducted my investigation This thesis would not have been possible without her committed oversight and direction

Next, I would want to express my sincere gratitude to each and every survey respondent

I could not have finished my research without their support and assistance

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to my family and all my friends who have supported and encouraged me as I have worked to finish my thesis

2.2.2 Role of Think- Pair-Share strategy in teaching and learning English 12 2.2.3 Role of Think-pair-share strategy in improving speaking skill 13 2.2.4 Techniques of applying Think-pair-share strategy in English speaking class 14

2.3 Previous studies of Think Pair Share strategy related to speaking skills 15

4.1 Students’ attitudes toward using Think-Pair-Share strategy in speaking class 23

4.1.2 The interest of students in Think-pair-share strategy 24

4.2 Students’ attitude on effectiveness of Think-Pair-Share strategy in speaking

4.2.3 The effectiveness of using Think-pair-share strategy in speaking class 27

4.3 Students’ difficulties in deploying the Think-Pair-Share strategy 33

4.3.1 Students’ difficulties in following steps when using Think-Pair-Share strategy

33 4.3.2 Teachers’ instruction with Think-Pair-Share strategy in class 35

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 4.1 The students who have used Think-Pair-Share strategy in

Speaking I Figure 4.2 Students’ attitudes toward Think-Pair-Share strategy in speaking

class Figure 4.3 Students’ attitudes toward speaking English when using Think-

pair share strategy Figure 4.4 Vocabulary improvement when using Think-Pair-Share strategy in

speaking class Figure 4.5 The improvement of students when using Think-Pair-Share

strategy Figure 4.6 Confidence and social skill enhancement when using Think-Pair-

Share strategy Figure 4.7 Students’ difficulties when using Think-Pair-Share strategy

Figure 4.8 The frequency of teacher giving clear instruction with

Think-Pair-Share Figure 4.9 The frequency of teacher giving enough time for Think-Pair-Share Figure 4.10 10 Students’ viewpoint on the amount of time spending on

activities using Think-Pair-Share strategy

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1 Dörnyei and Scott’ (1995) Taxonomy of Speaking Strategies

Categories Table 4.2 Reliability Statistics

Table 4.3 Item-Total Statistics

The title of the thesis: The Impact of Think Pair Share Strategy (TPS) in Improving

English-majored Students’ Speaking Skill

Author: Do Thi Quynh Trang, student of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Banking

Academy of Vietnam

Advisor: Mrs Tran Thi Thu Thuy (M.A)

Key words: speaking skill, Think-Pair-Share strategy, impact, speaking I,

English-majored students

Abstract: Nowadays, English is present everywhere and plays an important role in daily

life from communication to opportunities in studying, working, expanding relationships

to business cooperation business… In which, speaking skill is often recognized as an important and essential skill of the process of learning foreign languages in general and

English in particular

This study was done to find out the effectiveness of Think Pair Share strategy in improving students’ speaking skill, and students’ attitudes toward the strategy This tactic highlights the increased engagement of students in classroom English-language communication Primary data was collected through questionnaires and interviews This was used to analyze their interests, as well as difficulties related to implementing TPS strategy which can help students improve their speaking skill To overcome these difficulties, the writer proposes some recommendations that can assist teachers and students to utilize the full potential of the Think-Pair-Share strategy Research findings

to show Think-Pair-Share strategy’s effectiveness for collaborative learning, enhanced engagement and ensuring wider student participation as well as improved understanding, comprehension skill development amongst others

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

In the modern era, English is crucial In addition to its use in science and technology, people use English as a communication tool in economics, politics, social issues, trade, multilateral relations, and for job promotion According to the British Council (2010, p 3), "English is critical for countries' successful participation in the global economy, that

it provides individuals with access to crucial knowledge, skills, and employment opportunities, and that it enables organizations to create and sustain international links." The Vietnamese government therefore focuses on the objective of enhancing students' proficiency in all English language abilities, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking, due to its significance in this globalized world Speaking is the main skill compared to other skills, such as writing, reading, and listening Speaking is the main language because it shows people’s language measurement (Shteiwi & Hamuda, 2016) Besides, speaking is important for the students to master because it can make the students communicate easily (Nazara, 2011)

