Effects of heterogeneous and homogeneous groypings on the improvement of critical thinking in efl collaborative writing a case study at quy nhon university m a

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY –HOCHIMINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS & LITERATURE EFFECTS OF HETEROGENEOUS AND HOMOGENEOUS GROUPINGS ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF CRITICAL THINKING IN EFL COLLABORATIVE WRITING: A CASE STUDY AT QUY NHON UNIVERSITY A thesis submitted to the Faculty of English Linguistics & Literature in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in TESOL By NGUYEN THI MINH TRAM Instructed by Bui Thi Thuc Quyen, PhD HO CHI MINH CITY, DEC 2019 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY –HOCHIMINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS & LITERATURE EFFECTS OF HETEROGENEOUS AND HOMOGENEOUS GROUPINGS ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF CRITICAL THINKING IN EFL COLLABORATIVE WRITING: A CASE STUDY AT QUY NHON UNIVERSITY A thesis submitted to the Faculty of English Linguistics & Literature in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in TESOL By NGUYEN THI MINH TRAM Instructed by Bui Thi Thuc Quyen, PhD HO CHI MINH CITY, DEC 2019 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Without the guidance and support from my supervisor and family, this thesis would not be possible This section is specifically for expressing my great gratitude towards their continuous assistance and love during the time of carrying out the research First, I would like to thank my parents for their love and supporting every decision of my life My husband and my son are also two other people that I can’t forget to say thanks During the time of pregnancy and childbirth, my husband is the one who has always provided me as much assistance as possible and my son has brought me much energy and confidence to complete my studying Second, I would also like to give sincere thanks to Dr Bui Thi Thuc Quyen - my supervisor, for all of her invaluable support, helpful guidance and patience Her empathy to my delay has greatly encouraged me to complete the thesis If it weren’t for her supervision, I couldn’t finish the work Third, my gratitude must also be extended to my cooperating teacher, who allowed me to implement my research in her classroom I am also grateful for the warm-hearted assistance of Foreign Language Department - Quy Nhon University Not only did I have an extremely beneficial experience in the classroom but I also received a lot of encouragement and useful advice throughout the experiment Fourth, I would like to express my gratitude to the participants who spent their valuable time joining the experiment in class and online and the interviewees who were willing to share their feelings and opinions Last but not least, I would like to thank my reader for their interests and comment on this study i ABSTRACT In the 21st century where information has become easily available and accessible, education has shifted its attention to teaching students how to process and think critically about the information they receive Welcoming the changes that education constantly witnesses, the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) has embraced the integration of critical thinking into teaching and learning practices In the present study, the relationship between critical thinking and argumentative writing was focused on It has been claimed that collaborative learning which stimulates the active exchange of ideas within small groups not only increases interest among the participants but also promotes critical thinking One of the important aspects of learning and teaching through collaboration is the group composition or grouping “who with whom” The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping on students’ critical thinking level in writing argumentative essays through collaborative learning In collecting the data, the researcher used both quantitative and qualitative approach by grouping the participants into three grouping types (homogeneous low-student groups, homogeneous high-student groups and heterogeneous groups) to work with each other and write argumentative essays individually Some of the participants were then invited to take part in the interview to have a deeper understanding of the cooperation among members in both grouping types The researcher scored essays, using the rubric and codes the data based on the research questions The data was presented descriptively and are supported qualitatively by the excerpts of interviews and related theories The results demonstrated that there was an improvement in learners’ critical thinking level through collaborative writing, whether they were grouped homogeneously or ii heterogeneously However, low-level students in heterogeneous groups achieved higher level of improvement than those in homogeneous groups This revealed that collaborative learning could be especially beneficial for low students It is hoped that the findings of the present study will give teachers deep insights into group compositions in collaborative learning courses, and will help them make better group experiences for students iii TABLE OF CONTENT LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii LIST OF FIGURES viii