How to improve the average score of english subject in the GCSE for low – level students in trieu son 5 high school

THANH HOA DEPARTMENT EDUCATION AND TRAININGTRIEU SON 5 HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE INITIATIVES HOW TO IMPROVE THE AVERAGE SCORE OF ENGLISH SUBJECT IN THE GCSE FOR LOW – LEVEL STUDENTS IN T

THANH HOA DEPARTMENT EDUCATION AND TRAINING

TRIEU SON 5 HIGH SCHOOL

EXPERIENCE INITIATIVES

HOW TO IMPROVE THE AVERAGE SCORE OF ENGLISH SUBJECT IN THE GCSE FOR LOW – LEVEL STUDENTS IN TRIEU SON 5 HIGH

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2.2 The comparison among the results of the national high

school examinations in English subject in the last few years 4

2.3 The comparison among the results of the national high

school examinations in English subject in Trieu Son 5 high

school in the last few years

6

2.4 The reasons for the low average mark in national high

school examinations in the last few years 7

2.4.1 Many shortcomings in teaching and learning English 7

2.4.2 Many shortcomings in current program and textbooks 8

2.5 Matrix of the national high school test 8

2.7 Results after applying the research 21

2.7.1 Results of the test: (at the end of the first semester) 21

2.7.2 Results of the test: (at the end of the second semester) 21

ReferencesAppendix

I INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale

In today’s global world, the importance of English cannot be denied andignored since English is the greatest common language spoken universally Tolearn English requires constant practice and patience The kind of feeling thatsucceeds among students is that it is not possible to achieve fluency or masteryover the English language This kind of tendency prevents students fromlearning English Most of the students study English from the examination point

of view, so they are not able to produce even a single sentence without thegrammatical error Furthermore, sufficient practice is not given to students tolearn a language Knowledge of English is necessary if one wants to come up inlife It is the major window of the modern world This is all the more true wherethe advanced countries have opened their doors form recruiting technicallyqualified persons Only those who have a command over the English languageare given a job

English has become one of core subjects in our entrance examination inVietnam However, it is the fact that the average mark in the GCSE in our highschools has been under mark 5 over many years According to The Hanoitimes,local media reported that in Vietnam’s 2019 national high school exam, some70% of students received mark 5 or under for English and History (of the 10-point scale) Although Educators have recently paid much attention to teachingand learning English, the bad results of English and History are abnormal highand cause big concern over the country’s education sector

From this fact, as an English teacher having 10 – year experience, I have adesire to study this real situation, try to find out the reasons why students get badmarks in English and give some suggestions to help low - level students improvetheir scores in the entrance examination I will do this by comparing the results

of the exams from 2016 until now, studying the matrix of the test and classifyingthe national high school test into 4 levels: knowledge (remembering),comprehension (understanding), low application and high application (lowapplying and high applying) and give a list of questions that belong toknowledge (remembering) and comprehension (understanding) level so that low– level students only focus on these kinds of question What’s more, for boringgrammar points, I would like to use teamwork to make mind –maps and then askgood students to present in front of the class so that the low - level students canlearn from higher – level ones

1.2 Aims and objectives of the study

This paper sets the aims and objectives as follow:

- Compare the results of the entrance exams in English subject from 2016 tonow

 Realize the real quality of teaching and learning English at high schools inour country

 Find out the reasons why the average mark in English subject over last fewyears is always under mark 5

- Analyze the matrix of the tests from 2016 to now

 have an entire insight about the national high school tests and classify thetests into different categories of question that are suitable for the low – levelstudents in grade 12 to practice such as knowledge (remembering) andcomprehension(understanding) questions.

