An investigation into the application of project based learning in high school classes in quang binh province

This study describes how high school teachers and students actually perceived Project-Based Learning and how the method was applied in English classes in Quang Binh province.. In 2008, t

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

VINH UNIVERSITY

-*** -

NGUYEN MANH CUONG

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE APPLICATION OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

IN HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH CLASSES IN QUANG BINH PROVINCE

MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION

Nghe An, 2017

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

VINH UNIVERSITY

-*** -

NGUYEN MANH CUONG

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE APPLICATION OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

IN HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH CLASSES IN QUANG BINH PROVINCE

Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY

This work has not previously been submitted for a degree

or diploma in any university To the best of my

knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself

Author’s signature

Nguyen Manh Cuong

ABSTRACT

Project-Based Learning is a student-centered and directed approach, which has been introduced in some high schools in Viet Nam for several years and partially met student’s needs However, how to apply Project-Based Leaching effectively in English classes is still a challenge for administrators and

teachers This study describes how high school teachers and students actually perceived Project-Based Learning and how the method was applied in English classes in Quang Binh province The research was conducted among 20

teachers and 60 students of two upper secondary schools To complete this study, such tools of data collection as survey questionnaires, classroom

observation and interviews were employed

The findings indicate that most teachers and students were fully aware of the necessity and benefits of Project-Based Learning in teaching and learning English However, some young teachers did not know how to instruct

students to carry out the project In addition, most of the participants still faced many difficulties when implementing the method Basing on these findings, some necessary solutions were suggested to make the application of PBL more effective

Key words: Project-Based Learning, Project-Based Teaching,

student-centered, motivation, implementing, application, pilot textbooks of English

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr Tran

Ba Tien - my supervisor for his invaluable advice, constructive criticism, precious correction and helpful encouragement in the completion of my

thesis.Without his valuable instructions and assistance, this paper would never

be finished

My special thanks go to the staff of Vinh University, faculty lecturers from Department of Foreign Languages for their providing helpful guidelines and support in ensuring the success of my thesis

I also express my deepest gratefulness to the leaders of Quang Binh

Department of Education and Training, the leaders and the specialists of the Secondary Education Department for providing me with the most favorable conditions to my further study

Hereby, I wish to sincerely thank all the teachers and students of Foreign Language Department at Vo Nguyen Giap Gifted High School and Ninh Chau High School for answering the questionnaires and interviews, which are

indispensable for the analysis and discussion in my study

I also would like to thank my beloved friends - Le Thi Kieu Oanh and

Nguyen Thi Ai Lien, who are always ready to share all my happiness and sorrow and give me useful advice when needed

Finally and always, my heartfelt thanks go to my family whose support is indispensable for the fulfillment of my thesis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY iii

ABSTRACT iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT v

TABLE OF CONTENTS vi

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ix

TABLE OF FIGURES x

TABLE OF TABLES xi

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 12

1.1 Rationale 12

1.2 Aims of the study 14

1.3 Significance of the study 15

1.4 Research questions 15

1.5 Scope of the study 15

1.6 Design of the study 15

Chapter 2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 17

2.1 Project-Based Learning 17

2.1.1 Project 17

2.1.1.1 Definitions of project 17

2.1.1.2 Types of project 18

2.1.2 Project-Based Learning 19

2.1.2.1 Definitions of Project-Based Learning 19

2.1.2.2 Key features of Project-Based Learning 20

2.1.2.3 Benefits of Project-Based Learning 22

2.1.2.4 Drawbacks of Project-Based Learning 24

2.1.2.5 The procedure to do a project 25

2.1.2.6 Roles of teachers and learners in Project-Based Learning 26

2.1.2.7 Assessment of project work 30

2.2 Researches on PBL 34

2.3 An introduction to the upper secondary pilot curriculum and textbooks 36 2.3.1 The objectives of the upper secondary pilot curriculum and textbooks 36

2.3.2 The contents of the upper secondary set of pilot textbooks 36

2.3.3 The structure of the upper secondary set of pilot textbooks 38

Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 39

3.1 Context of Study 39

3.2 Participants 40

3.3 Data collection instruments 41

3.3.1 Questionnaires 41

3.3.2 Class observations 42

3.3.3 Ethnographic in-depth interviews 42

3.4 Procedures 43

3.5 Summary 43

Chapter 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 45

4.1 Introduction 45

4.2 Teachers’ and students’ perception of Project-Based Learning 45

4.2.1 Teachers’ perception of PBL 45

4.2.2 Students’ perception of PBL 48

4.3 Teachers’ and students’ implementation of PBT and PBL 50

4.3.1 Teachers’ implementation of PBT 50

4.3.2 Students’ implementation of PBL 53

4.4 Teachers’ and students’ difficulties in PBT and PBL 55

4.4.1 Teachers’ difficulties in PBT 55

4.4.2 Students’ difficulties in PBL 57

4.5 Teachers’ solutions to difficulties in PBT 58

4.6 Students’ solutions to difficulties in PBL 60

4.7 Discussion 62

4.7.1 Teachers’ and students’ perception of PBL 62

4.7.2 Teachers’ and students’ implementation of PBL 63

4.7.3 Teachers’ and students’ difficulties in PBT and PBL 64

4.7.4 Teachers’ and students’ solutions to difficulties in PBT and PBL 65

Chapter 5 CONCLUSION 67

5.1 Summary of the key findings 67

5.2 Implications 69

5.2.1 Implications for administrators 69

5.2.2 Implications for high school teachers 70

5.2.3 Implications for high school students 71

5.3 Limitations of the study 71

5.4 Further research 72

REFERENCES 73

APPENDICES 78

APPENDIX 1 78

APPENDIX 2 83

APPENDIX 3 87

APPENDIX 4 88

APPENDIX 5 89

APPENDIX 6 91

APPENDIX 7 92

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

DOET Department of Education and Training

MOET Ministry of Education and Training

PBL Project-Based Learning

PBT Project-Based Teaching

TABLE OF FIGURES

Page

Figure 2.1 The teachers’ roles in PBL 28

Figure 2.2 The learners’ roles of learning through doing projects within the social context 30

