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Tài liệu Effects of group work on writing skills for ethnic minority high school students in lam dong master's thesis of tesol

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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING BA RIA VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY MASTER’S THESIS OF TESOL EFFECTS OF GROUP WORK ON WRITING SKILLS FOR ETHNIC MINORITY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LAM DONG Student’s name: Lê Thị Bích Đào Student’ code: 18110083 Class: MTESOL18K3 Supervisor’s name: Assoc. Prof. Dr.Pham Vu Phi Ho DALAT, 2022 i TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY.................................................................. vii RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS..................................................... viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................... ix ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... x APPENDICES ...................................................................................................... xii LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................. xiii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS ............................................. xiv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................... 1 1.1. Statement of the problem ................................................................... 1 1.2. Aims and Objectives of the Study ..................................................... 3 1.3. Research questions ............................................................................. 3 1.4. Scope of the study .............................................................................. 3 1.5. Significance of the study.................................................................... 4 1.6. Organization of the thesis .................................................................. 4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW......................................................... 6 2.1. Definitions of the Terms .................................................................... 6 2.2. Writing ............................................................................................... 6 2.3. Writing process .................................................................................. 7 2.3.1. Planning ....................................................................................... 7 2.3.2. Drafting ....................................................................................... 7 2.3.3. Editing ......................................................................................... 7 2.3.4. The final draft .............................................................................. 7 2.4. Group work ........................................................................................ 8 2.4.1. Definition of group work ........................................................... 8 2.4.2. Advantages of working in groups ............................................... 9 ii 2.4.3. Disadvantages of working in groups ......................................... 11 2.4.4. Group work in language learning .............................................. 14 2.4.5. Group work in EFL writing classrooms .................................... 15 2.5. Vygotskian Perspective underlying cooperative learning ............... 17 2.6. Previous studies on group work ....................................................... 17 2.7. Theoretical framework:.................................................................... 23 2.8. Summary .......................................................................................... 25 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .................................................................. 26 3.1. Research design ............................................................................... 26 3.2. Research site .................................................................................... 27 3.3. Research participants ....................................................................... 29 3.4. Research instruments ....................................................................... 30 3.4.1 Pre-tests and Post-tests ............................................................... 31 3.4.2 Semi-structured interview .......................................................... 32 3.4.3. The questionnaire: ..................................................................... 32 3.5. Data collection procedures............................................................... 33 3.6. Data analysis procedure ................................................................... 35 3.7. Summary .......................................................................................... 36 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ............................................. 38 4.1. The impact of group work on students' writing performance .......... 38 4.2. Students' attitude towards collaborative learning in writing classes 41 4.3. Discussion ........................................................................................ 48 4.4. Summary .......................................................................................... 51 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION .................. 53 5.1. Summary of the main findings of the thesis .................................... 53 5.2. Pedagogical implications ................................................................. 53 5.3 Limitations ........................................................................................ 54 iii 5.4. Recommendations for further research ............................................ 55 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................... 56 APPENDICES ...................................................................................................... 59 iv The thesis entitled EFFECTS OF GROUP WORK ON WRITING SKILLS FOR ETHNIC MINORITY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LAM DONG was successfully defended and approved on at Ba Ria Vung Tau University Academic Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Vu Phi Ho Examination Committee 1Assoc.Prof. Nguyen Huu Duc Chair 2. Ph.D. Bui Thi Kim Loan Reader 1 3. Ph.D. Nguyen Xuan Hong Reader 2 4. Ph.D. Nguyen Huu The Member 5.Ph.D. Dinh Lu Giang Secretary Member On behalf of the Examination Committee Chair (full name, title, signature) v BA RIA VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY POSTGRADUATE INSTITUTE BRVT, April 10, 2022 MASTER’S THESIS REPORT Student name: LE THI BICH DAO Sex: Female Date of birth: 29/ 10/ 1977 Place of birth: Lam Dong Province Major: English Language Student code: 18110083 I- Thesis title: EFFECTS OF GROUP WORK ON WRITING SKILLS FOR ETHNIC MINORITY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LAM DONG II-Objectives and contents: This study investigates the effect of group work on EFL learners in writing performance at Lam Dong Minority Boarding school, and it examines students’ attitudes towards the use of group work. The research objectives are as follows: • To determine the effects of group work on learners’ writing skill at Lam Dong Ethnic Minority Boarding; • To learn about students' perspectives toward group work at Lam Dong Ethnic Minority Boarding's writing classes; • To find out if there is any relationship between the