Aims of the study
The aims of this study are to find out the more useful teaching methods for improving students‟ reading text summary skills To be more specific, the primary objectives of the study were set up as follows:
- To test the effectiveness of using mind-mapping techniques to develop 11 th grade students‟ reading text summary skills compared to conventional techniques
- To investigate the experimental students‟ attitudes towards teaching reading text summary through using mind mapping technique.
Research hypothesis and questions
To achieve the aims and objectives, the study was designed to test the hypothesis:
Teaching reading text summary in post reading stage through mind mapping techniques is more effective to the development of students’ summary skills than the traditional approach which emphasizes the memorization of words and contents of the reading passage
In order to find out whether the research hypothesis would be accepted or rejected, the following research questions were formulated and to be answered
1 Why is using mind mapping techniques effective to improve students‟ reading text summary skills?
2 What are the students‟ attitudes towards teaching reading text summary in post reading stage through mind mapping techniques after the experimental period?
Method of the study
This study was conducted based on quasi-experimental research with pretest, posttest, and questionnaire in order to determine the causal relationship between teaching reading text summary through mind mapping and the enhancement of students‟ summary skills
Two groups of students were not chosen randomly, they were two intact groups of students involved in the study, one group was labeled the control group and the other the experimental group.
Significance of the study
Summarizing the reading text in the textbook series for high schools is presented in a traditional way which often focuses on the sentence based summarization Thus, this study will give an answer to the question whether it is practical to teach reading text summary in the post reading stage through using mind mapping technique in the context of the high school in Vietnam.
Scope of the study
The study was designed to test the hypothesis that it is possible to teach reading text summary presented in the textbook through mind mapping Because of the time constraint, the researcher could just carry out an experimental research upon a small sample of 11 th grade students who were not randomly chosen to a control class and an experimental class, (40 students for each class) at LTK High school The pretest and posttest scores were used to measure both groups‟ reading text summary competence before and after the treatment during ten weeks of the second semester of the 2011-2012 academic year The post program questionnaire was designed to get more feedback from experimental students.
Organization of the study
The study was divided into three parts which are presented as follows:
Part A is the introduction, which presents the rationale and the aim of the study, hypothesis and questions, research method, significance, scope as well as organization of the study
Part B is the development, which includes 3 chapters
Chapter 1 reviews the literature relevant to the study which consists of reading, reading comprehension, summary, and mind mapping techniques based on theoretical and practical evidence
Chapter 2 presents information about the context of the study, the participants, the instruments, the data collection procedure and data analysis procedure
Chapter 3 is the main part of the study that reports and discusses the main findings according to research matter
Part C is the conclusion that presents the author‟s reflection and the outcomes of the study as well as indicates some limitations of the study, and finally gives some suggestions for further research.
Literature review
Reading and reading comprehension
In recent decades, reading becomes one of important and essential parts in language teaching and learning The meaning of “Reading” has been given a various ways
According to Nuttall (1982) reading is considered as the process of the interaction between language perception and the readers‟ language skill, cognitive skill and the knowledge of the words In this regard, reading can be defined as an active process of interaction between the reader and the information which consists of the text
Harmer (1989:153) views reading from a different perspective In his definition, “reading is an exercise dominated by the eyes and the brain The eyes receive the message and the brain has to work out the significance of the message”
Goodman (1971: 135) considers reading as “a psycholinguistic process by which the reader, a language user, reconstructs, as best as he can, a message which has been encoded by a writer as a graphic display”, and the act of reconstruction is viewed as “a cyclical process of sampling, predicting, testing and confirming”
Based on the theories above, it can be concluded that reading can help the reader get information and knowledge from a text
Reading comprehension plays an important role in teaching and learning reading a foreign language Thus, it is necessary to understand the nature of reading comprehension Below are many different definitions of reading comprehension
Roe, Stood and Burns (1987:2) consider: “reading comprehension is reconstruction, interpretation and valuation of what author of written content means by using knowledge gained from life and experience”
According to Grellet (1981:3): “reading comprehension or understanding a written text means extracting the required information from it as efficiently as possible.” The author means that reading comprehension is an activity which aims at decoding the meaning of word combination in the text in the most efficient way and students can show their understanding by re-expressing the content of the text in many ways such as summarizing the text, answering questions etc