Figure 4.1 Teachers’ perception of the necessity of PBL 45

Figure 4.2 Teachers’ perception of the benefits of PBL 46

Figure 4.3 Teachers’ perception of the procedure of doing a project 47

Figure 4.4 Students’ perception of the necessity of PBL 49

Figure 4.5 Students’ perception of the benefits of PBL 50

Figure 4.6 Teachers’ opinion about the implementation of PBT 50

Figure 4.7 Teachers’ opinion about class organization 51

Figure 4.8 Teachers’ opinion about time allowed to finish the project 52

Figure 4.9 Students’ opinion about the implementation of PBL 54

Figure 4.10 Students’ opinion about class organization 54

Figure 4.11 Students’ opinion about time allowed to finish the project 55

Figure 4.12 Teachers’ difficulties in PBT 56

Figure 4.13 Students’ difficulties in PBL 57

TABLE OF TABLES

Page

Table 2.1 Themes and topics in the high school pilot curriculum 38

Table 4.1 Result from class observation 52

Table 4.2 Teachers’ solutions to difficulties in PBT 59

Table 4.3 Students’ solutions to difficulties in PBL 61

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale

English has become an extremely popular language world-wide over a period

of many years It is seen as a bridge that helps people from different nations come closer to each other Understanding its role, the Vietnamese Government and people consider the English language as an essential means to integrate into the world as well as to enhance the economy, education, foreign

relationships and health care system One of the major concerns of most

educators is how to help students use English to solve the practical tasks in real life To catch up with this trend, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) of Viet Nam claims that contemporary education needs to emphasize student-centered teaching This means that teachers play the roles of

facilitators, organizers, instructors, observers, and advisers who help students develop their sense of creativity, problem-solving skills, and self-studying during the process of learning In doing so, students are trained key skills such

as independence, responsibility, cooperation and critical thinking

To partly carry out this above issue, the Government of Vietnam has

developed a number of programs to popularize English and at the same time has found ways to improve the quality of English language teaching and

learning In 2008, the Ministry of Education and Training, under the approval

of the Prime Minister, started the National Foreign Languages Project entitled

"Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Education

System, Period 2008-2020”, which is aimed at making English compulsory in the school curriculum, starting teaching English for 3rd graders, thus by the year 2020 most Vietnamese students graduating from secondary, vocational schools, colleges and universities will be able to use a foreign language

confidently, study and work in a multilingual and multicultural environment

of integration The resolution covers a wide range of renovations relating to almost education activities The key measures consist of education

management, developing teaching staff, renovating teaching methods and renovating the curriculum and the textbook The renovation of the curriculum

and the textbook is considered an extremely important measure because it will lead to the change of the other educational activities To carry out this

resolution, the pilot curriculum and a new set of textbooks for secondary

education were issued by the Ministry of Education and Training in

November, 2012 (Decision No 01/QĐ-BGDĐT and Decision No BGDĐT) The aim of the high school pilot curriculum and textbooks is to develop upper secondary students’ communicative competence in English Their skills such as listening, speaking, reading, writing will reach the third level of the Vietnamese Foreign Language Competence Framework

5209/QĐ-(equivalent to B1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) when students finish upper secondary school

Basing on the pilot curriculum, a new set of textbooks for upper secondary

students, including Tieng Anh 10, Tieng Anh 11 and Tieng Anh 12 is dedigned

The format of these new textbooks is different from the old ones The most distinctive and remarkable feature in the pilot textbooks is “Project” part, the last part of every unit, which is designed to apply Project-Based Learning (PBL) method The projects vary in forms, most of which are related to

familiar topics in real life so the teacher and students are able to implement them

PBL is a student-centered and directed approach, so students can have a

chance to select the content areas and nature of the projects that they do There

is considerable focus on students’ understanding what it is they are doing, why

it is important, and how they will be assessed Some of the goals may actually

be set by students and they will be assessed over these goals Learners’

motivation and active engagement result from all of these learner-centered characteristics of PBL Moursund (1999) stated that a high level of intrinsic motivation and active engagement are essential to the success of PBL

methodology Project work makes school more like real life It's an in-depth investigation of a real-world topic worthy of children's attention and effort Furthermore, a project-based learning lesson provides students with the

opportunity to learn in an authentic, challenging and multidisciplinary

environment (Moursund, 2003)

Although PBL has many advantages, it has just been applied at two high

schools of Quang Binh province since 2014 Being in charge of managing all

the activities of teaching and learning English in general, the application of this method in teaching English in secondary schools, the author deeply

understands about the situation From the factual observation, the author

himself thinks that there exist some difficulties for teachers and students The issue may be the result of the following reasons Firstly, most of the current teachers of English graduated from the universities before 2000, so they are not familiar with project-based activities because of their regular use of

traditional methods Moreover, most of them have not attended official

training courses, so they could not do the job effectively At the end of each unit, all of the students in a class are often assigned the same project, given some time to carry it out and then asked to present the product with the help of posters or PowerPoint Actually, students in a class may have different levels and learners of different classes do not always have the same purposes of learning English Teachers often lack time to guide and help students finish the project, while students need teachers’ clear instructions of useful

languages and the procedure to carry out the project As a result, it makes student unmotivated when doing the job Additionally, for some students’ belief, doing project is time-consuming They only pay attention to doing grammatical exercises and written tests which are much more helpful for their General Certificate of Secondary Education and Entrance University

