A study on students behavior in group work in speaking classes at vinh uiniversity masters thesis in education

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY LÊ THỊ THANH BÌNH A STUDY ON STUDENTS’ BEHAVIOR IN GROUP WORK IN SPEAKING CLASSES AT VINH UNIVERSITY MASTER‘S THESIS IN EDUCATION Nghe An, 2014 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY LÊ THỊ THANH BÌNH A STUDY ON STUDENTS’ BEHAVIOR IN GROUP WORK IN SPEAKING CLASSES AT VINH UNIVERSITY Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Code: 60140111 MASTER‘S THESIS IN EDUCATION SUPERVISOR: Lê Phạm Hoài Hương, Assoc Prof., Ph.D Nghe An, 2014 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to express my very affectionate and deeply-felt thanks to my supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Le Pham Hoai Huong, for giving effective instructions and invaluable advice during the preparation and completion of this graduation paper I owe her a dept of gratitude that cannot be measured I also wish to acknowledge my debt to all the teachers of the Foreign Languages Department at Vinh University as well as some teachers from Vietnam National University, Hanoi – College of Foreign Languages, whose lectures and ideas have inspired my thesis and whom it is impossible to thank individually My appreciation also goes to the students at Vinh University for their valuable assistance in completing my survey questionnaire and providing me with a lot of useful information Finally, I would like to send my great thanks to my family, my friends who have directly or indirectly helped me with their encouragement and advice On the whole, without all these help my graduation paper would not have possibly been completed Due to limited scope, it is sure that in this graduation paper, mistakes are inevitable, that is why I hope to receive further comments and advice to make it better Vinh, 2014 LE THI THANH BINH i ABSTRACT This study was set out to investigate students‘ behavior in group work in speaking classes at Vinh University The study used both quantitative and qualitative approaches in methodology A questionnaire was sent to 100 students who came from different regions from mountainous areas to city centers and had no common in major Interview data was also collected with 10 students and teachers These teachers have had a period of time applying group work in English speaking classes In addition, observation was conducted in some classes with group work activities Results highlight the complexity of what happens when students work in groups in English speaking classes Some dominant behavior of students in group work includes impatience, selfishness, impoliteness, embarrassment and noncooperation with partners The study also shows that there is a conflict between teachers‘ intentions and students‘ interests They seem dissatisfied with some of teachers‘ decision, especially comments and marks Therefore, teachers‘ roles in those classes are strongly emphasized although students are still center of the class Based on the findings of the study, implications were made for teachers and students in managing group work ii TABLES AND CHARTS Table 2.1: Stages in implementing group work (Ngoh, 1991) 15 Chart 4.1: Students‘ opinions of the importance of group work in speaking classes 34 Chart 4.2: Students‘ interests in their roles in group work .36 Chart 4.3: Students‘ attitudes towards speaking activities in group work 37 Chart 4.4: Students‘ preference for grouping techniques 38 Chart 4.5: Students‘ misbehavior perceived by group members in speaking classes 39 Chart 6: Students‘ speaking habits effects on others in group work .40 Chart 4.7: Teacher‘s influence on students‘ behavior in group work .41 Chart 4.8: Effects of classroom settings on students in group work 42 Chart 4.9: Students‘ behavior with difficult tasks 43 Chart 4.10: Reasons causing students‘ low participant 44 Table 2: Students‘ suggestions for teachers implementing group work in speaking classes 45 iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CLT: Communicative Language Teaching CLL: Cooperative Language Learning EFL: English as a Foreign Language ESL: English as a Second Language GW: Group Work iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i ABSTRACT ii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS iv Table of contents v CHAPTER INTRODUCTION .1 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Research aims: 1.3 Research questions: 1.4 Research significance 1.5 Scope of the study .3 1.6 Structure thesis CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW .4 2.1 Introduction .4 2.2 Definitions of key terms 2.2.1.Group work 2.2.2.Speaking 2.2.3 Behaviour 2.3.Group work .9 2.3.1.Advantages 2.3.2 Disadvantages 10 2.3.3.The formation of group work 12 2.3.3.4 Procedures for pair work and group work .14 2.4.Speaking 16 2.4.1.Characteristics of speaking 16 2.4.2 Problems with speaking and speaking activities .17 2.4.2.1 Problems with speaking 17 2.4.2.2.Problems with speaking activities 18 2.4.3.Principles for choosing speaking activities .19 2.4.4 Stages of a speaking lesson 20 v 2.4.5 Types of classroom speaking performance 21 2.5.Group work in speaking lesson .22 2.6.Behavior 24 2.6.1 The reasons why behavior problems occur 24 2.6.2.Factors affecting students‘ behavior in the class .25 2.7.Previous studies 27 2.8.Summary 28 CHAPTER METHODOLOGY .29 3.1.Introduction .29 3.2.Research methodology 29 3.3.Paricipants .30 3.4.Data