From these theories above, it can be understood that reading for comprehension is the primary purpose for reading; raising students' awareness of main ideas in a text and exploring the organization of a text are essential for good comprehension
In conclusion, reading comprehension is a process of understanding what is conveyed in the text It does not mean that the reader needs to understand every single word in the text but actively work on the text and extract the required information efficiently
1.1.3 The stages of a reading lesson
A reading lesson can be divided into three stages which are pre- reading stage, while- reading stage and post- reading stage Each of these stages carries its own features and purposes and requires different techniques and strategies
In a reading lesson, the pre- reading stage is an important one because it creates motivation and positive attitude towards the reading text for students This stage is to prepare the learners for what they are going to read Williams (1984:37) gave three purposes of pre-reading as follows:
- To introduce and stimulate interest in the topic
- To motivate students by providing a reason for reading
- To provide language preparation for the text
Therefore, students are to do the activities such as guess the topic of the text from the heading, brainstorming around a topic word on the board, predict what the text will say or write questions that may be answered by the text In addition, some pre reading techniques are applied as ordering statements or pictures, jigsaw dictation, True/False statement prediction, brainstorming or skimming questions
In general, in the pre- reading stage, it is necessary to set a good preparation for students, provide them the sense of what they are going to do in their reading lesson
While- reading stage is the main part of a reading lesson Students have the chance to deal with the text to understand the writer‟s purpose and clarify the text‟s content in detail Williams (1984:38) points out the aims of the while- reading stage:
- To clarify content and vocabulary of the text
- To help students understand the writer's purpose
- To help students understand the structure of the text Beside a wide range of activities in the while- reading stage are given such as deducing meaning, questioning, recognizing, matching, ordering, following instructions, comparing, note- taking, completing, and decision- making/ problem- solving
Concerning the while- reading stage‟s activities, the teacher will choose suitable activities for students based on the nature of the reading text and the level of the students as well as selecting suitable activities, during the while- reading stage, the teacher should bear in mind his roles of an organizer, observer, assessor and prompter as mentioned in the last part, the roles of teacher
The post- reading stage is the final but not the less important stage of a reading lesson because it is time for students to apply what they have got from the text into real life communication Williams (1984:39) pointed out the aim of the post- reading stage
- To consolidate or reflect upon what has been read
- To relate the text to the students‟ own knowledge interest or views
- To provide a stimulus for other language activities After students finish tasks in while-reading part, a wide range of activities in the post - reading stage are suggested as follows:
1 Summarize the text - Gap fill
- Rewrite the text from jumbled sentences/ words/ visual cues…
- Summarize the text either orally or in writing
- Make a spider map/ diagram or mind map
2 Role play, Interview - Integrated skills from reading to speaking
- Students take the role of the interviewer and interviewee about the topic of the reading comprehension
3 Give comments, opinion on the characters/ matters in the text
- Teacher can ask students to present their points of view, their thought of characters or issues relating to the text
4 Personalized tasks - This skill is to help the learners to connect what they have read with their own ideas and experience in life
5 Discussion - Students are required to discuss about issues in life relating to the reading text
Table 1: Activities in the post - reading stage
Reading text Summary
One strategy for improving reading comprehension is to write summaries It is a way to measure reading comprehension, but can also help a reader to come to a new understanding of a text There are many definitions of summary mentioned as follows:
A summary, as Troyka (1995) defines, is a condensation of an original writing A summary relays the main points of a passage and reports what the author is really saying A summary is not an explanation of, or a substitute for, the original It adds no interpretation of evaluation and retains the approach and tone of the original author It omits minor details, illustrations, quotations, anecdotes, and other inessential material
In addition, Byrne (1987:76) states that summarizing - producing a shortened version of a text which has been read or heard - is best viewed as a skill which is realized through different kinds of writing, rather than as a special form of writing
In short, summaries are made to reduce the amount of information to be remembered and to organize the information in a way that aids understanding and remembering
1.2.2 Steps to writing a reading text summary
In teaching a reading text summary, some preliminary steps are presented below by Swales, John M and Christine B Feat (1994:105-130)
Step 1: Skim the text, noting in your mind the subheadings If there are no subheadings, try to divide the text into sections Consider why you have been assigned the text Try to determine what type of text you are dealing with This can help you identify important information
Step 2: Read the text, highlighting important information and taking notes
Step 3: In your own words, write down the main points of each section
Step 4: Write down the key support points for the main topic, but do not include minor detail
Step 5: Go through the process again, making changes as appropriate
