summary of thesis for phd of pedagogy educating living skill for high school students through extracurricular activities

The thesis has drawn out propositions on methodologies of educating living skills to high school pupils with integrated contents, designed educational themes flexible to particular activ

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

PHAN THANH VAN

EDUCATING LIVING SKILL

FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Major: Theory and History of education

Code: 62.14.01.01

SUMMARY OF THESIS FOR PHD OF PEDAGOGY

THAI NGUYEN - 2010

The work is completed at

EDUCATION UNIVERSITY - THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

Scientific advisor: ASSOC PROF DR Bui Van Quan

Critic 1:

Critic 2:

Critic 3:

The thesis will be defended at the State Thesis Appraisal Council

held at:

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

At …… hours …date … month … year …

For further information about the Thesis, please refer to:

- Vietnam National Library;

- Center for School Materials - Thai Nguyen University;

- Library of Education University - Thai Nguyen University

that basic knowledge and formed personality dignities are essential and adequate to conditions of particular pupils

5 Study on reality indicated that high school pupils either are blind about or lack basic living skills Educational forces are fully aware of the nature and necessity of education on living skills to pupils but are still embarrassed in procedures, methodologies and contents of education to particular objectives

6 The thesis has drawn out propositions on methodologies of educating living skills to high school pupils with integrated contents, designed educational themes flexible to particular activities

2 Propositions

1 Education on living skills to high school pupils would be effective, help enhance education quality meeting the social demand when it is disseminated widely together with the target of eliminating exam result-dependant mentality Proper investment in this activity to help schools organize well recreation activities could help improve education quality and facilitate development of private schools

2 The Ministry of Education and Training should early draw out programs on educating living skills to pupils of different education levels, including high school education This could be an important basis for schools to actively select forms of organizing education on living skills to pupils in appropriate to particular school circumstances

3 Pedagogy schools should hold training course for teachers to meet the demand for education on living skills, and organizations of recreation activities at high schools should be short-listed to ensure main criteria of presentation skills and procedures Pedagogy schools should also conduct researches, outline methodologies to improve education skills, living skills, and skills of organizing recreation activities for students, satisfying the requirement for renovating high school education

4 Localities need to provide support in forms of facilities, precinct and investment in national-standardized school to facilitate schools in organization of recreation activities in line with the education targets and the targets of education on living skills