There are a number of problems that hinder students' communication when students practice speaking in class, which are low self-esteem, lack of topical knowledge, inactive participation and use of mother tongue in communication For students to master their speaking skills, many learning and teaching methods have been applied By still making reference to the course material and learning objectives, this teaching style teaches students how to voice their opinions and how to respect those of others The Think Pair Share strategy aims to change how students interact The students express their thoughts

to other students more easily Svinicki and Janes (2011) contend that students feel more

at ease participating in a broad discussion of a subject when using the Think-Pair-Share strategy Additionally, according to Zaim and Radjab (2004), the Think-Pair-Share strategy allows students to develop their speaking abilities while they are learning They

become more active in thinking and discussion process with the problems that the teacher presents in the lesson

Moreover, when applying the keyword “think-pair-share” on Google, there are 644,000,000 results in 0,42 seconds It includes 41,200,000 videos about the technique, which show how Think-pair-share works and its impacts All the results have appeared years ago, which shows that it has a history and its own effects on students’ learning English process Accordingly, it is essential to conduct this study in order to understand students’ awareness about this technique as well as its difficulties when using Think-pair-share strategy and its effectiveness in improving speaking skill

English-majored students in Banking Academy of Vietnam are required to enhance both language skills and knowledge related to economy However, they likewise encountered the same challenges as many ESL students when it runs into speaking skills One of the issues is that students find it difficult to express themselves in English, they feel afraid

of their peers making fun of them, they have trouble choosing the appropriate words to use when speaking, and they have trouble pronouncing words correctly Moreover, the study explores English majors' attitude toward think-pair-share strategy well as its positive effects on their speaking skill

1.2 Research objectives

The research examines the effect of the think-pair-share strategy on students' speaking skills and their perspectives on this strategy as well as difficulties when applying this method of studying in the classroom

1.3 Research questions

This study is conducted to find the answers for these main questions below:

1 What are students’ attitudes toward Think-pair-share strategy in speaking class?

2 What is the effectiveness of Think-pair-share strategy in improving English speaking skill in Speaking I ?

3 What are the difficulties when students use Think-pair-share strategy?

1.4 Significance of the study

Some stakeholders could find the research to be important The research findings are expected to make a meaningful contribution both for lecturers and students First of all, English-major students at Banking Academy of Vietnam can hope to get a new strategy,

a variation in their learning activities that can help them improve their speaking abilities Secondly, lecturers and educators in the field of EFL can get a better understanding of their students toward the use of Think-Pair-Share strategy in speaking class The findings from the research are expected to provide an effective way or technique for teaching speaking skill, which lectures can consider to let students practice more in class Moreover, the research findings will also enrich the previous theories and research findings about EFL English skills, especially speaking skills The results can also offer some ideas for ongoing research and development projects

1.5 Scope and limitation of the study

The research only examines and surveys English-major students who have finished Speaking I of Faculty of Foreign Languages at Banking Academy of Vietnam The sample size is small because of time constraints and the number of students The study examines how well the think-pair-share strategy impacts participants and the difficulties they encounter when using it

1.6 Structure of the study

The research includes 5 chapters:

Chapter 1 contains a summary of the rationale for choosing the subject, as well as the study's aims, scopes and limitations, and structure

Chapter 2 provides a review of related literature on the concept of speaking skill as well

as the definition of think-pair-share strategy, its implementing procedures, and the effectiveness of this strategy in speaking class

Chapter 3 explains the research methodology in terms of research locales, research design, participants, data collection, research instrument, and statistical treatment Chapter 4 displays and discusses the findings and results of the research

Chapter 5, which is the final part of this study report, summarizes the findings and offers

a number of comments and recommendations for additional research

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Speaking skill

2.1.1 Definition of speaking

Speaking is a way for people to interact and share ideas with one another in order to accomplish a goal or to talk about or share opinions about the environment (Raba, 2017) People are able to determine whether a communication will go well and the listener will grasp what the speaker says by speaking in order to activate the speech organ

According to Tarigan (1990), speaking is a language skill that develops in childhood as

a result of listening ability Speaking ability is thus developed during this time Speaking

is one of the four fundamental talents that students should master, according to the Competence-Based Curriculum It plays a crucial part in communication Speaking occurs during the spoken cycle, particularly at the stage of joint text construction Wilson (1983) defined speaking as the growth of the speaker-listener connection Choosing which logical, linguistic, psychological, and physical norms to use in a particular communication context is another important consideration It implies that communicating is speaking primary goal

According to Brown (1994), speaking is an interactive process of building meaning that involves the production, reception, and processing of information The context includes the individuals themselves, their shared experiences, the physical environment, and the purposes for speaking It frequently evolves, is open-ended, and spontaneous In order

to speak, students must not only be linguistically competent in terms of grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary, but also sociolinguistically competent in terms of knowing when, why, and how to use language

