Understanding learning ways and teaching ways in efl classrooms at ho chi minh city college of transportation m a 60 14 10

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES NGUYEN THANH LONG UNDERSTANDING LEARNING WAYS AND TEACHING WAYS IN EFL CLASSROOMS AT HO CHI MINH CITY COLLEGE OF TRANSPORTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL) Supervisor LUU TRONG TUAN, PhD Ho Chi Minh City, March 2011 i STATEMENT OF AUTHORITY I certify my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled UNDERSTANDING LEARNING WAYS AND TEACHING WAYS IN EFL CLASSROOMS AT HO CHI MINH CITY COLLEGE OF TRANSPORTATION in term of the statement of Requirements for Theses and Field study reports in Master’s Program issued by the Higher Degree Committee The thesis has not previously been submitted for a degree Ho Chi Minh City, December 2010 NGUYEN THANH LONG ii RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that I, NGUYEN THANH LONG, being the candidate for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL), accept the requirements of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities relating to the retention and use of the thesis of Master’s Thesis deposited in the University Library In term of these conditions, I agree that the original version of my thesis deposited in the University Library should be accessible for the purpose of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Library for care, loan, or reproduction of the theses Ho Chi Minh City, December 2010 NGUYEN THANH LONG iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my deepest and sincerest appreciation and thanks to my supervisor, Dr Luu Trong Tuan His profound knowledge and his logical way of thinking have been of great value for me His personal guidance, encouragement and patience have provided a good basis for this thesis I wish to express my warm and sincere thanks to the teaching staff of the master program for their instructions and dedication I am deeply grateful to the teachers and the students of Ho Chi Minh City College of Transportation for their participation in this research Without their cooperation, this research would not have been possible I also wish to thank the assistance of the staff of the Office of Graduate Studies, the Department of English Linguistics and Literature, and the ERC of the USSH I would like to extend my gratitude to my colleagues for their support and encouragement when I faced difficulties during the implementation of the thesis Let me also say ‘thank you’ to my friends who have supported me by ways of expressions of trust, interest, and encouragement I am greatly indebted to my parents, and my brothers and sisters Although they live in my remote home country, their unconditional support, encouragement and trust have enabled me to pursue my interests and overcome times of discouragement Last but not least, I own my loving thanks to my lovely wife She had lost a lot due to my study She had to shoulder my family duties so that I could pursue this work Without her sympathy, encouragement, and love, it would have been impossible for me to complete this work iv ABSTRACT Individuals learn in various ways Some ways make them feel comfortable while some others not seem help them reach their intended goals The learning process may take place best when ways in which teachers present information and learning experiences that match students’ learning ways Mismatch between learning and teaching ways can make the process of teaching and learning not gain good results as expected This research aimed at exploring how teachers teach and learners learn English in EFL classrooms It also explored if there are any mismatches between learning ways and teaching ways in the process of teaching and learning English This is a descriptive research using an adaptation of the Felder-Solomon Index of Learning Styles questionnaire to survey the learning styles of 241 undergraduate students and the teaching styles of 38 teachers in Ho Chi Minh City College of Transportation The research compared learning ways and teaching ways then examined possible matches/mismatches between learning and