Promoting learner autonomy in enhancing reading comprehension skills for students at high school in thái bình an action research

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN TUẤN ANH PROMOTING LEARNER AUTONOMY IN ENHANCING READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS FOR STUDENTS AT HIGH SCHOOL IN THÁI BÌNH: AN ACTION RESEARCH (PHÁT HUY TÍNH TỰ CHỦ TRONG VIỆC NÂNG CAO KỸ NĂNG ĐỌC HIỂU CHO HỌC SINH MỘT TRƯỜNG THPT Ở THÁI BÌNH: MỘT NGHIÊN CỨU ÁP DỤNG) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Major: English language teaching methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Prof Dr Hoàng Văn Vân Hanoi – 2017 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN TUẤN ANH PROMOTING LEARNER AUTONOMY IN ENHANCING READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS FOR STUDENTS AT HIGH SCHOOL IN THÁI BÌNH: AN ACTION RESEARCH (PHÁT HUY TÍNH TỰ CHỦ TRONG VIỆC NÂNG CAO KỸ NĂNG ĐỌC HIỂU CHO HỌC SINH MỘT TRƯỜNG THPT Ở THÁI BÌNH: MỘT NGHIÊN CỨU ÁP DỤNG) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Major: English language teaching methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Prof Dr Hoàng Văn Vân Hanoi - 2017 ABSTRACT This article reports on an action research project conducted with 27 students in a 10th grade math gifted class at a high school in Thai Binh province who show the lack of learner autonomy in their learning process The purpose of the study is to demonstrate how enhancing reading skills by implementing three reading strategies (scanning, skimming, inferring) helps students to promote their learner autonomy in the learning process The results show that after the intervention, these learners can make the decision to set goals and plan their own learning process they‟ve set In addition, these strategies have encouraged students to build up learner autonomy through their learning style to achieve their goals Furthermore, the use of effective reading strategies helped learners feel motivated while reading because they can read more easily and faster We conclude that these reading strategies helped learners to find out a successful way to develop their learner autonomy Key words: Autonomy, motivation, reading strategies ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to my sincere gratitude to my advisor Prof Hoàng Văn Vân, for his patience, great encouragement, and continuous support during the stages of this study Without his advice and enthusiastic guidance, I would not have been able to finish my thesis My sincere thanks are also goes to teachers as well as students at Phu Duc Upper Secondary School who provided me the opportunity to carry out the project Without their passionate help, the project could not have been successfully conducted Last but not least, I want to express my deepest gratitude to my family and my sincere thanks to my friends who are always by my side during the process of this thesis and throughout my years of study Hanoi, November, 8th, 2017 Nguyễn Tuấn Anh TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii LIST OF TABLES .i LIST OF FIGURES ii Part A: INTRODUCTION 1 Identification of the problem Purpose of the study Method Review Scopes of the study Structure of the study PART B DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Learner autonomy 1.1.1 Definition of terms 1.1.2 Characteristics of autonomous learners 1.1.3 Factors affect learners‟ autonomy 1.1.4 Way to develop learner autonomy 11 1.2 Reading comprehension 14 1.3 Reading strategies 15 1.3.1 Skimming 15 1.3.2 Scanning 16 1.3.3 Inferring 16 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 19 2.1 Research question 19 2.2 Context and Subject of the study 19 2.3 Procedure of the research 19 2.4 Data collection instruments 20 2.4.1 Survey questionnaire 20 2.4.2 Questionnaire 20 2.4.3 Interviews 21 2.4.4 Observation 21 2.4.5 Reading achievement test 21 2.5 Implemented activities 22 