2.1.3 Speaking skill

Speaking skill is the ability to use language to communicate verbally or non-verbal in different contexts, which can be improved through language learning (Tambunan, 2018)

As a skill, speaking is part of the four language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and is also known as productive skill where the main point of speaking skill

is verbal communication (productive skill)

According to Cameron (2001), speaking is a productive skill in the organs of speech to express meaningwhich can be directly and empirically observed

People are able to communicate effectively thanks to speaking skills These skills allow the speaker, to convey his message in a passionate, thoughtful, and convincing manner Speaking skills also help to assure that one will not be misunderstood by those who are listening

2.1.2 The importance of speaking skill

In order to express opinions and learn about others' ideas, people communicate with one another People are unable to communicate with one another without words Speaking is considered to be the most crucial of the four essential language skills for learning a foreign or second language Students will be judged upon most in real life situations through their speaking skills (Brown & Yuke, 1983) Speaking and writing are categorized as productive skills, according to Ku nierek (2015) On the other hand, reading and listening are considered receptive skills because they require receiving messages However, in language training, some language usage skills receive greater attention than others Students use the language verbally in communication Students that are proficient in verbal language use will be considered to be good language learners Speaking has therefore evolved into one of the most important productive language learning skills and is given top emphasis in language instruction

There are large numbers of researchers which try to classify the purposes of speaking in human communication The useful distinction between speaking's transactional functions, which concentrate on the exchange of information, and its interactional functions, which serve to develop social relationships (Brown & Yule, 1983) According

to Richard (2008), there are three-part versions of Brown and Yule’s framework: talk as

interaction, talk as transaction and talk as performance Each of these discourse activities was different from each other in terms of procedure, meaning and essential different teaching approaches Students cannot make interaction verbally in their settings in an oral mood unless they master speaking skills

2.1.4 Speaking skill aspects

In speaking there are several aspect that need to be understood According to Brown (2004) there are several descriptions of speaking

2.1.4.1 Fluency

According to Richards, Platt, and Weber (1985), fluency is the set of characteristics that give speech the properties of being naturally normal These characteristics include native uses of pauses, rhythm, intonation, stress, tempo of speech, and interjection and interruption usage Speaking freely and continuously is referred to as being fluent When evaluating a student's fluency during the teaching and learning process, the teacher offers them complete freedom to express themselves without interruption

Clear and comfortable communication amongst students is the aim The teacher does not correct immediately away on the grounds that excessive correcting obstructs conversation flow

to create all grammatically sound or properly formed phrases in the language (Purpura, 2004) Additionally, grammar is the set of rules that allow us to organize the words in our language into larger units, according to Greenbaum and Nelson (2002)

Thus, it can be inferred from the aforementioned statements that the purpose of grammar

is to arrange the correct meaning of sentences based on context It is also used to prevent misunderstandings among communicators

2.1.4.3 Pronunciation

The way in which a word or a language is spoken is known as pronunciation Speaking clearly is crucial to ensuring that others can understand what is being stated The ability

to pronounce English words correctly cannot be attained by comprehending a collection

of individual sounds or syllables Instead, it entails learning and perfecting the specific technique for making a speaker's thoughts easy to comprehend (Gilbert, 2008) Aside from segmental articulation, rhythm, intonation, and phrasing, pronunciation also includes, to a lesser extent, gesture, body language, and eye contact These characteristics of speech all contribute to a stream of speech that flows naturally (Fraser, 2001)

English-2.1.4.4 Comprehension

The ability or action of understanding something is called comprehension Harmers (1998) asserts that because each person possesses a distinct body of knowledge, speaking

to one another is necessary if two people are to interact and communicate But if there is

a "gap" in their communication, it will not work because they are still confused of what they are saying As a result, comprehensibility refers to the process by which the listener comprehends the speaker's remarks The ability of the speaker and listener to understand one another is referred to as speech comprehension Also referred to as comprehension

is the capacity to understand both spoken and written language

2.1.5 Difficulties in learning speaking skills

Krashen (1982) claims that a wide range of affective elements have a role in the acquisition of second languages However, the most commonly seen elements are motivation, self-confidence, and anxiousness Oxford (1990), who asserts that the students' perspective was one of the main reasons for their failure, gave additional