examinations

For the reasons mentioned above, the author of this paper would like to

conduct this research entitled “An investigation into the application of

Project-Based Learning in high school English classes in Quang Binh

province” with the aim that this can help to identify some challenges in doing

projects Additionally, he wishes that some suggestions will be drawn out for the teachers who are indeed interested in PBL to apply the method effectively

in English classes

1.2 Aims of the study

The study is conducted with the aim to investigate the perception of upper

secondary English teachers and students toward projects and Project-Based

Learning, especially the application of the method The author also intends to

discover the challenges and difficulties the teachers and students encounter when implementing PBL in English classes Some suggestions would be

recommended by the researcher to help them minimize or overcome those issues

1.3 Significance of the study

The study is expected to be a good reference for administrators or policy

makers to manage the teaching activities better, and for teachers to implement the method effectively in English classes Moreover, through this study

teachers and students will become more aware of the important role of

Project-Based Learning, and be able to identify methods and specific solutions appropriate to their learning requirements

1.4 Research questions

In order to achieve the aims mentioned above, the study seeks the answers to the following questions:

1 What are teachers’ and students’ perceptions of Project-Based Learning?

2 How do teachers implement Project-Based Learning in their teaching?

3 Are there any problems that teachers and students encounter in

implementing Project-Based Learning?

1.5 Scope of the study

The study has been carried out among 60 10th-grade students in Vo Nguyen Giap (VNG) Gifted High School and Ninh Chau High School, who are using

the Pilot Textbook Tieng Anh 10 as their required course book The students’

age group ranges from 15 to 16 They all have learned English for 8 years and their knowledge and use of English are quite good Besides, the author has conducted the experiment among 20 teachers of English of the two high

schools

1.6 Design of the study

The study is divided into five sections set out in the following chapters:

Chapter 1, Introduction, introduces the rationale, aims of the study, research questions, research scope, significance and design of the study

Chapter 2, Theoretical Background, presents the theoretical background of the research and issues related to Project-Based Learning applied in English

language teaching

Chapter 3 is for Methodology in which the author describes how the

experiment was carried out The chapter consists of the research methodology, the context of the study, participants, data collection instruments and the

research procedure

Chapter 4, Findings and Discussions, is reserved to reveal the findings drawn through the analysis of both the collected data and opinions The discussions were conducted based on the findings

Chapter 5 is for the Conclusion, which presents the summary of the key

findings of the research, limitations, some pedagogical implications and

suggestions for further study

Chapter 2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

With the aim of providing a theoretical background to the study, this chapter provides a review of issues most relevant to the topic of the research, Project-Based Learning, and its application in English language teaching To help provide deeper understanding and potential insights, previous studies are

examined The chapter is finished with an introduction to the upper secondary

set of pilot textbooks

2.1 Project-Based Learning

2.1.1 Project

2.1.1.1 Definitions of project

When we discuss about project, there are many definitions about it According

to Mintzberg (1983), “A project is an organizational unit that solves a unique and complex task” Collins (1987) shared the opinion of Mintzberg (1983) to give another definition “A project as an idea or plan that you intend to carry out in the future or that is being carried out at present A project can also be a detailed study of a particular subject”

Although people had different ways of defining projects, they have some characteristics in common First, the most distinguishing feature is a specific timeframe All projects have time to start and finish Second, many efforts are called “projects” but actually become programs because they extend

indefinitely and cover broader, less specific business objectives Third,

projects must have clear, definite goal or objective The objective is specific, identifiable, and can be accomplished Finally, there are a wide range of

activities in a project which produce quantifiable deliverables that when added together, accomplish the overall objective

What is more, Thomas (2000) defined that project is complex tasks based on problems encountered by students, conducted in certain periods of time and culminated in realistic products that might be in form of presentation,

exhibition, and publication The project should be long-term, require

teamwork among students and result in a substantial final product (Thompson

& Beak, 2007, as cited in Cruz & Vik, 2007) In conclusion, not every task

can be considered as project

2.1.1.2 Types of project

People classified projects into many different types or categories Haines based on the ways to report the information to divide projects into 3

categories: Production projects that include the creation of bulletin board

display, video, radio programs, posters sessions, written reports, photo essays,

letters, hand books and so on; Performance projects in the form of debates, oral presentation, food fair, or a fashion show; Organizational projects which

connected with the planning and formation of a club, conversation table, or conversation partner program

Legutke and Thomas (1991) and Haines (1989) based on data collection techniques and sources of information to classify projects into 5 categories:

The first category is Survey project that may also include displays, but more interview, summaries, finding; The second category is Survey project which

may also include displays, but more interview, summaries, finding; The third

category is Research projects which include such kinds of work as reports, display; Text projects which deal with “text” rather than people; The fourth category is Encounter projects which result in face-to-face contact with guest

speakers or individuals outside the classroom and the last one is

Correspondences projects which involve communication with individual

Besides, Henry (1994) also proposed three types of projects according to the degree that the teachers and students decide on the nature and sequencing of

project-related activities They are Structured Projects which are determined,

specified, and organized by the teacher in terms of topic, materials,

methodology and presentation; Unstructured Projects that are defined largely

by students themselves; and Semi structured projects which are defined and

organised in part by teacher and in part by students

In summary, projects have been various classified by differently researchers, teachers should therefore choose the most suitable format of the project basing

on the teaching context, curriculum objectives, students’ level and interest, time constraint, materials and so on Besides, the different types of project should be combined to achieve the teaching goals the teacher has set

Nevertheless, to have a correct choice, teachers must have a deep insight of

PBL, which will be discussed in the following section

2.1.2 Project-Based Learning

2.1.2.1 Definitions of Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning has been differently defined by various researchers According to Kasíková’s study, as cited in Rousová (2008, p 10), it takes about twenty years for new academic concepts and insights to become

commonplace in the teaching of our public schools This is also the case with the notion of PBL