collection methods 30 3.4.1.Questionnaire 30 3.4.2.Interview 31 3.4.3.Observation 32 3.5.Data analysis 32 3.6.Summary 33 CHAPTER FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 34 4.1 Introduction 34 4.2.Findings 34 4.2.1 The reality of applying group work in speaking classes at Vinh University 34 4.2.1.1.Students‘ opinions of the importance of group work in speaking classes 34 4.2.1.2 Students‘ interests in their roles in group work 35 4.2.1.3 Students‘ attitudes towards speaking activities in group work .36 4.2.1.4.Students‘ preference for grouping techniques 37 4.2.2.Students‘ behavior in group work in speaking classes 39 4.2.2.1.Students‘ misbehavior perceived by group members in speaking classes .39 vi 4.2.2.2 Students‘ speaking habits in group work 40 4.2.2.3.Teacher‘s influence on students‘ behavior in group work .41 4.2.2.4 The effects of classroom settings on students in group work 42 4.2.2.5 Students‘ behavior with difficult tasks 42 4.2.2.6 Reasons causing students‘ low participation 43 4.2.3 Students‘ suggestions for teachers implementing group work in speaking classes .44 4.3 Discussion 46 CHAPTER CONCLUSION 52 5.1 Summary of key findings .52 5.2.1.Implications for teachers 52 5.2.2.Implications for students 58 5.3.Limitations of the research .65 5.4.Suggestions for further studies .66 REFERENCES 67 APPENDIX I .70 APPENDIX II 75 APPENDIX III 76 vii CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale Nowadays, people seem to familiar with terms ―global citizen‖, ―interaction‖, ―collaboration‖ which highly consider the relationship between person and person Therefore, the word ―group work‖ has gradually become a key term in any fields of life such as business, sport and education It can be seen that group work enhance effective and efficient achievement of an organization‘s work; members of a team are more committed to work on goals that they help to create Moreover, everyone in group work can contribute their unique abilities and they have a sense of belonging (Davis, 1993) Problem-solving, persuasive argumentation and teamwork are necessary skills and valued by employers Group work is also emphasized in Communicative Language Teaching which is popular in teaching methodology in many countries Barkley (2005) believes that learners will obtain several benefits Group work is one pedagogical strategy that promotes participation and interaction It fosters a deeper and more active learning process, and it also provides instructors with valuable demonstrations of the degree to which students understand particular topics or concepts In addition to exposing students to different approaches and ways of thinking, working with other students in groups can promote a sense of belonging that combats the anonymity and isolation that many students experience at a large campus Some students may initially be reluctant to participate in group work, so sharing the reasons for group work with your students can help to convince the reluctant ones It might help them to know that research has shown that groups frequently devise more and better solutions than the most advanced individual Working together in groups also gives students the opportunity to learn from and teach each other Classroom research has shown that students often learn better from each other than they from a teacher However, the complexity of what occurs when students are placed in groups as part of their English speaking lessons should be explored It is difficult to find turns to introduce yourself, share your interests, or comment on your previous experiences of group work) Use rounds at the beginning and end of group meetings and discussions For example:  You could begin a group meeting by taking turns to talk about the work each of you has done or to identify topics that need to be worked on  At the end of a group meeting or discussion you might use rounds to review the way the team is working, summarise the outcomes of some work or discussion, or to clarify exactly what jobs need to be done (Gibbs, p 35) Circular interviewing Circular interviews are similar to rounds The group sits in a circle, and one member begins by asking a question or set of questions to the person directly opposite, while the rest of the group listens (e.g "Can you tell us what you think our group is doing really well, and areas that you think we need to improve?") The role of interviewer then moves to the neighboring person and the process continues until each person has played the role of both interviewer and interviewee This technique is very useful for generating material for discussion, and making sure that everyone in the group has an opportunity to contribute Moreover, Gibbs (1994) emphasized the importance of Encouraging creativity in groups He introduced ways to encourage creativity in groups Brainstorming Brainstorming is effective in generating ideas In a short period it generates a large number of ideas from which your group may select several to discuss or analyse further Brainstorming can encourage your group to take risks in sharing your ideas and opinions It also allows you to practice building on each other's contributions An important feature of brainstorming is that ideas are not discussed or reviewed until after the brainstorming session The creation of ideas is separate from the evaluation of ideas to allow for free thinking and creativity 62 Try using brainstorming exercises at the start of a group exercise, meeting, project