teaching ways Although little mismatch was found, overall, there was a match between learning and teaching ways in Ho Chi Minh City College of Transportation The results were discussed and recommendations were made by the author of the thesis to English teachers in relation to understanding and meeting students’ learning needs with the hope that these recommendations will be selectively applied to enhance students’ learning performance and achievement in this school v TABLE OF CONTENTS Statement of authority i Retention and use of the thesis ii Acknowledgement iii Abstract iv Table of contents v List of tables vii List of figures ix Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background and statement of the problem 1.2 Aims of the research 1.3 Significance of the research 1.4 Definitions of terms 1.5 Organization of the thesis Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 English Language Teaching Approaches 2.1.1 Traditional English Language Teaching Approaches 2.1.1.1 The Grammar Translation Method 2.1.1.2 The Direct Method 2.1.1.3 The Audio-Lingual Method 10 2.1.1.4 Suggestopedia 11 2.1.1.5 The Silent Way 11 2.2.2.6 Total Physical Response Method 12 2.1.1.7 The Natural Approach 13 2.1.2 A new language teaching approach: The Communicative Language Teaching Approach 13 2.2 Learning Styles and Teaching Styles 15 2.2.1 Learning styles 15 2.2.1.1 The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator 17 2.2.1.2 Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model 19 2.2.1.3 The Felder-Silverman Learning Styles Model 21 vi 2.2.2 Learning styles and Cognitive Traits 26 2.2.3 Teaching styles 28 2.2.4 Learning and teaching styles 29 Chapter 3: METHODOLOGY 33 3.1 Research questions 33 3.2 Research design 33 3.2.1 The participants 34 3.2.1.1 The characteristics of student sample 34 3.2.1.2 The characteristics of teacher sample 35 3.2.2 The instruments 35 3.2.2.1 Questionnaires for students 36 3.2.2.2 Questionnaires for teachers 39 3.2.3 Procedures of data collection 41 Chapter 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 42 4.1 Learning styles and teaching styles 42 4.1.1 Learning styles 42 4.1.2 Teaching styles 49 4.1.3 Matching between learning styles and teaching styles 53 4.2 Learning methods and teaching methods 54 4.2.1 Learning methods 54 4.2.2 Teaching methods 60 4.2.3 Extend of match between learning methods and teaching methods 68 Chapter 5: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 74 5.1 Limitations of the research 74 5.2 Recommendations for classroom practices 74 5.3 Recommendations for further research 79 References 81 Appendix 1: Vietnamese questionnaire version for students 87 Appendix 2: English questionnaire version for students 91 Appendix 3: Vietnamese questionnaire version for teachers 95 Appendix 4: English questionnaire version for teachers 99 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Overview of learning styles 16 Table 2: Preferences of Myers-Briggs Personality Types 18 Table 3: Felder’s model of learning styles 23 Table 4: Comparison of learning styles models 24 Table 5: Felder & Solomon summary of the different learning styles 25 Table 6: Models of learning & teaching styles 31 Table 7: Gender ratio of students 34 Table 8: Length of English learning 34 Table 9: Profile of teacher sample 35 Table 10: Semantic groups associated with learning style questions 36 Table 11: Semantic groups associated with learning method questions 39 Table 12: Semantic groups associated with teaching method questions 40 Table 13: Students’ responses on learning styles 42 Table 14: Results on student learning styles 45 Table 15: Percentage of each learning style 46 Table 16: Teachers’ responses on teaching styles 49 Table 17: Results on teaching styles 51 Table 18: Percentage of each teaching style 52 Table 19: Comparison of preferred teaching styles and preferred learning styles 53 Table 20: Students’ perceptions toward their methods of learning English 54 Table 21: Teachers’ perceptions toward their methods of teaching English 60 Table 22: A comparison between students’ responses and teachers’ 68 responses on “Need and feedback