A project is a task that requires initiative, creativity and organizational skills,

as well as undertaking responsibility for the solution of problems connected with the topic It is a specific kind of a learning task, in which pupils are

allowed to choose a topic and direction of its investigation Therefore, the result is predictable only to a limited extent

Sharing a similar view on PBL, De Jesus (2012) defined that “Project-based learning is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges, simultaneously developing cross-curriculum skills while working in small collaborative groups”

In PBL handbooks for teachers, projects are considered as complex tasks, based on challenging questions or problems that involve students in design, problem-solving, decision making, or investigating activities; give students the opportunity to work relatively autonomously over extended periods of time; and culminate in realistic products or presentations (Jones, Rasmussen, & Moffitt, 1997; J Thomas, Mergendoller, & Michaelson, 1999)

As for Fletcher (2008), Project-Based Learning is a learning method that

enables students to focus on complex problems and solve them through

research This approach is an instructional strategy used in order to achieve success in today’s dynamic study-fields (Gonzales & Nelson, 2005, as cited in Yalçın et al., 2009) They added that Project-Based Approach consists of students’ learning knowledge, content, realities and students’ acquisition of some important skills related to the other fields of the educational system, and their research on real-life topics

Another author, Bell (2010), pointed out that PBL is an instructional method centered on the learners PBL requires students to develop a question and are

guided through research under the teacher’s supervision Instead of using a rigid lesson plan that directs a learner down a specific path of learning

outcomes or objectives, PBL allows in-depth investigation of a topic worth learning more about (Erdem & Akkoyunlu, 2002; Harris & Katz, 2001;

Korkmaz & Kaptan, 2000)

It is clear from the above-mentioned definitions that PBL is engaging learning experiences that involve students in complex, factual projects through which they develop and apply skills and knowledge The advantages can be

identified up front but sometimes are only experiences to allocate resources such as time or materials

In conclusion, PBL is defined in a variety of ways but they share some

primary features Each of the definitions contains a solution to an issue by the group of students The result of students’ work is usually the creation of some products including thesis, report, design plan or model There exist commonly many educational activities that take a considerable length of time (Jones et al., 1997; J Thomas et al., 1999) This paper adopts the definitions that PBL is

an authentic learning model or strategy in which students plan, implement, and evaluate projects that have real-world applications beyond the classroom (Blank & Harwell, 1997; Dickinson et al., 1998; Westwood, 2008)

2.1.2.2 Key features of Project-Based Learning

A teaching method in which students can gain knowledge and skills by

working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an

authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge is Based Learning It has several key features that assist to direct the use of PBL instruction within a classroom The project has a real-world connection is very important It needs to allow students not to only make real life

Project-connections, but also, to implement learning and apply new concepts by using their knowledge in a variety of education contexts The key element of PBL is working with others is also The core idea of PBL is that real-world problems capture the learners' interest as they acquire knowledge In Gold Standard PBL, Essential Project Design Elements include the following key features:

Key knowledge, understanding and success skills: The project is

focused on student learning goals, including standards-based content

and skills such as critical thinking/problem solving, collaboration, and self-management

Challenging problem or question: The project is framed by a

meaningful problem to solve or a question to answer, at the appropriate level of challenge

Sustained inquiry: Students engage in a rigorous, extended process of

asking questions, finding resources, and applying information

Authenticity: The project features real-world context, tasks and tools,

quality standards, or impact - or speaks to students’ personal concerns, interests, and issues in their lives

Student voice and choice: Students make some decisions about the

project, including how they work and what they create

Reflection: Students and teachers reflect on learning, the effectiveness

of their inquiry and project activities, the quality of student work,

obstacles and how to overcome them

Critique and revision: Students give, receive, and use feedback to

improve their process and products

Public product: Students make their project work public by explaining,

displaying and/or presenting it to people beyond the classroom

Project work has been concerned and taken into consideration by a number of language educators, including Carter and Thomas (1986), Ferragatti and

Carminati (1984), Fried-Booth (1982), Haines (1989), Legutke (1984, 1985), Legutke and Thiel (1983), Papandreou (1994), Ken Sheppard and Fredricka L Stoller (1995), and Ward (1988) They share the following common features

in spite of their different perspectives of approaching:

► Project work focuses on content learning rather than on specific language targets Students’ real-world subject matter and their topics of interest are put in the centre of the project

► Project work is student-centered, though the teacher plays a major role in offering support and guidance throughout the process

► Project work supports cooperation rather than competition between students Students can work on their own, in small groups, or as a class

to complete a project, sharing resources, ideas, and expertise along the way

► Project work leads to the authentic integration of skills and

processing of information from varied sources, mirroring real-life tasks

► Project work culminates in an end product (e.g., an oral presentation,

a poster session, a bulletin board display, a report, or a stage

performance) that can be shared with others, giving the project a real purpose The value of the project, however, lies not just in the final product but in the process of working towards the end point Thus, project work has both a process and product orientation, and provides students with opportunities to focus on fluency and accuracy at different project-work stages

► Project work is potentially motivating, stimulating, empowering, and challenging It usually results in building student confidence, self-

esteem, and autonomy as well as improving students' language skills, content learning, and cognitive abilities

2.1.2.3 Benefits of Project-Based Learning

According to Staff (2001), a wide range of benefits to both students and

teachers are further clarified from the features of PBL A growing number of academic researchers support the use of project-based learning in school to engage students, cut absenteeism, boost cooperative learning skills, and

improve academic performance

In terms of teachers, J W.Thomas (2000) stated that additional benefits

include enhanced professionalism and collaboration among colleagues, and opportunities to build relationships with students Moreover, many teachers are pleased to find a model that accommodates diverse learners by introducing

a variety of learning opportunities into the classroom Teachers find that

students for whom traditional instructional methods are not effective can

benefit the most from project-based learning (SRI, 2000 as cited in Shiraz and Larsari (2014)

