A study on the benefits and challenges of applying project based activities at a primary school in ha noi

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST– GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN HẰNG NGA A STUDY ON THE BENEFITS AND C

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST

– GRADUATE STUDIES *********************

NGUYỄN HẰNG NGA

A STUDY ON THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF APPLYING PROJECT - BASED ACTIVITIES AT A PRIMARY

SCHOOL IN HA NOI

(Nghiên cứu về những thuận lợi và khó khăn khi áp dụng các hoạt động

dạy học theo dự án tại một trường tiểu học ở Hà Nội)

M.A MINOR THESIS (Type I)

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST

– GRADUATE STUDIES *********************

NGUYỄN HẰNG NGA

A STUDY ON THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF APPLYING PROJECT - BASED ACTIVITIES AT A PRIMARY

SCHOOL IN HA NOI

(Nghiên cứu về những thuận lợi và khó khăn khi áp dụng các hoạt động

dạy học theo dự án tại một trường tiểu học ở Hà Nội)

M.A MINOR THESIS (Type I)

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01

Supervisor: Ass Prof.Phạm Thị Thanh Thùy

Hanoi – 2020

IS MY OWN STUDY IN THE FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS

Ha Noi, 2020

Nguyen Hang Nga

I also would like to thank to my lecturers who have taught QH2017.D1 fortheir lectures as well as their enthusiasms during the MA course I am extremelygrateful to all the staff and faculty members for their assistance in all the problemsthat I encountered during my studying here.

My sincere gratitude goes to three teachers of English and one hundred seven students at grade 3,4,5 at Phu Linh primary school for their contributing to thedata collection presented in the research

-Lastly, I would like to express my thanks to my family, my colleagues fortheir care and encouragements during my time of fulfilling this study

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The study was conducted with an attempt to examine the real situation ofapplying PBL in order to investigate the benefits and challenges of using PBL

in improving speaking skills as perceived by teachers and students

The subjects involved in the study are three English teachers and onehundred- seven in grade 3, 4, 5 chosen at random from sixteen classes Thedata were collected from questionnaires for students and teachers, classroomobservation and interviews for students and teachers The results of the studyhave shown that PBL motivates students to speak English, helps them interactmore frequently with other students and teachers, remember and use the targetvocabulary and structures in the project lessons For teachers, PBL increasesstudent-teacher interaction, helps teachers correct students’ mistakes inpronunciation and grammar and assess students’ understanding Also, thefindings of the study point out PBL’s challenges for students: lack ofconfidence in talking in front of the big groups, slow reaction to questionsfrom other students and teachers, time limitation and frequent use of mothertongue For teachers, teachers have problems with time, students’ errorcorrection, related knowledge, experience and students of mixed levels, littlemotivation and interest Therefore, those findings may benefit schools andteachers that have the same problems in implementing PBL Additionally, thepresent study may provide valuable information for the researchers andteachers who are interested in cooperating PBL into their teaching

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii

LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES viii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale of the study 1

1.2 Aims of the study 1

1.3 Research questions 1

1.5 Scope of the research 2

1.6 Significance of the study 2

1.7 Structure of the thesis 3

CHAPTER II- LITERATURE REVIEW 4

2.1 Theoretical background of project- based language teaching 4

2.1.1.Definition of projects and project- based language teaching 4

2.1.2.Features of project- based language teaching 5

2.1.3.Stages in conducting a project 5

2.1.4.Benefits of the project-based language teaching 7

2.1.5.Challenges of applying project-based language teaching 9

2.2 Related studies 11

2.2.1 In the world 11

2.2.2 In Vietnam 11

2.3 Summary 13

CHAPTER III- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 14

3.1 Setting of the study 14

3.2 Research procedures 14

3.3 Conduct a preliminary study 15

3.4 Description of the curriculum and the textbook 18

3.5 Participants 18

3.5.1 Students 18

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3.5.2 Teachers 19

3.6 Data collection instruments 20

3.6.1 Questionnaires 20

3.6.2 Interview 21

3.6.3 Classroom observation 21

3.7 Pilot study 22

3.8 Data analysis 23

3.9 Limitations of the methods 23

3.10 Summary 23

CHAPTER IV: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 24

4.1 Real situation of PBL in improving speaking skills as perceived by students 24

4.1.1 Participation 26

4.1.2 Performance 27

4.1.3 Time 29

4.1.4 Language use 31

4.2 Real situation of PBL in improving speaking skills as perceived by teachers 32

4.2.1 Interaction 32

4.2.2 Feedback and correction 33

4.2.3 Time 33

4.2.4 Student management 34

4.2.5 Language use 35

4.2.6 Knowledge and experience 35

4.3 Summary of the benefits and challenges of using PBL in improving speaking skills 36

4.3.1.Summary of the benefits of using PBL in improving speaking skills 36

4.3.2.Summary of the challenges of using PBL in improving speaking skills 36

5.1 Summary and conclusion 38

5.2 Pedagogical implication for applying PBL in improving speaking skills 39

5.3 The limitation of the study 40

5.4 Recommendations for further related studies 40 APPENDICES II APPENDIX 1 II

APPENDIX 3 VI APPENDIX 4 VII APPENDIX 5 XI APPENDIX 6 XII APPENDIX 7 XIV APPENDIX 8 XXI

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The first teacherThe second teacherThe third teacherStudent