analysis” Table 23: A comparison between students’ responses and teachers’ 69 responses on “skill orientations” Table 24: A comparison between students’ responses and teachers’ 70 responses on “error correction” Table 25: A comparison between students’ responses and teachers’ responses on “classroom interaction” 70 viii Table 26: A comparison between students’ responses and teachers’ 71 responses on “lesson preparation” Table 27: A comparison between students’ responses and teachers’ responses on “use of mother tongue” 72 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Sample activities and roles of faculty for each Kolb learning style 20 Figure 2: Learning Styles and Learning Circle based on Kolb’s Model 21 Figure 3: The relationship between the Felder-Silverman learning style 27 model and working memory capacity Figure 4: Equal opportunity learning 78 88 (a) nói điều (b) nghĩ điều Theo tơi, điều quan trọng thầy phải a) trình bày tài liệu theo trình tự rõ ràng b) cho tơi thấy tranh tổng quát thấy liên kết tài liệu với môn học khác Tơi thích nhận thơng tin qua a) tranh, sơ đồ, đồ thị, hay biểu đồ b) ngơn ngữ nói hay viết Khi tơi nghĩ tơi làm hơm qua, tơi thường a) hình dung đầu b) thể ngôn từ 10 Hình tơi cho a) tỉ mỉ với công việc b) sáng tạo cách làm việc 11 Trong sách có nhiều tranh ảnh biểu đồ, tơi thích a) quan sát kỹ tranh ảnh biểu đồ b) trọng đến phần văn 12 Tơi có khuynh hướng a) hiểu chi tiết mơn học mơ hồ cấu trúc tổng qt mơn học b) hiểu cấu trúc tổng quát lại bị mơ hồ chi tiết 13 Tôi thấy dễ a) học kiện thực tế b) học khái niệm 14 Tơi thích thầy a) trình bày nhiều biểu đồ bảng b) dành nhiều thời gian để giải thích 15 Khi nghiên cứu thơng tin, thường a) tập trung vào chi tiết bỏ qua tranh tổng thể b) cố gắng hiểu tranh tổng thể trước sâu vào chi tiết 89 16 Trong nhóm nghiên cứu tài liệu khó, tơi thích (a) tham gia đóng góp ý kiến (b) ngồi chỗ lắng nghe 17 Bạn thích giáo viên bạn bạn định bạn muốn làm lớp a thích b thích c khơng có ý kiến d khơng thích 18 Bạn muốn giáo viện bạn biết cảm nghĩ bạn lớp học a muốn b muốn c khơng có ý kiến d khơng muốn 19 Bạn thích giáo viên bạn hướng vào phần viết đọc nói nghe a thích b thích c khơng có ý kiến d khơng thích 20 Bạn thích giáo viên bạn hướng vào phần nói nghe phần viết đọc a thích b thích c khơng có ý kiến d khơng thích 21 Bạn có muốn giáo viên thường dạy ngữ pháp không? a dạy b thường dạy c dạy d đừng dạy 22 Bạn có thích giáo viên thường sửa lỗi sai bạn khơng? a sửa b thường sửa c thỉnh sửa d đừng sửa 23 Bạn có cho đối đáp phần quan trọng giao tiếp? a hoàn tồn đồng ý b đồng ý c khơng có ý kiến d khơng đồng ý 24 Bạn có thích học nhóm nhỏ thường xun khơng? a ln học b thường học c học d khơng thích học cách 25 Bạn có thích giáo viên để bạn học lớp thường xun khơng? a thích ln ln học b thích thường xun học c học d khơng thích học 26 Bạn có thường muốn học với người bạn lớp không? a luôn b thường xun c d khơng muốn 27 Bạn có thường chuẩn bị trước lên lớp học tiếng Anh không? 90 a luôn b thường xuyên c d không chuẩn bị 28 Bạn đọc trước lên lớp học Tiếng Anh sao? a luôn b thường xuyên c d chưa 29 Bạn có thường học từ vựng trước lên lớp học Tiếng Anh không? a luôn b thường xuyên c d chưa 30 Bạn có thường tìm tài liệu liên quan để đóng góp vào học khơng? a ln ln b thường xuyên c d chưa 31 Bạn có cho kiến thức ngữ pháp tiếng Việt có ích việc học điểm ngữ pháp tiếng Anh khơng? a có ích b khơng có ích 32 Bạn có cho việc dịch sang tiếng Việt cách hiệu để học từ vựng môn đọc hiểu tiếng Anh không? a hiệu b không hiệu 91 APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY FOR LEARNING WAYS This survey is carried out to investigate Learning Ways and Teaching Ways in the EFL classrooms at Ho Chi Minh City College of Transportation Your cooperation in completing the following items is highly appreciated You will not be identified in any discussion of the data Please check () the most appropriate answer or fill in the blank with appropriate information Personal Information Age: _ Gender: Male  Female  How long have you been learning English? - Approximately years Survey Questionnaire for Learning Ways I understand something better after I (a) try it out (b) think it through If I were a teacher, I would rather teach a course (a) that deals with facts and real life situations (b) that deals with ideas and theories When I am learning a new subject, I prefer to (a) stay focused on that subject, learning as much about it as I can (b) try to make connections between that subject and related subjects I would rather first (a) try things out (b) think about how I'm going to it I would rather be considered (a) realistic (b) innovative 92 When I am learning something new, it helps me to (a) talk about it (b) think about it It is more important to me that an instructor (a) lay out the material in clear sequential steps (b) give me an overall picture and relate the material to other subjects I prefer to get new information in (a) pictures, diagrams, graphs, or maps (b) written directions or verbal information When I think about what I did yesterday, I am most likely to get (a) a picture (b) words 10 I am more likely to be considered (a) careful about the details of my work (b) creative about how to my work 11 In a book with lots of pictures and charts, I am likely to (a) look over the pictures and charts carefully (b) focus on the written text 12 I tend to (a) understand details of a subject but may be fuzzy about its overall structure (b) understand the overall structure but may be fuzzy about details 13 I find it easier (a) to learn facts (b) to learn concepts 14 I like teachers (a) who put a lot of diagrams on the board (b) who spend a lot of time explaining 15 When considering a body of information, I am more likely to (a) focus on details and miss the big picture (b) try to understand the big picture before getting into the details 93 16 In a study group working on difficult material, I am more likely to (a) jump in and contribute ideas (b) sit back and listen 17 You like your teacher to let you decide what you want to in class a I like it very much b I like it much c I have no idea d I don’t like it 18 You want your teacher to know how you feel about class a I want it very much b I want it much c I have no idea d I don’t want it 19 You like your teacher to put more emphasis on writing and reading than speaking and listening a I like it very much b I like it much c I have no idea d I don’t like it 20 You like your teacher to put more emphasis on speaking and listening than writing and reading a I like it very much b I like it much c I have no idea d I don’t like it 21 How often you want your teacher to focus on teaching grammar? a always b often c sometimes d never 22 How often you want your teacher to correct your mistakes? a always b often c sometimes d never 23 How you agree that responding to each other is an important part of communication? a completely agree b agree c neutral d disagree 24 How often you want learning tasks for small group of students? a always b often c sometimes d never 25 How often you want your teacher to let you work on your own in your classes? a always b often c sometimes d never 26 How often you want to work with a friend during classes? a always b often c sometimes d never 94 27 How often you discuss lessons with your classmates before your English classes? a always b often c sometimes d never 28 How often you read lessons before your English classes? a always b often c sometimes d never 29 How often you learn vocabulary before your English classes? a always b often c sometimes d hardly ever 30 How often you find relevant materials to contribute to classroom discussion? a always b often c sometimes d hardly ever 31 Do you think the knowledge of the Vietnamese grammar is useful in learning English grammar points? a yes b no 32 Do you think that translation into Vietnamese is an effective way to learn English vocabulary and reading? a yes b no 95 APPENDIX BẢNG CÂU HỎI KHẢO SÁT VỀ CÁCH DẠY HỌC CỦA GIÁO VIÊN Chúng thực đề tài nghiên cứu Cách dạy Cách học lớp tiếng Anh Trường Cao đẳng Giao thông Vận tải Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh Để thu thập số liệu cho đề tài mong nhận cộng tác Quý Thầy/Cô cam kết số liệu sử dụng cho mục đích nghiên cứu mà thơi Vì vậy, xin Thầy/Cơ vui lịng