LIST OF TABLES ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1.2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY/ DELIMITATIONS 1.5 OUTLINE OF THE THESIS CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 CRITICAL THINKING 2.1.1 Definition of critical thinking 2.1.2 Types of critical thinking skill 11 2.1.3 Critical thinking disposition 11 2.1.4 Characteristics of a critical thinker 13 2.2 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRITICAL THINKING AND ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING 15 2.2.1 The use of Toulmin model in education 15 2.2.2 Argumentative writing as a vehicle for promoting critical thinking 17 2.3 COLLABORATIVE WRITING 21 2.3.1 Defining collaborative learning 21 2.3.2 Collaborative writing: The definition and its distinguishing features 26 2.3.3 The patterns of interaction in collaborative writing 27 iv 2.3.4 The elements of collaborative learning 30 2.4 PREVIOUS STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF HETEROGENEOUS AND HOMOGENEOUS GROUPING IN COLLABORATIVE LEARNING 32 2.5 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 37 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 38 3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN 38 3.1.1 Quantitative research 39 3.1.2 Qualitative research 39 3.2 RESEARCH SETTING 40 3.2.1 The context of the study 40 3.2.2 The description of argumentative writing course 42 3.2.3 Participants, instructors, and raters 43 3.2.4 Group demographics 44 3.3 RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS 44 3.3.1 Writing prompts 44 3.3.2 The scoring rubric for assessing critical thinking in essays 45 3.3.3 Semi-structured interviews 46 3.4 THE PROCEDURE OF GROUPING AND COLLECTING DATA 47 3.4.1 Grouping procedure 47 3.4.2 The procedure of data collection 47 3.4.3 The procedure of data analysis 48 CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS 49 4.1 THE FINDINGS OF QUANTITATIVE STUDY 49 4.2 THE ANALYSIS OF QUALITATIVE STUDY 61 v CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS & PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS 69 5.1 CONCLUSION 69 5.2 PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS 70 5.3 LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 72 REFERENCES 74 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CL : Collaborative Learning CT : Critical Thinking FLD - QNU : Foreign Language Department - Quy Nhon University EFL/ESL : English as a Foreign/ Second Language ELT : English Language Teaching L1 : First or Native Language L2 : Second or Foreign Language vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure A model of dyadic interaction 27 Figure Conceptual Framework of the study 36 Figure The element structure of critical thinking 45 Figure Mean scores of low homogeneous and low heterogeneous students at both pre- and post-tests 53 Figure Mean scores of high homogeneous and high heterogeneous students at both pre- and post-tests 55 viii Walker, S (2003) Active learning strategies to promote critical thinking Journal of Athletic Training, 38(3), 263-267 Retrieved September 27, 2016, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC233182/ Walton, D N (1989) Dialogue theory for critical thinking Argumentation, 3(2), 169-184 DOI: 10.1007/BF00128147 Wang, Z (2013) Effects of heterogeneous and homogeneous grouping on student learning (Unpublished master’s thesis), the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Watson S B., & Marshall, J E (1995) Effects of cooperative incentives and heterogeneous arrangement on achievement and interaction of cooperative learning groups in a college life science course Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 32(3), 291-299 DOI: 10.1002/tea.3660320308 Werkman, R van den Berg, J., van Paassen, A & Harms, B (2011) What is collaborative landscape research about? In van Paassen, A., van den Berg, J Steingrover, E., Werkman, R & Pedroli, B (Eds.) Knowledge in action: The search for collaborative research for sustainable landscape development DOI:10.3920/978-90-8686-724-0 Wingate, U (2012) Argument! Helping students understand what essay writing is about Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 11(2), 145-154 Retrieved September 17, 2016, from http://www.drronmartinez.com/uploads/4/4/8/2/44820161/argument_helping_st udents_understand_what_essay_writing_is_about_wingate_journal_of_eap_201 2.pdf 87 Wolfe, C R., Britt, M A., & Butler, J A (2009) Argumentation schema and the myside bias in written argumentation Written Communication, 26(2), 183 Woolfolk-Hoy, A (2005) Cognitive development and language In A Woolfolk-Hoy (Ed.), Educational psychology, active learning (pp 19-59) Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon Zamani, M (2016) Cooperative learning: Homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping of Iranian EFL learners in a writing context Cogent Education, 3(1), 1-11 88 APPENDIX A WRITING PROMPTS Topic (Pre-test): Some people believe the aim of university education is to help graduates get better jobs Others believe there are much wider benefits of university education for both individuals and society Discuss both views and give your opinion Topic (Week 1): Formal examinations are the only effective way to assess a student's performance Continual assessment such