One student in grade 3One student in grade 4One student in grade 5Students in grade 3Students in grade 4Students in grade 5

LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES

Charts

Chart 4.1.Spending time for PBL according to students’ questionnaires 29

Table Table 3.1 Summary of the benefits of using project- based learning in improving speaking skills (Source: Summary of the author) 16

Table 3.2 Summary of the challenges of using PBL in improving speaking skills (Source: Summary of the author) 17

Table 3.3 The information of English teachers 19

Table 4.1.1.Students’ motivation in PBL according to students’ questionnaires 24

Table 4.1.2 Students’ motivation in PBL based on classroom observations 25

Table 4.1.3 Students’ participation in speaking activitiesaccording to students’ questionnaires 26

Table 4.1.4 Students’ participation based on classroom observations 27

Table 4.1.5 Students’ performance from students’ questionnaires 27

Table 4.1.6 Students’ performance from class observations 28

Table 4.1.7 Students’ spending time for PBL based on classroom observations 29

Table 4.1.8 Students’ language use 31

Table 4.2.1 Teacher- student interaction according to classroom observations 32

Table 4.2.2 Feedback and correction according to classroom observation 33

Table 4.2.3 Time for PBL according to classroom observations 33

Table 4.2.4 Student management according to classroom observations 34

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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale of the study

Many researchers and educators have studied the advantages of based language teaching (Haines, 1989; Thomas, 2000; Richards &Renadya,2002; Smith, 2005; Markham, 2011) However, a number of schools are stillstruggling to implement it in their classroom (Thomas, 2000; Gallacher, 2004;Chen, 2010; Huyen, 2010; Trimble, 2017) Most related studies were conducted

project-to investigate teachers’ perceptions of project- based learning and the role ofteachers in implementing it(Huyen, 2010) and students’ perceptions of project-based learning were not concentrated on those studies In addition, although thisapproach has been applied for official textbooks at the state primary schools forseveral years in Vietnam, none of the studies discussed the problems occurring inproject activities Moreover, few studies on project- based learning method inprimary schools were conducted in Vietnam; previous researchers mainlyfocused on project- based approach to learning writing, in high schools or incolleges (Huyen, 2010) Last but not least, teachers and students at Phu Linhprimary school have difficulties in doing project- based activities

Those concerns have led to the constitution of the study “A Study On The

Benefits and Challenges Of Applying Project - Based Activities At a Primary School in Ha Noi"

1.2 Aims of the study

The study aims at finding out the benefits and challenges of applyingprojected- based activities to students’ speaking skills at Phu Linh primary school

Question 2: What are the challenges of applying project- based languageteaching in improving speaking skills encountered by students and teachers atPhu Linh primary school?

1.4 Research objectives

(1) Identifying the benefits of applying project-based language teaching method

in improving speaking skills at Phu Linh Primary School as perceived by students andteachers

(2) Identifying the challenges of applying project-based language teachingmethod in improving speaking skills at Phu Linh Primary School encountered bystudents and teachers

1.5 Scope of the research

1) Benefits and problems of applying project- based language teaching in

improving speaking skills at Phu Linh primary school

(2) Research scope: focuses on English teachers and students at Phu Linh

Primary School

(3) Contents: project-based language teaching, speaking skills, its real situation and suggestions

(4) Time: 1st semester in the school year 2018-2019

1.6 Significance of the study

Once completed, the research is expected to find the current issues ofapplying project-based language teaching to speaking skills at Phu Linh primaryschool Teachers of English at Phu Linh primary will realize their challenges ofutilizing PBL and ways to deal with those challenges More importantly, theycould help their students to improve speaking skills at project-based learningactivities Both teachers and students gain advantages in doing projects in theirclassroom and developing speaking skills Additionally, the study could beserved as a referential source for teachers and researchers who take their interest

in implementing project-based language teaching Furthermore, it can bebeneficial for teachers who have difficulty in conducting a project in thelanguage classroom

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1.7 Structure of the thesis

The study is divided into five chapters

Chapter I: Introduction – presents the rationale, the aims, the research

questions, the scope, the significance and the structure of the study

Chapter II:Literature Review – provides the theoretical background of

speaking skills, project-based learning and the previous studies relating toimplementing project-based learning

Chapter III: Research Methodology – provides the research procedures, the

setting, the participants, the data collection instruments and the ways toanalyze data

Chapter IV: Data Analysis and Discussion–presents the results from data

analysis basing on the research questions

Chapter V: Conclusion- includes the major findings, the limitations and the

suggestions for further studies

CHAPTER II- LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Theoretical background of project- based language teaching