trả lời câu hỏi cách đánh dấu (X) vào câu trả lời Thầy/Cô cho phù hợp với Thầy/Cơ hay điền thơng tin thích hợp vào chỗ trống Thông Tin Cá Nhân Tuổi: Giới tính: Nam  Học vị: Cử nhân  Cao học  Nữ  Thạc sĩ  Thầy/Cô dạy tiếng Anh bao lâu? – khoảng _năm Câu hỏi khảo sát Cách giảng dạy Tơi thích để sinh viên thấu hiểu điều sau em a) làm thử b) suy nghĩ sâu Tơi thích dạy a) điều thực tiễn b) ý tưởng lý thuyết Khi dạy mơn học, tơi thích a) tập trung vào mơn đó, dạy nhiều tốt mơn b) cố gắng liên hệ mơn với mơn học khác có liên quan Tơi thích sinh viên a) làm thử trước b) nghĩ thấu đáo cách làm Tơi thích người khác nghĩ (a) có óc thực tế giảng dạy 96 (b) có óc sáng tạo giảng dạy Khi tơi dạy điều mẻ, tơi sinh viên a) nói điều b) nghĩ điều Trong q trình giảng dạy, tơi thường a) trình bày tài liệu theo trình tự rõ ràng b) cho sinh viên thấy tranh tổng quát thấy liên kết tài liệu với mơn học khác Tơi thích truyền đạt thơng tin qua a) tranh, sơ đồ, đồ thị, hay biểu đồ b) ngơn ngữ nói hay viết Khi tơi nghĩ tơi làm hơm qua, tơi thường a) hình dung đầu b) thể ngơn từ 10 Hình tơi cho a) tỉ mỉ với công việc b) sáng tạo cách làm việc 11 Trong sách có nhiều tranh ảnh biểu đồ, tơi thích hướng dẫn sinh viên a) quan sát kỹ tranh ảnh biểu đồ b) trọng đến phần văn 12 Tôi thường giúp sinh viên a) hiểu chi tiết mơn học mơ hồ cấu trúc tổng qt mơn học b) hiểu cấu trúc tổng quát lại mơ hồ chi tiết 13 Tôi thấy dễ a) dạy kiện thực tế b) dạy khái niệm 14 Tơi thường a) trình bày nhiều biểu đồ bảng b) dành nhiều thời gian để giải thích 97 15 Khi truyền đạt thơng tin, tơi thường a) tập trung vào phần chi tiết bỏ qua tranh tổng thể b) tập trung vào tranh tổng thể trước sâu vào phần chi tiết 16 Trong sinh viên nghiên cứu tài liệu, cho sinh viên nên (a) tham gia đóng góp ý kiến (b) ngồi chỗ lắng nghe 17 Bạn để sinh viên định họ muốn làm lớp a ln b thường xuyên c d không 18 Bạn biết sinh viên bạn cảm nghĩ lớp học a biết rõ b biết c d khơng có ý kiến 19 Bạn tập trung vào phần viết đọc phần nói nghe a luôn b thường xuyên c d không 20 Bạn tập trung vào phần nói nghe phần viết đọc a luôn b thường xuyên c d khơng 21 Bạn có thường tập trung vào dạy ngữ pháp không? a luôn b thường xuyên c d khơng 22 Bạn có sửa lỗi sai sinh viên bạn không? a luôn b thường xuyên c d không 23 Bạn có cho đối đáp phần quan trọng giao tiếp? a hoàn toàn đồng ý b đồng ý c khơng có ý kiến d khơng đồng ý 24 Bạn có cho sinh viên học theo nhóm nhỏ thường xun khơng? a ln b thường xuyên c d không 25 Bạn có thường để sinh viên bạn học lớp khơng? a ln ln b thường xuyên c d không 26 Bạn có thường sinh viên học với người bạn lớp không? a luôn b thường xuyên c d không 27 Sinh viên bạn có thường xuyên chuẩn bị trước lên lớp học tiếng Anh không? a luôn b thường xuyên c d không chuẩn bị 98 28 Sinh viên bạn có thường xuyên đọc trước lên lớp học Tiếng Anh không? a luôn b thường xuyên c d không đọc 29 Sinh viên bạn có thường xuyên học từ vựng trước lên lớp học Tiếng Anh không? a luôn b thường xuyên c d chưa 30 Sinh viên bạn có thường xun tìm tài liệu liên quan để đóng góp vào học khơng? a ln ln b thường xuyên c d chưa 31 Bạn có sử dụng ngữ pháp tiếng Việt việc dạy điểm ngữ pháp tiếng Anh khơng? a có sử dụng b khơng sử dụng 32 Bạn có cho sinh viên bạn dịch sang tiếng Việt bạn dạy từ vựng môn đọc hiểu tiếng Anh không? a luôn b thường xuyên c d chưa 99 APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY FOR TEACHING WAYS This survey is carried out to investigate Teaching Ways in the EFL classrooms at Ho Chi Minh City College of Transportation Your cooperation in completing the following items is highly appreciated You will not be identified in any discussion of the data Please put (X) for the most appropriate answer or fill in the blank with appropriate information Personal Information Age: _ Gender: Male  Degree:  BA  Grad Dip Female   MA How long have you been teaching English? - Approximately years Survey Questionnaire for Teaching Ways I would let my students understand something better after they (a) try it out (b) think it through I would rather teach a course (a) that deals with facts and real life situations (b) that deals with ideas and theories When I am teaching