SKKN USING LEARNING STATIONS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS AND PROMOTE AUTONOMY IN LEARNING READING SKILLS IN THE NEW ENGLISH TEXTBOOK 10

TEACHING EXPERIENCE USING LEARNING STATIONS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS AND PROMOTE AUTONOMY IN LEARNING READING SKILLS IN THE NEW ENGLISH TEXTBOOK 10 Scope: Theory and Methods of Teaching English NGHE AN DEPARTMENT OF TRAINING AND EDUCATION HOANG MAI HIGH SCHOOL  TEACHING EXPERIENCE USING LEARNING STATIONS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS AND PROMOTE AUTONOMY IN LEARNING READING SKILLS IN THE NEW ENGLISH TEXTBOOK 10 Scope : Theory and Methods of Teaching English Author : Tran Thi Nhan Specialized Team : Literature - English Cell phone : 0964 878 428 School year: 2021 – 2022 TABLE OF CONTEND PART I: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale of the study Aims of the study Scope of the study Object of study Method of the study PART II: MAIN CONTENT Theoretical and practical background 1.1 Theoretical background 1.1.1 Definition of station 1.1.2 Factors effecting learning station method 1.1.3 Advantages of learning station method 1.1.4 Disadvantages of learning station method 1.2 Practical background Solutions 2.1 Process of designing and teaching by learning stations 2.1.1 Process of designing lessons by using learning station method 2.1.2 Process of conducting lessons by using learning station method 2.2 Designing lesson plans Exploring reading lessons in New English textbook 10 3.1 Unit 4: For a better community – Lesson: Reading 3.2 Unit 8: new ways to learn – lesson: reading 13 3.3 Unit 9: preserving the environment – lesson: reading 19 PART III- RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH Research evaluation 24 Achieved results 25 PART IV- RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH 26 Conclusion 26 Effectiveness of the research 26 Suggestions for further study 29 REFERENCES i APPENDIX ii PART I: INTRODUCTION Rationale of the study The new general education program in the subject of English of the Ministry of Education and Training aims at equipping students with communicative competence, language skills and attitudes Traditional teacher-centred learning which focuses on completing tests and examinations instead of enhancing students’ productive skills will no longer be effective in preparing students for new challenges in the new millennium The 21st-century teaching and learning demands educators to change their practice from a teacher-centred to a more diverse student-centred learning environment The notion of student-centred learning originates from the constructivist theory, which denotes the role of the students as active and central in the learning process In a successful student-centred learning environment, students have greater control of their learning, in which they are allowed to create their own learning goals, consider strategies, and make decisions to achieve these goals This engaging process makes learning more meaningful and promotes higher thinking skills In addition, one of the biggest challenges that teachers face in the classroom is how to liven lessons, especially reading and writing lessons I sought to determine the techniques that would improve students’ motivation and enable students to develop more language skills as well as complex learning strategies The matter above inspired me to deal with the topic: “Using learning stations to engage students and promote autonomy in English lessons in the new english textbook 10.” Aims of the study This study aims at designing activities for reading lessons in new english textbook 10 to engage learners in learning english, encourage them to focus on the meaning and function of language rather than specific forms, and promote students’ autonomy in a fun and interactive environment Scope of the study - Applying in the reading, writing and review lessons in English 10 - Applying to get students involve in the lessons Object of study: - Students in grade 10 at Hoang Mai high school Method of the study - Collecting a wide range about the reality of our school’s students from colleagues - Studying theoretical background of learning station method to develop learner’s competence - Reading reference books, discussing with other teachers, applying in teaching, and getting experience from the teaching in the class PART II: MAIN CONTENT Theoretical and practical background 1.1 Theoretical background 1.1.1 Definition of station Station is a stable place where people solve or deal with an issue Learning station is a place where a group of students themselves organize learning activities (doing experiment, taking a task, dealing with a learning problem that they need to solve, etc.) Stations give students ample opportunities to use aids and materials, assure active student participation in the learning process, and thus the learnt knowledge is made permanent Teaching using learning station method is that teachers organize for their students to work by themselves at different stations in the classroom to complete their learning tasks Learning stations are designed in different places organized in or outside the classroom and students’ activities at different stations are free with the instruction of teachers Students must solve issues at different levels of learning by themselves