To write a good summary, they also recommended three main requirements as follows:
- The summary should cover the original as a whole
- The material should be presented in a neutral fashion
- The summary should be a condensed version of the material, presented in your own words
1.2.3 Types of reading text summaries
Summarizing is the most effective way of understanding a text and expressing the same in your own words briefly and clearly In other words, it saves time of the intended readers According to Sarada (2008:99), summary is divided into three types below:
Descriptive summary gives an overview of what the source is about but does not give specifics of the content This summary describes that basic information about the program It does not give specific information on the actual programs described It also uses descriptive language like “excellence”, “internationally renowned” and “leading-edge” In brief, it tells what the initial content is about without getting into the specifics
Unlike the descriptive summary, which tells about the book/ report in a few sentences, the informative summary tells what is in the book/ report, in a paragraph or a few pages, depending on the length of the text This type of summary helps readers save time to decide whether to read or not The writer gives more details than one finds in a descriptive type of summary by revealing to us not only just the subject matter or outline of the story but also about the author briefly In short, this type is the most common summary because it gets into the specifics and covers all the main concepts in a very shortened form and similar to an outline
Evaluative summary is one that gives not only the gift of a book or article but also evaluates it concisely and effectively, giving critical remarks on the original
The writer who summarizes the original may comment on any one aspect or all aspects of it Besides, the evaluative summary includes the writer‟s thoughts, feelings and reactions, unlike the other two kinds of summaries However, many people except writers and critics may not have experience of preparing this summary.
Mind mapping
Mind map, according to Buzan (2006), is a technique of making outline which used the represent words, ideas, tasks, or another linked to an arranged radically around a central key word or idea by lines and typically it contains words, ideas, short phrase or pictures
Furthermore, Marton & Booth (1997) state that Mind map is a tool for enhancing learning and thinking It provides a structure to reveal various aspects of a story such as the sequence of events, the key points, the cause and effect, the relation of ideas and so on Students can use mind maps for revising and clarifying thoughts so as to get the deep meaning of a story Additionally, Murley (2007) affirms that mind maps are a non linear visual outline of complex information that can aid creativity, organization, productivity, and memory With the same opinion, Paul Emmerson (cited in the article “Using Mind Map in BE”, 2010) affirmed that
“a mind map is a way of making notes that is intuitive and highly personal You put
„your world‟ down on paper as a visual diagram and then use it as the basis for a speaking activity There is a central topic in the middle, surrounded by sub-topics linked to it with lines The sub-topics have further branches, according to the ideas/imagination of the person who draws the mind map (or the instructions of the teacher)”
In brief, mind map is a diagram used to visually outline information It is often created around a single word or text, placed in the center, to which associated ideas, words and concepts are added
1.3.2 Steps to create a mind map
There are many approaches in teaching reading One of the techniques is by using mind mapping According to Buzan (2010), some steps to create a mind map are presented as follows:
1 Start in the centre of a blank page turned sideways - Because starting in the centre gives your brain freedom to spread out in all directions and to express itself more freely and naturally
2 Use an image or picture for your central idea - Because an image is worth a thousand words and helps you use your Imagination A central image is more interesting, keeps you focussed, helps you concentrate, and gives your Brain more of a buzz
3 Use colors throughout - Because colors are as exciting to your brain as are images Color adds extra vibrancy and life to your mind map, adds tremendous energy to your creative thinking, and is fun
4 Connect your main branches to the central image and connect your second- and third-level branches to the first and second levels, etc - Because your brain works by association It likes to link two (or three, or four) things together If you connect the branches, you will understand and remember a lot more easily
5 Make your branches curved rather than straight-lined - Because having nothing but straight lines are boring to your brain
6 Use one key word per line - Because single key words give your mind map more power and flexibility
7 Use images throughout - Because each image, like the central image, is also worth a thousand words
(See the example of mind map guidelines)
1.3.3 Definition of mind mapping techniques
Buzan (cited in Yusuf Effendi 2004) states that a mind mapping is a powerful graphic technique which provides a universal key to unlock the potential of the brain It is visual map of ideas, laid out in a radial format around a central thought and it involves a unique combination of imagery, colour and visual-spatial arrangement which is proven to significantly improve recall when compared to conventional methods of note-taking and learning by rote It needs imagination and association to activate our brain in remembering something
Based on DePotter and Hernacki as translated into English (2008) mind mapping is the use of whole brains technique by using the visualization and other graphic infrastructure to make an impression