- The last aim of this study is to enhance the quality of teaching English for thelow - level students by using active techniques in teaching grammar such asmind maps and using good students to teach lower – level ones As a result, thelow - level students will have chances to get higher marks

- Objectives of the study are 90 students who are in class 12A1 and 12A2 inTrieu Son 5 high school These students belong to the low – level students inEnglish

1.3 The scope of the study

In this paper, because of our limited time and knowledge, I only focus onsome certain fields of knowledge to help students get over mark 5 and a certainobject such as low - level students

1.4 Method of the study

I use a combination of different methods:

- Collecting materials: Data are taken from various reference books andwebsites, which are related to the national high school exam Moreover,information sources are also accessed from Internet

- Analyzing and synthesizing: Data are analyzed to choose importantinformation about the national high school exam After that, synthesize them

- Consulting other experienced teachers

1.5 New features of the study

- In this study, by comparing the results of the GCSE in some recent years, Ishow the real situation of average mark always under mark 5 and find out somereasons for this situation

- In this study, I analyze the matrix of the national high school test over last fewyears and orient the students to focus more on some grammar points and sometypes of question which are considered as knowledge (remembering) andcomprehension (understanding) questions Furthermore, I also suggest a list ofknowledge (remembering) and comprehension (understanding) questions forteachers and low - level students

- This study shows that teachers can use some teaching technique to motivatestudents’ learning such as using mind maps and good students to present someboring grammar points

II DEVELOPMENT

2.1 Theoretical background

According to Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Development, Bloom

identified six levels within the cognitive domain, from the simple recall orrecognition of facts, as the lowest level, through increasingly more complex andabstract mental levels, to the highest order which is classified as evaluation.Descriptions of the six levels as well as verb examples that represent intellectualactivity are listed here

And here’s what the Cognitive Domain looks like in Bloom’s pyramid:

Some teachers teach from the place of collecting and rememberinginformation, and then maybe have stepped up onto the level of Understandingwhat it means to them This is a good start But as an exceptional teacher, youneed to eventually get to the top 1-3 parts of the pyramid There is obviouslysome overlap of all three domains because we each are unique individuals whofind our own ways

In Vietnam, Circular No 22/2016/TT-BGDDT dated September 22, 2016provides for inspection by 4 levels The periodical test is suitable for standards

of knowledge, skills and capacity development orientation, including questionsand exercises designed according to the following levels:

- Level 1: Identify and recall the learned knowledge and skills

-Level 2: Understand the knowledge and skills learned, presented, and explainthe knowledge in an individual’s way of understanding

- Level 3: Know how to apply the knowledge and skills you have learned tosolve familiar, similar problems in study and life

- Level 4: Applying the knowledge and skills learned to solve new problems orgiving reasonable feedbacks in studying and living in a flexible way

2.2 The comparison among the results of the national high school examinations in English subject in the last few years.

- In 2016, high school graduation and university entrance exams have beencombined into one national exam The results of the national exam areconsidered for both high school graduation and university admissions.According to the statistics of the Ministry of Education and Training, theaverage score in English subject is the lowest of all subjects (3,3) Only 11, 73%

of students get over mark 5 and the students under mark 5 account for 88, 27%

The result of English subject is shown below

The average mark in the national high school exam in 2016

- In 2017, the average score in English subject is higher than last year (4.46).Only 31% of students get over mark 5 and the students under mark 5 account for69% The result of English subject is shown below

The average mark in the national high school exam in 2017

- In 2018, the average score in English subject is lower than last year (3, 91).Only 21, 78 % of students get over mark 5 and the students under mark 5account for 78, 22% The majority of students get mark 3 The result of Englishsubject is shown below

The average mark in the national high school exam in 2018

- In 2019, the average score in English subject is higher than last year (4, 36).Only 31, 26 % of students get over mark 5 and the students under mark 5account for 68, 74% The majority of students get mark 3.2 The result ofEnglish subject is shown below

The average mark in the national high school exam in 2019

As a whole, in all national high school examinations up to now, English isalways in the lowest position about the average grade among other subjects.This is one of the top – ranking concerns not only educators but also parents andstudents in our countries

2.3 The comparison among the results of the national high school examinations in English subject in Trieu Son 5 high school in the last few years.