CONCLUSION OF CHAPTER 3

Surveys showed that methodologies of educating living skills

to high school pupils via recreation activities are feasible, make

change high school pupils’ living skills in terms of awareness,

manners and behaviors

CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSITIONS

1 Conclusions

1 Living skill is a practical index of personality, a manifestation of

personality behaviors, and a decisive factor of education quality in line

with the new standards on human personality development and mature

under the impacts of living environment and education activities For

many countries in the world, living skills is an important target and

content in the high school education programs

2 Education on living skills is an important and urgent task of

the education system, is an education result as well as an important

tasks of every school activities, particularly recreation activities

Results built up for high school pupils via recreation activities

comprise a lot of diversified contents but are confined in living skills

among juvenile, which could be an important basis for them to enter

the social life securely

3 Results of the thesis indicated that living skills to be built up

for high school pupils via recreation activities are basis skills of

evaluation, communication, tense encounter, and positive conflict

resolution The outcomes of forming these skills are to educate pupils

about positive living style in the modern society, to build up or

change their behavior positively in appropriate to the targets of

developing learners’ comprehensive personality via helping them

acquire proper knowledge, dignity, behavior and skills

4 Education on living skills via recreation activities is a

process of designing, operating constituent formants of education

activities under an integral viewpoint The defined principle is based

on advantages of contents and program on high school education in

order to educate living skills to high school pupils, but is to ensure

PRONOUNCED SCIENTIFIC WORKS RELATED TO THE THESIS

1 Phan Thanh Van (2004), "Educating legal awareness and

behavior for students", Education Magazine, Issue No 83, Special

subject of the 1st quarter of 2004

2 Phan Thanh Van (2009), " Educating living skill for students

in the emulative movement "Building friendly school, active

students”", Education Magazine, Issue No 214, term 2-5/2009

3 Phan Thanh Van (2009), "Educating living skill - Necessary

for children", Education Magazine, term 1-11/2009

4 Phan Thanh Van (2010), "Integrating the objective of

educating living skill in extracurricular activities", Education

Magazine, Issue No 239, term 1, 6/2010

PREFACE

1 Reasons to choose the topic

The rapid development of areas of economics, society and

international integration has created multilateral effects, affect to the

process of formation and development of personality of the young

generation This reality makes the educators and the nations in the

world pay special attention to the education of life skills for the

young generation, including of high school pupils

Awareness of the life skills, as well as the institutionalization

of education of life skills is not specific in general education in

Vietnam, especially in guiding the life skills educational activities for

pupils at all levels, education levels is also limited In recent years,

status of offenders in juvenile people tends to increase, especially in

urban areas and big cities There are many different reasons, those

lead to the above situation

One of the reasons is that, the high school pupils have not

accessed to the life skills educational programs yet; the exploitation

of the strengths of the educational activities outside the class hours in

order to implement the education of life skills for pupils in schools is

still limited It is also the reason for the author to choose the thesis

titled: "Life skills education for high school pupils through

out-of-class-hour educational activities" to research

2 Objective of the research

To strengthen and improve the effectiveness of life skills

education for high school pupils by the way of integrating the life

skills education with out-of-class-hour educational activities in high

schools

3 Objects and subjects of research

3.1 Objects of the research

Life skills educational process for high school pupils and

out-of-class-hour educational activities in high schools

The post-test average point of capacity of two separate groups is meaningful at the reliability of 95%

3.2.2.3 Pre-test and post-test analyses on experiment group

Table 3.5: Frequency distribution of pre-test and post-test results

Based on the data, we are aware that high school pupils’ post-test manners and behaviors relating to living skills are better than the pre-test ones The proportion of high school pupils with pre-test points at level 3 was 0.8%, but the post-test one was 14.9% (difference + 14.1%) The proportion of high school pupils with pre-test points at level 2 was 2.2%, but the post-pre-test one was 27.1% (difference + 24.9%) The proportion of high school pupils with pre-test points at level 1 was 25.9%, but the post-pre-test one was 42.7% (difference + 16.8%) The proportion of high school pupils with pre-test points at level 0 was 71.2%, but the post-pre-test one was 15.3% (difference - 55.9%) The pre-test average point was 3.7682, and the post-test one was 6.3579 (difference + 2.5897)

3.3.2.3 General changes in high school pupils’ living skills of experiment group (in terms o knowledge, behavior and skills)

Experiments showed that methodologies of educating living skills to high school pupils via recreation activities are feasible, make change high school pupils’ living skills in terms of awareness, manners and behaviors Via experiments, pupils of the experiment group were provided with basic living skills of evaluation, effective communication, tense encounter, and positive conflict resolution Based on the aforementioned results, it could be said that the experiment supposition was proven