Antonacci (1991) advocates that mind mapping as an effective post reading strategies as well because it provides students with a tool to recall, organize, and represent visually the new information in conjunction with the old information
In summary, Mind mapping can help poor readers to read more effectively because the format can show the relative importance of individual points and the way in which facts relate to one another
(see the example of mind mapping Buzan‟s principles below)
1.3.4 The Classification of mind mapping techniques
Trianto (2009:160) mind mapping can be divided into four kinds:
The main ideas made in a quadrangle and other words written in the connection line It is suitable for visualization
- technical terms which can be used to explain some correlations
What was it built for?
Why is it considered one of the famous wonders in the world?
Khufu on the west bank of the River Nile around the year 2560B.C straight or spiral ramps or the blocks of stone to protect the burial chamber from the weather and from thieves
The event chain can be used for giving an accident order, steps in a procedure, or steps in a process and connecting words are not necessary in an events chain It is suitable for visualization An events chain map describing the steps might look like the one on unit 15: Space Conquest
As in the events chain map, you first decide on an initiating event and then list each event in order Because there is no outcome and the last event relates back to the initiating event, the cycle repeats itself Look at the cycle map for photosynthesis and respiration shown above
Related studies of mind mapping
Since Mind mapping was introduced more research and theory building on every field has been done because many researchers are interested in exploring this technique Although mind mapping plays an important part in consolidating and memorizing, the studies conducted this technique in teaching English remain limited In Vietnam, English language teachers have been introduced this approach to language teaching in many workshops However, it is not sure of how many teachers, especially teachers at high schools, have ever tried this approach
Although there are many approaches to the teaching of summarizing reading text, mind mapping technique is still one of the challenging areas for teachers and students at high schools.
Summary
In this chapter, all the concerning theoretical background has been presented
First, some definitions of reading, summarizing, and mind mapping basing on some linguistic scholars‟ works have been presented Then classification and significance of these parts have also been mentioned.
The study
The context of the study
The study took place at LTK high school, which is located in Thuy Nguyen district of Hai Phong city There are some factors that affect the process of teaching and learning English in the school as follows:
Concerning the students, most of them come from farmer families and poor workers in the region They have little time for further English learning They seem not to pay much attention to reading text summary after reading because they concentrate on grammatical structures, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing skills which are needed for written examinations That is the reason why the students at LTK high school, for many years, have not paid much attention to reading texts in general and reading text summary in particular Consequently, after learning a reading lesson, students can not remember and revise what they have learned Therefore, it can be concluded that their English comprehending abilities are still limited and their attitude towards using mind mapping techniques to summarize the texts is also a matter to be considered
In terms of the English materials, the textbook used in the school is the basic standard one compiled by Vietnamese teachers Tieng Anh 11 includes 16 units about all the topics which are relevant to many aspects of daily life: friendship, personal experience, party, volunteer work, competitions, world population, celebrations, the post office, nature in danger, sources of energy, Asian Games, hobbies, space conquest, and the wonders of the world Each unit is divided into five lessons: reading, speaking, listening, writing and language focus The problem here is that among 16 units the requirement for the summary of the reading passage is only focused on units 11 and 15, and the time for teaching reading comprehension is 45 minutes, so time for a reading text summary is about 10-12 minutes, which requires students to be very active and eager to finish this task Besides, each unit was divided into 3 parts They are Before you read, While you read and after you read The aim of Before you read is to help students get used to the content of the topic, brainstorming, pre-teaching new vocabulary to help student read the text easily While you read consists of two or three tasks which require the students to guess meaning in context, identify main idea, passage comprehension, scan for specific information, multiple choice questions, gap-fill, decide on the True or False statements After you read committed of discussing the question, answering the questions, completing the summary, summarizing and retelling the reading text help students to consolidate the language skills
Concerning the teaching staff and their teaching methods, in the English Department of LTKHS, there are eleven teachers of different ages from 30 to 50
Most teachers of English, not only at LTKHS, but also in other high schools, tend to focus on teaching grammatical structures, vocabulary, reading and writing skills to help their students get good scores in examinations Besides, they tend to apply conventional methods, for example, only use given tasks in the textbooks and do not design more tasks that helps students understand the reading text more thoroughly, giving questions for students to answer Consequently, the students have little interest in English lessons and their learning is passive and unsuccessful Moreover, their reading ability is not practiced and improved.
Participants
The study was carried out to two existing groups of 11 grade students, 11 B10 and 11B11 who were from 16 to 17 years old Total number of students in both groups was 80, 40 for each and included 32 males and 48 females Students in the two classes are equal in terms of English proficiency and are roughly from elementary to pre-intermediate level of English, basing on not only the result of the
English final test in the first semester but also their pretest scores These two intact classes are taught by the same Vietnamese teacher of English
Control class Experimental class Total number of subject
Table 2: Background information about the participants
This study was carried out during ten weeks for both groups according to the English major curriculum for English teachers‟ training set by the MOET Teaching reading text summary in the two classes is different Students in the experimental class were taught by using mind mapping technique to develop students‟ reading text summary In contrast, students in control class were required to do some tasks in after you read without using mind mapping.
Rationale for using quasi-experiment
Campbell and Stanley (1966) provide a rationale for using quasi- experimental design in natural social setting to answer practical questions in evaluating learning assistance centers They propose that the overall purpose of evaluation is to answer important questions concerning program improvement, accountability, finding and knowledge Besides, in comparison with true experimental designs, it is easier to take and compare subjects or groups of subjects that are not chosen randomly than that are randomly chosen in true experimental designs so that its result is not generalized
Additionally, a quasi-experiment is not really time-consuming It does not necessarily mean that it can be done shortly This method was often designed to gather data in such a way that threats to the reliability and validity of the research might be minimized as this study was carried out in 10 weeks The results of the quasi-experiment are often demonstrated in numerical expression such as scores of tests which are usually calculated and analyzed with the help of modern and powerful statistical methods of computer software, the causal nature of variables
Actually, thanks to close interactions with students when doing the quasi- experimental research, the researcher may have a thorough understanding of the effect of mind mapping on students‟ reading text summary in the study Therefore, it is possible to conduct a quasi-experimental research instead of doing a true experiment
And also a quasi-experiment may be reliable with acceptable results in the sense that both internal and external validity of the findings can be assured Apart from that, the researcher also based on a questionnaire to experimental students and the students' total marks of pretest and posttest scores between two groups
In brief, as far as theory and practice are concerned, this method seems to be the best choice only to test the hypothesis that it is accepted or rejected.
Experiment design
The research method employed the research which was quasi-experimental design Its aim was to test the hypothesis that it is possible to teach reading text summary through MM presented in the English textbook Below were the steps involved in the research design:
1 The pre-test was administered to the control class and experimental class
2 Mind mapping was introduced to the experimental class The teacher used mind maps as a revision tool for the post-test The control class, however, was not exposed to mind mapping at all
3 The post-test was administered to the control and experimental class
11B10 E Using mind mapping in post reading stage to summarize the text
(O1): Pretest (O2): Posttest 11B11 C Without using mind mapping in post reading stage
(O1): Pretest (O2): Posttest Table 3: The design of the study (Adapted from Hopkins & Antes, 1990)
Research Variables
Accordingly, there were two variables that would be investigated in the experimental research which are dependent variable and independent variable
An independent variable is the variable which influences dependent variable; meanwhile a dependent variable is the variable that will be affected by an independent variable (as cited in Coolidge, 2000:15) Based on the explanation above, mind mapping techniques that are presented to the students would be the independent variable - the major variable to be investigated (see the topics of reading schedule of the research in appendix1)
Students‟ scores in reading text summary would be the dependent variable which is observed and measured to determine the effect of the independent variable.
Data collection instruments and procedure
According to Arikunto (1996:136), instruments are media utilized by the researcher in collecting the data The instruments were used to collect data in order to answer the research questions The instruments used in the research were pretest, posttest, and questionnaire
The pretest and posttest were designed based on the reading model tests, which have been used for students in the 11 th class Both pretest and posttest included two parts The first part is about checking vocabulary they have studied and in the second part students had to write summary (within 80 words) about the content of the topics: “sources of energy” in the pretest and “Space conquest” in the posttest The two parts made up the totality of 10 points, 5 for each part (see the pretest and posttest in appendix 3)
A written questionnaire was administered to 40 students of experimental group at the same time In order to receive the objective results from these students,
10 closed questions and three open-ended questions were carefully designed to investigate the experimental students‟ attitudes towards teaching reading text summary through using mind mapping technique (see the questionnaire in appendix
5) After having the result of pretest, posttest scores and questionnaire which lasted
10 weeks, the researcher collected and analyzing all the data, the researcher started discussing data findings and then the conclusions and suggestions were given
In this study, both classes were taught by the researcher In preparing the teaching process, the researcher carried out the following steps to collect the results from the pretest, the posttest and questionnaire
- In the first week, 80 students were given a pretest under the serious control of the researcher These test scores were gathered and then analyzed to identify the students‟ reading text summary (see in appendix 3)
- Apply mind mapping techniques to teach reading text summary on the experimental class; whereas, apply conventional techniques as handouts or exercises on the control class
- Design and administer the posttest for both classes (see in appendix 3)
- Analyze both groups‟ posttest scores to set up the difference in reading text summary between two classes after the experimental period
- Design and deliver the questionnaire to the experimental group to get their opinions of teaching reading text summary through mind mapping
- Collect and analyze all the data for the results of the study
- Discuss the data findings and draw out conclusions and suggestions for further study.
Data Analysis procedure
The data were analyzed by using Microsoft Excel In term of descriptive statistics and interpretations of pretest and posttest scores and all the questionnaire items
The data collected from the pretest and posttest scores were used to measure the impact of the treatment All tests were marked by the researcher and another teacher of English at the same school The test scores were computed and analyzed to work out 2-tail t-test, means, median, standard deviation (SD), to identify whether the control class or the experimental class could improve their reading text summary after experimental period
Besides, to get the opinions of the experimental students about teaching reading summary through mind mapping, a written questionnaire was used There were three options for each statement in the questionnaire, i.e agreement, disagreement, and no option The results was presented and changed into the equivalent percentages.
Data analysis and discussions
Data analysis
In order to measure the effectiveness of using MM techniques on students‟ reading text summary after 10 weeks of treatment, the pre-test and post-test were administered to both experimental and control class at the same day Both tests were timed 15 minutes, including checking words and text summary These tests aimed at gauging the students‟ memory skill with reference to their reading text summary skills We compared and analyzed the results of the pretest and posttest scores between two classes as follows:
3.1.1.1 Comparison between pretest scores of experimental class and control class
Before taking the program, a pre-test was administered to both classes Then we used two-tail t-test to know whether both classes had the same starting point
The results of two-sample assuming unequal variances ( see in Table 4) show that the average starting point 5,33 for the experimental class and 5,15 for the control class were statistically insignificant at p < 0,05 level, t-value (0,75) is smaller than t-critical value (1,99), and p-value (0,46) is more than 0,05 Therefore, there was no significant difference between the two classes and they were almost equivalent two-tail t-test: of two-sample assuming unequal variances E C
P(T