stage or problem solving activity Brainstorming usually involves the following steps: Decide on a clear theme for your brainstorming session Appoint a scribe Examples need to be adhered to The scribe should list the ideas that are called out Go back through the list identifying what each idea means Select the promising ones Discuss the ideas the group thinks are the most promising Project pictures You can use this technique at various stages of your group task or project, to help you clarify a project brief, generate new ideas within a project, work out how to analyze information you have collected, or decide how to present your project Project pictures are visual representations of your project, or aspects of your project This exercise involves producing and discussing these visuals Each group member draws the way they perceive the project on a large piece of paper For example, you might draw an abstract diagram of the way parts of your project link together, the sequence of steps to be taken or a picture with people engaging in dialogue This exercise is not about your drawing ability It's intended to free up your thinking and reveal ideas that might not be explored otherwise Take turns to explain your pictures (and say what you think other students' pictures mean) As a final step, discuss the insights this has provided into your project, and how it contributes to the way the project might progress and/or be written up Wishful thinking Wishful thinking can be used to help students identify the best way to tackle a particular project or task As with brainstorming, this technique gives you an 63 opportunity to participate in the flow of ideas and build on the contributions of others For example: Students are asked to imagine that their project has finished and has been highly successful They are then asked to consider what went well and why it was such a success, and share this with the class or in small groups For example, a student might say, "I thought it was great when we had an opportunity to practise our presentation—that really helped," or, "I thought it was really helpful when we sat down and discussed our project brief to make sure we understood it clearly." Reserve comments and discussion until after the wishful thinking session has finished Identifying Group Issues is highlighted in his recommendations Most groups experience issues at some time Students need to be able to identify existing and potential issues, and work out what to to resolve them and move on Checklists such as the one below can help students identify problems, as well as helping them notice in what areas their group is functioning well Whenever, someone see the problem, they have to control himself or remind others  We don‘t listen to each other  We keep repeating arguments instead of moving on  We constantly interrupt each other  We just push our own views instead of developing and encouraging other's ideas  We allow dominant members to dominate  Some of us don‘t contribute  We don‘t compromise enough  We concentrate on making impressions rather than getting the job done  We don‘t have clear tasks or objectives  We are not clear about what has been decided  We don‘t make it clear who is to take action on decisions 64  We put each other down  We don‘t recognize that others have feelings about what is happening in the team 5.3.Limitations of the research Due to time limit, also the subjective and objective reasons, this thesis could not avoid some limitations The first limitation is the data taken for the research are not fully informative The participants were shorted in teachers and 100 students at Vinh University Besides, observing only classes is definitely not comprehensive enough to conclude common behavior of students If there was more time and conditions, the investigation could be more persuasive and better in quality The second limitation is the specific steps in collecting data There are many ways to record interview The author knows that it would have been more persuasive to use tape- recording instead of note- taking Similarly, applying video and camera to record images of students‘ behavior are more reliable and interesting than note- taking However, those cost expensive and take lots of time to carry out The last limitation is the lack of experience in doing a research, also the lack of reference in the studied issue During the progress of studying, the researcher had to seek all references related to the topic of the studies including reference books, textbooks, articles, thesis and so on However, the sources and materials have not mostly fulfilled because of the time limit and the novice experience So, the researcher might have some mistakes in carrying out the research The research got many supporting ideas and recommendations from the readers, teachers and colleagues for doing the research, also the warm contribution from the students The researcher hopes that the findings and the suggestions in the thesis could be useful and practical for English speaking classes 65 5.4.Suggestions for further studies In this study, the author only researches on how students behave in group work in speaking classes There are other interesting dimensions which have not been discovered as things below:  Students‘ behaviors in other skills such as reading, writing, listening  The relation of students‘ different age and their behavior in group work in speaking classes  The relation of students‘ level