a subject, I prefer to (a) stay focused on that subject, teaching as much about it as I can (b) try to make connections between that subject and related subjects I would rather let students first (a) try things out (b) think about how they’re going to it I would rather be considered (a) realistic in teaching 100 (b) innovative in teaching When I am teaching something new, I would let my students (a) talk about it (b) think about it In the teaching process, I find it important to (a) lay out the material in clear sequential steps (b) give students an overall picture and relate the material to other subjects I prefer to teach new information in (a) pictures, diagrams, graphs, or maps (b) written directions or verbal information When I think about what I did yesterday, I am most likely to get (a) a picture (b) words 10 I am more likely to be considered (a) careful about the details of my work (b) creative about how to my work 11 In a book with lots of pictures and charts, I am likely to instruct my students to (a) look over the pictures and charts carefully (b) focus on the written text 12 I tend to help students (a) understand details of a subject but may be fuzzy about its overall structure (b) understand the overall structure but may be fuzzy about details 13 I find it easier (a) to teach facts (b) to teach concepts 14 I often (a) put a lot of diagrams on the board (b) spend a lot of time explaining 15 When teaching a body of information, I am more likely to (a) focus on details and miss the big picture 101 (b) focus on the big picture before getting into the details 16 When a group of students are working on difficult material, I would encourage my students to (a) jump in and contribute ideas (b) sit back and listen 17 You let your students decide what they want to in class a always b often c sometimes d never 18 You know how your students feel about class a very well b well c I have no idea d not well 19 You like to put more emphasis on writing and reading than speaking and listening a always b often c sometimes d never 20 You like to put more emphasis on speaking and listening than writing and reading a always b often c sometimes d never 21 How often you focus on teaching grammar? a always b often c sometimes d never 22 Do you often correct your students’ mistakes? a always b often c sometimes d never 23 How you agree that responding to each other is an important part of communication? a completely agree b agree c neutral d disagree 24 How often you provide learning tasks for small group of students? a always b often c sometimes d never 25 How often you let your students work by themselves in your classes? a always b often c sometimes d never 26 How often you let your students work with a friend during classes? a always b often c sometimes d never 27 How often your students discuss lessons with their classmates before your English classes? a always b often c sometimes d hardly ever 102 28 How often your students read lessons before your English classes? a always b often c sometimes d hardly ever 29 How often your students learn vocabulary before your English classes? a always b often c sometimes d hardly ever 30 How often your students find relevant materials to contribute to classroom discussion? a always b often c sometimes d hardly ever 31 Do you teach English grammar points through the comparison with those in Vietnamese language? a yes b no 32 Do you let your students translate into Vietnamese when you teach English vocabulary and reading? a always b often c sometimes d hardly ever ... teachers in Ho Chi Minh City College of Transportation The research compared learning ways and teaching ways then examined possible matches/mismatches between learning and teaching ways Although... that match students’ learning ways Mismatch between learning and teaching ways can make the process of teaching and learning not gain good results as expected This research aimed at exploring how... STATEMENT OF AUTHORITY I certify my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled UNDERSTANDING LEARNING WAYS AND TEACHING WAYS IN EFL CLASSROOMS AT HO CHI MINH CITY COLLEGE OF TRANSPORTATION