Many teachers, thinking of students’ benefits, points out that project-based learning is an important and effective part of their teaching repertoire Sylvia Chard, an education researcher, has pointed out that “One of the major

advantages of project work is that it makes school more like real life It's an in-depth investigation of a real-world topic worthy of children's attention and

effort.” A project-based learning lesson provides students with the opportunity

to learn in an authentic, challenging and multidisciplinary environment

(Moursund, 2003) Students can learn the way to design, carry out, and

evaluate a project that requires sustained effort over a significant period of time Besides, learning to work with minimal external guidance, both

individually and in groups, can help them gain in self-reliance and personal accountability Thanks to these opportunities, many advantages of project-based learning emerge from a student’s point of view

Many researchers who have been interested in PBL have identified the

following particular benefits:

► Preparing children for the workplace Children are exposed to a

wide range of skills and competencies such as collaboration, project planning, decision making, and time management (Blank, 1997;

Dickinson et al., 1998)

► Increasing motivation Teachers often note improvement in

attendance, more class participation, and greater willingness to do

homework (Bottoms & Webb, 1998; Moursund, Bielefeldt, &

Underwood, 1997)

► Connecting learning at school with reality Students retain more

knowledge and skills when they are engaged in stimulating projects With projects, kids use higher order thinking skills rather than

memorizing facts in an isolated context without a connection to how and where they are used in the real world (Blank, 1997; Bottoms & Webb, 1998; Reyes, 1998)

► Providing collaborative opportunities to construct knowledge

Collaborative learning allows kids to bounce ideas off each other, voice their own opinions, and negotiate solutions, all skills that will be

necessary in the workplace (Bryson, 1994; Reyes, 1998)

► Increasing social and communication skills

► Increasing problem-solving skills (Moursund, Bielefeldt, &

Underwood, 1997

► Enabling students to make and see connections between disciplines

► Providing opportunities to contribute to their school or community

► Increasing self-esteem Children take pride in accomplishing

something that has value outside the classroom (Jobsfor the Future, n.d.)

► Allowing children to use their individual learning strengths and

diverse approaches to learning (Thomas, 1998)

► Providing a practical, real-world way to learn to use technology

(Kadel, 1999; Moursund, Bielefeldt, & Underwood, 1997)

In summary, PBL makes the role of teachers change from a speaker in

traditional classroom into the role of facilitators to support and guide through the process Therefore, it fosters students’ autonomy and responsibility

(Haines, 1989) Thanks to that, teachers have more time to devote to weaker groups (Kasíková, 1997)

2.1.2.4 Drawbacks of Project-Based Learning

Besides the advantages of Project-Based Learning, researchers have found that there are also some drawbacks in the implementation affecting the success of PBL

Firstly, Gallagher (2004) has stated that apart from some advantages Based Learning has some disadvantages, especially in a language class such as the excessive use of the first language, the different speeds of different

Project-students and the control on learning with inactive Project-students when they have much creation and freedom in carrying out projects Secondly, according to Grant as cited in Sumarni (2015), PBL takes a lot of time of the

teachers/instructors to solve different issues, which means not having time available for the material or content Furthermore, Van den Berg (2006)

thought that students perceived the workload as heavy, and staff described students finding the workload “overwhelming” However, the need for extra time was not necessarily always negative as some students appreciated having more time to work on their project (Joyce et al, 2013) Scott (1994) also

pointed out that many instructors/teachers are so familiar to traditional

classroom, where he is the centre of the classroom It is difficult for the

instructors to change themselves, especially for those who are not good at technology What is more, PBL is challenging for the teacher in terms of

finding a balance between the need for input and allowing students the

freedom to explore and experiment (Ladewski, 1991) Moreover, almost all

examples of successful project-based learning depend on the success of

cooperative or collaborative learning (Krajcik, Blumenfeld, Marx, & Soloway, 1994; Land & Greene, 2000) Therefore, if students who are not well-practiced for working in groups, they may have obstacles on negotiation and compromise (Grant, 2002) If the teachers have never introduced this method to their

students before, they should start teaching students how to interact in a group and manage conflict within the group Students will possibly be less passive in group work when having been fully guided Finally, Kurzel & Rath (2007) noted that there are few students who are interested in the subject, including methods of teaching Actually, students will have many difficulties in working out projects; however, if the they are cognizant of these issues, they will

succeed in doing the job

2.1.2.5 The procedure to do a project

There found different models in developing a project work The procedure to

do a project varies from researcher to researcher Hedge (1998) clearly divides

the procedure of carrying out a practical project into six stages: orientation;

preparation and planning; implementation; collation; presentation; and

reflection While Curtis (2001) gives quite clear guidance on how to do a

project which includes three phases: orientation and planning; research and

implementation; sharing results

According to the professional development organizers at the Buck Institute for Education, the framework consists of five principles or stages as follow:

1) Begin with the end in mind and plan for this end result

2) Craft the driving question; select and refine a central question

3) Plan the assessment and define outcomes and assessment criteria 4) Map the project: Decide how to structure the project

5) Manage the process: Find tools and strategies for successful projects (The Project Based Learning Handbook, 2007 developed by the Buck Institute for Education)

It can be seen from the above-mentioned models that there are some steps, each of which contains more than one requirement, are not clear Therefore, the teacher may find it difficult to follow

K Sheppard and F L Stoller (1995) suggested 10 steps for teachers and

students when implementing a project

Step 1: Students and instructor agree on a theme for the project

Step 2: Determine the final outcome

Step 3: Structure the project

Step 4: Instructor prepares students for the demands of information gathering

Step 5: Gather information

Step 6: Instructor prepares students to compile and analyze data

Step 7: Students compile and analyze information

Step 8: Instructor prepares students for the language demands of the final activity