evidence in support of this ESL students may find it challenging to become motivated, grow in self-assurance, and become less anxious As anxiety levels grow, motivation and self-assurance drop, which in turn impacts how well they function These aspects are typically intertwined Therefore, the main obstacle stopping ESL students from using the target language, especially in a speaking classroom, is a high level of nervousness Inhibition is yet another challenge faced by ESL students Because they worry about being judged by others, students frequently worry about making mistakes As a result, they felt awkward speaking a foreign language As a result, they are discouraged from trying to speak the target language (Tuan & Mai, 2015) Ansari's (2015) research, which suggested that the students shied away from speaking in class because of fear of being teased by their peers, supported this result Students that are inhibited in class are less engaged Since they lack the skills to communicate themselves, the pupils are also worried about their poor knowledge Ansari (2015) and Tuan and Mai (2015) stressed that learners with low motivation were unable to express themselves because they were unable to compose whole sentences, even when they had ideas for what to say in their mother tongue This concern was mirrored by these researchers This situation resulted

in the students becoming inactive in the classroom as well because they were unable to participate effectively owing to a lack of language awareness

2.1.6 Speaking strategies and speaking approach

Speaking strategies are those devices used by students to solve any communication problem when speaking in English According to O’Malley and Chamot (1990, p.43), speaking strategies are crucial because they help foreign language learners “in negotiating meaning where either linguistic structures or sociolinguistic rules are not shared between a second language learner and a speaker of the target language” It was suggested to conduct a study based specifically on the speaking skill strategies at the basic level in order to support and enhance student oral participation because speaking

is one of the major challenges for a basic student and causes student frustration from the

start of the degree Using learning strategies, according to MacIntyre and Gardner (Murrieta & Hernández 2012, p 15), lowers the level of anxiety that is a common reaction during these early stages Direct tactics include memory strategies, cognitive strategies, and compensating strategies, according to Oxford and Crookall (1989) Memory techniques aid students in retaining new information so they can recall it later

In some direct methods, such as taking notes, cognitive techniques entail the manipulation or change of the language Strategies for compensation are actions taken

to make up for knowledge gaps

While indirect strategies based on Oxford and Crookall (1989) consist of metacognitive, affective, and social strategies Metacognitive or what is usually called beyond-the-cognitive strategies are used to provide control over the learning process Affective strategies are techniques to gain better control over learners’ emotions And finally, social strategies are actions involving other people in the language learning process Besides, the taxonomy of Dörnyei and Scott (1995) not only refers to strategic behaviors, but also involves three main categories, namely direct strategies, indirect strategies and interactional strategies This scheme is presented in Table 4.1

Table 4.1 Dörnyei and Scott’ (1995) Taxonomy of Speaking Strategies Categories

Categories Strategic speaking behaviors

Direct strategies Message abandonment; reduction; replacement;

circumlocution; restructuring; code switching; self-repair; self-rephrasing

Indirect strategies Verbal strategy markers, stimulating understanding,

repetition

2.2 Think-pair-share strategy

2.2.1 Definitions of Think Pair Share

Think-Pair-Share was first proposed and introduced by Professor Frank Lyman with his team of educators in Maryland University of USA in 1981, and then developed by many scientists in recent years

According to Kagan (1994), Think-Pair-Share strategy can encourage and enhance higher level of thinking The teacher assigns each student a specific topic and invites them to work in pairs to discuss and present their ideas to the class It may be adjusted

to match any class size and circumstance and is a low-risk method to engage many students actively in courses of any size There is no need for students to leave their seats, and discussion can be led In the classroom, Think-Pair-Share strategy can be used at any time For instance, it can be done to solve a math problem, do a science experiment,

or finish reading a paragraph or chapter of a book

Lie (2002) claims that this teaching method gives pupils some opportunities to work alone and in teams According to Sanjani (2015), the Think-Pair-Share Strategy can encourage and enhance students' higher-level thinking abilities Accordingly, Kusrini (2012) noted that the think-pair-share method allows students various possibilities to be involved in the learning process through thinking, pairing, and sharing with other students Additionally, Think-Pair-Share strategy is a classroom-based active learning strategy, according to Kothiyal et al (2013), in which students work on a problem presented by the teacher or instructor