2.1.1 Definition of projects and project- based language teaching

Becktt (2002) clarifies the meaning of this term by providing what could beincluded in the task Projects involve “a variety of individual or cooperativetasks such as developing a research plan and questions, and implementing theplan through empirical or document research that includes collecting, analyzing,and reporting data orally and/ or in writing” (Becktt, 2002, p.54) Therefore,projects could be done by individuals or in groups to complete many smallertasks

The approach of project-based language teaching deprived from the idea of learning

by doing which was initially promoted by Dewey(1897) He supposes that studentsnot only learn from their teachers at school but also gain knowledge or skills fromtheir surrounding communities through real- life activities Sharing the sameopinion with Dewey (1897), Smith (2005) claims that children must start learningthrough real-life experience, which helps to set foundations for abstract notions

According to Moss &Duzer (1998, p.1), project-based learningis an approachthat “contextualizes learning by presenting learners with problems to solve orproducts to develop” In other words, project-based learning involves givingsolutions to problems or creating something

Thomas (2000) defines that project- based language teaching is a model in whichteachers organize learning through projects Projects are complex tasks, based onchallenging questions or problems which involve students in designing, problemsolving, decision making, or investigative activities Conducting projects alsogives students “the opportunity to work autonomously over extended periods oftime; and culminate in realistic products or presentations” (Thomas, 2000, p.1).The project is long-term, requires teamwork among students, and results in afinal product (Thompson & Beak, 2007, as cited in Cruz &Vik, 2007)

Markham (2010) also defines this approach as a way of integrating knowing and

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doing Students learn knowledge and then apply what they know to solveauthentic problems and give results as well Therefore, in language classrooms,project-based language teaching allows students to use what they have learnt inreal-life situations.

From the definitions mentioned above, it could be concluded that PBL allowsteachers and students to work collaboratively to solve authentic problems guided

by a driving question or create something and then make a presentation of thefinal production

2.1.2 Features of project- based language teaching

The core principal of project-based learning is to create an educational processthat embraced the motivations and interests of individuals within a holisticapproach to learning(Kozlowski, 2009)

Discussing the features of project-based language teaching, Thomas (2000)discusses five features associated with centrality, driving question,constructive investigations, autonomy, and realism

- PBL projects are central, not peripheral to curriculum

- PBL drives students to encounter the central concepts and principles of a subject

- Projects involve students in a constructive investigation

- Projects are student- driven to some significant degree

- Projects are realistic, not school- like

In addition, the features of project work are also discussed by Richards

&Renadya (2002) They are content-focused, student-centered, cooperative,motivating, empowering and challenging This approach also leads to an oralproduct like a presentation, a report and a stage performance

2.1.3 Stages in conducting a project

In terms of the process of project- based work, Chard (2001, as cited in Curtis,

2002) points out three phases in a project Phase 1: Orientation and planning

The aim of this phase is to help students identify the topic for the project and

Phase 2: Research and implementation

The phase asks students to do research and implement the project To be morespecific, students need to gather information, read, write or draw Teachers cansupport learners with low language proficiency or little experience in working aspart of a team

Phase 3: Sharing results

This phase is conducted after students have finished the given project Sharingresults can be made in different forms such as presentation or disseminating theresults in the larger community Moss and Van Duzer (1998), Chard (2001, ascited in Curtis, 2002), Gallacher (2004) share the same idea that the mostcommon way of sharing results is the presentation of the project to an audience.Besides, Gallacher (2004) suggests teachers give comments and evaluation afterthe presentation of the project Evaluation can be made on aspects of the projectsuch as content, design, language work and the oral presentation

Zafirov (2013) identifies nine phases that shape the process of project-basedlearning These phases are example, responsibility, research, criterion creation,materials, project preparation, presentation preparation, presentation, reflection

In comparison with three phases suggested by Chard (2001, as cited in Curtis,2002), steps suggested by Zafirov (2013) are similar to them Examples andresponsibility are included in phase 1(Orientation and planning); research,materials and project preparation are included in phase 2(Research andimplementation); presentation preparation and presentation are included in phase3(sharing results)

Phase 6- project preparation is one of the most important phases since studentsneed to create the project In this phase, teachers can play a role as classroomcoaches Stix & Hrbek (n.d) suggest thatteachers should ask themselves thefollowing questions

 Do the students have a clear understanding of the task?

 Does each student have ownership of her role within the group?

 Are the students attentive and working together cooperatively?

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 Are the resources that students use geared to their comprehensive level

of understanding?

 Are any groups stumbling in a way that is blocking their work due to heightened emotions?

