Improving grammatical knowledge of the eleventh grade students at a high school in hung yen using concept maps

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES DOÃN THỊ NHỤ IMPROVING GRAMMATICAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE ELEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN HUNG YEN USING CONCEPT MAPS (Nâng cao kiến thức ngữ pháp học sinh lớp 11 trường trung học phổ thông Hưng Yên thông qua việc áp dụng đồ khái niệm) M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Hanoi- 2021 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES DOÃN THỊ NHỤ IMPROVING GRAMMATICAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE ELEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN HUNG YEN USING CONCEPT MAPS (Nâng cao kiến thức ngữ pháp học sinh lớp 11 trường trung học phổ thông Hưng Yên thông qua việc áp dụng đồ khái niệm) M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Supervisor: Huỳnh Anh Tuấn, Ph D Hanoi- 2021 DECLARATION I certify that this minor thesis entitled “Improving grammatical knowledge of the eleventh grade students at a high school in Hung Yen using concept maps” is the study of my own research and the substance of this research has not been submitted for a degree to any other university or institution Hanoi, 2020 Student’s signature Doãn Thị Nhụ i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In my exploring of knowledge and in the course of completing this thesis, many individuals have assisted me I would like to acknowledge wholeheartedly their assistance, cooperation and encouragement which all contributed to making this study completed This thesis would not have been feasible without their guidance and help Firstly, I would like to express my utmost gratitude to Dr Huynh Anh Tuan, my supervisor, for his precious guidance and constructive criticism from the start of my work He has constantly provided me with assistance and encouragement I would not have made steady progress without his kind support It is an honor for me to have his guidance as a supervisor to complete my thesis Secondly, I would like to express my special thanks to all lectures of the Post Graduate Faculty of University of Language and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their scholarly knowledge that helped to enhance my interest for English Methodology and my teaching career Moreover, I owe special thanks to the administrators of the high school where I have been working, my colleagues, and, especially, my 45 grade eleventh students for their support and enthusiastic participation throughout my research Without their patience, cooperation and attention, this study could have never been completed Finally, I am deeply indebted to all the love, support, great care and encouragement that my family has always provided me in my professional endeavor ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .ii ABSTRACT vi LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF FIGURES viii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale of the study 1.2 Aims and objectives of the study 1.3 Research questions 1.4 Scope of the study 1.5 Methods of the study 1.6 Significance of the study 1.7 The structure of the study CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Grammar 2.1.1 Definition of grammar 2.1.2 Uses of grammar 2.1.3 Teaching grammar 2.1.4 Methods of teaching grammar 2.1.4.1 The grammar translation method 2.1.4.2 The direct method 10 2.1.4.3 The Audio-lingual method 11 2.1.4.4 The communicative approach 12 2.2 Concept maps 13 2.2.1 Definitions of concept maps 13 2.2.2 Basic principles of concept maps 15 2.2.3 Features of concept maps 15 iii 2.2.4 Concept maps and teaching 17 2.2.5 Types of concept maps 18 2.2.5.1 Spider map- Central concept 18 2.2.5.2 Hierarchical/ Chronological map 19 2.2.5.3 Flowchart map 19 2.2.5.4 System maps 20 2.2.6 Reasons for using concept maps 21 2.2.7 Ways to construct a good concept map 23 2.3 Cognitive approach to teach grammar 24 2.4 Using concept maps in teaching English grammar 27 2.5 Summary of previous researches on concept maps 28 2.6 Chapter summary 32 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 33 3.1 Research questions 33 3.2 Research approach 35 3.3 Research settings 38 3.4 Data collection instruments 36 3.4.1 Tests 36 3.4.1.1 Pre-test 36 3.4.1.2 Post-test 36 3.4.1.3 Matrix of the tests 37 3.4.2 Questionnaire 39 3.4.3 Diary 40 3.5 Data collection procedures 41 3.6 Data analysis procedures 41 3.6.1 Quantitative data analysis 41 3.6.2 Qualitative data analysis 42 3.7 Chapter summary 43 iv CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 44 4.1 The students’ improvement in grammatical knowledge after the treatment 44 4.2 The teacher’s difficulties in applying concept maps in teaching grammar to students 46 4.3 The students’ attitudes towards the employment of concept maps in grammar lessons 54 4.4 Discussions of major findings 59 4.5 Chapter summary 62 CHAPTER V: IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION 64 5.1 Recapitulation 64 5.2 Implications 65 5.3 Limitations of the study 66 5.4 Recommendations for further research 67 5.5 Conclusion 67 REFERENCES 69 APPENDICES I Appendix 1: Pre-test I Appendix 2: Post-test VII Appendix 3: Post-treatment questionnaire XIII Appendix 4: The teacher’s diary XVI Appendix 5: The syllabus XXII Appendix 6: A sample lesson plan using concept maps XXV Appendix 7: Samples of concept maps used in grammar lessons XXXI Appendix 8: The students’ detailed scores of the pre-test and post-test XXXIVII v ABSTRACT The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of concept maps on improving the eleventh graders’ English grammatical knowledge The researcher employed an Action Research project with 45 eleventh grade students at a high school in Hung Yen with both quantitative and qualitative data analysis Before the research was carried out, a pre-test was given to check the students’ grammatical knowledge After eight grammar lessons using concept maps, a post-test was administered to measure the students’ achievement and to examine the effects of using concept maps on improving their grammatical knowledge During the study, a diary was kept by the researcher to identify the teacher’s difficulties while adopting the method Also, a questionnaire was carried out at the end of the research to investigate the students’ attitudes towards the use of concept maps in grammar lessons The results obtained from the tests indicated that although there were few students who did not make much progress after the treatment, the use of concept maps significantly improved the students’ grammatical knowledge Besides, the data collected from the teacher’s diary showed that there were some difficulties that the researcher encountered and dealt with during her grammar lessons The findings from the students’ answers to the questionnaire and the teacher’s diary revealed that the application of concept maps strongly stimulated their grammar learning and group work Based on the findings of the research, some pedagogical implications for both the teacher and the learners as well as recommendations for further studies on using concept maps for teaching and learning English have been drawn Key words: improving grammatical knowledge, concept maps, teacher’s difficulties, attitude vi LIST OF TABLES Page Table Rank of test score 37 Table The matrix of the grammar tests 37 Table The structure of the post-treatment questionnaire 40 Table An example of a code in qualitative analysis in the diary 42 Table The Pre-test and post-test results of the class 42 Table The students’ pre-test and post-test results analyzed by using Pair 45 Sample T-Test Table Comparison between the students’ performance before and after 46 the treatment Table The teacher’s first difficulty during the grammar lessons 47 Table The teacher’s second difficulty during the grammar lessons 49 Table 10 The teacher’s third difficulty during the grammar lessons 51 Table 11 The teacher’s other difficulties during the grammar lessons 53 Table 12 The students’ attitudes to English grammar learning 55 Table 13 The students’ attitudes to concept maps 56 Table 14 The students’ attitudes to the positive effects of concept maps 56 Table 15 The students’ attitudes to different types and the employment of 58 concept maps vii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure Model of a Concept Map 14 Figure A sample of a concept map 16 Figure A sample of a spider map 18 Figure A sample of a hierarchical map 19 Figure A sample of a flowchart map 20 Figure A sample of a system map 21 Figure The Action Research Cycles 34 Figure A sample of hierarchical map used for the Present Simple tense XXXI in lesson Figure A sample of spider map used for the Present Perfect tense in XXXII lesson Figure 10 A sample of flowchart map used to distinguish between the XXXIII Past Simple and Past Continuous tenses in lesson Figure 11 A sample of concept map for Relative Pronouns in lesson XXXIV Figure 12 A sample of concept map for Kinds of Relative Clauses in XXXIV lesson Figure 13 A sample of concept map for Conditional Sentences in lesson XXXV Figure 14 A sample of concept map for Cleft Sentences in lesson XXXVI Figure 15 A sample of concept map for Conjunctions in lesson XXXVI viii exercises related to Conditional Sentences - Students will be able to understand the meaning and structure of Cleft Sentences (in active and passive voice) - Students will be able to use concept maps 10 Lesson 7: to summarize, revise and see the Cleft Sentences relationship among grammatical concepts in the lessons, then memorize the key grammar points - Students will be able to practice exercises related to Cleft Sentences - Students will be able to know the meaning of the conjunctions (both…and…; not only…but also…; either…or…; neither…nor…) and how to use them to 11 Lesson 8: rewrite or combine sentences Conjunctions - Students will be able to use concept maps to summarize, revise and see the relationship among grammatical concepts in the lessons, then memorize the key grammar points - Students will be able to practice exercises related to these conjunctions - The researcher 12 Post-test tests the students’ grammatical competence after applying concept maps to teaching and learning grammar XXIV Appendix 6: A sample lesson plan for a grammar lesson using concept maps TIENG ANH 11 TEXTBOOK UNIT 11: SOURCES OF ENERGY E- LANGUAGE FOCUS (Grammar: Reduced Relative Clauses) Time: 35 minutes Aims: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to: - understand and memorize the use of relative clauses replaced by participles and to-infinitives - fulfill the exercises related this grammar point - Write sentences with relative clauses replaced by participles and toinfinitives - use concept maps to summarize the grammatical knowledge they have learnt in the lesson and present the knowledge from the concept maps Teaching aids: textbook, A0 papers, concept maps Competence: After the lesson, students can develop their problem-solving ability and abilities of creativity, self-study, and cooperation Procedures: Teacher’s activities Stage/ Time Students’ activities I - Lead in the new grammar lesson: - Listen to the teacher Presentation Relative (10 minutes) participles and to-infinitives clauses replaced by Relative clauses replaced by present participle (V-ing): - Teacher gives two sentences: pairs of - Listen to the teacher’s explanation, take note on (1) + The girl who is playing with the the notebooks and answer dog is Lan’s sister the teacher’s questions XXV + The girl playing with the dog is Lan’s sister (2) + The man who came here yesterday is my father + The man coming here yesterday is my father - Teacher asks students to point out the similarities and differences of these pairs of sentences - Teacher give some conclusions: “We can use a present participle  The relative clauses in (V-ing) to replace a relative clause these two first sentences when: can be replaced by a V- + the relative clause has an active ing meaning - Take note + the relative pronoun is the subject of the relative clause.” Relative clauses replaced by past participle (P2/ V-ed): - Teacher gives students an example: - Look at the example (3) + The picture which was drawn by and give comments of the a blind man won the first prize differences of the two + The picture drawn by a blind sentences man won the first prize - Teacher asks students to tell the difference(s) between the two sentences - Teacher explains more: “We can use a past participle (V-ed/  The relative clause is XXVI P2) to replace a relative clause when: replaced by a Part + the relative clause has a passive participle meaning + the relative pronoun is the - Take note subject of the relative clause.” Relative clauses replaced by to infinitive (to_V) - Teacher gives students two example: - Read the examples (4) + Which was the first country carefully and think of which won the World Cup? their differences + Which was the first country to win the World Cup? (5) + She was the only girl who finished the race + She was the only girl to finish the race - Teacher asks students to give comments on these examples - Teacher summarize this point: “We can use a to-infinitive to replace  The relative clauses in a relative clause when it follows one the first sentences were of the following in the main clause: replaced by a To_V ordinal number (the first, the last, …), - Write down on the superlatives (the biggest, the most notebooks careful, …), only, way, decision, … II Practice Exercise 1: (5 minutes) (10 minutes) Rewrite the sentences, using present participle - Teacher explains the requirements of - Listen to the teacher to XXVII the exercise and the example in the know what to textbook - Teacher asks students to work in - Work in pairs to fulfill pairs to discuss and the exercise the task - Teacher goes around to see and help - Ask the teacher for help students if necessary if necessary - Teacher asks some students to speak - Some students give the out their sentences, then teacher answers checks with the whole class and give The boy playing the comments piano is Ben Do you know the woman coming toward us? The people waiting for the bus in the rain are getting wet ……… Exercise 2: (5 minutes) - Work in pairs to the Rewrite the sentences, using past exercise participle - Teacher explains the requirements and asks students to work in pairs again to the exercise - Give the answers and - Teacher calls some students to stand check with the teacher: up and speak out their answers The ideas presented in - Teacher checks and gives feedback that book are interesting I come from a city located in the southern part of the country They live in a house XXVIII built in 1890 …… III - Teacher asks students to work in - Work in groups of six Production & groups of six or eight to create or eight to discuss and Consolidation concept maps to summarize what they draw (13 minutes) suitable concept have learnt in the lesson on an A0 maps to summarize the papers (Teacher gives students eight knowledge about reduced minutes to their tasks) relative clauses - Teacher goes around to see if - Ask the teacher for help students have choosing the any difficulties if necessary right concept, establishing the relationships among grammar concepts, or distinguishing between main ideas and sub-ideas (Teacher can give some suggestions if necessary) - After ten minutes, teacher picks up - Have a look at the some of the groups’ works to hang on concepts maps on the board and ask other groups to give the comments Then, teacher board some popular mistakes made by teacher’s and suggests give gives comments if necessary comments on these works, brings out Then, students and ways to improve listen to the feedbacks their to own groups’ concept maps improve their works - Teacher can draw a model concept - Look at the sample map on the board as a reference for concept map given by the XXIX students and summarize the lesson teacher to better their maps Relative pronoun: S V-ing Active meaning RELATIVE CLAUSES REPLACED BY Relative pronoun: S V-ed/ P2 Passive meaning Relative pronoun: S To_V After ordinal number, superlatives , only, way, decision IV - Teacher asks students to revise the - Listen to the teacher and Homework concept maps they have made and write down homework (2 minutes) practice presenting the knowledge from the maps (teacher will ask some of them to present at the beginning of the next lesson) - Teacher ask students to exercise in the textbook XXX Appendix 7: Samples of concept maps used in the researcher’s grammar lessons FORM TOBE: Am/ Is/ Are She is my teacher (+) S + V (-s/ es) She goes to school at 6.30 every day (-) S + don't/ doesn't + V(infi) (?) Do/ Does + S + V(infi)? PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE Does he usually have big breakfast? Habits/ Routines I often get up at 5.30 Facts The Sun sets in the west The bus leaves at 8.00 every day USAGE ADVERB OF FREQUENCY They don't play soccer in the afternoon Schedueld actions/ Timetable Always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, Every (day/ week/ month/ year/ ) Once/ Twice/ Three times/ a day/ week/ month/ I sometimes come to visit her He writes to her every month I feed my cat twice a day Figure A sample of hierarchical map used for the Present Simple tense in lesson XXXI (-)S + haven’t/ hasn’t + P2 (?) Have/ Has + S+ P2? (+) S + have/ has + P2 Just, already, ever, never FORM I have learned English since 2000 So far, up to now ADVERBS EXAMPLES I have just had lunch For, since PRESENT PERFECT TENSE yet He has been to that country Action that still continue PAST PARTICIPLE USAGE Regular verbs: V + _ed Irregular verbs: Experiences Irregular verbs list (column 3) Recently finished actions/ happened at a unspecified time in the past Figure A sample of spider map used for the Present Perfect tense in lesson XXXII Figure 10 A sample of flowchart map used to distinguish between the Past Simple and Past Continuous tenses in lesson XXXIII Figure 11 A sample of concept map for Relative Pronouns in lesson Figure 12 A sample of concept map for Kinds of Relative Clauses in lesson XXXIV Probable Conditional type If SV, S will/ shall V Present unreal Conditional sentences Conditional type If SV-ed/ were, S would/ could V Conditional type Past unreal If had V-ed/ PP, S would/ could have Ved/ PP Figure 13 A sample of concept map for Conditional Sentences in lesson XXXV Subject focus Object focus Cleft sentences Adverbial focus It is/ was S that V It is/ was O that S V It is/ was ADV that S V Figure 14 A sample of concept map for Cleft Sentences in lesson Figure 15 A sample of concept map for Conjunctions in lesson XXXVI Appendix 8: The students’ details scores of the pre-test and post-test in the class Number Pre-test Post-test 7.0 8.0 6.0 8.0 7.0 8.0 5.5 6.5 8.0 9.0 6.0 6.0 4.0 5.5 7.0 6.0 5.5 7.0 10 5.0 6.0 11 6.0 4.0 12 6.0 8.0 13 5.5 7.5 14 8.0 9.0 15 5.0 6.5 16 7.0 8.0 17 6.0 7.0 18 7.0 8.0 19 9.0 10.0 20 6.0 6.5 21 4.5 6.0 22 5.5 7.0 23 5.0 6.5 24 6.5 8.0 25 8.0 9.0 XXXVII 26 9.0 7.0 27 5.0 8.0 28 5.5 6.5 29 7.0 8.0 30 6.0 8.0 31 5.0 6.5 32 4.0 7.0 33 6.5 6.0 34 7.0 9.0 35 6.0 6.0 36 5.5 7.0 37 8.0 9.0 38 6.0 7.5 39 5.0 6.0 40 4.5 6.5 41 6.0 7.0 42 4.5 7.0 43 5.5 7.0 44 8.0 10.0 45 5.0 6.5 XXXVIII ... whereas the data from the diary was analyzed qualitatively 3.6.1 Quantitative data analysis (The Tests and Questionnaire) To investigate whether the participants’ grammatical knowledge was improved... cognitive strategies include making concept maps, mind maps, visualization, association, and memorization 2.4 Using concept maps in teaching English grammar In the field of English language teaching,... ordinate concepts at the top of the map and subordinate at the bottom which are less inclusive than higher ones Novak and Canas (2006) see that concept maps are graphical tools for organizing and