As a part of cooperative learning, Think-Pair-Share strategy is very effective After the teachers present the learning material, the teacher asks studentsto think individually about the question mentioned Then, they will pair with their partner to discuss the problem and get the consensus Finally, the students are asked to share the result in front

of the whole class

2.2.2 Role of Think- Pair-Share strategy in teaching and learning English

There are a few difficulties that students may run into while learning language They can

be students who find it difficult to express their thoughts in English, struggle to find the appropriate vocabulary when speaking, and have trouble pronouncing words Other issues include students feeling shy to speak in class, feeling embarrassed and afraid of being made fun of by their peers, and having trouble articulating their thoughts in English The issues listed above are backed by Lai and Ahmadi (2017), who claim that speaking skills issues include inhibition Students that are inhibited are reluctant to utilize the language because they worry about making mistakes As their friends listened

to them talk, they felt uncomfortable being in the spotlight

Through Think-pair-share strategy, the students are trained how to express opinions and students also learn to respect the opinions of others by still referring to learning objectives Think Pair Share strategy is designed to influence student interaction This tactic enhances pupils' speaking and listening abilities in addition to helping them develop their social skills Each student gains knowledge from their partner when brainstorming in pairs As they learn new terms from their peers and build on their past knowledge, this can help students in growing their vocabulary

By employing this method, teachers can encourage students to apply prior knowledge to understand concepts, give them time to reflect and come up with ideas, keep interest levels high, and engage in small-group discussions This method also aids teachers in lengthening their waiting periods, which in turn lengthens pupils' thinking periods Waiting and thinking time has been shown to significantly increase pupils' responses to questions The drawbacks of voting places are that it takes time and is difficult to assist all the trainers during talks because they have so many groups Think-Pair-Share strategy does have certain benefits, though Think-Pair-Share is one cooperative language learning strategy that has various benefits, according to Lyman (1981) Firstly, the Think-Pair-Share method is quick and requires little before planning Secondly, because

students had time to consider their ideas before sharing them with the class, the Pair-Share strategy makes class discussions more fruitful Thirdly, students get the chance to learn higher-order thinking techniques from their peers and build self-assurance when they present ideas to the class as a whole The 'pairing' stage makes sure that no pupils are left out of the debate Moreover, all students have the chance to speak, and they can practice their verbal and mental responses There are more opportunities for teachers and students to reflect and participate in group discussions Finally, Think-Pair-Share methods can be used in classes of any size and at any grade level

Think-There have been a number of reports in the past that have discussed the potential of using Think-Pair-Share strategy in the classroom Implementing Think-Pair-Share strategy has been shown to increase students' comprehension of the course material (Hermiati, 2017), creative thinking abilities (Utami, 2014), as well as participation (Zainollah, 2014) and motivation (Januartini et al., 2016) during the learning process

2.2.3 Role of Think-pair-share strategy in improving speaking skill

The advantage of Think-Pair-Share strategy is that it incorporates a conversation component and links it to speaking abilities The Think-Pair-Share strategy gives students the chance to practice speaking in situations where they must converse with their partners and share ideas with students in other groups

According to research by Ma'arif and Aslihin (2017) used in an English-speaking classroom, it is supported that this strategy can be used well there The study places a strong emphasis on the students' engaged engagement and active communication, which supports the effectiveness of the Think Pair Share strategy The Think Pair Share strategy, according to Ardhy (2018), dramatically enhances students' speaking skills The research paper used a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test, ten treatment sessions, and a post-test According on the questionnaire research, the students seemed to like using the Think Pair Share strategy Based on prior studies, Think-Pair-Share strategy effectively improves students' speaking skills

In an English lesson, the Think-pair-share strategy encourages students to speak up and encourages active engagement In addition, the study demonstrates that the tactic lowers students' fear of making mistakes Therefore, it can be concluded that using Think-Pair-Share strategy will improve students' speaking skills in an English classroom

2.2.4 Techniques of applying Think-pair-share strategy in English speaking class

According to Yerigan (2008), there are three stages in implementing the Share stratey It is described as follows

Think-Pair-Each student first considers the assignment on their own Before discussing it with their partner, they will have some opportunity to write down any responses or thoughts of their own Before continuing to work with the couple, the response should be given to the teacher

The second step is for the students to pair with classmate Students must be instructed

by the teacher to tell their partner about their response Each student couple now talks about their thoughts on the assignment Each duo draws a conclusion and produces their final response based on the discussion's outcome

The teacher then asks pairs to share the conversation's outcome or the students' comments during a follow-up discussion with their learning team, the rest of the class,

or the full class The large discussion happens in which each pair facilitates class discussion in order to find similarities or differences to words, the response or opinions from various pairs