In addition, Zafirov (2013) suggested the ninth phase – reflection in which

students discussed what they liked or disliked about the project and their groups Having the same idea with researchers mentioned above, Fredricka (as cited in Richards & Renadya, 2002, p.112) also discusses the ten steps in developing a project in a language classroom

 Agree on a theme for the project

 Structure the project

 Prepare students for the language demands of Step 5

 Prepare students for the language demands of step 7

 Compile and analyze information

 Prepare students for the language demands of step 9

 Present final product

In short, there are four main steps of project- based learning: orientation &planning, implementation, presentation and evaluation In the first step, studentsunderstand what to do and make plans to implement the project Secondly, theyconduct the project in their groups with the support from teachers Next, theymake a presentation of their final product Lastly, teachers and students make anevaluation of the result

2.1.4 Benefits of the project-based language teaching

Teachers’ benefits

Thanks to the implementation of PBL, disciplines in the classroom and student interactions are increased (Yang& Puakpong, 2016) In addition, Marisah

teacher-& Robiasih (2017) indicate that PBL gives teachers more opportunities to helpand guide students to use vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation; correct mistakesrelated to word choice and pronunciation.

Students’ benefits

When it comes to the advantages of project – based learning, Gallacher (2004)indicates the benefits related to motivation, language skills, autonomous learning,end product, authentic skills, interpersonal relations through group work, acontext balancing the need for fluency and accuracy

Yang & Puakpong (2016) lists a number of benefits related to students’ motivation,

participation and performance Students enjoy the project, want to speak more,feel confident to speak and spend time for speaking practice after the lessons.PBL also helps students interact more with other members, learn new knowledgeand information from other members, speak fluently and use longer sentencesafter the lessons

Trimble (2017) also points out the benefits of project-based learning at Bate MiddleSchool These benefitsincluded an increase in student engagement, an increase inthe sense of pride that students had in their work, an increase in student

stself-efficacy, an increase in student attainment and practice of 21 century skills,

an increase in student attendance rates and a decrease in behavior issues

Regarding improving speaking skills, Ha (2014) indicates that students have positive attitudes towards PBL and using PBL helps improve their performance

of speaking skills Similarly, Marisah & Robiasih (2017) point out that PBL increase students’ motivation and performance since students are interested in project activities and can apply the lexical and grammatical items to the projects.They also indicate that their pronunciation is improved as well with the help of teachers Anh (2017) finds out that PBL helps students develop integrated

language skills, improve critical thinking and problem- solving competence Her research findings also indicate that PBL makes students more flexible by letting them take different roles, increases students’ confidence, communication skills and provides good chances of experiencing real-world situations

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2.1.5 Challenges of applying project-based language teaching

Regarding to the disadvantages of project-based learning, Thomas(2000) findsout three kinds of challenges concerning students, teachers, school factors.Students have difficulties in generating meaningful scientific questions,managing complexity and time, transforming data and developing a logicalargument to support claims.In addition, Huyen(2010) also studies some students’problems of project-based learning They are conflicts among group membersand lack of strategies to work in groups According to Anh(2017), students havedifficulties in working with real-life tasks, determining and narrowing topics,working in teams, searching for information on the internet

According to Thomas (2000), challenges encountered by teachers are timemanagement and the role of teachersin directing activities Sage (1996) on adescriptive study of elementary and middle school classes points out thedifficulties of developing problem scenarios, aligning problem scenarios withcurriculum guidelines, taking much time, using authentic problems andmanaging groups with students of varying abilities Marx et al (1997) alsodiscovers problems related to time, classroom management, control, support ofstudent learning, technology use and assessment

Time: projects take longer time than anticipated.

Classroom management: teachers need to balance the need to allow students to

work on their own groups and the need to maintain the order of the class

Control: teachers need to control the flow of information while at the same

time believing that students' understanding requires that they build their own

understanding

Support of student learning: teachers have difficulty in scaffolding students'

activities, sometimes giving them too much freedomor too little modeling andfeedback

Technology use: teachers find it difficult to incorporate technology into the

classroom

Assessment: teachers find it difficult to design assessments that require

Gallacher (2004) also points out the disadvantages related to the excessive use ofthe first language and classroom management with students of different levelsand characteristics.

Sharing the same idea with Marx et al (1997), Sage (1996) & Gallacher (2004),Hoa(2010) proposes some problems related to organization, monitoring andpersonal problems She states that projects can create extra work, so it is difficultfor teachers to keep up with lessons, preparation and marking For example,teachers take time to prepare suitable materials for projects Teachers also havedifficulty in monitoring students when they conduct projects Regarding personalproblems, teachers may have to face students who lack interest or motivation.Regarding challenges associated with school factors, Edelson et al (1999) listanumber of factors They consist of fixed and inadequate resources, inflexibleschedules, and incompatible technology Marx, Blumenfeld, Krajcik, & Soloway(1994) add classsize and composition, and district curricular policy to this list.Hertzog (1994) points out the difficulties related to school facilities and timelimitation Chen (2010) finds out that a large number of schools fail toimplement project-based learning in the classroom This could be due to the lack

of innovative change to the “absence of political support, bureaucracy in ourschools, preservation of the status quo, and high stakes assessment” (Chen, 2010,p.3) The findings support a need for teachers and administrators to have moretraining and support