as course work and projects is not a satisfactory way to this To what extent you agree or disagree with this statement? Topic (Week 2): Nowadays, families are not as close as in the past and a lot of people have become used to this Explain the reasons for this and discuss any possible effects it may have on society Topic (Week 3): Do you think that modern technology, such as the internet and computers will ever replace the book or the written word as the main source of information? Topic (Week 4): Some people think that couples should live together before getting married to start knowing each other better and see if they are compatible 89 Others say that because of this tendency people become immoral and only deep emotional attachment makes a durable alliance What is your opinion? Topic (Week 5): It is more important to have a good family than to have friends Family can always compensate for absence of friendship To what extent you agree or disagree? 90 APPENDIX B HOLISTIC RUBRIC FOR SCORING CRITICAL THINKING Level Main issue or topic Level Main issue or topic Level Level Main issue or topic is Main issue or topic is not identified or is identified but is identified clearly and is identified clearly explained not explained is explained in and is explained clearly limited fashion fully by discussing subsidiary and/or other relevant The students' own The students' own The students' own issues perspective/analysis perspective/analysis perspective/analysis The students' own regarding the issue regarding the issue is regarding the issue is perspective/analysis fails to be identified identified and stated, identified and stated, regarding the issue and stated but fails to be but in a limited is identified and clarified in fashion stated, and in light comparison with of other salient other salient perspectives perspectives Appropriate Own perspective is Own perspective is Own perspective is data/evidence fails supported with supported with data, supported with to be presented limited, insufficient but data are weak sufficient, data convincing data 91 Other salient Other salient Other salient Other salient perspectives/analys- perspectives/analys perspectives/analyses perspectives/analys es regarding es of limited value regarding issue/topic es regarding issue/topic are not regarding are cited or utilized in issue/topic are cited cited or utilized issue/topic are cited limited fashion or utilized or utilized and brought to bear on the issue/topic Conclusions and Conclusions and Conclusions and Conclusions and implications of the implications of the implications are implications related issue/topic fail to be issue/topic are identified as having to the contexts are identified identified, but connections to other identified within a single contexts, but in a context limited fashion The writer fails to The writer The writer The writer communicate communicates communicates communicates effectively and/ or fluently, but discuss effectively, and effectively, and discuss the problem the problem only in considers considers only in egocentric egocentric terms social/cultural or social/cultural or scientific/technologic scientific/ al contexts of the technological issue, but without an contexts of the issue assessment of the with an assessment audience of the audience terms 92 APPENDIX C INTERVIEW QUESTIONS How much have you interacted with your teammates in your group? Explain something a Very much b Quite a lot c Little d Very little How much have you argued with the other members giving opinions on the problem? Explain something a Very much b Quite a lot c Little d Very little In your opinion, what can be the motivation for your active participation in group discuss? Do you sometimes feel demotivated while working with the other members in your group? How you feel about your teammates' engagement in group discussion? How you feel about your teammates' contribution in group discussion? 93 APPENDIX D: COURSE OUTLINE Period (45 mins) Topic (Pre-test) Week Period (45 mins) Topic (Week 1) Online Discussion (60 mins) Period (45 mins) Week Period (45 mins) Topic (Week 2) Online Discussion (60 mins) Period (45 mins) Week Period (45 mins) Topic (Week 3) Online Discussion (60 mins) Period (45 mins) Topic (Week 4) Week Online Discussion (60 mins) Topic (Post-test) Period (45 mins) 94 APPENDIX E: LESSON PLAN ❖ Student Objectives Student will: - know more about the outline of an argumentative essay - be able to express their own ideas and listen to other members’ opinions - be more aware of giving comments on others’ ideas and providing evidences to support their own perspectives - be able to write an argumentative essay in a more critical way ❖ Procedures ◼ Period 1: Step 1: The teacher provides the students with the outline of an argumentative essay Step 2: The teacher gives the topic and has the students write an essay individually Note that producing well-written sentences is not the focus Step 3: Based on the scores of the essay, the teacher assigns the students into groups Step 4: The teacher provides the topic for discussion on Facebook ◼ Period 2-8: (in-class) Step 1: The teacher has the students work in their assigned group and discuss the topic given Step 2: The teacher reviews and discusses essential parts of an argumentative essay Step 3: The