According to Kagan (2009), the Think-Pair-Share strategy can be implemented in five steps, in agreement with Azlina Students are presented with the subject or question in the first phase The query should be broad and open to various interpretations, opinions, and explanations For instance, "What are your speaking suggestions, and what do you know about speaking English well? Please describe each one in turn The more closely they examine this query, the more in-depth their thinking becomes, and the more

perspectives and justifications they are able to offer The students are given a number of minutes to reflect on their opinions and the prior explanations of the topic or question

In the second step, this is referred to as "thinking time." Thirdly, the pupils from group two are randomly put into pairs To avoid the achievement gap between high and low students, choices are made at random As a result, they will have a better opportunity of getting to know one another well, which will raise a student's regard for others Each student will present their individual viewpoint and justification with their companion in pairs during the fourth section They will argue among themselves the finest viewpoint and justification to be stated later when they exchange ideas As a result, this activity aids the students' growth in knowledge as well as confidence and communication skills Calling students to the front of the class to present their thoughts is the final phase In this instance, some students express their opinions and provide an explanation, and the others may do the same As a result, it enhances both their speaking skills and confidence

From the explanation above, it can be concluded that the teacher gives students time to discuss a topic or a question Second, the students are divided into pairs and they have

to share, discuss and convey the opinion with pairs Last, representative students share their ideas in the whole class or other pairs

2.3 Previous studies of Think Pair Share strategy related to speaking skills

Singh (2020) published a study titled "The use of Think Pair Share of Cooperative Learning to improve weak students' speaking ability" as the first study The purpose of the study is to discover more about the speaking challenges experienced by students, how Think Pair Share of Cooperative Learning can enhance speaking abilities, and how ESL students perceive the usage of TPS in speaking activities In this work, the researcher applied the action research model Interviews, a teacher's reflective notebook, and open-ended questions for the students were used to gather qualitative data Students who have used the Think-Pair-Share strategy are better able to speak clearly and use the

right vocabulary in their sentences Overall, it has helped passive students to be more expressive in giving their ideas and opinions in the classroom Based on the research findings, the perception of students on the Think Pair Share strategy was positive in terms of improving their speaking skills

The second research was conducted by Usman in 2015 with the title “Using the Pair-Share Strategy to Improve Students’ Speaking Ability at Stain Ternate” This research was conducted towards students of Islamic Education Department of STAIN Ternate in order to improve students' English speaking ability by using the think-pair-share strategy The sample of this research used collaborative classroom action research (CAR) The primary data that was studied were the student test scores After the think-pair-share strategy was used to obtain the data from the students in the form of their scores, the data were analyzed quantitatively The final result of this research showed that the think-pair-share strategy was successful to improve the speaking ability of the first-year students at the Islamic Education Department of STAIN Ternate after being implemented in two cycles that considers two criteria, namely the students’ spoken test results and the students’ active involvement during the implementation of the strategy

Think-"Students' positive response through Think-pair-share strategy on English speaking skill" is the title of the following study In 2017, Iin Baroroh Ma'arif and Ashlihah conducted it The introduction of the Think Pair Share strategy in the classroom and the students' reactions to it were the focus of this study This study was descriptive-qualitative in design The use of the Think Pair Share strategy can benefit the pupils, it can be inferred from the findings of this study The usage of Think-Pair-Share in the learning process is well-received by students

"The use of Think-Pair-Share strategy to improve students' speaking ability" is the title

of the final study In 2018, Ira Zeittira Hasibuan conducted the study This study is an example of action research (especially in the classroom) Testing and note-taking are the methods utilized to gather data in order to track the development of speaking abilities

using think-pair-share strategy Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected for this investigation The pupils' speaking abilities improved more than expected based on the results of the speaking performance exams The study's findings demonstrated that Think-Pair-Share was effective in raising students' motivation, self-confidence, and speaking skills

After reviewing the above studies, although these studies all applied Think-Pair-Share with different study methods and designs (qualitative, classroom action research, descriptive qualitative) through tools (questionnaires, tests, interviews, observe) to collect data on different research subjects and in different EFL contexts, conclusions about the effectiveness of this strategy are all very encouraging Research papers have confirmed a link between follow-up practice and improved speaking skills Despite the positive results, these previous studies had some shortcomings The researchers mentioned above only show the positive feedback from students after using the Think-Pair-Share strategy In this study, the writer explores the views of English majors at BAV

on how effective this strategy is and how difficult it is to apply it in the classroom All

of the above studies contribute to the author’s confidence in the results of this study

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY

In order to respond to the research question, this chapter offers a thorough analysis of the research technique used in the study It provides detailed descriptions of the research's locale, research design, participants, study instruments, data collection process, and data analysis