Based on those analyses, we come to a conclusion that pre-test

variances on capacity of these two groups are not very different The

average point of pre-test capacity of two different groups is

meaningless within the reliability of 95%

3.2.2.2 Comparison of control and experiment groups after tests

Table 3.3: Frequency distribution of post-test results for

experiment and control groups

The data on the table 3.3 indicated that: Colum EVA means testing

implementation under a supposition that post-test points of experiment

and control groups have the same variance and use test model S Value

of Sig = 0.9 < 0.1 so that supposition is turned down (at the reliability

of 95%), which means that variances of two groups are equal Value of

significance level on two-side test = 0.02 < 0.05; so value T is valuable

at the reliability of 95% Variances averaged at 1.978 means that at the

reliability of 95%, average point of capacity of the control group is

0.1978 lower than that of the experiment group Standard error of this

variance is 0.01636 The reliability of 95% indicated difference in the

average point of capacity of the experiment and control group varies

from 2.111 to 2.578

Tale 3.4: Test T on control and experiment groups after test

Test S gives

equality of

variances

Test T give equality of averages

95% CID

EVA

- Experiment

- Control

12.549

3331.887 335.114

0.02 0.02

1.978 1.978

1.636 1.636

2.111 2.111

2.578 2.578

The aforementioned data analyses comes to a conclusion that

post-test variances on points of capacity of two groups are different

3.2 Subjects of the research

Life skills educational measures applied for high school pupils through out-of-class-hour educational activities

4 Research hypothesis

If the proposed measures which are feasible according to orientation of component integration of life skills education with elements of out-of-class-hour educational activities, they can improve the efficiency of life skills education for high school pupils

5.Tasks of the research

5.1 Systematize theoretical issues of life skills, life skills education, life skills education for high school pupils through organizing the out side class hour educational activities

5.2 Survey the actual status of life skills education for high school pupils through organizing the outside class hour educational activities

in some high schools

5.3 Propose some measures of life skills education for high school pupils through out-of-class-hour educational activities and experimentation of some proposed measures

6 Scope of research 6.1 Contents of the research

- The basic life skills needed for high school pupils education defined clearly in the research thesis are: valuation skills, communication skills, skills to cope with emotional stress and skills

to resolve conflicts positively

- Experimentation of life skills education for high school pupils through out-of- class-hour educational activities is implemented with the program of out-of- class-hour educational activities in class 10, class 11 high schools

6.2 Research areas

The researches were conducted in Ho Chi Minh City with three high schools representing 3 development areas of the city: urban area, rural area and area with difficulties

7 Methodology and research methods

7.1 Methodology

Apply methodology of dialectical materialism, historical

materialism and the system approach, integrated approach

7.2 Research methods

7.2.1 Group of theoretical research methods

Use documentation research method, methods of analysis,

collective one, generalization and systematization in order to create

the theoretical framework for the subject of the thesis

7.2 2 Group of reality research methods

- Methods of investigation by questionnaire, interviewing, expert

used method, testing method, experimental one to reality explicit and

research results in order to prove the scientific hypothesis

7.2.3 Supporting methods

- Method of observation: research actual status and research results

- Method of mathematical statistics: To be used to treat the

experimental educational results and survey results by questionnaires

8 Protected arguments

- Life skills education is the objective and responsibilities in the

task of comprehensive education of high school education

- Life skills education for high school pupils through out-of-class-hour

educational activities is operating at the same time elements of life skills

education and other elements of out-of-class-hour educational activities

to implement the objectives of the two activities

- Integration is the effective way to implement life skills

education for pupils through out-of-class-hour educational activities

and not to overload the high school pupils’ activities

9 New contribution of the thesis

9.1 On the theoretical side

Contribute to develop the theory on life skills education

through out-of-class-hour educational activities by the conclusions:

- Life skills education is determined as a task of high school

education in order to develop the comprehensive personality for high

school pupils in the context of international integration

3.2.1.3 Content

Based on assessment of the necessity and feasibility of methodologies, two following methodologies were selected for pedagogic experiments:

- Using types of activities and forms of organizing recreation education flexibly so as to realize the targets of educating integrated living skills

- Designing themes for education on living skills in appropriate to the content, activities to realize themes of recreation education at high schools

3.2.1.4 Experiments

Experiments were carried out at the first term of the 2008-2009 school year Before experiments, we carried out pre-test on control and experimental objectives

Pedagogic experiments applied model of experiment as follows: R1: O1 X O2

R2 O3 Y O4

In which:

R1 is experimental group R2 is control group

X is experimental interferences

Y is other impacts O1, O2 are results of pre-test and experiment of methodologies for experimental objectives