In brief, project-based language teaching poses several problems concerningteachers, students and school factors While teachers have problems with time,classroom management, student management, control, support of studentlearning, technology use and assessment, students have difficulties in generatingmeaningful questions, managing complexity and time, transforming data,developing a logical argument, dealing with conflicts and using L1 Schools alsoface some challenges related to inadequate reso urces, schedules, technology,class size, composition, policy, time and facilities

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2.2 Related studies

2.2.1 In the world

Maulany(2013) carried out action research on the use of project -based learningimproving the students’ speaking skills at a primary school The findings of thestudy showed that PBL could improve the students’ speaking skills To be morespecific, five aspects of speaking skills including comprehension, vocabulary,grammar, fluency and pronunciation could be improved Of all the aspects,comprehension and vocabulary were improved most significantly Thoseelements were used to design items in the questionnaire of the present study

Ali & Henawy (2015) carried out a study on using PBL for developing Englishoral performance Research findings showed that the students were positiveabout the benefits and usefulness of using PBL Learners also showed greatdevelopment in their oral communication skills

Yang & Puakpong (2016) did a study concerning the effects of project-basedlearning on speaking abilities of non-English major Chinese students The resultsrevealed that PBL had positive effects on non-English major students’ speakingability and students’ opinions Yang & Puakpong (2016) used a five-point ratingscale questionnaire to get students’ op inions about PBL The statementsregarding the use of PBL in improving speaking skills were used to design items

in the questionnaire of the present research

In short, those studies measured the effectiveness of using PBL for developingstudents’ speaking skills Nevertheless, the problems of PBL that might takeplace and the roles of teachers during PBL lessons have not been touched upon

2.2.2 In Vietnam

Hoa(2010) conducted a study related to improving students’ speaking skills atSao Do college She found out some advantages and disadvantages of projectwork as perceived by teachers and students Regarding the advantages, using

Interpersonal relations are also developed through project work In terms of thedisadvantages, the author of the research points out that organization, monitoringand personal problems are the main problems during the process of doing aproject To be more specific, teachers may find it struggling to plan and prepareprojects-related lessons They also have difficulty in keeping track of whatstudents are doing, what they have learnt and what they have understood.Dealing with students who lack interest and motivation, have the fear of beingunable to cope with new language demands and feel disappointed with theproject are some of the personal problems Other problems listed in this study arerelated to students First, students use the first language a lot Second, thedifference in student levels may cause problems during the project when somestudents finish the project faster than others and they have nothing to do.

Ha (2014) carried out a study on developing students’ speaking skill throughProject- Based Learning for 10th grade students at An Lao High School In thepaper, she investigated two main issues related to students’ attitudes toward PBLand the impacts of using PBL for students’ English speaking Her researchfindings show that students have positive attitudes towards PBL in Englishlessons As a result, PBL helps students to improve speaking skills, collaborativeskills and computer skills

Anh (2017) did a study on improving English speaking competence throughproject-based learning at a school of foreign languages in Vietnam Sheinvestigated the benefits and challenges of using PBL in learning language Interms of PBL’s benefits, PBL develops integrated language skills, improvescritical thinking, problem-solving competence and makes students more flexible

by letting them take different roles In addition, students’ confidence andcommunication skills are increased; students are provided good chances ofexperiencing real-world situations Regarding students’ difficulties in workingwith PBL, the researcher found out the difficult factors related to dealing withreal-life tasks, determining and narrowing topics, working in groups, searchingfor references on the internet

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In hence, those previous studies pointed out that PBL helped develop students’speaking skills However, few studies investigated students’ motivation andinteraction during PBL lessons In addition, few studies measured theimplementation of PBL at a primary school in Vietnam As a result, the findingsfrom the study could help both teachers and students realize the real situation ofusing PBL at a primary school and then develop its strong points and limitweaknesses.

2.3 Summary

The literature review provides a framework for the research topic ofimplementing project-based learning in improving speaking skills Each sectionreviews a topic that is relevant to the study and builds the relationship of eachtopic to the study The literature review includes key information of speakingskills and project- based learning It is also divided into sections that are relevant

to research questions addressed by the researcher

CHAPTER III- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Setting of the study

The study was conducted at PhuLinh primary school in Hanoi, where theresearcher works as an English teacher, which facilitates the process ofadministering research instruments to collect data The school is situated in SocSon District on the outskirt of Hanoi city In terms of school facilities forlearning English, each class is equipped with one projector Besides, two privateEnglish rooms with interactive panels and TV are provided for teaching andlearning English In the school year 2018- 2019, there are 30 classes from grade

1 to grade 5 with 1141 students in total For the scope of the study, the researchcarried out the study with 614 students from grade 3 to grade 5 who areexperiencing the PBL and three teachers of English at Phu Linh primaryschool.Since there are not any gifted classes in the school, classes include mixedEnglish level students To make the results of the research objective, theresearcher does not participate in the study as a participant.This setting alsooffers real teaching environment for conducting PBL, which is appropriate forthe objectives of this study