Thus, learning station method focuses on self-control and self-study of students 1.1.2 Factors effecting learning station method - Classroom: One important factor is the relationship between the number of students and classroom area In some activities, the learning process can take place outside the classroom However, for activities in the classroom, it is desirable to have a room with enough space - Students’ self-orientation: What are the levels of students’ self-orientation and independence in fulfilling tasks? The higher the students’ ability to self-orient, the easier it will be for the teacher to organise the classroom As such, students will be free to be creative And naturally, they will have more than one opportunity to fulfill their taks And the situation changes from the teacher controlling the classroom (outside orientation) to children having every opportunity to give their opinions - Materials: The implementation of learning stations depends much on the quality of available materials Which kind of classroom environment can we create? What materials are available? Such questions should be taken into consideration before we start organising learning stations in the classroom - Scope: The teacher will decide how much time to allow for learning station activities The scope of learning stations depends on the formula and content suggested by the teacher 1.1.3 Advantages of learning station method According to Manuel (Manuel, 1974), using Learning station method brings many benefits for students, for example: - Students will know how to work cooperatively in groups: Students learn themselves how to collaborate with their peers, improve their debate skills, social skills, develop critical thinking, and problem solving - Students will develop independent work habits: Independence in studying is very important for students because they must solve different issues without teachers’ explanation in detail They only receive teacher’s instruction in general and students themselves will be active in dealing tasks at different stations, develop their own speed of working - Students will plan their time more effectively: Students can move from a station to another station after finishing a task; they not need to sit at their seats too long to feel bored because elementary students love movement, and they are more excited if they can move around stations The movement among stations not only brings students the excitement but also give them new challenges that they need to conquer - Students will discover creative ways of working: One task can bring students many ways to deal with and each student has his/her own solution or cognitive thinking to reach their targets - Students will know how to explore areas of interest: Student can choose the way they like to work at a station and what station they want to go first Students can decide by themselves their own routes - Students have chance for additional practice in fields that they are struggled: learning stations are great places for students to focus on fields that they need to practice more Student can spend more time at stations that they need to practice until they feel comfortable and can thoroughly apply knowledge to reality - Students will understand evaluating techniques and know how to use evaluating methods: Students used self-assessment scale to evaluate themselves and their peers In addition, Schweitzer (Schweitzer, 1995) mentioned the effectiveness of learning stations strategy in enhance students’ learning and critical thinking because it creates opportunities for students to have responsibility for their learning environment 1.1.4 Disadvantages of learning station method Learning stations also display certain disadvantages: - Class space might be one of the difficulties It is necessary to have a large class space with an appropriate number of students; a very large number of students can also be a difficulty - It requires quite a lot of time for the learning activity: In some cases, when there is one activity, students can approach it in different ways, requiring more time As well, there should be enough time for students to choose the corner and time for moving around - The teacher needs a lot of time to prepare: The teacher should design tasks, instructions, supporting letter, key, evaluation tools, etc and prepare teaching aids for each corner He/she needs time to set the corners before class time and to remove them afterward - Application: Learning stations cannot be applied for every lesson/content For inexperienced teachers, the organisation, management, monitoring of the learning process and evaluation of students' results can appear quite challenging Therefore, it is advisable to apply this method at certain moments and in certain contexts rather than continuously 1.2 Practical background Altthough the rhetoric of the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training stresses the development of practical communication skills, this is rarely reflected at the classroom level, where the emphasis is still mainly on the development of reading comprehension, vocabulary, and structural patterns for the purposes of passing the end-of-school and university entrance examinations into colleges or universities Unfortunately, not much improvement in terms of teaching methods has been noticed in English