- In 2017, the average score in English subject is only 3.21 Comparing theaverage mark of the whole country, it is lower than 1.25 points

2.4.1 Many shortcomings in teaching and learning English

- Compared to the previous year's tests at national high school exam, in 2019English test was easier and an average student can get mark 5 or 6 However,only students in urban areas and big cities were able to score these grades They could not only learn English at higher quality schools but also refine theirskills at language centers In short, they are aware of the importance of English,and invest their time and effort to study in a methodical way

- For students in rural and backward areas, according to the current program ofthe Ministry of Education and Training, every week, 12th-grade students onlyhave three English periods

- Besides, rural schools lack modern teaching facilities Students are less likely

to attend English classes and parents cannot afford their children’s study in amethodical manner Students’ awareness of the subject and shortage of teachers

in English are included among the causes of the bad results

- In addition, the quality of teaching is not good and the staff of English teachers

in some high schools don’t reach the standard required

2.4.2 Many shortcomings in current program and textbooks.

- Current program and textbooks have many shortcomings and are outdated In

the textbook, students have to learn 4 skills including reading, speaking,listening, writing and grammar However, in the entrance exam, only readingand grammar are tested primarily Thus, if a teacher wants to make sure that allthings in the textbook are taught (although there are a lot of unnecessary things),students are not enough time to focus on what they will be tested in the exam.Especially, for the low - level students, in order to understand a grammar point,they have to practice many times as much as usual As a result, everything istaught as quickly as possible and low - level students get nothing at all.Obviously, it is essential for both teachers and students to only concentrate onwhat they are tested in the national high school exam For low - level students, it

is better to choose the questions in levels: knowledge (remembering) andcomprehension (understanding)

- In addition, knowledge in the textbook is very basic Nevertheless, in order to get over mark 6 in the national high school exam, students need to learn outside the textbook

2.5 Matrix of the national high school test

understanding

Lowapplying

Highapplying

Easy

Average

Difficult

understanding

Lowapplying

Highapplying

Easy

Average

Difficult

- Clause of time

- Replacing relativepronoun

- find detail-vocabulary

As we can see from the matrix in 2018, 2019 and in the illustrative test in

2010, there are a lot of grammar points and structures that always apear in thetests Moreover, about 60 % questions are the level 1 and 2: remembering andunderstanding levels Therefore, teachers should plan to practice these grammarpoints and structures in these levels so that the low - level students can get overmark 5 in the entrance examinations

2.6 Suggestions

This real fact requires us to find out some suitable solutions in order to

improve the quality of teaching and learning English for students in grade 12,especially for the low - level students

2.6.1 Working in groups and using mind maps in teaching grammar

In the process of teaching and practicing grammar for low – level students, it

is very easy for them to get bored with the lesson Therefore, teachers shouldcombine some teaching methods to make the lesson more active and moreinteresting Let’s ask students to work in groups with good ones to make mindmaps and then ask good students to present the grammar point in front of theclass By this way, students can learn each other As a result, these mind – maps

I had below are prepared by the low – level students I would like to give someexamples in my grammar lessons in which all students felt more interested

* Some pictures taken in teamwork activities: (All students were very excited

and enthusiastic)

* Some mind – maps that were made in the grammar lessons:

Example 1: How to teach conditional sentences by making mind maps:(prepared by low – level and good students)

Example 2: How to teach article by making mind maps: (prepared by low – leveland good students)

Example 3: How to teach modal verbs by making mind maps: (prepared by low– level and good students)

Example 4: How to teach subject and verb agreements by making mind maps:(prepared by low – level and good students)

Example 5: How to teach tag questions by making mind maps: (prepared by low– level and good students)

2.6.2 Some lists of questions in the knowledge (remembering)

One of the most effective teaching methods to raise the average mark in theentrance exam is to divide students into groups according to their ability and askthem to do the tasks that are suitable for them Thus, I would like to give lists ofquestions in the knowledge (remembering) level and comprehension(understanding) levels For this kind of student, only focusing on two first

cognitive levels is enough for them to get mark 5

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 1 If Paul _ a job now, he wouldn’t be so unhappy

A has B has had C had D would have

Question 2 Your brother hardly talks to anyone, _?

A does he B is he C doesn’t he D isn’t he

Question 3 Tom denied _ part in the fighting at school

A to take B take C to taking D taking

Question 4 If he _ the lesson yesterday, he could do the test better today

A has reviewed B had reviewed C will review D reviewed

Question 5 Their children lots of new friends since they to that town

A made/ have been moving B made/ are moving

C have made/ moved D were making/ have moved

Question 6 Jane cooks well _ she hates washing up afterwards

A however B therefore C so D but

Question 7 Tom’s eyes were red he had been swimming in a chlorinatedpool

A so B but C because D in case