3.2 Research procedures

In chapter 3- research instrument, the research procedure, setting, participants,data collection method; tools, technique and processes supporting analyzing dataare presented to answer the research questions The entire procedure of the study

is illustrated by the following steps

Step 1: Conduct a preliminary study to identify the benefits and challenges ofPBL

Step 2: Determine Participants and Sample of the study

Step 3: Build scale and design questionnaires

Step 4: Design interview questions, and classroom observation form

Step 5: Pilot questionnaire, interview and classroom observation

Step 6: Conduct survey, interview,classroom observation and collect data

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Step 7: Analyze data based on research questions

Step 8: Provide conclusion

3.3 Conduct a preliminary study

Firstly, the researcher lists out all benefits and challenges of using PBL inimproving speaking skills and consults previous researchers about the realsituation of applying PBL in improving speaking skills

The following tables list out the summary of the real situation of implementingPBL in improving speaking skills as perceived by teachers and teachers

Students’ benefits of applying project- based Researchers

learning in applying PBL

Motivation Be interested and enthusiastic in the Marisah&Robiasih

Gallacher (2004)Yang& Puakpong(2016)Want more opportunities to speak in Yang& Puakpong(2016)class

Feel confident to speak English in front Yang& Puakpong(2016)

Be willing to speak in their small groups The hypothesis of the

authorSpend more time practicing speaking Yang& Puakpong(2016)after PBL lessons

Participatio Interact with other students in their Yang& Puakpong(2016)

Students’ benefits of applying project- based Researchers

learning in applying PBL

Performanc Use the target vocabulary learnt from the Ha (2014)

(2017)Use the structures learnt from the

previous lessonsPronounce the words correctly thanks toand students’ comments and teachers’

guideRespond quickly to teachers’ and Marisah&Robiasihstudents’ questions in the evaluation (2017)

Speak English fluently after PBL lessons Yang& Puakpong(2016)Speak longer sentences after PBL

lessons

Teachers’ benefits of applying project- based learning in applying PBL

Improve discipline in the classroom and then have more Yang& Puakpong(2016)time for speaking practice

Increase teacher- student interaction

Assist and guide students in terms of vocabulary, Marisah&Robiasih

Correct students’ mistakes in word choice, Marisah&Robiasih

The hypothesis of theauthor

Table 3.1 Summary of the benefits of using project- based learning in improving

speaking skills (Source: Summary of the author)

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Students’ challenges of using PBL Researchers

Understand the requirement of the project Hoa (2010)

Puakpong(20016)

Have time for speaking practice before the presentation The hypothesis of the

Respond to feedback, questions from teachers and other Thomas (2000)

students

Teachers’ challenges of using PBL

Hoa (2010)Manage classrooms (different students

Support students’ activities (scald folding students’

activities: giving them too much freedom or too little

modeling

Face students who lack interest or motivation Hoa (2010)

Have enough knowledge and experience in the projects The hypothesis of the

Table 3.2 Summary of the challenges of using PBL in improving speaking

skills (Source: Summary of the author)

Secondly, the author chooses eight people to ask from their opinions andcomments about the real situation of using PBL from the list above Thesepeople include three English teachers from Phu Linh Primary school, twoEnglishteachers from Le Quy Don Primary School, two English teachers fromWellspring Primary School, one English teacher from Nguyen Binh Khiem highschool

Before interviewing these people, the researcher emails the benefits andchallenges of using PBL to them so that they can have a look The result of the

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preliminary study will be the basis to build up research model, questionnaire,interview and observation form.

3.4 Description of the curriculum and the textbook

Regarding the curriculum, there are four periods of English per week forstudents in grade 3, 4 and 5 Each 35-minute period covers one lesson of thetextbook

The official textbooks for students at Phu Linh primary school are Tieng Anh 3,

4 and 5 which are published by the Ministry of Education and Training Thebook follows a systematic, cyclical and them-based syllabus, approved by theMinistry of Education and Training which takes a thorough development ofskills, but gives particular emphasis to listening and speaking at the early stage.The whole textbook reflects the carefully sequenced pedagogy of warm-up,presentation, practice, application and assessment to develop language anddevelopmental skills through four macro themes – Me and My Friends, Me and

My School, Me and My family and Me and the World Around There are 20units in the course book Each unit contains six lessons in total There is oneproject activity in one unit The first five lessons provide students withvocabulary and structures, which supports the project activity in the last lesson.PBL activities used for students in the textbook consist of designing cards,drawing and making a presentation, interviewing, acting, introducing the school/family, collecting things and presenting about them.(See Axpendix 9)