O3, O4 are results of pre-test and experiments of methodologies

on control group (time of O1 is the same as O3, and time

of O2 is the same as O4)

3.2.1.5 Assessment criteria and tools

In order to assess results of experiments, we use two systems of assessment:

- A system of assessing efficiency of methodologies which take effects via changes in high school pupils’ awareness, manners and behaviors to living skills

- A systems of assessing feasibility of experimental methodology

3.2.2 Result

3.2.2.1 Analyses pre-tests on control and experiment groups

In order to analyze data of pre-tests on control and experiment groups, we use T-test with two separate models Result data is processed by SPSS program

3.1.2.2 Result of survey on feasibility of methodologies

Survey showed that most of the methodologies are of great

feasibility All methodologies could be implemented successfully and

none received any rejects Power impacts implementation of the

methodologies differently but assessments are consented, so the

points for general impacts total 65.9

In short, surveys showed that almost all surveyed people agreed

with methodologies proposed by the author with the majority

considering the methodologies necessary and feasible This means that

proposed methodologies are appropriate and can meet the requirements

for educating living skills to high school pupils via recreation activities

3.2 PEDAGOGIC EXPERIMENTS

3.2.1 Overview

3.2.1.1 Purpose

- Check feasibility and efficiency of proposed methodologies of

educating living skills to high school pupils via recreation activities

- Affirm positive impacts of experimental methodologies on

living skills of high school pupils in terms of awareness, manners and

behaviors

3.2.1.2 Objectives

Due to difficulties in negotiating locations for experiments (a few

schools, high schools agreed to allow the author to organize

experiments at schools), experiments were only carried out at two

high schools namely Binh Phu and Nguyen Khuyen High Schools in

Ho Chi Minh City in the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 academic years

Sample of the experiments are following:

Table 3.2: Sample of experiment

Number of pupils participants Experimental

group

Control

- Integration is an effective method to implement life skills education for high school pupils and simultaneously help to reduce the load for high school education

- Life skills education for high school pupils through out-of-class-hour educational activities are integrated the structural elements

of education with structural elements of the out-of-class-hour educational activities and operate simultaneously those elements according to the defined educational objectives

9.2 On the practical side

Results of the research thesis confirmed:

- Pupils in high school is limited in life skills One of the reasons of this situation is that, the high school education does not pay attention adequately to life skills education issues for pupils; not yet define the effective methods to educate the life skills for pupils

- Integration of educational objectives with the goal of the out-of-class-hour educational activities; design educational subjects suitable with the contents/activities to implement the theme of education programs of out-of-class-hour activities, are the measures

to implement the integrated method in order to educate life skills for pupils in the high schools effectively

10 The outline of the thesis

The thesis consists of 145 pages, in which: Introduction (8 pages) Chapter 1: Theoretical and practical basis (59 pages); Chapter 2: Life skills education measures for high school pupils through out-of-class-hour educational activities (37 pages); Chapter 3: Pedagogic Experimentation (29 pages) Conclusions and recommendations (3 pages) The scientific works have been published relating to the thesis (1 page) References (8 pages) The appendix (27 pages) The

thesis presents 28 tables, 3 diagrams and two graphs

Chapter 1 THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL BASIS ON LIFE SKILLS

EDUCATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS THROUGH

OUT-OF- CLASS-HOUR EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

1.1 OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH

1.1.1 Researches abroad:

The researches on life skills education in the world are

plentiful According to summary of the UNESCO, it can generalize

the main contents in these researches as follows: The researches

identify the goals of life skills education; The researches identify the

programs and the forms of life skills education Programs, life skills

education documents are designed for non-formal education is

widespread and in variety of forms

1.1.2 The domestic researches

- Mainly, the topics analyze and clarify the real situation ahead

of the urgency of life skills issues, do not focus on solving the tasks

of theoretical research in a systematic way yet, the form of life skills

education for pupils, students and pupils in general and high school

pupils in particular

- The topics mentioned to the forms of life skills education in

details and without specific trial results so convincing ability is not

high Some research topics are relatively complete: theoretical

researches, and assess the actual situation and propose measures of

life skills education but on the pupils

- Therefore, it is necessary to exploit the internal resources of

the school activities in high schools in order to implement effectively

educational contents for life skills pupils at this level

1.2 SOME BASIC THEORETICAL ISSUES ON LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION

FOR PUPILS IN HIGH SCHOOLS

1.2.1 Concepts

1.2.1.1 Life skills

- Life skills is a concept used extensively in all age groups in

different areas of social life However, up to now, this concept is still

in a status without a clear and complete definition

- Author of thesis shows the consistency with the conception of

life skills of UNESCO Accordingly, the life skills concept is used in

3.1.1.2 Objectives

Objectives of the referendum on the necessity and feasibility of methodologies are those who involve in implementation of those methodologies

- Rectors, deputy rectors at high schools: 25 people

- Education researchers and managers: 20 people

- High school teachers: 45 people

3.1.1.3 Content

Sending questionnaires under the referendum to objectives to define the necessity and feasibility of methodologies Methodologies that are considered necessity are those can resolve problems defined during education living skills to high school pupils via recreation activities Feasible methodologies are those which meet requirements set for them

3.1.1.4 Methodology

Using the methodology of statistics to process collected data via questionnaires and using the methodology of assessment by the Crown Agents International Training Center (Worthing, Brightain, Great Britain) on the basis of effects of particular groups of participants in implementation of those methodologies to analyze the collected results

3.1.2 Results of survey

3.1.2.1 Result of survey on necessity of methodologies

Table 3.1: Result of referendum on necessity of methodologies

Methodologies

Levels Very

1 Integrating the targets of educating living skills with the targets of recreation activities

2 Designing themes for education on living skills in appropriate to the content, activities to realize themes of recreation education at high schools

3 Using types of activities and forms

of organizing recreation education flexibly so as to realize the targets of educating integrated living skills

- High school managing boards must consider educating living

skills to pupils is the school’s comprehensive task in order to make

plans for guiding educating living skills to high school pupils via

recreation activities

- Participant in educating living skills to high school pupils via

recreation activities, particularly head teacher, cadres of the school’s

trade unions must be trained about educating living skills and

recreation activities

CONCLUSION OF CHAPTER 2

Based on theoretic analyses and reality on educating living

skills to high school pupils via recreation activities, the author of this

thesis has drawn out some methodologies of implementation of

educating living skills to high school pupils via recreation activities

These methodologies reflect quite fully the need of integrating

education on living skills to high school pupils with recreation

activities at high schools, as following:

- Integrating the targets of educating living skills with the

targets of recreation activities

- Designing themes for education on living skills in appropriate

to the content, activities to realize themes of recreation education at

high schools

- Using types of activities and forms of organizing recreation

education flexibly so as to realize the targets of educating integrated

living skills

- Other supporting methodologies

Chapter 3 PEDAGOGIC EXPERIMENTS

3.1 SURVEY ON NECCESITY AND FEASIBILITY OF METHODOLOGIES

3.1.1 General issues on surveying necessity and feasibility of

proposed methodologies

3.1.1.1 Purpose

To define necessity and feasibility of proposed methodologies to

create a basis for selection of methodologies for pedagogic experiments

the research thesis is: "ability to make the behavior and the oneself change suitable with the positive behavior and help people control, manage effectively needs and challenges in daily life"

- There are many classifications of life skills, although the classification is under any way, some skills are still considered the core skills such as: evaluation skills, communication skills, skills to cope with emotional stress; conflict solving skills in a positive ways; self-awareness skills, decision-making skills, goal setting skills… Author

of the thesis has limited the life skills studied in the research to educate high school pupils through out-of-class-hour educational activities are skills: evaluation skills, communication skills, coping skills with emotion, stress and conflict solving skills in a positive way