Step 9: Present final product

Step 10: Evaluate the project

In summary, the models more or less have same process in implementing PBL approach in teaching However, the 10-step model of Ken Sheppard and

Fredricka L Stoller (1995) seems to give clearer and more precise guidance on how to carrying out a project Each of its steps has specific aim and is easy to follow As a result of that, it was chosen to become the structure that the

project in this research is based on

2.1.2.6 Roles of teachers and learners in Project-Based Learning

Teachers’ role in Project-Based Learning

In English classes where Project-Based Learning is applied, the teacher plays

a different role (Levy, 1997) Papandreou (1994) stated that the teacher acts as

a guide, an advisor, a coordinator and a facilitator In implementing this

method, the main point of the learning process moves from the teacher to the learner, from individual work to group work In the traditional classroom, the teacher’s role is knowledge transmitter, while in PBL classroom the teacher’s role L is to facilitate student activities He mainly guides but gives students the answers to their questions Working as the role of facilitator or guide, teacher allows the students to discover for themselves the knowledge, while the

teacher helps or facilitates the learning by guiding the student down the path

of knowledge Commonly, in Project-Based Learning, a learner-centered

approach, the teacher should know his or her main roles, guiding and advising students are more important than directing them Working as a facilitator, the teacher works with students not only to structure meaningful tasks but also provide coaching in both knowledge development and social skills

Only in Project-based Learning classrooms, teachers may have chances to support students by giving sufficient guidance and feedback What the teacher should do is to explain all the tasks, provide detailed directions for how to develop the project, and circulate within the classroom so as to answer

questions and encourage student motivation Moreover, teachers must plan so well and flexible that they can create successful units focused on PBL In this approach to instruction, playing in the role of learner and peer with the

students is necessary for teacher The teacher’s role is combined with

objective tests, checklists, and rubrics; however, these often only measure task completion

To use PBL effectively, teachers must fully understand the concepts

embedded in their projects and models thinking and problem-solving

strategies effectively (Blumenfeld et al., 1991) Worthwhile projects require challenging questions that can support collaboration, as well as methods of measuring the intended learning outcomes Designed tasks, skilled teachers, and school conditions are the most important thing to support projects

Without these collocations, there is no clear purpose or outcome

The teacher’s role, as mentioned in International Journal of Research in

Education and Science, consisted of knowing, facilitating, context providing,

and assessing as shown in Figure 2.1

1) Knowing (K): teachers became informants for the learners Therefore

he/she should have knowledge not only to provide, but also help learners construct their own knowledge

2) Facilitating (F): teacher became facilitators and supporters for learners’

needs

3) Context Providing (C): teachers provided appropriate classroom settings

which contained learning resources, learning tools and media, and social

context for learners to work collaboratively

4) Assessing (A): teachers prepared the assessment tools which reflected for

the performance assessments and followed up on learners’ progress

Figure 2.1 The teachers’ roles in PBL

(Adapted from International Journal of Research in Education and Science)

The teachers' roles in PBL, according to Ms Agnes' lecture, are evaluated in three stages of a project as follow:

In Pre-Project Stage: Teacher plays the role of a knower

 Help students select a topic

 Help students generate ideas through brainstorming/mind-mapping

 Guide students to formulate their project objectives

 Develop a contract/proposal for the group

In During-Project Stage: Teacher plays the role of a consultant, a facilitator

or a co-learner

 Help students gather ideas, define objectives, draw up the schedule and provide input for language skills

 Intervene if students’ direction is not practical

 Offer suggestions to solve problems

 Respond to requests from students

 The teacher seeks to help the students to focus on relevant aspects

 The teacher guides the students by asking questions and negotiating meanings with them

 The teacher tries to frame the problems by referring to the findings

of the problem

 The teacher tries to monitor the students’ strategy for solving the problem

 The teacher attempts to guide the students’ negotiation of meaning

In Post-Project Stage: Teacher plays the role of a commentator and appraiser

 Centre on what students learned during the project

 Share the reflection

 Provide a balanced picture of strengths and weaknesses

 Offer suggestions for improvement

To sum up, PBL makes the role of teachers change from a speaker in

traditional classroom into the role of facilitators to support and guide through the process Therefore, it fosters students’ autonomy and responsibility

(Haines, 1989) As a result of that, weaker students and groups can draw more the teacher’s attentions and devotion (Kasíková, 1997)

Learners’ roles in Project-Based Learning

There have been many researches mentioning roles of learners/ students in PBL Some studies suggest that it is an engaging instructional approach, but numerous studies have also claimed that students are not motivated by this type of learning, and that teacher is under a great deal of pressure The

individual student in PBL has an active role in learning PBL requires that students be responsible for their own learning by identifying their learning issues and needs Besides, students’ roles in PBL are to build knowledge and

to determine real-world solutions Furthermore, engaging in intelligently

focused communication and taking ownership of their success are required for learners in PBL approach

In Project-Based Learning, students mostly work in small, collaborative

groups They find sources, conduct research, are in turn responsible for

learning and the completion of tasks It is necessary for students to be managers” in this approach to instruction

“self-Mentioned in International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES), the learners’ roles were to create the artifacts or products in the

projects within the social context The students in each group mainly rotated their own acts of planning, creating, reflecting, and publishing within the cycle and could be related to each step as shown in Figure 2.2

1) Planning (P): the learners had to think collaboratively to set their group

goals, plan and design the tasks to meet their goals

2) Creating (C): the learners followed the plan by using appropriate media and

technology When learners encountered the problems in this step and tried to solve the problems, this led them to make a new plan