of English proficiency and their behavior in group work in speaking classes 66 REFERENCES Atkinson, P., Delamont, S and Hammersley, M (1988) ‗Qualitative research traditions: a British response to Jacob‘, Review of Educational Research P.58 Barkley, E., et al (2005) Collaborative Learning Techniques San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Bawden, D (1990) User-oriented evaluation of information systems and services England : Gower P.27 Behroozi, C S (1992), ‗Groupwork with involuntary clients: remotivating strategies‘, Groupwork, 5.2 pp31-41, Whiting and Birch .Breen, M.P 1987 ‗Learner Contributions in Task-Based Learning‘, in Christopher Candlin and Dermot Murphy (eds.), Language Learning Tasks (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall International) Brilhart, J K and Galanes, G J (1992) Effective group discussion Wm C Brown Publishers Brown H D (1994) Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy London: Prentice Hall Regents Brown (1994), Brown, G  Yule, G (1983) Teaching the spoken language, Cambridge University Press (C.U.P) Brown, G  Yule, G (1983) teaching the spoken language, Cambridge University Press (C.U.P) Brown, H D.(2000) Principles of Language Learning and Teaching 4th ed, Addison Wesley Longman, New York Brumfit C (1983), Communicative Methodology in Language Teaching, Cambridge: CUP Byrne D (1983), Teaching Oral English, London: Longman D Fisher, Communication in Organizations St Paul, MN: Jaico Davis, Barbara Gross (2009) Tools for Teaching, 2nd ed San Francisco: JosseyBass 67 Doel, M (2005) Difficult behaviour in groups: Social work with groups, 28 (1), 322 Doff A (1988), Teaching English: A Training Course for Teachers, Cambridge University Press Durand, V M (1990) Severe behavior problems: A functional communication training approach New York: Guilford Press G Gibbs (1994), Learning in Teams: A Student Manual Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford Centre for Staff, p 47 Gardner, R C (1995) Social Psychology and Second Language Learning: The Role of Attitudes and Motivation Edward Arnold, London Gay, L J 1987 Educational Research: Competences Analysis and Application Columbus: Merill Publishing Company Getzel, G S and Mahoney, K F (1989), Confronting human finitude: groupwork with people with AIDS, Groupwork, 2.2 pp95-107, Whiting and Birch Harmer J (1991), The Practice of English Eanguage Teaching, Longman Harmer J (1999), The Practice of ELT, Longman Honeyfield J (1991), The Formation of Small Groups in the Language Classroom, Guidelines- A Periodical for Classroom Language Teachers, Vol 13 No June 1991, SEMEO Regional Language Center John C (2006) Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among Five Approaches Sage Johnson, D., Johnson, R.& Holubec, E (1998) Cooperation in the classroom Boston: Allyn and Bacon Johnson, D., Johnson, R (1999) Learning together and alone: cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning Boston: Allyn and Bacon Johnson, D., Johnson, R.& Holubec, E (1998) Cooperation in the classroom Boston: Allyn and Bacon Kate, H (2001) A qualitative analysis of student behavior and language during group problem solving 68 Kruger, D J (2003) Integrating quantitative and qualitative methods in community Research, The Community Psychologist, 36, pp.18Kurland, R and Salmon, R (1993), Groupwork versus casework in a group, Groupwork, 6.1 pp5-16, Whiting and Birch Mai P.T (2007) A study on group discussion and its impacts on speaking ability of the non-major students at the post-elementary level in Military Science Academy Munn, P., & Drever, E (1990) Using questionnaires in small-scale research A teacher's guide Edinburgh: The Scottish Council for Research in Education Ngoh S G (1991) Small Group Work in the Classroom, Guidelines Vol.14 no.3, 22-27 Nunan, D (1989) Designing tasks for the communicative classroom Cambridge: Cambridge University Press R.F Stein and S.N Hurd (eds) (2000), Using Student Teams in the Classroom: A Faculty Guide Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company, Inc., p.57–58: Smith, K A (1996) "Cooperative Learning: Making 'Group work' Work" In Sutherland, T E., and Bonwell, C C (Eds.), Using active learning in college classes: A range of options for faculty, New Directions for Teaching and Learning No 67 Ur, P (1990) Discussion that works: Task-centred fluency practice Cambridge: Willing K (1985) Learning Styles in Adult Migrant Education Adelaide: National Curriculum Resource Centre Woolfolk, A (2001) Educational psychology Boston: Allyn and Bacon 69 APPENDIX I QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS The aim of this survey questionnaire is to collect data for the study entitled: ―A study on students‘ behavior in group work in English speaking classes at Vinh University‖ Your cooperation with the survey will be greatly appreciated You can be sure that you will not be identified in any discussion of the data and the data will be used only for the purpose of research, not for any other purposes Thank you very much for your cooperation Please circle your answers unless otherwise stated Question 1: How important is group work to your English learning? A Very important B Important C No idea D Unimportant E Not important at all Question 2: Which role in a group you like most? A The recorder B The presenter C The researcher (tracks down information either from the teacher or other acceptable source) D The policeman (notice of