classes For my students, many of them find it hard to learn English and not be motivated in learning Therefore, in such solo tasks as in reading lessons, they find the answers in advanced just in case teachers ask them to answer As a result, reading lessons seem to be less effective In addition, having applied some lessons using this method, I have concluded that the most serious problem related to the fact that students were not familiar with this kind of method However, most students express high interest with the new method Solutions 2.1 Process of designing and teaching by learning stations 2.1.1 Process of designing lessons by using learning station method Step 1: Identifying purpose of a lesson that using learning station method Teachers identify purposes of the lesson to see if it is suitable Step 2: Identifying contents using learning stations Teachers design stations that based on the content in a lesson Contents in a lesson that used in different stations need to be independent so that students can choose to start at any station without compromising the outcome of their tasks Step 3: Identifying the numbers of stations and activity time in each station There are many ways to set up stations in a lesson Numbers of stations depend on numbers of contents organized for the class If a teacher has four contents need to be taught in a lesson, and those contents are independent of each other, the teacher should create four stations that can be completed in random order More stations can be designed when introducing or reviewing multiple concepts or if class sizes are large When working with large classes, or when using a small number of stations, teachers need to set up multiples of the same activities and divide their classes into two or more rotating groups (such as hot wheels stations) The number of students in a group should consist of from four to six members Divided into small group helps teachers to set roles for each member of the group so that they would be responsible for their tasks Time for the entire Learning stations process vary depending upon the time allotted for the stations and for debriefing afterwards The entire process of using station method can last in 10 minutes as a single activity or 45 minutes as a whole lesson Teachers need to be careful when setting time for the entire stations process because it is very easy for the lesson to be over time and students are small as well as not self-awareness during the tasks Step 4: Identifying purpose of each station Because of the independence of content of each station, purpose of each station must be different Step 5: Designing worksheets and learning aids When determining how to handle student paperwork, teachers can place copies of all worksheets and directions at each station Depending on the type of station, teachers need require a single worksheet for the group to complete, or have each student complete his or her own worksheet Teachers also can copy all necessary worksheets and directions in the form of a packet and hand out to students at the beginning of the activity Step 6: Setting up rules for using stations Teachers need to set up a list of rules and procedures for students to follow Below are some rules that teachers can create: - Choose station that you want to go first and complete the task in that station based on your ability - Do not disturb the teacher when he or she is working with other groups - Do not disturb your friend if you are on individual task - If you have a question, you can ask someone in your team or raise your hands 2.1.2 Process of conducting lessons by using learning station method Step 1: Dividing students into groups Normally, the number of groups equals to the number of stations If the class has many students, the number of groups can be double the number of stations This will help the number of students in a group remain small and it will be easier for students to take part in activities at stations Step 2: Choosing types of learning stations and the movement of students to stations With small students, teachers can use Closed stations where the order of movement was fixed, and students are easy to follow instructions If the classroom has a large group of students, teacher can use Hot wheel stations where there are two or three same wheels The process of a wheel is a complete station-period This way helps the number of students in each group is reduced, ensure that every student can have the best chance to their tasks Figure 2.1 Hot wheel stations Step 3: Summary of activities After station-period is done, teachers gather all students and have discussion among students to summarize what they have done in stations, what they have discovered, what they want to ask, and what they want to know more from activities At this step, teachers can conclude new knowledge that students need to know or summarize activities results or develop new skills to students Step 4: Assessment after conducting learning stations Teachers need to use formative and summative assessment Assessment can be made using observation of teachers to their students during stations period Teachers need to record activities and observe their students carefully to evaluate students’ works Teachers also use students’ worksheet as a result for assessment 2.2 Designing lesson plans Designing a lesson plan may include the three following steps: PART IV- RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH Conclusion: To sum up, the implementation of the Learning station has enhanced the teaching quality as well as boosted students’ activeness, independence, and creativity, which gradually forms their happiness, passion, and creativity in their study In fact, most of the students are active and motivated during lessons using stations This has created favorable conditions for applying learning station method When using the method, teachers must pay attention to the following: - Lesson contents should be selected with independent knowledge units to establish stations In a lesson or a topic, teachers can choose a unit of knowledge rather than the whole lesson or topic for the implementation of this method - For large classes, parallel rotation can be used to minimize the number of stations while ensuring the number of students at each station - Depending on students’ level, the preparation of worksheets can be considered to provide certain support to ensure not only differentiation according to students’ ability but also their learning progress Preparing materials and learning equipment as well as designing lessons using the model is timeconsuming; as a result, teachers need to be well-prepared and assign specific learning tasks to students so that they can get ready for engaging in activities at the stations Effectiveness of the research Item Description SA % A% N % D% SD % INTERACTION I had the freedom to ask my teacher what I not understand 43 40 15 1 I had the freedom to ask other students what I not understand 39 44 15 3 Other students responded promptly to my requests for help during the station rotation classroom activity 19 48 29 4 The work in each station was evaluated regularly by me and my classmates 13 43 35 26 I was supported by a positive attitude from my classmates 24.7 41.3 32 18.7 50.7 22.7 7.3 0.7 26 48 14.1 3.3 18.7 42 32.7 4.7 2.0 RESPONSE I could interact with other students at my own pace during the station rotation classroom activity The station rotation classroom activity helped me to learn better I was engaged till the end of the station rotation classroom activities LESSON ORGANIZATION The station rotation classroom activities were planned carefully 22 47.3 23.3 6.7 0.7 10 The station rotation classroom activities enhanced my learning process 20 36 31.3 10.7 11 The organization of station rotation classroom activities were easy to follow 22.7 44 24.7 6.7 2.0 12 The structure of the station rotation classroom activities environment keeps me focused on what is being learned 16 33.3 37.3 10 3.3 FACILITATION 13 The teacher was prepared for the station rotation classroom activity 53.3 40.7 5.3 0.7 14 The teacher was available to provide me guidance during the class 46.7 46.7 0.7 15 The teacher encouraged students to work together and help each other 46.7 40.7 11.3 1.3 16 The teacher provided me opportunity to learn in different ways 34 52 10.7 3.3 27 17 The teacher gave me prompt feedback on my work 18 16.7 37.3 39.3 6.0 0.7 The teacher encouraged me to my best 33 41 22 19 The teacher respects my individual way of learning 34 43 22 20 The teacher provided me opportunity in taking charge of my learning 36 41 21 The effects of station-rotation classroom activities on students’ learning were explored from the following aspects: interaction, response, lesson organization and facilitation The majority of the students agreed that they were able to interact better with the teacher and other students during the station-rotation activities Student’s written responses gave further evidence with 50 students expressing that interaction was one of the aspects that contributed the most to their learning during the station- rotation activities On the other hand, students gave mixed response when they were asked whether they evaluated their own work and others’ regularly at each station Analysis of students’ written feedback found that one of the main reasons why this probably did not happen was because not all the team members worked together during station rotation as commented One student stated that “All the students should cooperate to ensure everyone got a chance at each station, however my team members are not cooperative.” In the response category, twelve students stated that they understood the topic better when they participated in the activity at the practical demonstration station as stated by one student: “We physically did the experiment using demo set prepared I now clearly have the understanding (on) how planets orbit Eye opener for me” Furthermore, 11 stated that a variety of activities at different stations enhanced their learning experience Despite this, quantitative data showed that 11% of the students disagreed that the station-rotation activities helped them to learn better Analysis of students’ written responses found that this was due to several factors One factor concerned the time spent at each station Thirty-two written responses indicated that time given for each station-rotation activity was either too long or too short One student even elaborated on the rush and panic experienced by students because of the inadequate time given to complete a given task at one of the stations, which eliminated the element of fun: “There’s not enough time in certain station(s), we are rushed to the next station before fully grasping the knowledge and having fun with the models prepared” In the aspect of lesson organization, quantitative finding showed a fairly positive student response on the following items: materials of the station rotation activity were well prepared, and easy to follow Students’ quantitative responses on 28 facilitation during station-rotation activities too were generally positive On the contrary, only 53.3 % student agreed with the statement that the teacher gave them prompt feedback on their work, as supported by qualitative responses with 12 students expressing that they needed more guidance from their teacher during the station-rotation activities In addition, students stated that some of the questions given in the station-rotation activities were difficult, therefore they required more assistance Suggestions for further study Although the use of this model can generate positive teaching outcomes, teachers will encounter a range of difficulties in introducing it Thus, for the better implementation of this method, the teacher needs to continue studying in terms of both theory and skills In the study of this topic, although I have just stopped at implementinglearning stations in reading lessons, it can be expanded to be used in many other english lessons, like writing, language, etc Hoang Mai, April 20, 2022 29 REFERENCES Pinar, K., Haluk, S., & Jürgen, S (2009) Developing learning stations for the purification of waste water, world conference on educational sciences Procedia, Social and Behavioral Sciences, https://doi org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2009.01.038 Manuel, B (1974) How to build a learning station: Everything a teacher should know Merrimack Education Center Schweitzer, J (1995) The use of learning stations as a strategy for teaching concepts by active-learning methods Journal of Geological Education, 43(4), 366– 370 https://doi.org/10.5408/0022-1368-43.4.366 Catlin Tucker, 2015, Create Small Learning Communities with the Station Rotation Model, http://catlintucker.com/2015/07/creating-small-learningcommunitieswith-the-station-rotation-model/, accessed in 19th August 2017 Reese-Durham and Nancy 2005 Peer Evaluation as an Active Learning Technique Journal of Instructional Psychology, 32(4), 338-343 McCombs, B.L and Miller, L 2007 Learner-centered classroom practices and assessments: Maximizing student motivation, learning, and achievement Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press pp 47 i APPENDIX A Students’ worksheet ii iii APPENDIX B QR CODE FOR LEARNING STATION Station A Station B Station C Station D Station E Station iv Station Station Station Station 10 v APPENDIX C WORKSHEET FOR LEARNING STATION vi APPENDIX D Posters of summary vii viii APPENDIX E Questionaire This questionaire was designed to serve the aim of discovering students' feedback to the use of learning station in reading lessons The answers, therefore, should be frank to your learning circumstance since your answers will be a valuable input for my study Thank you very much for your cooperation Please put a cross (X) on the answer you choose: Item Description Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree INTERACTION I had the freedom to ask my teacher what I not understand I had the freedom to ask other students what I not understand Other students responded promptly to my requests for help during the station rotation classroom activity The work in each station was evaluated regularly by me and my classmates I was supported by a positive attitude from my classmates ix RESPONSE I could interact with other students at my own pace during the station rotation classroom activity The station rotation classroom activity helped me to learn better I was engaged till the end of the station rotation classroom activities LESSON ORGANIZATION The station rotation classroom activities were planned carefully 10 The station rotation classroom activities enhanced my learning process 11 The organization of station rotation classroom activities were easy to follow 12 The structure of the station rotation classroom activities environment keeps me focused on what is being learned x FACILITATION 13 The teacher was prepared for the station rotation classroom activity 14 The teacher was available to provide me guidance during the class 15 The teacher encouraged students to work together and help each other 16 The teacher provided me opportunity to learn in different ways 17 The teacher gave me prompt feedback on my work 18 The teacher encouraged me to my best 19 The teacher respects my individual way of learning 20 The teacher provided me opportunity in taking charge of my learning xi ... TRAINING AND EDUCATION HOANG MAI HIGH SCHOOL  TEACHING EXPERIENCE USING LEARNING STATIONS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS AND PROMOTE AUTONOMY IN LEARNING READING SKILLS IN THE NEW ENGLISH TEXTBOOK 10. .. skills as well as complex learning strategies The matter above inspired me to deal with the topic: ? ?Using learning stations to engage students and promote autonomy in English lessons in the new. .. new english textbook 10. ” Aims of the study This study aims at designing activities for reading lessons in new english textbook 10 to engage learners in learning english, encourage them to focus