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISSCUSSIONS 25 3.1 Self-evaluation of reading comprehension skills before and after the projects 25 3.2 Attitude towards learner autonomy before and after the project 28 3.2.1 Autonomy before the project 28 3.2.2 Autonomy after the project 31 PART C CONCLUSION 37 Summary 37 Findings 37 Implications 38 References 40 Appendix I Appendix II Appendix III Appendix IV Appendix V Appendix X Appendix .XIV Appendix XVII Appendix XX LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Self-evaluation of reading comprehension skills before and after the projects 25 Table 3.2: The illustration of the improvement of a student's reading skills 27 Table 3.3: Attitude towards learner autonomy before and after the project .28 Table 3.4: Attitudes toward the activities 32 Table 3.5: The illustration of the changes of a student‟s attitude toward learner autonomy 33 Table 3.6: Attitudes towards the benefits of self-directed learning 34 i LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1: Students‟ improvement in reading skills 27 Figure 3.2: Students‟ changes in their perception of learner autonomy 34 Figure 3.3: Attitudes of students towards the benefits of learner autonomy 35 Figure 3.4 :Level of students‟ involvement during the project 36 ii Part A: INTRODUCTION Identification of the problem As we all know, English is the most widely used language in the world and its important role in today‟s life of industrialization and modernization is undeniable In fact, English has been considered as a bridge for economic, political and cultural activities between many countries of a multilingual world Therefore, English is one of the top requirements needed of those seeking for a good job And that‟s why English is an indispensable subject in the educational system of most countries in the world In Vietnam, English will become more and more important in the perspective of our government‟s open economic policy The benefits of learning English can be seen in the economic, social and political life of the people of the country Thus, English teachers in Viet Nam are responsible for training human resources for the country, so they will have more problems to deal with, and one of those is to help their students to use English correctly, quickly and automatically To that, I think they need to take one step at a time and may be the first step is to help their students to promoting their role in learning process Due to the wide application of the learner-centered approach to teaching foreign languages, more pressure is currently put on the role of the learner in the learning process Learners are not considered as passive recipients of information anymore, but they are active in acquiring knowledge, which they learn based on their own interests and needs According to Ellis and Sinclair (1989) there are three reasons for helping learners to promote their role in their learning process First, learning can be more effective when learners take control of their own learning Second, learners who take on more responsibility for their own learning can carry on learning outside the classroom And finally, learners who know about learning can transfer learning strategies to other subjects Stating why learner autonomy is important, Little (1991) supposes that if learners are proactively committed to their learning, it is likely to be more efficient and effective than otherwise From the above ideas, it can be seen that learner autonomy plays a crucial role in language learning And in the process of language learning, teachers have a significant role to convince the students about the value of what they are learning After that, the students ought to realize that the lecturer does not have an answer for every question and they have to seek for the answer themselves Carrell and Eisterhold (1989) argue that there is a significant relationship between autonomous