3.1 Research locale

This study is conducted to investigate the impact of the think-pair-share strategy on students' speaking skills This study had a total of 87 participants, including both those who completed questionnaires and were interviewed The students all come from the Faculty of Foreign Language at Banking Academy and have successfully finished Speaking I course

3.2 Research design

The author decided to mix two research techniques which are qualitative and quantitative due to the main aim of this study According to the definition by Johnson (2007), mixed methods research is a research method that combines and integrates qualitative and quantitative research methods in a single research study for the broad purposes of breadth and depth of understanding and corroboration It involves collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to understand a phenomenon better and answer the research questions The purpose of mixing approaches is to afford the opportunity to gain

a more complete understanding of research problems (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007) Creswell and Plano Clark (2007) pointed out that conducting mixed methods research is not easy, and Bryman (2007) indicated that there are several barriers Mixed methods studies are a challenge because they require more work and financial resources, and they take more time However, researchers anticipate that mixing methods will enable them

to capture the complexity of human phenomena (Sandelowski, 2001) In addition, mixed methods research also requires that researchers develop a broader set of skills that span both the quantitative and the qualitative

3.3 Research instrument

In this study, the mixed research method was exploited to depict the students’ viewpoints

on the use of Think-pair-share strategy to enhance English speaking skills Besides, difficulties in using Think-pair-share strategy in improving speaking skill faced by participants are also revealed The primary data was collected by survey questionnaires and interviews

3.3.1 Questionnaires

According to Nunan (1992, p.231) “a questionnaire is an instrument for the collection of data, usually in written form, consisting of open and/or closed questions and other probes requiring a response from subjects There are many advantages of using questionnaires

as Siriwan (2007) stated that the questionnaire can easily be administered to a large number of subjects and data compilation which are quite simple, and more notably, relevant to obtain accurate quantitative measures

The researcher gave the students in the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Banking Academy of Vietnam a questionnaire to fill out The questionnaire was translated into Vietnamese to ensure that all responders had a better understanding The data collection process lasted from 25th April until 5th May, making it over 10 days long To reach out the respondents, various online platforms including Facebook, Zalo and Gmail were utilised as means of communication This allowed for greater engagement with participants in order to gain insightful results regarding the survey's topic effectively and efficiently Moreover, the researchers promised to keep all the students’ personal information secretly Therefore, students could answer the questions freely without hesitation

The main purpose of the questionnaire was to the students’ point of view about pair-share strategy The questionnaire was divided into three sections:

Think-Section 1 is the general sector which includes 2 questions in order to find out some basic information about the participants They provide the information related to the speaking

I course that participants have finished as well as whether they have used the share strategy or not

Section 2, which includes 14 questions, is about the effectiveness of using share strategy in speaking class Question 1 to 6 show the interest of participants in Think-pair-share strategy and how they like to use the strategy in speaking class (these queries designed using Likert scale with responses ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree) Questions 7 to 14 are used to find out students’ opinion about the effectiveness of using Think-Pair-Share strategy in speaking class

Think-pair-In section 3, there are 4 questions about the difficulties that participants face when using Think-pair-share strategy Beside the obstacles in the process of using Think-pair-share strategy (think, pair, share), the questions show the difficulties which relate to the instruction and time that teachers give to students during the activity

3.3.2 Interview

As noted by Dörnyei, (2007), qualitative data are ‘most often’ collected by researchers through interviews and questionnaires Interviewing has 'typically' been regarded of as a major aspect in study design since qualitative researchers have a tendency to provide extensive accounts of people and events in their natural surroundings (Weiss, 1994) As interviews are interactive, interviewers can press for complete, clear answers and can probe into any emerging topics Thus, because interviewing is a less structured and more naturalistic method of gathering data, it is anticipated that it will broaden the understanding of the phenomena being studied

In this study, the author uses 5 interview questions in order to investigate the participants’ point of view about using Think-pair-share (TPS) strategy in speaking class The participants in this research were chosen from students studying at the Faculty

of Foreign Languages, Banking Academy Each participant had finished their Speaking

I class and have tried TPS strategy during speaking course hours The researcher spent around 5 minutes interviewing each individual to collect informative answers that

support the findings of the research The questions were translated into Vietnamese to ensure that the interviewees understood Interviewees could use Vietnamese or English

to answer questions in the way they felt most comfortable

The questions are about the effectiveness, the difficulty and the level of satisfaction that participants have The interviewees give more specific answers about how they think and feel about the use of Think-pair-share strategy