mistakes) E The leader F Other: Please specify Question 3: Which activities in group work you like most ? Why ? A.I like the activity that the group has to ‗Brainstorming‘ and share the opinions 70 B.I like any activities related to ‗pictures‘ C.I love to ‗discuss to solve a problem‘ D.It is interesting to ‗make a survey‘ E.I am keen on ‗ information gap‘ F ‗Role playing‘ is an interesting activity G.I want to join in ‗story telling‘ Other: Please write Question 4: Which grouping technique you like ? A Forming group by chance B.Same proficiency level grouping C.Mixed proficiency level grouping D.Random grouping(who sits next together can be in a group) E.Grouping based on other differences to has a mix of some other characteristics F.Free- grouping G.Changing groups H: Other: Please specify ……………………… Question 5: What behavior you accidentally imitate from group members? A.Picking up wrong words or phrases B Picking up wrong pronunciation C.Not using any gestures or body language D.Using no intonation E.Not caring about grammar H: Other: Please specify ……………………… 71 Question 6: What are some bad behaviours you can recognize from your group members? A.Some talk too much or too fast B.Some are too quiet or not know how to express their ideas C.Some insist on keeping their own ideas which are different from the group‘s idea D Some say or ask teacher crazy or unrelated sentences E.Some not talk but read worksheet F.Some speak Vietnamese G.Some have private talk and laugh H.Some interrupt others impolitely I: Other: Please specify ……………………… Question 7: What teacher’s features affect students’ behavior most? A.The teacher‘s guidance B.The teacher‘s movement C.The teacher‘s responses during ―while-speaking‖ stage D.The teacher‘s remarks E.The teacher‘s classroom management F Other: Please specify Question 8: Which extra setting affects students’ behavior in group work? A.Room‘s size B.Desk and chair arrangement C.Number of members in a group D.Mobile phone‘s distraction E.Noisy next door classes F.Noisy neighbor groups G.Others‘ tardiness H.Others‘ sleepiness I.The balance of male and female students in a group K: Other: Please specify………………… 72 Question 9: What you often when your group gets difficult tasks? A.I ask the teacher to explain B.I look up difficult words or phrases before discussing C.I not mind I just wait for my partners D.I never have problem with any tasks Therefore, I try to explain for the group to understand E: Please specify ……………………… Question 10: What may cause low group participation? A Students worry to lose my face because they not understand or not know much about the topics given B Students are not familiar with speaking English in front of others C Students are afraid that the teacher know how bad they are and may give them bad marks D.The topic or activity is not interesting at all E Other: Please specify ……………………… Question 11: Which of the following could improve students’ behavior in group work? A.Teacher should set a rule on the first day of class B.Teacher should encourage shy students to talk C.Teacher should provide enough words, structures, guidance in detail D.Teacher should be fair to give marks E.Teacher should appreciate whatever students can F.Teacher should listen, observe, take note and help students instead of sitting G.Teacher should avoid singling out an aggressive or weak student H.Teacher should handle behavioral issues as soon as possible I.Teacher should stay calm G.Teacher should show an interest in all of your students K.Teacher should correct mistakes after group work time but needn‘t to show whose mistakes are 73 L.Teacher should not stop students to correct mistakes while they are speaking M Teacher should ask students to re-arrange the desks and chairs before the speaking lessons N.Teacher should have a private talk with misbehaved students outside the class 74 APPENDIX II INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Part 1: For teachers 1.How you conduct group work in your speaking classes? 2.What types of students‘ behavior can you recognize from group work? Part 2: For students 1.How often does your teacher carry out group work in speaking classes? 2.Which technique of forming groups you like most? 3.How you usually behave in group work in speaking classes? 75 APPENDIX III CLASS OBSERVATION SHEET Time: from .to Date: Place: Lesson: Types of students’ behavior Types of behavior Yes No Detail 1.Some students talk so much that they overlap others‘ turns 2.Some students are too quiet 3.Some students sleep during group work 4.Some students use phones for entertainment 5.Some students have private talk 6.Some students speak Vietnamese 7.Some students are angry with partners 8.Some students are day dreaming 9.Some groups have conflicts of opinions among members 10.Some students show their disappointment or bore 3.Other comments 76 ... such as integrative motivation, instrumental motivation, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, global motivation, situational motivation and so on - Teaching techniques 25 It is obvious that... applying group work in speaking classes at Vinh University, how students behave under that situation and some ideas of improving students? ?? behavior in group work in speaking classes The researcher... the author can have a close look at group work as a real - life situation She can describe how students behave in group work in speaking classes and get the reason why they have that kind of attitudes,