learning and reading skills (cited in Paweena, 2012: 2) Poor reading proficiency can thus be a factor that may hinder students from gaining full language learning progress (Paweena, 2012: 15) Regarding the context of Phu Duc Upper Secondary School, learner autonomy seems to be a brand new concept to the student there to understand and apply it in their learning process As a matter of fact, in Phu Duc Upper Secondary School, English is considered one of the most important subjects and reading skills have been mainly taught there in every English class However, according to Miss H and Miss D, the two English teachers of Phu Duc Upper Secondary School, the students of the school seems to have low self-learning ability because of their low reading proficiency Thus, this thesis is an attempt to help students at Phu Duc Upper Secondary School, realize the effect of learner autonomy in enhancing reading comprehension skills therefore they can generate a sense of autonomy in language learning process And the above reason is the motivation for me to carry out the research “Promoting Learner Autonomy in Enhancing Reading Comprehension Skills for Students at High School in Thai Binh: An Action Research” Purpose of the study The purpose of the research: - Identifying the current students‟ autonomy at Phu Duc High School in reading comprehension skills - Proposing anappropriate scheme of action to improve the situation - Finding out the effect of the selected activities in action plan 2 Attitude towards learner autonomy before and after the project No ATTITUDES I know what my strengths and weaknesses are in learning English Before the project 11(41%) 14(51%) 1(4%) After the project 3(11%) 2(8%) Before the project 10(37%) 14(51%) 2(8%) After the project 1(4%) 3(11%) Before the project 10(37%) 13(48%) 1(4%) After the project 2(8%) 1(4%) Before the project 14(51%) 10(37%) 1(4%) After the project 3(11%) 1(4%) Before the project 9(33%) 15(55%) 2(8%) After the project 1(4%) 3(11%) 8(30%) 17(62%) 2(8%) 1(4%) 14(51%) 8(30%) I like reading outside the classroom 1(4%) 15(55%) 8(30%) I‟ll the exercises even if I don‟t have to hand it in 3(11%) 14(51%) 10(37%) The best way to learn is not by asking for teacher‟s explanations 2(8%) 16(59%) 7(26%) I can learn by myself and improve without class 1(4%) 15(55%) 8(30%) I often plan my learning and set goals Before the project VI After the project 2(8%) 2(8%) 14(51%) 9(33%) Before the project 10(37%) 13(48%) 3(11%) After the project 1(4%) 2(8%) Before the project 8(30%) 15(55%) 3(11%) After the project 1(4%) 3(11%) Before the project 10(37%) 13(48%) 3(11%) After the project 1(4%) 2(8%) Before the project 8(30%) 17(62%) 1(4%) After the project 1(4%) 4(15%) I like the teacher to let me find my mistakes and correct them myself 1(4%) 15(55%) 9(33%) I had purposes in mind when choosing what to read for my assignments 1(4%) 13(48%) 10(37%) I check and read again the assigned readings to complement what I‟ve gained in class 10 1(4%) 15(55%) 9(33%) I can monitor and overcome any difficulties in my learning process all by myself VII 1(4%) 13(48%) 9(33%) Self-evaluation of reading comprehension skills before and after the projects No EVALUATION I often read outside the classroom 2 Before the project 11(41%) 14(51%) 1(4%) 1(4%) After the project 2(8%) 2(8%) 14(51%) 9(33%) Before the project 10(37%) 13(48%) 3(11%) 1(4%) After the project 2(8%) 1(4%) Before the project 9(33%) 14(51%) After the project 1(4%) 2(8%) Before the project 8(30%) 15(55%) 3(11%) 1(4%) After the project 2(8%) 3(11%) 13(48%) 9(33%) Before the project 9(33%) 15(55%) 1(4%) 2(8%) After the project 1(4%) 3(11%) 13(48%) 10(37%) Before the project 8(30%) 15(55%) 3(11%) 1(4%) After the project 1(4%) 3(11) 15(55%) 8(30) Before the project 10(37%) 15(55%) 1(4%) 1(4%) After the project 2(8%) 2(8%) I can recognize the specific information in texts 14(51%) 10(37%) I often guess the