1.2.1.2 Life skills education

The concept of education is also understood in different broad, narrow meanings, at the level of social and school From connotation of the concept life skills and the concept of educational activities presented in the thesis, the author thinks that, life skills education is a process with specific educational activities in order to organize and control the pupils to know how to transfer knowledge (what pupils know) and attitudes, values (what pupils think, feel, believe) into real action (what to do and how to do) in a positive way and constructive nature

Life skills education for pupils is to educate them with active lifestyles in modern society, to develop or change them behavioring toward positive goals suitable with comprehensive development of personality of learners as a basis to help the pupils have the knowledge, values, attitudes and appropriate skills

1.2.2 The necessity of life skills education for high school pupils and other structural elements of life skills education for high school pupils

1.2.2.1 The necessity of life skills education for high school pupils

Life skills education for pupils is inevitable demand set out from the following aspects: as social requirements; educational points

of view; cultural perspective, politics, according to the requirements

of sustainable development

1.2.2.2 The structural elements of life skills education for high

school pupils

Life skills education for high school pupils as well as the

processes, and other educational activities in high schools have the

determined structure, in which the elements of the objectives, contents

and methods are the elements that make the difference between life

skills education with other educational processes, and activities

1.2.3 Factors affecting the characteristics of life skills education

in high school pupils in big cities

1.2.3.1 Factors affecting life skills education for high school pupils

- Psychological characteristics of high school pupils

- The elements of the educational programs in high schools

- The elements of family and social environment

1.2.3.2.Characteristics of life skills educationfor high school pupils

in big cities

From the characteristics of social and economic development,

educational development of big cities, it is possible to identify two

main features of the life skills education for high school pupils in big

cities as follows: In the big cities, there is not only needs to be

educated on life skills of the high school pupils but life skills

education requirements for high school pupils are also very high Life

skills education for high school pupils in big cities has some

advantages but also face many difficulties

1.3 OUT-OF-CLASS-HOUR EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND LIFE

SKILLS EDUCATION ISSUES FOR HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS

1.3.1 out-of-class-hour educational activities in high schools

1.3.1.1 Position and role of out-of-class-hour educational activities

in high schools

Out-of-class-hour educational activities are the continuation of

activities in class, aim to help pupils develop comprehensive

personality out-of-class-hour educational activities are in order to

implement aspects of education in schools, so the contents of

educational activities are focused on the following basic contents:

Activities associated with cultural contents in schools, physical

realize the targets of educating living skills Besides, the methodology will enhance efficiency of integrating the targets of educating living skills with the targets of recreation education as well as designing themes of educating living skills during implementation of the contents and activities under particular themes of recreation activities

2.2.3.2 Contents and procedures of implementation

- Changing forms of activities so as to realize particular themes

in the recreation education program

- Designing forms of organizing to organize main forms of activities that are defined in the recreation education program

2.2.3.3 Conditions for implementation

This methodology requires high schools to have sufficient facilities; particularly have functional classrooms On the other hand, in order to implement this methodology, tight coordination between head teacher and teachers of physical training, music, and fine arts at the schools is also required The relation between the school with the community, units and organizations in the locality is an important factor

to implement this method effectively

2.2.4 Other supporting methodologies

2.2.4.1 Purpose and meaning

Supporting methodologies are aimed at enhancing capacity of participants in education on living skills and recreation activities for high school pupils as well as satisfying conditions to educate living skills to high school pupils via recreation activities effectively

2.2.4.2 Contents and procedures of implementation

- Changing viewpoint about educating living skills, enhancing awareness of the integral viewpoint in educating living skills to high school pupils

- Enhancing capacity of participants in education on living skills and organizing recreation education at high schools

- Promoting the most role of pupils

2.2.4.3 Conditions for implementation

In order to implement the aforementioned supporting methodologies synchronically, the following conditions are required: