4.8. Students’ WTC observed by the teacher during MI lessons
4.8.2. Activities experiencing moderately high levels of willingness to communicate
Student's willingness to initiate communication with the teacher to seek clarification on a topic and to repeat missed information
Students conferred with the teacher to resolve their uncertainties or curiosity surrounding a gap in their knowledge was manifested in almost all activities incorporated in all four lessons. As a matter of fact, students’ willingness to initiate communication on the matter was not considered low before the incorporation. As the teacher spent significant time with the students for almost a whole course period before the intervention, the teacher and students developed a close relationship and rapport with each other, leading to frequent interactions between each other. Here are some examples:
Mostly students turned to the teacher to ask for an explanation for a body of knowledge they were not sure that had been taught in the class. Additionally, they tended to approach the teacher privately to address their concerns rather than sharing them publicly in front
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of the class. However, when prompted individually by the teacher, students demonstrated greater openness in posing questions.
Only one student consistently asked for clarification directly during the lesson. He even confronted the teacher when the knowledge taught in the class was contrasted with his background knowledge. There was also another student who sought additional help from the teacher outside of class regarding grammar knowledge.
Students also occasionally asked the teacher to repeat missed information. These students mostly asked for repeated information when issues arose from difficulty in listening rather than a lack of concentration. However, it is observed that students predominantly turned to their peers to ask for this rather than from the teacher.
Students' willingness to answer questions posed to the whole class or groups
Students' readiness to answer questions for the whole class or groups was found to be moderate. While some students consistently volunteered to answer questions by raising their hands, others exhibited persistent hesitation. This is illustrated by the results of observation as follows:
Notably, students displayed a heightened willingness to engage in collaborative tasks focusing on interpersonal intelligence, particularly those featuring competitive elements.
For example, when tasked with a crossword puzzle activity, students showed more willingness to complete the task faster than other groups. When the teacher put the questions, most students were eager to raise their hands to take their turns answering the questions.
This willingness to respond to questions was also evident in activities centered around musical intelligence. In lesson 1, for instance, students were required to create playlists based on their emotions. Here, students showed a heightened willingness to volunteer, eagerly sharing their playlists with classmates.
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However, a small number of students consistently refused to respond to questions even when called upon. In such situations, they tended to shake their head to signify their unwillingness to answer or have typical responses such as “I don’t think I can answer this one” or “I have no idea”. These students required a lot of encouragement from the teacher to voice their opinions.
Students’ willingness to give group presentations in front of the class
The group presentation was initially designed to take place in lesson 3, although was prolonged until lesson 4 due to limited time. In this activity, students collaborated in groups of four to deliver presentations on various technology topics. In lesson 3, students were given time to brainstorm ideas in class and prepare slides at home. Students’ enthusiasm was demonstrated even during their preparation stage. When observing their work, the teacher noticed that students became more comfortable initiating conversations with each other compared to the previous lessons. They were active in allocating work and creating groups on social media to do the work at home.
Here are some examples for illustration:
During the presentation activity, some groups volunteered to present first, showcasing their eagerness to share their work. Despite a few students still relying on their notes and experiencing shyness, they demonstrated courage by standing in front of the class and delivering their presentations to completion. Only one student declined to present due to a lack of preparation.
While presenting, students occasionally stuttered and spoke faster than usual, resulting in shorter presentation times than expected. However, despite these challenges, it was evident that students had made significant progress in their willingness to communicate and collaborate with their peers.
Students’ willingness to engage in dialogues and role-play activities
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Role-play activities were carried out in lesson 4. In this activity, students were paired to practice forming dialogues in different roles. Here, the teacher noticed an improvement in their willingness to engage in playing out the dialogues. Students worked individually to complete the dialogue before rehearsing with their peers. During the activity, most students actively engaged in the conversations and were interested in taking up different roles. Some students tried to create different versions of the original one and helped their friends in fixing their errors. However, several students spent too much time preparing for their dialogues, leading to a shorter time for practice. These students also showed reticence in practice speaking with their peers.