Design of the study
The study is divided into three main parts as follow:
Part A: Introduction covers the rationale for study, aims, research questions, the scope, and the design of the study
Part B: Development is organized around three chapters as follows:
Chapter I- Literature review synthesizes the theoretical framework of the study related to teachers‘ general perceptions, project-based learning and an overview of the new English textbooks
Chapter II - Methodology, presents the context, the methodology used in this study including the subject, the data collection instruments, data collection procedure, and data analysis
Chapter III – Findings consists of a comprehensive analysis of the data
Part C: Conclusion, offers a summary of the findings, recommendations, limitations, and future directions for further study.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Project-based learning
The focus of the study is project-based learning; therefore, this section explores the aspects of project-based learning including its definitions, features, benefits, challenges and teachers‘ roles in it
1.2.1 Definitions of project-based learning
Various authors have proposed many definitions of project-based learning
Hedge (1993: 276) defines a project as ―an extended task, which usually integrates language skills work through a number of activities These activities combine in working towards an agreed goal and may include planning, the gathering of information through reading, listening, interviewing, discussion of the information, problem solving, and oral or written reporting, and display‖
Thomas (2000) states that PBL is a model that organizes learning around projects He also summarizes many different definition of PBL from other studies
Particularly, the definitions found in PBL handbooks for teachers, projects are complex tasks, based on challenging questions or problems, that involve students in design, problem-solving, decision making, or investigative 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;
Thomas, Mergendoller, & Michaelson, 1999, cited in Thomas 2000, p.1)
Demirhan (2002, cited in Baysura & Yucel, 2015, p.17), PBL is defined and described as an approach that (1) requires interdisciplinary study, (2) makes students take responsibility in a group or individually and study collaboratively on real-life problems based on a specific topic and their personal interests and skills,
(3) gives teachers the roles of facilitating learning and guiding students, (4) results in students‘ authentic products or presentations, and (5) integrates different approaches within the self PBL is a learning and teaching approach through which students gain new knowledge and skills while researching complex and realistic problems, designing and planning their own studies and performances, and producing authentic products In particular, the PBL approach contributes to their subject-matter knowledge, problem-solving skills, and self-directed learning
In summary, there has not been a universal definition of project-based learning To better understand what project-based learning is, it is necessary to look at the characteristics of PBL in the following section
1.2.2 Characteristics of project-based learning
Many different researchers show characteristics of project-based learning
Stoller‘s (2007: 4-5) identifies six main features of Project-Based Learning as follows:
First, ―Project work focuses on content learning rather than on specific language targets Real-word subject matter and topic of interest to students can become central to projects.”
Second, “Project work is student-centered, though the teacher plays a major role in offering support and guidance throughout the process.”
Third, “Project work is cooperative rather than competitive 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.”
Fourth, “Project work leads to the authentic integration of skills and processing of information from various sources, mirroring real-life tasks.”
Fifth, “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.”
Sixth, “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.”
With its distinctive features, PBL has drawn a lot of attention from researchers The current study focuses both on benefits and challenges of PBL
Therefore, these issues will be discussed in the two following subsection
1.2.3.Benefits of project-based learning
Project-based learning offers a wide range of benefits to both students and teachers In terms of students, numerous benefits of project work have been cited in the relevant literature Researchers of this domain assert the great contributions of project work to language learning, motivation, stimulation, self-esteem and autonomy and social aspects
Haines (1989, cited in Gallacher 2004, p.1-3) summarizes some advantages of project-based learning consisting of (1) motivation-learners are increased; (2) all four skills are integrated; (3) Autonomous learning is promoted as learners become more responsible for their learning; (4) there are learning outcomes-learners have an end product; (5) authentic tasks are given to learners; (6) interpersonal relations are developed through working as a group; (7) content and methodology can be decided between the learners and the teacher and within the group themselves so it is more learner-centered; (8) learners can get help from parents for the project work thus involving the parents more in the child‘s learning; (9) a break from routine and the chance to do something different; (10) a context is established which balances the need for fluency and accuracy
According to Fried-Booth (2002), project-based learning is a shift from teacher-centeredness to learner-centeredness, which enhances learner autonomy, with the characteristics of allowing students to select the topics they are interested in, providing opportunities to take on leadership roles, and giving them responsibility for their own learning In addition, project work gives students a chance to discuss features of the project such as the theme, product, and procedures to accomplish the product, and individuals‘ roles and responsibilities in the group
Project-based learning contrasts with traditional teacher-centered classroom education; with its democratic learning characteristics, students are free to make educational decisions in the classroom By choosing, organizing, and carrying out a project of their own choice, students take responsibility for their own learning
These characteristics of project work make students more autonomous and independent in the face of traditional ways of teaching Besides, Fried-Booth (2002) notes that how much a student benefits from project work depends on how much the student is involved in the exercise For project-based instruction to help students promote communication and collaboration with community members, they need to carry out outside classroom activities Therefore, project work is a means to develop students‘ social skills Hedge (2000) shows that project work fosters students‘ imagination and creativity, self-discipline, responsibility, collaboration, research skills and cross-curricular work through utilizing information learned in other subjects
In terms of teachers, project-based learning helps them enhance professionalism and collaboration among colleagues, opportunities to build relationship with students Moreover, many teachers can help to diverse students realize that the traditional instructional methods and approaches in the classroom are not effective and then introduce them a wide range of learning opportunities in their classroom (Thomas, 2000)
1.2.4 Challenges of project-based learning
Apart from the existing benefits of project-based learning, it brings students and teachers some unexpected difficulties during the process of implementation