meanings of unknown words before using dictionary 2(8%) 2(8%) 14(51%) 10(37%) I can make inferring about content and vocabulary in texts I can understand the main idea in texts I can summarize texts in my own words I feel confident when doing reading tests VIII 14(51%) 9(33%) Attitudes towards the benefits of self-directed learning ATTITUDES N o The self-directed learning project help 2(8%) 16(59%) 9(33%) 3(11%) 15(56%) 9(33%) 3(11%) 14(52%) 10(37%) 2(8%) 18(66%) 7(26%) 1(4%) 11(40%) 15(56%) me improve my reading comprehension skills a lot The self-directed learning project help me to set learning goals and make plans to achieve the goals Learner autonomy helps me to learn ways to study by myself Learner autonomy help me recognize the importance of autonomy not only in English but also in the other subjects Learner autonomy plays a significant role in language learning IX Appendix FEEDBACK QUESTIONNAIRE Đánh dấu vào lựu chọn tương ứng em cho câu đây: Hồn tồn khơng đồng ý Khơng đồng ý Đồng ý Hồn tồn khơng đồng ý Thái độ hoạt động No ATTITUDES 1 Em thây hoạt động chọn 0% 2(8%) 19(70%) 6(22%) 0% 4(15%) 15(55%) 8(30%) thú vị Sau tham gia hoạt động em thích đọc Bạn em thích thú tham gia 2(8%) 2(8%) 17(62%) 6(22%) hoạt động Tài liệu đọc không phù hợp với trình 0% 3(11%) 15(55%) 9(33%) 0% 1(4%) 14(51%) 12(45%) 0% 1(4%) 18(66%) 8(30%) 0% 2(8%) 16(59%) 9(33%) độ em Các chiến lược đọc giúp em đọc nhanh Em tin chiến lược đọc hữu ích trình đọc Các hoạt động khiến em cảm thấy có động lực Em giữ photo đọc 1(4%) 3(11%) 13(48%) 11(41%) giao để kiểm tra đọc lại X Thái độ tính tự chủ học tập trước sau nghiên cứu No ATTITUDES Em biết điểm manh điểm yếu việc học ngoại ngữ Em thích đọc ngồi học Em làm tập dù nộp Cách học tốt nhờ giáo viên giải thích Em tự học tiến mà không cần đến lớp Em thường vạch rakes hoạch đặt mục tiêu học tập Em thích giáo viên để em tự tìm sửa lỗi sai Em có mục đích lựa chọn tài liệu đọc cho đọc giao Em đọc kiểm tra lại đọc giao để bổ túc thêm em học lớp 10 Em tự xoay sở vượt qua khó khăn học tập XI Tự đánh giá kĩ đọc hiểu trước sau nghiên cứu No EVALUATION Em thường đọc ngồi học Em nhận thông tin cụ 4 thể văn Em thường đoán nghĩa từ trước tra từ điển Em suy luận nội dung nghĩa từ văn Em hiểu nội dung văn Em tóm tăt lại nội đung văn theo ý hiểu Em thấy tự tin làm kiểm tra kĩ đọc Thái độ với lợi ích tính tự chủ học tập Thái độ No 1 Nghiên cứu phát huy tính tự chủ 2(8%) 16(59%) 9(33%) 3(11%) 15(56%) 9(33%) học tập giúp em cải thiện khả đọc hiểu nhiều Nghiên cứu phát huy tính tự chủ học tập giúp em đặt mục tiêu học tập vạch kế hoạch để đạt mục tiêu XII Tính tự chủ học tập giúp em biết 3(11%) 14(52%) 10(37%) 2(8%) 18(66%) 7(26%) 1(4%) 11(40%) 15(56%) cách tự học Tính tự chủ học tập giúp em nhận tầm quan trọng khơng với tiếng Anh mà cịn với mơn học khác Tính tự chủ học tập đóng vai trị qn trọng việc học ngoại ngữ XIII Appendix CÂU HỎI PHỎNG VẤN Bạn có nghĩ chiến lược đọc sách thực hữu ích cho bạn ngữ cảnh khác khơng ? Vì sao? Sinh viên B: Có ạ, em sử dụng chúng mơn học khác không nhiều thời gian để hiểu học Sinh viên C: Có ạ, em phát giác chiến lược hiệu môn học khác sau đượchọc Sinh viên D: Có ạ, em áp dụng chiến lược môn học khác chúng giúp em hiểu câu hỏi tìm câu trả lời nhanh Sinh viên A: Có ạ, chúng giúp em xác định thơng tin cụ thể cách nhanh chóng Hơn nữa, em học mơn khác nhanh dễ dàng sau chiến lược thực Sinh viên E: Có ạ, ví dụ chiến lược đọc quét giúp em đọc nhanh chiến lược quét giúp em xem lại học trước cách hiệu Bạn có cảm thấy có động lực bạn đưa suy luận nội dung từ vựng văn tiếng Anh khơng? Vì sao? Sinh viên B: Có ạ, em thích đọc em hiểu sâu ý nghĩa tiềm ẩn bên em đọc Sinh viên C: Có ạ, em học cách xác định thơng tin ngồi thơng tin cụ thể văn bản, em cảm thấy tự tin đọc Sinh viên E: Có ạ, chiến lược làm cho việc đọc thú vị hơn, giúp emđọc nhiều Sinh viên A: Có ạ, chiến lược giúp em thu thập thêm thông tin văn Sinh viên D: Có ạ, em hiểu sâu văn Và