The current curriculum and textbook have been applied at Phu Linh primaryschool for about 5 years English teachers are trained in terms of the curriculum,textbooks and teaching method annually

to convenience and randomly pick up Firstly, they are familiar to the use of PBL

in the classroom 40 students in grade 3 have been experiencing PBL sinceSeptember 5th2018; 35 students in grade 4 have been experiencing PBL for morethan one year; 32 students in grade 5 have been experiencing PBL for more thantwo years According to the curriculum, 107 students mentioned above conductfrom two or three projects every month Therefore, chosen students areappropriate since it enables the researcher to manage and work with the collecteddata Three students from different grades are chosen randomly to take part inthe interviews They are coded as S1, S2 and S3 S1 is from grade 3 S2 is fromgrade 4 S3 is from grade 5

3.5.2 Teachers

Three teachers of English at Phu Linh Primary School are coded as T1, T2 andT3 They are invited to participate in the study The following table providestheir information

Table 3.3 The information of English teachers

As can be seen from table 3, three teachers have differences in teachingexperience and experience in PBL Two of them (T1, T2) have been teachingEnglish for nearly 10 years, while the other (T3) for 2 years They are in charge

of teaching the same numbers of classes and conducting the same numbers ofprojects Therefore, they are given the equal opportunities of carrying out PBL at

3.6 Data collection instruments

3.6.1 Questionnaires

Questionnaires are popular research instruments in order to gather data forresearch in many fields such as education, psychology and sociology Lumleyand Brown (2005) used questionnaires in language testing research to assemblebackground data on test candidates, to provide data for needs analysis, topromote the growth of test and to evaluate the tests Creswell (2002) also pointedout the advantages of using questionnaires to collect data First, questionnairesare suitable for teachers to gather data on what your learners think or believeabout certain issues Second, the respondents do not have to write their names orany personal information in questionnaires This helps reduce the teacher’sinfluences on the results of questionnaires Finally, a questionnaire can be used

to survey a class or groups of classes Since questionnaires give exact data, theirresults are objective and using them helps the researchers collect data from agreat number of participants, the researcher decided to choose questionnaires asthe main instrument

The questionnaire was designed with two main parts

Part 1 was to collect students’ opinions about the real situation of applying PBL

in improving speaking skills Questions in part 1 were designed according to the preliminary study(see Table 3.1 & table 3.2) to measure the benefits and

drawbacks of PBL Likert- 5 – scale was applied to construct the questionnaire Scale 1: totally disagree

Scale 2: disagree

Scale 3: neutral

Scale 4: agree

Scale 5: totally agree

In addition to the Likert - 5 - scale statements, students are encouraged toprovide more different benefits and problems which they have experienced indoing project - based activities

Part 2 was to collect the personal information of teachers and students (name,

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age, gender, experience, class)

The questionnaire was designed for 107 students in order to investigate theiropinions about the benefits and challenges of using PBL in improving speakingskills In part 1 of the questionnaires, there are 19 items Items from 1 to 5 indicatemotivation; items from 6 to 9: participation; items 10 to 14: performance; items 15

to 17: time; items 18 & 19: language use (see Appendix 1)

3.6.2 Interview

In addition to questionnaire, semi- structured interviews were conducted in thisstudy to get teachers, students’ opinions about the real situation of PBL Thisinstrument allows the researcher to collect data qualitatively and compareanswers from different participants In addition, it helps to investigate situationswhich are not directly observable and to collect data from those who are notcomfortable in other ways(Mackey & Gass, 2005) Therefore, the results ofinterviews in this study were ultilized to support those of questionnaires Allinterviews in the research were conducted individually and recorded to supportthe step of data analysis

The first interview was designed for three English teachers at Phu Linh primaryschool to investigate their opinions about the benefits and challenges of PBL Inthis interview, there are two questions related to PBL (see Appendix 2)

The second interview was designed for three students who come from grade 3, 4,

5 to investigate their opinions about the benefits and challenges of PBL In thisinterview, there are three questions related to the benefits and challenges of PBL(see Appendix 3)

3.6.3 Classroom observation

Classroom observation was conducted for following reasons First, this allowsthe researcher to collect live data from real situation(Cohen, Manion andMorrison, 2007) Second, data collected from observations facilitates theresearcher in terms of understanding the situation (Patton, 1990, as cited inCohen, Manion and Morrison, 2007) Thirdly, this instrument was used along

questionnaires Last but not least, structured observations with a rating scalewere ultilized in this study with the aim of facilitating the recording of detailssuch as when, where, and how often certain types of phenomena occur andallowing the researcher to compare behaviors across research contexts(Mackey

& Gass, 2005)

Three classroom observations were carried out in three classes in grade 3,4,5which are taught by T1, T2 and T3 respectively The researcher used observationforms to observe students’ and teachers’ behaviors during PBL lessons

The classroom observation form with two main parts(see Appendix 4) wasdesigned according to the preliminary study(see Table 3.1 & table 3.2) toobserve students' and teachers' behaviors during project lessons

Part 1 was to get observers’ opinions about students’ behaviors related to usingPBL in improving speaking skills