3) Reflecting (R): this was a very important step that learners used for talking

about and critiquing their own or others’ tasks for improvement

4) Publishing (P): learners used this step to present their ideas, artifacts, or

Assessing student performance on project work is quite different from

assessing traditional class work Because students are working on different projects with different timelines, the teacher’s task of assessing student

progress is more complex than for typical classroom instruction where

everyone is evaluated together

Purpose of the Assessment

Before determining what assessment strategies would work best, the teacher needs to determine what the purpose of the assessment is Most purposes fall into two general categories (Bonthron & Gordon, 1999):

► Achievement: Focus on outcomes of student learning to monitor

progress and determine grades

► Diagnosis and Improvement: Focus on process and look at student

strengths and weaknesses to identify appropriate programs and

students’ learning strategies

Identify Instructional Goals and Outcomes To Develop Appropriate

Assessments

Assessments measure how well the students have met the instructional goals

If the instructional goals are identified before starting the project, both the teacher and student will better understand what needs to be learned and how the learning will be assessed

Selecting Assessment Tasks

Select tasks that require students to demonstrate specific skills and knowledge Here are some questions to answer when specifying tasks (Bonthron &

Gordon, 1999; Bottoms & Webb, 1998; Jobs for the Future, n.d.; Moursund, Bielefeldt, & Underwood, 1997)

Do they:

► match specific instructional intentions? (use models, graphs to solve problems, analyze relationships)

► represent skills students are expected to attain?

► enable students to demonstrate progress and capabilities?

► match real-world activities?

► cut across disciplines?

► provide measures of several goals?

Ongoing assessment on the part of the teacher and students is important so that the students can adjust projects to meet expectations and keep on track with timelines and goals Teachers should determine if there are checkpoints

at various stages, if students are expected to meet certain milestones while

working, and if students are receiving timely feedback on work-in-progress from teachers, mentors, and peers (Jobs for the Future, n.d.)

Student Self-Assessment

Because project learning is student driven, assessment should be student

driven as well Students can keep journals and logs to continually assess their progress A final reflective essay or log can allow students and teachers to understand thinking processes, reasoning behind decisions, ability to arrive at conclusions and communicate what they have learned

Some questions the student can answer in a reflection piece are (Edwards, 2000):

► What were the project’s successes?

► What might I do to improve the project?

► How well did I meet my learning goals? What was most difficult about meeting the goals?

► What surprised me most about working on the project?

► What was my group’s best team effort? Worst team effort?

► How do I think other people involved with the project felt it went?

► What were the skills I used during this project? How can I practice these skills in the future?

► What was my final project evaluation rating? Horrible, OK, pretty good, great? Why?

The PBL Checklist

The Six A’s of Project-Based Learning Checklist (adapted from Steinberg’s Six A’s of Successful Projects in Steinberg, 1998) can be used throughout the process to help both teacher and student plan and develop a project, as well to assess whether the project was successful in meeting the instructional goals

► Does the project give the student the opportunity to produce

something that has value or meaning to the student beyond the school setting?

high-► Does the project require the student to develop organizational and self-management skills?

► Is the student able to work closely with at least one adult?

► Do adults and the student collaborate on the design and assessment

methods, including portfolios and exhibitions?

To sum up, PBL was taken into consideration of many researchers and around the world and in Vietnam Some previous researches on PBT and PBL will be discussed in the following section

2.2 Researches on PBL

Since project-based learning has been paid more and more attention, many studies on using PBL in language teaching have been conducted Some

previous studies in the world and Vietnam have been studied

Kubiatko and Medková (2011) studied the characteristics and the experiences with application of PBL in the science subjects In their research, they stated the reasons why we should apply PBL in teaching natural sciences for

students By this method is different role of teachers in comparison with

traditional teaching Teacher must be very good facilitator for the successful implementation this method to the curriculum During the seminars from

Didactics of biology students had got an opportunity to try this kind of

method There were three groups of students, which presented three projects, where the main subject was biology On the basis of presentation, there were determined some imperfections, which had got presented in the students

projects

Meyer (1997) studied fourteen fifth and sixth grade students’ challenge

seeking during project-based mathematics instruction in one classroom They drew on five areas of research: academic risk taking, achievement goals, self- efficacy, volition, and effect Data included students’ responses to a tolerance for failure survey, an adaptive learning pattern survey, and three individual interviews about their actions during a math project They reported on the effects of fifth and sixth grade students’ motivation and that although the surveys were useful in characterizing general patterns of challenge seeking, more individual and contextualized information was necessary for

understanding how to support students engaged in challenging academic work, such as project-based learning According to the results, Project-based

learning increased the students’ achievement level

Tsiplakides (2009) wrote in his article about implementing project work in the teaching of English as a foreign language in Greek state primary schools He

presented the difficulties the students encountered and benefits resulting from student participation in project work The article purports to be pragmatic in focus, linking theory with practice, and providing practitioners with a tool for effectively implementing project-based learning in foreign language contexts

In Viet Nam, there are a variety of studies on the matter of PBL T K L

Pham (2014) carried out a studied named: “Using project-based learning to

improve ESP vocabulary for the second-year students at Industrial Economics and Technology College.” The finding showed that PBL is a technique that

the teachers at Industrial Economics and Technology College can use on ESP courses However, the teachers should design various projects, not only long-time projects but also mini-projects

T T H Pham (2014) in her M.A focused on speaking skill through

“Developing Student’s speaking skill through Project-based Learning” The

researcher conducted a study on the implementation of Project-Based

Learning (PBL) to develop the English speaking skill for the tenth- grade students at An Lao High School Results from the study also showed that PBL can be used effectively to develop student's English speaking skill In addition,

it offers a good solution to English teaching and learning in optional lessons Similar to Pham, Le (2014) conducted a research at Hong Duc University She

focuses on study “Towards the exploitation of project – based learning for

group work activities to enhance the English speaking skill of the third - year English majored students at Hong Duc University” Obviously, she found a

variety of difficulties affecting students in learning speaking skill Moreover, the finding also indicated that the application of PBL approach in speaking lesson was successful in enhancing student’s competence