3.4 Data gathering procedures

3.4.1 Quantitative data analysis

The online questionnaire was used to collect the essential information In order to gather enough replies, the actual survey was launched using Facebook Messenger, Facebook groups, and Zalo applications Before students completed the survey, the survey's goals and objectives had been made clear The author also promised to the participants strict confidentiality regarding both their responses and personal information The survey received 96 replies in total, 82 of which were valid and 14 of which were invalid The collected data for the survey was aggregated and processed in an excel sheet before converting it into graphical representations After the survey was completed, statistics were compiled and displayed on the charts The number of students who selected the best response for each question is displayed on each chart This figure is expressed as a percentage, and the available chart types are bar, pie, and table The chart is simple to read and has an explanation to the right of it Researcher also employed descriptive analysis at the same time Moreover, SPSS software was used as a tool in statistical analysis of the survey's data Cronbach's Alpha was used to ensure the validity and reliability of the variables

3.4.1 Qualitative data analysis

Using qualitative methods, the author conducted interviews with 5 students both to-face and through online channels The interviewer collects data by carefully recording responses in writing The data is then filtered and analyzed according to the question and

face-the correlation between face-the responses Similar responses were pooled and analyzed collectively The data was interpreted and presented conclusions derived from filtered data Meaning is drawn during the analysis of information from the data obtained through the interviewee

3.5 Validity and Reliability of data analysis

A statistic called Cronbach's Alpha is used to assess the validity and reliability of Likert scales It is calculated by examining how closely two variables correlate with one another within the same parent factor (Tho, 2013) Therefore, Cronbach's Alpha was used to guarantee the validity and reliability of the study's variables Hoang and Chu (2008) claim that the values of Cronbach's Alpha coefficient ranged from 0 to 1 The scale is generally considered to be more reliable the higher the coefficient The variables in the same components are dependable enough to meet the requirements if the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient is more than or equal to 0.6 (Nunally, 1978; Peterson, 1994)

The variables on the scale, which are parts of each factor, do not differ if Cronbach's Alpha is too high (approximately 0.95 and higher than 0.95) These characteristics will

be excluded from the surveys to ensure uniformity Additionally, a variable will be removed from the scale if its Corrected Item-Total Correlation coefficient is less than 0.3 or if its value in the Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted column exceeds the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient (Nunnally, 1978)

3.6 Participants

A total of 82 online survey respondents and 5 interviewees contributed to the research They agreed to fill out the questionnaire voluntarily after receiving assurances that their personal data would be protected and used only for this study Participants are English majors who have completed speaking instruction They are therefore expected to offer analytical perspectives on the challenges of learning to speak English as well as the usefulness of the Think-Pair-Share strategy in improving communication The study will

raise awareness of the Think-Pair-Share approach as a learning strategy for mastering English speaking ability

CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

The findings derived from the survey data are presented in this chapter Tables and charts are used to display the questionnaire data In this finding and discussion, the impact of using Think-Pair-Share (TPS) strategy in speaking classes is explored Before going into detail, it should be mentioned that the TPS strategy has been a successful teaching method employed by English teachers for its ability to provide students with an opportunity to practice their oral skills while considering others’ points of view This chapter includes the students’ attitude, the impact of TPS strategy and the difficulties when using TPS strategy The data gathered from survey and interviews is analyzed through words and writing

4.1 Students’ attitudes toward using Think-Pair-Share strategy in speaking class 4.1.1 General information

All 82 participants answered that they had already finished Speaking I class According

to the primary data gathered from the survey, most of the students have used Share strategy in Speaking I class

Think-Pair-89%

11%

Yes No

Figure 4.1 The students who have used Think-Pair-Share strategy in Speaking I

The pie chart show that 89% of the students have used Think-Pair-Share strategy in speaking class For the first interview question about whether they have tried Think-Pair-Share in speaking class, all 5 students said that they have done Think-Pair-Share strategy before It means that the Think-Pair-Share strategy is applied as a teaching and learning tool for speaking skill

4.1.2 The interest of students in Think-pair-share strategy

Figure 4.2 Students’ attitudes toward Think-Pair-Share strategy in speaking class

The figure above illustrates information about the attitude of the participants toward the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) strategy With the first question about whether they like the strategy or not, more than two third of all participants show that they had interest in TPS strategy In detail, 72% of all participants thought that the TPS strategy was interesting There were a number of students did not have any thought about the interest of the strategy, accounting for 15% Only 14% of the participants said that they did not like the TPS strategy

I like speaking activities used