Part 2 was to get observers’ opinions about teachers’ behaviors related to using

PBL in improving speaking skills

Likert- 5- scale was used to design items

1: Does not at all reflect what went on

2: Only marginally reflects what went on

3: Neutral

4: Describe rather well what went on

5: Is a totally accurate reflection of what went on

There are 28 items in this part Items from 1-14 show observers’ opinion aboutstudents’ behaviors in the classroom; items from 15- 28 show observers’ opinionabout teachers’ behaviors in the classroom

3.7 Pilot study

After designing research instruments, the researcher conducted a pilot study to 30students( ten students in grade 3, ten students in grade 4, ten students in grade 5) andthree teachers, which helps determine the feasibility of the study and test theappropriateness of data collection instrumentsand techniques In addition, this couldhelp the researcher test whether the format, the content of research instruments is

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comprehensible and whether the tools are suitable for the target population Afterreceiving feedback from students and the teacher, the researcher made necessarychanges in the content and the format of research instruments before they weredelivered to all participants.

3.8 Data analysis

After collecting data from questionnaires, interviews and observations, theresearcher analyzed the data There are two types of data in the research Theresearcher gave 107 survey sheets to the students and received 107 survey sheetsfrom them After that, the mean of descriptive statistics was calculated by Excelsoftware to identify the common trend and pattern of response The researcherused the data to make comparison about the elements of PBL and the use of PBL

in different groups of participants.The qualitative data from three studentinterviews and three teacher interviews were analyzed based on the themes

The researcher used the data from questionnaires as the main source and the datafrom classroom observations and interviews as additional sources to support theresults of the study

3.9 Limitations of the methods

Although using questionnaires helps the researcher collect data from a largenumber of respondents, this method may have following problems First,students may not feel encouraged to provide accurate and honest answers.Second, they may not be fully aware of their reasons for any given answerbecause of lack of memory on the subject or their boredom In order to limit thedisadvantages of the methods, the researchers delivered the questionnaires rightafter the project - based activities to instruct students to do the survey and thenallowed them to take the questionnaires home to answer

3.10 Summary

Chapter III provides seven steps in the research procedure and key informationabout the setting, the participants, the data collection instruments, data analysisand the limitations of the research

CHAPTER IV: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

The result of the study is presented as the following frame:

 The real situation of PBL in improving speaking skills as perceived by

Motivation

I am interested in the project activities 4.78 4.51 4.47 4.59

I want more opportunities to speak English 4.73 4.51 4.19 4.48

I feel confident to speak in front of the class 3.83 3.51 3.47 3.60

I spend more time speaking English after PBL

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and in speaking English To be more specific, students in grade 3(4.46) are moreinterested in PBL than other students This could be explained that PBL is newfor students in grade 3 and their topics of projects are simpler and closer in reallife than those of students in grade 4 and 5, so they are more excited in PBL Inaddition, although students are willing to speak English in their groups(4.40),they are not confident to perform in front of the whole class(3.60) Students arenot only motivated to speak in class but also after PBL lessons(4.13), whichshows that they are encouraged to practise speaking English thanks to PBL.

Similarly, the results from classroom observations show that students have highmotivation for PBL

Motivation

4.33 4.00 4.00 4.11

Feel confident to speak English in front of the

The results from student interviews show that students are all engaged in theproject lessons and feel confident to speak English in the groups They reallywant to have much time for the project lessons One of students said“I reallywant to have such a lot of PBL lessons because I can learn and do what I likesuch as drawing, talking about my school, class and making cards”

In brief, the results from questionnaires, classroom observations and interviewsall show the benefits and challenges of PBL related to motivation The first andforemost advantage is that students are encouraged in the project lessons

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Students in grade 3 are more encouraged in those in grade 4 and 5 Additionally,students are ready to speak English in the project lessons and practise speakingEnglish after their lessons; they also show their confidence of using English inthe smaller groups However, one difficulty for students is to present the projects

in the whole class

4.1.1 Participation

Participation

3.75 3.77 3.83 3.78

I interact more frequently with other students 4.00 4.11 4.13 4.08

I can give feedback on other students’ presentation 3.93 3.86 3.63 3.80

I can talk about the project without hesitating 4.15 3.86 4.03 4.01

I can make questions for other groups 2.93 3.26 3.53 3.24 Table 4.1.3 Students’ participation in speaking activitiesaccording to

students’ questionnaires

From the table 4.1.3, students’ participation is 3.78 and the participation ofstudents in grade 3, 4, 5 is 3.75, 3.77 and 3.83 respectively This shows thatstudents’ participation in PBL is much lower than their motivation, which could

be explained that students cannot give feedback(3.80) and make questions(3.24)for other students Unlike motivation, the involvement of students in grade 5 ishigher than other students This could be due to the fact that students in grade 5have done more projects and have more experience in PBL than other students inother grades

Similar to the results from questionnaires, students’ participation in PBL is nothigh(3.25) and the participation of students in grade 5 is higher than otherstudents Students do not pay attention to giving feedback and making questionsfor other students