It can be concluded that previous studies have paid attention to the use of PBL

in teaching language especially in the skills integrated lessons However, there has been no study related to the implementation of Project-Based Learning in high school English classes, where the new pilot textbooks are used as the required textbooks Therefore, an investigation into the application of the PBL

in these classes to find out the difficulties that teachers and students encounter

is important and essential

In Vietnam, PBL has been applied recently, especially in the pilot curriculum The last part “Project” of every unit of the new set of pilot textbooks was

designed to apply PBL method The following section will discuss important aspects of the high school pilot curriculum and textbooks

2.3 An introduction to the upper secondary pilot curriculum and textbooks

2.3.1 The objectives of the upper secondary pilot curriculum and textbooks

Following the continuation of the lower secondary set of pilot textbooks,

Tieng Anh 6, Tieng Anh 7, Tieng Anh 8, Tieng Anh 9; the upper secondary set

of pilot textbooks are the series of new textbooks for the Vietnamese upper secondary schools It follows the systematic and theme-based curriculum approved by the Minister of Education and Training on 23rd November 2012 (Decision No 5209/QĐ-BGDĐT) The aim of this set of textbooks is to

develop upper secondary students’ communicative competence in English Their skills such as listening, speaking, reading, writing will reach the third level of the Vietnamese Foreign Language Competence Framework

(equivalent to B1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for

Languages) when students finish upper secondary school

2.3.2 The contents of the upper secondary set of pilot textbooks

There are four familiar themes which are repeatedly used in the three grades with the aim to develop upper secondary students’ communicative

Topics

• Family life

• Healthy lifestyles

• Entertainment,

10

Topics

• Serving our communities

• Inventions that have changed our lives

• Gender and equality,

10

generation gap

• Relationships

12

Theme Our Environment Grades Theme Our Future Grades

Topics

• Cultural diversity

• Using the World Wide Web for leaning, …

10

• People and the environment in

conflict

• Global warming

species

• Ecosystems

Table 2.1 Themes and topics in the high school pilot curriculum

(Adapted from Decision No 5209/QĐ-BGDĐT)

2.3.3 The structure of the upper secondary set of pilot textbooks

In the set of textbooks of a grade, there are 10 units, each of which consists of six parts and is taught in 8 periods with 8 lessons The lessons are divided by the teachers basing on their purposes and the levels of their students

Part 1: Getting started

Part 2: Language

Part 3: Skills

Part 4: Communication and culture

Part 5: Looking back

Part 6: Project

Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter will shed the light on the methodology applied in the study by discussing in detail context of the study, the participants, the tools used to collect the data and the procedures of the research

3.1 Context of Study

Quang Binh is a province in the central of Vietnam It is about 500 kilometers

to the South of Ha Noi and 1.200 kilometers to the North of Ho Chi Minh City The East has 116 kilometers of border with Eastern Sea, while the West borders on 201 kilometers of People Republic of Laos The province consists

of a city, a town and six districts with 156 communes/wards The population

of the province is 872.925 distributed unevenly with 80.42% living in rural areas and 19.58% in urban areas Quang Binh has abundant labor resources accounting for about 49.28% of the population Regarding the quality of labor,

as of 2013, Quang Binh has over 25.000 people with undergraduate degrees, more than 600 masters, and nearly 50 doctors and doctoral associate

professors The number of workers that underwent training is nearly 105,000, accounting for 25% of the workforce

The provincial secondary education system consists of 165 lower secondary schools and 33 upper secondary schools Thanks to "Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Education System, Period 2008-2020”, the pilot curriculum and textbooks have been used in more than 120 lower

secondary schools since 2012 However, the new curriculum and textbooks for high schools have only been applied in two schools of Quang Binh

Department of Education and Training (DOET), Vo Nguyen Giap Gifted High School and Ninh Chau High School

The research was conducted at VNG Gifted High School, located in Dong Hoi city and Ninh Chau High School in Quang Ninh district, where the pilot

textbooks have been utilized and PBL has been applied in teaching and

learning English for 3 years VNG Gifted High School is a selective and

leading school in the province, while Ninh Chau High School in Quang Ninh district The schools are provincially and regionally recognized for its

education standards and accomplished students Like many other Vietnamese high schools, these include students in grades 10, 11, and 12; and each grade consists of ten classes

Being two of the best schools in the province, VNG Gifted High School and Ninh Chau High School are chosen models in teaching and learning English under the National Foreign Language Project 2020, which the pilot textbooks

of English are used as the core materials The application of the series of the new textbooks has brought about a number of advantages in the teaching and learning English Firstly, the teaching and learning condition of the two high schools are better than other ones in the province Secondly, the students who have been learning English since they were grade 3 are intelligent, active, creative and hard-working Obviously, their knowledge of English and

communicative competence are fairly good, which can help most of them to finish their projects on time and present their final products in a persuasive way Furthermore, the schools have well-trained teaching staff with 100% teachers who have achieved C1 level Consequently, these things are good criteria to apply PBL in teaching English for students

Beside the above-mentioned benefits, teachers and students encounter many difficulties First, most of the teachers seem to be struggling to meet the requirements of equipping students with a large quantity of linguistic

academic knowledge, and fostering their integrated skills at the same time Particularly, students in the schools are using the new pilot textbooks as required teaching materials, which, to some extent, should be adapted to meet students’ needs and suit their individual taste Additionally, most of the

teachers are still familiar with their traditional method of teaching, which lead them to some obstacle in PBT Finally, the level of the students in different classes is not the same and each class has different purpose of learning

English, which require the teachers to apply teaching methods flexibly

3.2 Participants

The investigation was carried out among 30 students in the 10th grade of

Mathematics major in VNG Gifted High School, and 30 students of class 10A1

in Ninh Chau High School The ages of the participants range from 15 to 16 All