em thích đọc nhiều sau thực chiến lược suy luận XIV Bạn có cảm thấy có động lực bạn xác định thơng tin cụ thể văn tiếng Anh khơng? Vì sao? Sinh viên C: Có ạ, em đọc nhanh tơi xác định thơng tin cụ thể văn tiếng Anh Sinh viên E: Có ạ, em sử dụng chiến lược để tìm câu trả lời nhanh Sinh viên A: Có ạ, em đọc hiểu văn dễ dàng Sinh viên B: Có ạ, giúp em thời gian đọc em có thời gian để đọc thêm Học sinh D: Có ạ, em cảm thấy thoải mái đọc em xác định văn thơng tin cụ thể Bạn có cảm thấy có động lực bạn hiểu ý tưởng văn tiếng Anh khơng? Vì sao? Sinh viên A: Có ạ, em thấy việc đọc thú vị em hiểu tơi đọc Sinh viên C: Có ạ, hiểu ý giúp em cải thiện khả đọc nhiều Sinh viên D: Có, điều khiến em cảm thấy tự tin tập tập Sinh viên E: Có ạ, em cảm thấy việc đọc dễ dàng hiểu ý văn Sinh viên B: Có ạ, giúp em đọc nhanh dành thời gian để đọc nhiều có thêm kiến thức Bạn có nghĩ chủ đề tùy chọn theo mối quan tâm bạn thúc đẩy quyền tự chủ để đọc chủ đề khác khơng? Vì sao? Sinh viên A: Có ạ, chủ đề tùy chọn khiến em cảm thấy đọc thú vị Sinh viên C: Có ạ, chủ đề tùy chọn làm cho tài liệu đọc trở nên dễ hiểu Sinh viên D: Có ạ, em thường hiểu biết nhiều vào chủ đề mà em quan tâm Sinh viên E: Có ạ, em thích đọc chủ đề mà em quan tâm XV Sinh viên B: Có ạ, em có số kiến thức chủ đề mà em quan tâm điều giúp em đọc nhanh Bạn cải thiện kỹ đọc sau thực chiến lược đọc sách hay chưa? Vì sao? Sinh viên A: Có ạ, tơi biết cách đốn nghĩa từ em khơng biết Và tơi đọc tiếng Anh nhanh Sinh viên C: Có ạ,em việc đọc trở nên dễ dàng sử dụng chiến lược Sinh viên D: Có ạ, em hiểu văn rõ Sinh viên E: Có ạ, em hiểu ý văn nhanh Sinh viên B: Có ạ, em đọc nhanh hiểu đọc tốt Bạn có thực hoạt động nhiệm vụ với trách nhiệm, quan tâm cam kết không ? Vì sao? Sinh viên A: Có ạ, trách nhiệm quan trọng để trở thành người học thành cơng Sinh viên B: Có ạ, em ký hợp đồng học tập em phải thực Sinh viên C: Có ạ, trách nhiệm em cần khơng nghiên cứa mà tương lai Sinh viên F: Có ạ, em khơng thực nhiệm vụ với trách nhiệm dự án khơng hiệu Và em lãng phí thời gian Học sinh D: Có , em nghĩ em thực hoạt động nhiệm vụ với trách nhiệm, quan tâm cam kết, em có kết học tập tốt XVI Appendix INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Teacher: Do you think that the implemented reading strategies are useful for you in other contexts? Yes or no? Why? Student B: Yes, because I used them in other subjects and they did not take me much time to understand the subject Student C: Yes, because I generated more awareness of how this strategy works in other subjects after the implemented strategies Student D: Yes, I can apply this strategy in other subject and they help me understand the question right away and find out the answer quicker Student A: Yes, because they help me identify the specific information in other quickly And actually, I can learn other subjects faster and easier after the implemented strategies Student E: Yes, For example, skimming strategy helps me read quicker and scanning strategy helps me review the previous lesson more effectively Teacher: Do you your activities or tasks with responsibility, interest, and commitment? Yes or no? Why? Student A: Yes, because responsibility is important to become a successful learner Student B: Yes, because we already signed the learner contract and we must carry it out Student C: Yes, because responsibility is what we need not only in the project but also in our future Student F: Yes, because if we not the tasks with our responsibility the project would not work And we will waste our time Student D: Yes, because I think if I your activities or tasks with responsibility, interest, and commitment, I will get a better learning result Teacher: Do you feel motivated when you can make inferences in an English text? Yes or no? Why? XVII Student B: Yes, because I like to read when I can understand deeper about the implicit meaning inside what I read Student C: Yes, because I have