Particularly, Westwood (2008: 34-35) shows that students may face with the following challenges
1 Students lack necessary skills for researching and collecting information
2 Students’ learning and contributing to give the impression of productive project work may be very little
3 Due to a weak understanding of the topic of projects, the production of posters, models, charts, recordings, photographs and written report on display is challenging for students
4 Individual members of different groups do not have a general understanding of the whole topic given by their teacher
The previous studies of project-based learning in English language teaching 19 1.4 An overview of the new English textbooks
The purpose of this part is to review literature relating to applying project- based learning strategy in teaching and learning English as a foreign language and its impacts on developing language learners' achievement and teachers‘ perceptions of PBL
Students‟ achievement in second language learning
Regarding language learners‘ achievement, Gardner (1995) implemented a video documentary project at the University of Hong Kong that was intended to allow students to exercise their academic listening comprehension and note-taking skills The results were generally positive in that students improved not only their listening and note-taking skills, but also their writing skills Similarly, Wanchid and Wattanasin (2015) did video project at King Mongkut‘s University of Technology North Bangkok The findings shows that the students had highly positive attitudes toward project work in the English course as it offers considerable benefits to the students especially in terms of teamwork and learning autonomy The benefits also stated by the students were that the video project was useful, allowed them to use their creativity, involved the use of technology, enabled them to work with friends, and encouraged them to use and practice English more
Hilton-Jones (1988) discussed a six-week project-based learning English language course in the U.K., which had a group of West German teenagers practicing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in English The results showed that they were able to improve their language learning needs with a project
In Wilhelm‘s (1999) study, most of the students felt great satisfaction in the opportunity to negotiate meaning with native speakers and to take the responsibility for their own learning They indicated that the only pitfall of project work is its stressful character due to the heavy workload In this study, projects classes were categorized in accordance with the students‘ TOEFL scores In addition, all the students in project classes were given instruction in areas such as trust development and interpersonal relationships, demonstration of the student and teacher roles, a model for the collaborative learning approach, giving peer feedback and negotiation, and a well-balanced grading system
Teachers‟ perceptions of PBL in second language teaching
Although the research on language teacher cognition has now become a well- established domain of inquiry (Borg, 2003, 2006) literature on teachers‘ beliefs regarding project-based learning implementation is still very limited Beckett (1999) showed the scarcity of studies on both project-based learning and teacher and student perceptions of project work She indicated that the two ESL teachers participating in project work in her study, which was carried out in a Canadian secondary school She also mentioned that teachers were impressed by the creative studies of their students and evaluated project-based instruction favorably since it allowed them to integrate language, content and skills in a communicative way and to promote critical thinking, problem solving and cooperative learning skills They were also satisfied with the result that the students were able to discover their strengths and weaknesses as learners
In contrast to the positive attitudes in the studies above, Eyring (1997) shows the relatively negative results There was one teacher coordinating PBL in an ESL university context in the U.S In spite of being impressed by the final product, she had many complaints about the process of project She stated that it was very demanding to negotiate the curriculum with the students and get them involved in project at all level because of their lukewarm responses in general Though the teacher believed that she tried her best to guide project work for students, they did not understand and accept input offered in a relatively democratic way Besides, they showed much less respect to her compared to her previous students She suggested that it would be better to revert to a more teacher-directed approach including traditional ESL activities focusing on reading, vocabulary and grammar to provide students with something concrete that they can say they have learnt
Harris (2014) examined middle school teachers‘ perceptions associated with the implementation of project-based learning He explored the challenges teachers faced with when implementing project-based learning, the ways they responded to these challenges and how they perceived PBL in the 21 st Century skills The study was conducted at a suburban middle school outside Pittsburgh, PA with forty-nine teachers‘ participations Questionnaires was employed to collect data The findings showed that teachers perceived that time, meeting state accountability requirements, addressing the standards, implementing the project within the school‘s schedule and designing a lesson plan were most challenging when implementing project-based learning The study also found that teachers either knew how to respond to challenges or expressed further concern about doing so Regarding the 21 st Century skills, teachers perceived that project-based learning addressed more effectively than traditional methods Students gained many skills in PBL including communication, collaboration, creativity, innovation, critical thinking and problem solving The next section will give an overview of the new English textbooks
1.4 An overview of the new English textbooks
This section will provide a brief overview of the new English textbooks namely Tiếng Anh 10, Tiếng Anh 11 and Tiếng Anh 12 which are being piloted in nine selected high schools in Vietnam
In implementing the Vietnamese Prime Minister‘s Decision, on the 23 rd of November, 2012, the Minister of Education and Training signed Decision No 5209/QD –BGDĐT on the Approval of Chương trình giáo dục phổ thông môn tiếng
Anh thí điểm cấp trung học phổ thông (Pilot English Curriculum for Vietnamese Upper Secondary Schools) Methodologically, the new English textbooks are claimed to adopt the communicative approach to language teaching in order to help students use language (vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar) to develop the communicative competence through four skills ( listening, speaking, reading and writing) (MOET, 2012)
The specific objectives of the new textbooks are that after graduating from high school, students “Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken Can produce simple, connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest Can describe experiences and events, dreams and hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.” (Van
2016: 14) In order to accomplish those objectives, the specific objectives of the textbooks are classified into the performance objectives through four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing (Grade 10: level 3.1; Grade 11: level 3.2;
Grade 12: level 3.3) (see Table 1 below)
Table 1: The performance objectives of the new textbooks
-Follow clearly articulated speech in everyday conversation, though students sometimes have to ask for repetition of particular words and phrases
-Understand the main points in selected TV programs on familiar
-Generally follow the main points of extended discussion, provided speech is clearly articulated in a standard dialect
-Understand the main points of selected radio news bulletins and simple recorded material on topics of
- Understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in school, leisure and daily activities
-Understand the main point of delivery is slow and clear
-Understand simple technical information, such as operating instructions for everyday equipment delivered slowly and clearly
-Listen to a short narrative and form hypotheses about what will happen next
TV programs or podcasts on current affairs or topics of personal interest when the delivery is relatively slow and clear
- Listen to a simple narrative and form hypotheses about what will happen next
Speaking - Start, maintain and close simple face-to- face conversations on topics that are familiar or of personal interest
-Express and respond to feelings such as surprise, happiness, sadness, interest and indifference
-Agree, disagree politely and give advice
-Start, maintain and close a conversation or discussion on a wide range of topics which are familiar or of personal interest, but may sometimes have difficulties in trying to say exactly what they would like to
-Ask for and give detailed directions
-Give or seek personal views and opinions in an informal discussion with friends
-Deal with most situations likely to arise when interacting with English-speaking visitors Enter unprepared into conversations on topics that are familiar, of personal interest or relevant to everyday life (e.g family, hobbies, travel, sport and current events)
-Describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions using connected phrases in a meaningful way
Briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans
-Narrate a story or relate the plot of a book or film and describe one‘s reactions
- Understand the main points in short texts about current and familiar topics
-Understand the most important information in short, simple everyday information brochures
-Understand simple messages and standard communications (e.g from clubs, social
-Read simple columns or interviews in newspapers and magazines in which someone takes a stand on a current topic or event and understand the overall meaning of the text
-Understand events, feelings and wishes in letters or other messages via various
-Understand the description of events, feelings and wishes in a variety of texts, personal messages and letters
-Understand the plot of a clearly structured story and recognize what the most important episodes and events school authorities) -Understand a variety of texts that consist mainly of high- frequency everyday language significant about them
Context of the study
This paper explored high school teachers‘ perceptions towards implementing PBL in the new English textbooks The setting, therefore, was conducted at 9 high schools from different provinces in northern Vietnam namely Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Nam Dinh, Vinh Phuc and Hanoi capital where the new English textbooks have been piloted now
According to the rules of Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training‘s National Foreign Languages 2020 Project, high schools must have good conditions for applying the new English textbooks such as teachers‘ competence, students‘ competence and facilities Nine high schools chosen in this study partially satisfy requirements of the Project As surveyed, some schools were well equipped with IT room, projector and library supporting for the process of teaching and learning the new English textbooks as well as other subjects However, there were some classes in these schools chosen to learn the new English textbooks because it depends on both teachers‘, students‘ foreign language competences and school‘s facilities For instance, the new English textbooks (English 10, English 11 and English 12) have been piloted in six classes at Xuan Truong B for 5 years but they have just been applied for all grades this year Conversely, the new English textbooks have been piloted for three classes at Thang Long high school Therefore, project-based learning is new to some teachers and cannot avoid challenges during the process of implementation.
Research questions
As mentioned in section I.3, the study was carried out to find out the answer to the following questions
1 What are high school teachers‘ perceptions of project-based learning in the new English textbooks?
2 What are their challenges in implementing project-based learning?
The study
The main contents of this section include participants of the study, the data collection instruments namely questionnaires, and interviews followed a procedure
The respondents for questionnaires were 30 teachers who taught in nine different high schools in city and rural areas In order to get cooperation from these teachers, first I asked my acquaintances (my ex-friends, my ex-teachers and my post-graduate classmates) who were teaching at nine high schools for a favor Finally, 30 teachers agreed to participate in the questionnaires Moreover, they were teachers receiving C1 level so their foreign language competences were very good They also had different years of teaching experience which was classified into three groups including less experienced teachers (1-4 years), experienced ones ( 5-9 years) and the most experienced ones(above 10 years)
After completing the questionnaires, they were invited to participate in the interview but only four teachers agreed Some teachers said that they were so busy helping group of gifted students to prepare for English gifted students examination at the time of the study The others were busy taking care of their small children at home Unfortunately, however, there were two teachers left able to take part in the interview For some unexpected issues, one teacher got sick and the other had a sudden business trip overseas so they were not able to cooperate with the researcher
This study was conducted in the form of mixed research method; therefore, two key instruments used for data collection were questionnaires and collection According to Dornyei (2003), questionnaires that is a relatively limited period of time to collect data, straightforward to process and analyze the data and appropriate for providing a general understanding of the subject matter
It, hence, would be very useful for the researcher to investigate the subjects‘ cognitions of PBL as well as their challenges during the process of implementation Moreover, in order to design the questionnaire well, the researcher based on Dornyei (2003)‘s framework In detail, the general feature of questionnaires (length, layout, topic), the main parts of questionnaire (title, instructions, questionnaire items, additional information, final ―thank you‖), questionnaire content, closed-open ended questionnaire item were carefully studied Therefore, there were 40 closed-open items written in English and divided into two main parts in the questionnaires (see Appendix 1): 1) a section
(2 questions) on the subjects‘ individual characteristics in terms of teaching experiences and time for knowing about PBL This part aimed at helping frame the context for other data associated with the study, 2) a section (38 items) in which one item related to the definition of PBL and three items of teachers‘ roles were designed by the author taking the aspects of project work in the literature into consideration The next 23 items (5-Likert scale: from strongly disagree to strongly agree) related to the benefits of PBL were adapted from Wanchild and Wattanasin (2015) and modified to suit with the study Eleven items (ranked questions) towards teachers‘ challenges were based on Harris
Moreover, in order to see how these questionnaires work in the process of data collection the study needed to pilot the questionnaires The researcher, hence, asked the supervisor to check carefully before delivering to the participants Also, an online paper of questionnaires was sent to a teacher via email to get feedback on time, content, structures and instruction Finally, the instruction needed making it clear Two items in the questionnaires were omitted because they could make some teachers confuse about the item For instance, item related to teachers‘ roles (Your roles include control, evaluation and shaping community) were likely to make teachers not understand what
“shaping community‖ was The style and layout of questionnaires were also redesigned to keep them attractive in the respondents‘ eyes It aims to increase the quality and quantity of participant response (Dornyei, 2003)
Besides, in order to ensure that the instrument for the study was a reliable measure of teachers‘ perceptions of PBL, Cronbach‘s alpha is considered to be an appropriate measure of internal consistency within an instrument (Pedhazur
& Schmelkin, 1991, cited in Wang, 2006, p.110) Therefore, the researcher calculated Cronbach‘s alpha with the help of computer
Interviews were chosen as a flow-up step after questionnaires to help the researcher gain an in-depth data about their perceptions and their challenges, which could be missed from questionnaires In order to construct the interview questions, the researcher based on Hatch (2002)‘s framework The researcher took the advantage of this ―formal, semi-structured, and in-depth interview‖ allowed me to come to the interview with guiding questions and meanwhile remain open to ―following the leads of informants and probing into areas that arise during interview interactions‖ (Hatch, 2002, p 94) Besides, in order to facilitate the process of interviews and to make the respondents not misunderstand questions, interviews were conducted in Vietnamese and then translated into English Besides, due to the long distance between the researcher and the subjects, the interviews were conducted via Facebook
The following section will discuss about detailed procedures for collecting data from teacher questionnaires and interviews
The first stage of data collection was questionnaires distribution As mentioned in section III.3.1, context of the study was taken in different high schools Therefore, 30 printed survey questionnaires were distributed to teachers in they were taken a photo and sent to me via email by my friends Collecting the data started at the beginning of March, 2017 and intended to last about one month At the time of the study, however, there were many activities being prepared for celebrating Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union anniversary (26/3) and English gifted student examination in April, 2017 As a result, the collection of the questionnaires from the teachers took nearly a week but two of them were willing to take part in the interviews
The second stage was semi-structured individual interviews via Facebook
Time for each interview was about appropriately 10 minutes on average When all the questionnaires were collected, the researcher started to analyze the data Next, the responses from questionnaires were entered into SPSS (version 20.) and descriptive statistics including frequency, mean and standard deviation were calculated for each item The researcher, then, analyzed the qualitative data gathered from interviews After the interviews were transcribed, the responses were categorized from the aspects of project work explored in the questionnaires These aspects fell into benefits, roles and challenges of PBL in the new English textbooks.
FINDINGS
The findings from questionnaires
The findings from questionnaires were divided into two sections, one for teachers‘ background information and one for their perceptions and challenges when implementing PBL
There are a total of 30 teachers participating in this research Therefore, only two questions related to their background information including their teaching experience and their time of knowing about project-based learning were investigated As can be seen from the pie chart below (Figure 1), most of the teachers have above 10 years of teaching experience accounting for 76.7%, 13.3% of teachers have 5 to 9 years of teaching experience and the smallest are 10% of teachers with less 5 years of teaching experience It means that the majority of teachers taking part in this study are experienced teachers
Figure 2 illustrates the results of the question “How long have you known about project-based learning?” A significant majority of teachers having an number of teachers having known PBL for 1 years and 5 years were 5 people
Similarly, teachers had known PBL for 4 years and 8 years were the same (only 1), following by 10 years (4), 2 years (3), 13 years (2) Overall, most of the teachers had an understanding of project-based learning through the time The next section will provide the findings in order to help the researcher give answers for the research questions as well as the aims of study
Figure 2: Teachers’ time of knowing project-based learning
3.1.2 Teachers‟ perceptions of PBL and their challenges in implementing PBL
In the part of data analysis procedure, teachers‘ perceptions of PBL including its definitions, benefits, their roles and their challenges gathered from questionnaires will be analyzed by categorizing the questions which are related to each other Before analyzing the results from questionnaires, Cronbach‘s alpha was calculated to test the reliability of the number of items in the scale used in the questionnaire
Reliability of the scale measurement
George and Mallery (2003, cited in Joseph & Rosemary, 2003, p.87) provide the following rules of thumb:
Excellent Good Acceptable Questionable Poor
Unacceptable Moreover, if the value of ― Cronbach's alpha if item deleted ― column of each removed Therefore, when the value of Cronbach‘s alpha was calculated for the first time, 26 items related to teachers‘ perceptions of PBL received Cronbach‘s alpha value of 879; however, there were 3 items ( item 3, 19 and 24) removed because their Cronbach‘s alpha values were above 879 ( item 3= 885, item 19=.887 and item 23= 883) It implies that the quality of responses for these two items was not reliable or the items were not designed well Next, the value of Cronbach‘s alpha of
23 items was run for the second time to enhance the reliability of the rest, with Cronbach‘s alpha value of 907 and all items satisfied with this value It means that the scale of 23 items is reliable
Similarly, the number of 11 items related to teachers‘ challenges had Cronbach‘s alpha value of 915, no items were deleted so the scale of these items is also reliable
The following section will present the findings from questionnaires related to teachers‘ perceptions of PBL in terms of its definitions and benefits in language learning
Teachers‟ definition of project-based learning
Question 1(multiple choice) asked the teachers to give their definition of PBL The respondents could give one more options that are correct to them Table 3 below shows the results
Your definition of project-based learning is……… 54 a a model that organizes learning around projects 4 b a way for students to plan, research and do a project 13 c.an approach that teachers work with students to design an authentic experience
4 d a method that places the teacher a facilitator and students in collaborative groups in problem-solving situations
14 e an extended task which usually integrates language skills by means of a number of activities
8 f a learning model in which students are in the center, they gain social responsibility in groups and they acquire the scientific knowledge
Table 3 illustrates the detailed responses from the participants Of 30 teachers participating in the study, there are 28 people giving their responses and 2 cases missed their responses Question 1 aims to check whether the teachers‘ understanding of PBL were full or not so all of these options were the correct definitions of PBL mentioned in the literature review Option b, d and f were the most favorable ones by the teachers, 13, 14 and 11 respectively, which emphasized on the role of students in implementing PBL There were 8 responses for option e
“an extended task which usually integrates language skills by means of a number of activities‖ With the responses of four per option, option a and c were the smallest ones It can be understood that due to the time difference of knowing PBL as well as the different level of understanding of PBL among teachers, they chose different parts of definitions However, most of them perceived PBL as a learning method that are leaner-centered The following sub-section will show the results of teachers‘ perceptions regarding the benefits of PBL in students‘ language learning
Teachers‟ perception of benefits of PBL regarding students „motivation in English learning
The first category of questions about the benefits of PBL students‘ motivation in English learning The relevant literature shows these benefits of PBL
The findings about this category represented by 6 items in the questionnaire are shown in Table 4 below
Table 4: The benefits of PBL for students‟ motivation in English learning
1 Being very useful for students in learning English 4.10 662
2 Making students use their creativity 4.10 803
4 Enhancing students‘ self-confidence in learning English 3.83 699
11 Making students study English more interesting 4.00 910
12 Helping students become more active learners in the classroom
13 Making students feel more relaxed than when they study in the classroom
As can be seen from Table 4, the first group of items related to the benefits for students‘ motivation in learning English include item 1, 4, 11, 12 and 13 In general, most of teachers had a high positive attitude to the benefits of PBL for students‘ motivation In detail, item 1, 2 4, 11 and 12 got the mean value of above 4.00 It reveals that the majority of teachers agreed that PBL was an useful and interesting lesson for students in learning English ( item 1 and item 11), helped students use their creativity ( item 2) and became more active in the classroom ( item 12)
However, item 4 and item 13 received the lower mean value of 3.83 and 3.73, respectively It means most of teachers did not agreed that students would feel more confident and more relaxed than when they studied in the classroom This problem will be explained more in the interviews The following subsection will show the results regarding teachers‘ views on students‘ improvements in language skills
The second group of items associated to students‘ improvements in language skills is item 5, 6,7,8,9 and 10 The results are analyzed in Table 5 below
Table 5: The benefits of PBL for students’ improvements in language skills
5 Making students improve their reading skill 4.20 714
6 Making students improve their speaking skill 4.57 504
7 Making students improve their listening skill 3.77 971
8 Making students improve their writing skill 3.83 648
9 Making students widen their vocabulary 4.23 504
10 Helping students integrate four main skills with vocabulary and grammar while doing project
According to the results shown in Table 4, the majority of teachers agreed that their students improved language skills through PBL, especially speaking skill with the highest mean value of 4.57 It reveals that all teachers agreed that students‘ speaking skill was improved best Widening vocabulary and reading skill in turn were considered as students‘ improvement highly appreciated by the teachers (4.23 and 4.20 respectively) With the mean value of 4.00, most of teachers agreed that students integrated four main skills with grammar and vocabulary while doing project (item 10) Thus, it is seen that it was the reason for students‘ improvements in four main skills and vocabulary However, there was a small difference about the level of teachers‘ consensus towards students‘ improvement in writing skill (3.93) and listening skill (3.77) compared with the other skills This will be explained clearly in the interviews
Teachers‟ views on the benefits of PBL for students‟ learning autonomy
One of the benefits of project-based learning mentioned in the literature review is students‘ autonomous learning The average scores are reported in Table 5
Table 6: The benefits of PBL for students’ learning autonomy
14 Helping students look for more knowledge outside the classroom
15 Helping students develop learning autonomy 4.20 961
16 Making students become more responsible for studying 3.93 740
17 Helping students apply the knowledge from the classroom when they do the project
18 Encouraging students to develop self-assessment skills and evaluate the strengths and weakness of their own work
As can be seen from Table 5, three items with the highest mean value are item 15, 14 and 17 ( 4.20, 4.15 and 4.00 respectively) It indicates that with the help of PBL, students not only applied the knowledge from the classroom (item 17) but also looked more knowledge outside the classroom (item 14) while doing project Therefore, it helped students develop their autonomous learning (item 15) With the same value mean of 3.93 for item 16 and item 18, it shows that teachers, however had mixed feelings between ―agree‖ and ― not sure‖ about whether students became more responsible for studying (item 16), developed self-assessment skills and evaluated the strengths and weakness of their own work or not (item 18 However, teachers recognized the benefits of PBL for students‘ autonomous learning in general
Teachers‟ views on the benefits of PBL for students‟ teamwork
Items 20, 21, 22 and 23 in the questionnaire regarding the benefits for students group work were given in Table 6
Table 7: The benefits of PBL for students group work
20 Allowing students to work with others as a team 4.40 563
21 Helping SS develop their teamwork skill 4.40 563
22 Encouraging students to exchange knowledge with their friends
23 Enabling students to interact more with their friends outside of class
According to the results shown in Table 6, items 20 and 21 had the same value mean of 4.40 ranking the highest top, compared with other items such as item 22
(mean = 4.20 ) and item 23 ( mean = 3.93) It is perceived that most of teachers had a high awareness of the importance of teamwork for students through project-based learning In the other words, not only did PBL help students develop their teamwork skills (item 20) but also encourage them to exchange knowledge with their friends (item 22) and interact more with their friends outside of class (item 23) in the eyes of teachers However, item 23 “PBL enables students to interact more with their friends outside of class” got the lower mean value (3.93) compared with all items but this difference is not significant
Teachers‟ views on their roles in project-based learning
This section includes question number 25 and 26, which explores teachers‘ perceptions of their roles in PBL Table 7 reveals the results of these items
Table 8: Teachers’ roles in implementing PBL
25 I take on the role of a facilitator/a guide during the project 4.30 877
26 I play an important role to motivate students in learning 4.10 960
Overall, both of items regarding the teachers‘ roles in implementing PBL got the high mean values from 4.10 to 4.30 Item 25 “I take on the role of a facilitator/a guie during the project.” was the higher mean value of 4.30 compared with item 26
(mean = 4.10) The results reveal that the majority of teachers perceived that they acted as a facilitator/ a guide for students when doing project and motivated them through the process of learning
Teachers‟ challenges in PBL implementation
The findings from interviews
drawn up to support the findings from teachers‘ questionnaires and to get a further information, which could be missed from questionnaires At first, there are four teachers willing to participate in the interviews; however, finally only 2 teachers could take part in For some unexpected reasons, one teacher got sick and the other had a sudden business trip overseas As a result, they were not able to participate in the interviews
3.2.1.Teachers‟ perception of project-based learning in the new English textbooks
The first six questions concerning teachers‘ perception of project-based learning in terms of definition and the benefits of PBL including motivation, language skills, learning autonomy, teamwork and teachers‘ roles were noted in the interview data I will discuss these aspects in turn The first aspect is teachers‘
Teachers‟ definition of PBL Question 1“What is your definition of project-based learning?” is raised to ask the interviewees about their definition Despite the very small number of teachers participating in the interviews, 2 of them gave a picture of some of theoretical definitions as mentioned in chapter two
T1: ―….In my opinion, project-based learning in English subject in particular is a method that after transferring the knowledge and skills of learning unit, the teacher will assign students a task or an group activity related to the topic of learning unit to research and solve a problem Students will apply the knowledge from the lesson in real life to make questions, research, investigate followed by interviews Finally, students will summarize and report the results in front of the class Additionally, the teacher serves as a guide to assign students tasks and groups, and help them throughout project-based learning implementation About students, they will work in groups, self-divide their work and collaborate each other.‖
T2: ―I think that project-based learning is a teaching method that is learner- centered and the teacher is a facilitator Students will make a final product regarding the topic in the lesson through the process of self-research and collaboration Then, they will report and present the results in front of the class They are also responsible for self-evaluating their friends in their own group.‖
In general, both of teachers mentioned the idea of a theme and having tasks or activities following up that theme or the idea involved students‘ group work, research, presentation, information sharing, problem-solving and that it is cooperative In addition, they emphasized the role of both learner (learner-centered) and teacher (a facilitator/ guide) in a project Besides, learner autonomy was mentioned in both of teachers‘ definitions For instance, the first teacher said
“Students will apply the knowledge from the lesson in real life to make questions, research, investigate followed by interviews” and the second teacher said “They are also responsible for self-evaluating their friends in their own group.” Next, I will analyze the second aspect: benefits for students in language learning in terms of motivation, language skills, learning autonomy and group work
Teachers‟ view on the benefits of PBL for motivating students in learning English
Findings from the interview shows that PBL in the new textbooks partly kept students motivated in learning English because activities in the lesson of PBL was interesting and useful only for students‘ good ability This is the reason why teachers did not agree that PBL enhanced students‘ confidence in learning and helped them feel relaxed in the classroom shown in the questionnaires They remarked in the interviews
T1: ―…although the lesson of project is interesting and useful it isn‘t suitable for students‘ low level It is just welcomed by students‘ good ability Those who are not good at learning English, they always feel embarrassed when being called to the blackboard.‖
T2: ―In theory, I think project in the textbooks is very useful and practical because students have a chance to revise all the contents from the previous lessons and drill four skills Students also have a chance to develop other skills like communication, presentation and group work But I find it difficult to make it realistic because it doesn‘t motivate students‘ bad levels who always feel worried if their names are called… (Smile)
Teachers‟ views on the benefits of PBL for student „improvement in language skills
According to the participants, while doing project students improved speaking, reading skills and vocabularies more than other skills, especially students‘ speaking skill was fostered most These views are presented in the following extracted transcriptions
T1: ― From my own experience, when conducting project students must look for information from different resources like reading books, web-searching and skills are developed more than other skills Students also learn many new words
But a problem I feel furious most is that students often copy passages, not paraphrase them so writing skill is not improved….‖
T2: ―…Certainly, speaking skill is developed best because students must often use their own words to report their final project in front of their classmates and me Read many materials related to their project so their vocabularies and reading skill are improved…Listening and writing are ignored because the class sometimes is noisy , they don‘t listen to their friends They don‘t also write by themselves, just copy and sometimes learn by heart I mean that students‘ low level often learnt by heart to cope with me.‖
The subsequent section will present the third benefit of PBL : learner autonomy
Teachers‟ views on the benefits of PBL for students‟ learning autonomy
Two teachers said that PBL helped students develop their autonomous learning because they must look for information from many different resources and use knowledge outside and inside the classroom This view was mentioned in teachers‘ definition and their views on students‘ improvement in language skills One more time, they emphasized in the interview
T1: ―… Because students actively apply their knowledge and language skills to read materials, research around the topics and explore more information through interview in order to complete their project before the deadline One more thing, since everything is available on the Internet so students can access to the Internet to download materials relevant to the topic…… ‖
Implications
This section will discuss some main implications for teachers and institutions
First, for teachers, they should be encouraged to apply PBL more to make the lesson become more interesting than a traditional teaching, teacher-centered Besides, teachers should apply PBL in different textbooks, not only for the new English textbooks Teachers should also introduce students some learning methods to improve their language ability, which will keep PBL more successful Second, schools/ institutions may take the benefits of the findings of the study to understand the challenges and the needs of teachers From these, an excellent investment in English materials and technology to ensure that appropriate facilities are available for students and teachers in every situations Extra activities like English clubs, English contests should be organized to get students involved, stimulate students and develop their language skills, which make PBL become more effective
Besides, time allocated for the lessons of project should be taken in consideration by the Vietnam‘s Ministry of Training and Education.
Limitations of the study
Besides the objectives were achieved in the current study, there are two existing limitations as under:
1.The study only focuses on the teachers‘ views, attitudes, thinking, knowledge (Borg, 2006) on the benefits of project-based learning in terms of creating motivation for students, improving language skills , developing learning autonomy and teamwork skills (Haines 1989; Hedge 2000; Thomas 2000; Fried-Booth
2002) However, it does not care students‘ opinions so it is likely that there is a difference between teachers‘ statements in this study and students‘ achievements (Hilton-Jones 1988; Gardner 1995; Becket 1999; Wilhelm 1999; Wanchid &
Wattanasin 2015) Also, the study just focuses on teachers‘ challenges including time for preparation, students‘ ability (Westwood 2008; Marx el.at 1997; Hutchison 1992; Harris 2005) without exploring students‘ challenges (Westwood 2008)
2 The study was conducted in the form of mixed research method but there are a limited number of participants, 30 teachers participating in the questionnaires and only 2 teachers willing to participate in the interview Therefore, if there are more items in the questionnaires were removed because they were not reliable after the researcher calculated the value of Cronbach‘s alpha.
Suggestions for further study
In the light of the study findings, the researcher also gives a recommendation for other studies First, it is suggested that further study should explore the perceptions of both teachers and students towards project-based learning in order to make a comparison between students‘ achievement and teachers‘ statements
Second, in order to see clearly about the relationship between teachers‘ perceptions and their classroom practice, it is necessary to observe the lessons of teachers and students in the classroom, which this study has not done yet In brief, this chapter summarizes the results of the study followed by an implication, a limitation and a recommendation for further studies
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Reproduction Service No ED407838 Elementary School Journal, 94(5), 341 -
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Retrieved from http://www.ssnpstudents.com/wp/wp-
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MA Students' Beliefs about Grammar Teaching Unpublished doctoral dissertation The University of Leeds School of Education
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Retrieved from http://www.fsmilitary.org/pdf/Project_Based_Learning.pdf
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Research, Vol 31,No 4 (2015) 1-15: http://tapchi.vnu.edu.vn/upload/2016/01/1901/1.pdf
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25 Wanchid, R & Wattanasin, K (2015) The Investigation of Students‘ Attitudes toward Project Work in Enhancing Independent Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, Vol 6, No 5 (2015)581-192
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Camberwell, Vic.: ACER Press 9780864319128 (pbk.) Retrieved Jan 25,2013fromhttp://albaniarsimin.wikispaces.com/file/view/What_teachers_nee d_to_know_about_Teaching
Dear teachers, This questionnaires aims to explore the implementation of project-based learning in Vietnam’s new English textbooks There are 40 questions in two sections It will take you about 15 minutes to complete the questionnaires
Your responses are invaluable and will be used for the completion of my MA thesis at University of Languages and International Studies Your personal information will NOT be revealed for any other parties If you have any questions, please contact Ms Xuyen at 0968.008.838
Thank you very much for your time!
I Personal information Please give the answers for the following questions
1 Teaching experience: □ < 5 years □ 5-9 years □ > 10 years
2 How long have you known about project-based learning?
II Survey questionnaires Please give the answers for the following questions
1 Your definition of project-based learning is……… a a model that organizes learning around projects b a way for students to plan, research and do a project c.an approach that teachers work with students to design an authentic experience d.a method that places the teacher a facilitator and students in collaborative groups in problem-solving situations e an extended task which usually integrates language skills by means of a number of activities f a learning model in which students are in the center, they gain social responsibility in groups and they acquire the scientific knowledge
2 Benefits of project-based learning Put a tick (√) in the appropriate columns
1 Project-based learning (PBL) in the new English textbooks is very useful for students in learning English
2 PBL in the new English textbooks makes students use their creativity
3 PBL in the new English textbooks makes students participate in class more
4 PBL in the new English textbooks helps students enhance their self-confidence in learning English
5 PBL in the new English textbooks makes students improve their reading skill
6 PBL in the new English textbooks makes students improve their speaking skill
7 PBL in the new English textbooks makes students improve their listening skill
8 PBL in the new English textbooks makes students improve their writing skill
9 PBL in the new English textbooks makes students widen their vocabularies
10 PBL in the new English textbooks helps students integrate language skills such as reading, writing, listening, speaking, grammar and vocabulary while doing project work
11 PBL in the new English textbooks makes students
12 PBL in the new English textbooks helps students become more active in the classroom
13 PBL in the new English textbooks makes students feel more relaxed than when they study in the classroom
14 PBL in the new English textbooks helps students look for more knowledge outside the classroom
15 PBL in the new English textbooks helps students develop learning autonomy
16 PBL in the new English textbooks makes students become more responsible for studying
17 Students apply the knowledge from the classroom when they do the project in the new English textbooks
18 PBL in the new English textbooks encourage students to develop self-assessment skills and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their own work
19 Students need more help from the teacher when doing the project
20 PBL in the new English textbooks allows students to work with others as a team
21 PBL in the new English textbooks helps students develop their teamwork skill
22 PBL in the new English textbooks encourages students to exchange knowledge with their friends
23 PBL in the new English textbooks enables students to interact more with their friends outside of class
3 Your roles in project-based learning
1 My role is to maintain discipline in the class
2 I take on the role of a facilitator/a guide during the project
3 I play an important role to motivate students in learning
4 Your challenges in project-based learning implementation
Put a tick (√) in the appropriate columns
Not a challenge = 1, A minor challenge = 2, A moderate challenge = 3, A major challenge
1 I find it difficult to guide the students how they conduct their project
2 I find it difficult to organize all the students‘ projects
3 I find it difficult to develop materials related to topics in the new English textbook
4 I find it difficult to assess all of the students‘ project work objectively
5 I find it difficult to manage the student group
6 I find it difficult to collaborate with other teachers
7 PBL takes a lot of time to plan and implement
8 Students do not spend enough time to conduct their project work
9 I lack professional development or coaching in PBL
10 There is a lack of models or examples for using PBL with students
11 There is a lack of funds, materials, or resources (e.g., access to technology, a library, art supplies, etc.) in my school
If you are willing to participate in an interview after completing this questionnaire, please give me your name and your contact details
Thank you very much for your cooperation!
1 Theo bạn/chị thế nào là dạy học dự án?
2 Bạn/ chị có nghĩ rằng dạy học dự án trong sách giáo khoa mới có tạo động lực cho học sinh trong việc học tiếng Anh không? Vì sao?
3 Bạn/chị có nghĩ rằng dạy học dự án có giúp học sinh cải thiện các kĩ năng ngôn ngữ không? Nếu có, kĩ năng nào được cải thiện nhiều nhất và kĩ năng nào ít được cải thiện nhất? Vì sao?
4 Bạn/chị có nghĩ rằng dạy học dự án có giúp học sinh phát triển được tính tự chủ trong việc học không? Vì sao?
5 Bạn/chị có nghĩ rằng dạy học dự án giúp học sinh phát triển kĩ năng làm việc nhóm không? Vì sao?
6 Vai trò của bạn/chị trong dạy học dự án là gì?
7 Những thách thức chính bạn/chị gặp phải khi tiến hành dạy học dự án là gì?
1 What is your definition of project-based learning?
2 Do you think project-based learning in the new English textbooks motivates students to learn English? Why?
3 Do you think project-based learning helps students improve their language skills?
If yes, which ones are improved most and which ones are improved least? Why?
4 Do you think project-based learning helps students develop their learning autonomy? Why?
5 Do you think project-based learning helps students develop teamwork skills?
6 What are your roles in project-based learning?
7 What are your main challenges in implementing project-based learning?
Date of interview: 10/04/2017 Interview length: 10 minutes Interviewer: Xuyen
Interviewee: L (Teacher 1 :T1, she is the interviewer‘s ex-friend at university) Xuyen: Hello L, long time no see you You look more beautiful than you were at university
L: Thanks Your M.A thesis is being done well, isn‘t it?
Xuyen: Uhm, it‘s still going ahead so tonight I would like to interview you seven questions related to the project lessons in the new textbooks Can we start right now?
Xuyen: Ok What is your definition of project-based learning?
L: To best of my knowledge, project-based learning in English subject in particular is a method that after transferring the knowledge and skills of learning unit, the teacher will assign students a task or a group activity related to the topic of learning unit to research and solve a problem Students will apply the knowledge from the lesson in real life to make questions, research, investigate followed by interviews
Finally, students will summarize and report the results in front of the class
Additionally, the teacher serves as a guide to assign students tasks and groups and help them throughout project-based learning implementation About students, they will work in groups, self-divide their work and collaborate each other.‖
Xuyen: Great! Do you think project-based learning in the new English textbooks motivates students to learn English? Why?
L: From my own experience, although each lesson of project is interesting and useful it isn‘t suitable for students‘ low level It is just welcomed by students‘ good ability Those who are not good at learning English, they always feel embarrassed when being called to the blackboard
Xuyen: Do you think project-based learning helps students improve their language skills? If yes, which ones are improved most and which ones are improved least?
L : Waite me a minute! My dad is calling me
(The interview is interrupted for 2 minutes)
L : Yes I‘m back Uhm… From my own experience, when conducting project students must look for information from different resources like reading books, web-searching and present the final product in front of the class so their speaking and reading skills are developed more than other skills Students also learn many new words But a problem I feel furious most is that students often copy passages, not paraphrase them so writing skill is not improved
Xuyen: Do you think project-based learning helps students develop their learning autonomy? Why?
L: Autonomous learning Let‘s me see Uhm Yes Because students actively apply their knowledge and language skills to read materials, research around the topics and explore more information through interview in order to complete their project before the deadline One more thing, since everything is available on the Internet so students can access to the Internet to download materials relevant to the topic
Xuyen: Do you think project-based learning helps students develop their teamwork skills? Why?
L: Of course Because students are encouraged to work in group to conduct their project work so they have a chance to practice more and collaborate with their friends They aslo share duties and idea with their friends From these, students have a close friendship each other and the group solidarity among students is promoted
Xuyen: Can you tell me what your roles are in implementing project-based learning? guidance for students in the class I always try to create the pleasant atmosphere for my students to do their project