teacher instructed and observed the groups discussing the given topic and write the outline of the topic 95 Step 4: The teacher has the groups present their outline in front of the class and the other groups provide their comments 96 APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT SAMPLE Interviewer: Thank you for coming to see me for your interview today The interview will be kept secret for the aim of researching, thus you should be comfortable and willing to response to the following questions as naturally as possible Are you ready? Interviewee (Low-hete 1): Yes Interviewer: How much have you interacted with your teammates in your group? a Very much b Quite a lot c Little d Very little Interviewee: Quite a lot Interviewer: Could you explain something more? Interviewee: I had a lot of chances to express my opinions and I feel my ideas being listened by the others Interviewer: OK So, how much have you argued with the other members giving opinions on the problem? a Very much b Quite a lot c Little d Very little Interviewee: Huh … just a little I was rather unfamiliar with arguing with other people’s opinions Interviewer: Why? Interviewee: Huh … I really don’t know Maybe I was afraid of being wrong or I was just shy 97 Interviewer: In your opinion, what can be the motivation for your active participation in group discuss? Interviewee: I think my higher level teammates played a very important role in motivating me to provide my ideas and participate more actively in group discussion Interviewer: Do you sometimes feel demotivated while working with the other members in your group? Interviewee: Huh … at first I felt a little shy when grouped with other higher-level peers, thus I said nothing But then, everything changed because they tried to Interviewer: How you feel about your teammates' engagement in group discussion? Interviewee: They actively took part in the group discussion Higher level students in groups made every efforts to have the topic understood Interviewer: How you feel about your teammates' contribution in group discussion? Interviewee: I felt pleasant to work with higher level peers in my group They were willing to give me explanations when I did not understand their ideas well and also took their time to listen to my opinions which were rather ambiguous and tried to make it more concise and clearer I really study a lot from them Interviewer: OK Thank you for your cooperation 98 SAMPLE Interviewer: Thank you for coming to see me for your interview today The interview will be kept secret for the aim of researching, thus you should be comfortable and willing to response to the following questions as naturally as possible Are you ready? Interviewee (High-hete 1): Yes Interviewer: How much have you interacted with your teammates in your group? a Very much b Quite a lot c Little d Very little Interviewee: Huh…Quite a lot Interviewer: Could you explain something more? Interviewee: I spent a lot of time explaining and clarifying the topic to the other lower-level peers Interviewer: OK So, how much have you argued with the other members giving opinions on the problem? b Very much b Quite a lot c Little d Very little Interviewee: Can you explain what “argue” means? Interviewer: Ah…OK It means “expressing or oppsiting viewpoints among members in group” Interviewee: OK, I see I just want to make sure what you are actually referring to You know, I had little chance to exchange ideas among members Interviewer: Why? Interviewee: I just made the topic truly understood by other members and expressed what I thought of the topic to others 99 Interviewer: In your opinion, what can be the motivation for your active participation in group discuss? Interviewee: You know, this is the groupwork… (laughing) Interviewer: Do you sometimes feel demotivated while working with the other members in your group? Interviewee: I felt rather demotivated to work with those whose level was inferior to mine They had no interesting ideas to share; however, we had to encourage them to express what they were thinking about the issue Interviewer: How you feel about your teammates' engagement in group discussion? Interviewee: At first, they were unwilling to take part in the discussion But after having been encouraged to express their ideas, they tried to say something You know, just SAY something that happened to their mind Interviewer: How you feel about your teammates' contribution in group discussion? Interviewee: I think their ideas were rather OK, but they were not used to giving opposing viewpoints They just listened and agreed with my ideas Interviewer: OK Thank you for your cooperation 100 101 ... learning in EFL teaching and learning; most of them conducted aim to investigate the impacts of CL on improving students’ achievement as well as their critical thinking in various areas of language... through collaborative writing As Cohen, Manion, and Morrison (2007) argued that ? ?case studies investigate and report the complex dynamic and unfolding interactions of events, human relationships and. .. giving feedback as much as possible 2.2 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRITICAL THINKING AND ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING 2.2.1 The use of Toulmin model in education The primary foundation of the theoretical