learned how to identify the beyond specific information in a text, so I feel more confident when reading Student E: Yes, because this strategy makes reading more interesting, and it helps me read more Student A: Yes, because this strategy helps me gather more information in texts Student D: Yes, because I can have a deeper understanding of texts And I seem to like reading more and more after the implementation of the inferring strategies Teacher: Have you improved your reading skills after the implementation of the reading strategies? Yes or no? Why? Student A: Yes, because I have learned to guess the meanings of unknown words And I can read faster in English now Student C: Yes, reading has become easier by using the strategies Student D: Yes, because I have a better understanding of texts now Student E: Yes, because I can understand the main idea of texts Student B: Yes, because I can read faster and understand the readings better Teacher: Do you think that the optional topics of your interest have promoted more autonomy to read about other subjects? Yes or no? Why? Student A: Yes, because the optional topics make me feel the readings more interesting Student C: Yes, optional topics make the reading materials become easier Student D: Yes, because I often engage more with the topics that I‟m interested in Student E: Yes, because I like to read the topics I care about Student B: Yes, because I already had some knowledge of the topics that I‟m interested and this helps me read faster Teacher: Do you feel motivated when you are able to identify specific information an English text? Yes or no? Why? XVIII Student C: Yes, because I can read faster when I‟m able to identify specific information an English text Student E: Yes, because I can use the strategy to find out the right answers quicker Student A: Yes, because I can read understand texts easier Student B: Yes, because it helps me take time and I can read more Student D: Yes, because I feel more comfortable when reading when I‟m able to identify specific information texts Teacher: Do you feel motivated when you are able to understand the main idea an English text? Yes or no? Why? Student A: Yes, I find reading more interesting when I can understand what I read Student C: Yes, because understanding the main idea helps me improve my reading ability so much Student D: Yes, because this make me feel confident when doing reading exercises Student E: Yes, because I feel reading easier when able to understand the main idea an English text Student B: Yes, because it helps me read faster and take time to read more and gain more knowledge XIX Appendix OBSERVATION SHEET (adopted from Nunan (1995)) Overall class motivation 1.Circle a number 1-5 to Not very involved1 veryinvolved see how involved in the learning task the students are 2.Circle a number 1-5 to see Low 5high the level of students‟ concentration on the learning task 3.Circle a number 1-5 to see Not really very much so the students‟ enjoyment of the activities 4.Circle a number 1-5 to see Low1 5high the level of students‟ intensity of application 5.Circle a number 1-5 to see Not really1 very much so the students‟ persistent attention to the learning task 6.Circle a number 1-5 to see Low1 students‟ evaluation of the activities and the way of class management XX 5high ... out the research ? ?Promoting Learner Autonomy in Enhancing Reading Comprehension Skills for Students at High School in Thai Binh: An Action Research? ?? Purpose of the study The purpose of the research: ... determine the noticeable news in reading newspaper For the context of Phu Duc High School, in order to enhancing reading skills and develop learner autonomy for students though reading strategies,... reading strategies to apply in reading process Through the use of reading strategies (skimming, scanning, and inferring) learners not only improve reading, but also develop learner autonomy and