writing scores and the attitude towards group work. vi This study was conducted at Lam Dong Minority Boarding school in Dalat, Lam Dong Province. The participants were 61 EFL high school students who were in grade 11. In the hope to gain the results, I employed the mixed-method: quantitative and qualitative, three instruments were put in use: a quasi-experiment, a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview to obtain the data, both of which were exercised for the students. III- Starting date: IV- Completing date: V- Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Pham Vu .Dr. Phi Ho ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR FACULTY DEAN ((full name, signature) ((full name, signature) vii CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY This is to confirm that the material of this thesis is my own work, to the best of my knowledge. This thesis is not for a degree or for any other reason. I certify that the intellectual content of this thesis is the result of my own efforts, and that I have acknowledged all sources and aid received in the preparation of this thesis. I certify that I am the author of the Master's Thesis entitled: EFFECTS OF GROUP WORK ON WRITING SKILLS FOR ETHNIC MINORITY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LAM DONG Dalat, April 2022 LÊ THỊ BÍCH ĐÀO viii RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I, LE THI BICH DAO, a candidate for the degree of Master of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, hereby declare that I, as a candidate for the degree of Master of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, accept the University's requirements for the retention and use of Master's Theses deposited in the Library. In accordance with these terms, I agree that the original of my Master's Thesis deposited in the Library should be accessible for study and research purposes, subject to the Librarian's customary rules for the care, lending, and reproduction of theses. Ba Ria Vung Tau, April 20, 2022 Signature ……………………………. LE THI BICH DAO ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to take this time to thank a number of amazing individuals who helped me complete this thesis by providing advice, support, and encouragement. First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Vu Phi Ho, my academic supervisor, who has been a tremendous help to me, who spent a significant amount of time advising and aiding me during my research. His patience, as well as his vast knowledge of academic prowess and performance, are qualities I admire. I admire his constant generosity in motivating and assisting me in completing this project. His insightful comments and encouragement aided me in overcoming obstacles in completing this thesis. I owe a debt of appreciation to Mrs. Pham Thi Hong, the Principal of Lam Dong Minority Boarding School, for allowing me to complete my studies alongside the school's students. In addition, I will never forget each and every one of the students who took part in this research. Without their assistance, I would not have been able to complete my thesis. Finally, I want to thank my family. I owe a debt of gratitude to my parents for their efforts in raising me and providing me with the opportunity to pursue a career in academia. I am also grateful to my husband, my siblings for their patience and unwavering love. They have been my biggest supporters throughout the long, and at times tough, academic road I've taken. LÊ THỊ BÍCH ĐÀO x ABSTRACT In this study, the influence of group work on English as a Foreign language as learners' writing performance at Lam Dong Minority Boarding School was investigated, as well as the students' attitudes about group work. The study included 61 students from Lam Dong Minority Boarding School in Grade 11, who were separated into two groups: one experimental group and one control group. A quasi-experiment was conducted in four weeks to solve Research Question 1. To begin, both the control and experimental groups were given a standardized pre-test, with the findings assessed. A standardized posttest was done once the data was analyzed. An independent sample t-test and a paired sample t-test were performed to evaluate if there were any significant differences in writing performance. A questionnaire and an interview in semistructured format with members of the experimental group were performed to answer Research Question 2. To find out if there was any relationship between the scores of writing performance post-test and identified cooperative learning attitudes of the experimental group, the Pearson correlation coefficient was used to measure the strength of a linear association between two variables to answer the Research question 3. The study's findings revealed that group work aided students in the experimental group in making progress in terms of English writing abilities, they outscored students in the traditional learning group. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated that the experimental group's students had an optimistic attitude regarding group work in English as a Foreign Language writing classes. The study also indicated that there was a very small positive association between the experimental group's writing performance post-test scores and their attitude survey score. xi Keywords: writing performance, group work, student’s attitudes, English as a Foreign Language learners, experimental group, control group, the relationship between group work and attitude xii APPENDICES Appendix A: Pre-test and Post-test scores......................................... trang 62 Appendix B: Semi-structured interview questions ............................ trang 65 Appendix C: The questionnaire ........................................................ trang 66 Appendix D: Students’ answers from the semi-structured interview ............. .......................................................................................................... trang 69 Appendix E: T test and Independent Samples Test .......................... trang 73 xiii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Figure 2.1. Framework for collaborative writing. ............................................. 24 Table 3.1. Control and Experimental group under treatments ......................... 36 Table 4.1. Pre-test descriptive statistics for control and experimental group 38 Table 4.2. Pre-test and post-test descriptive statistics for the control group ... 39 Table 4.3. Pre-test and post-test descriptive statistics for the experimental group...................................................................................................................... 40 Table 4.4. Post-test descriptive statistics for control and experimental group . 40 Table 4.5. The attitude towards group work descriptive statistics ................... 44 Table 4.6. The Pearson R Correlation Analysis between the writing performance scores and the attitude ................................................................... 46 Figure 4.1. Scatterplot of Correlation between GW attitude Survey Scores and Writing performance Post-test score of the experimental group...................... 47 xiv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS EFL English as a Foreign Language GW Group work N Number 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION In the contemporary world, people have a tendency to employ English not only to overcome the language barrier but to serve different purposes in their lives as well. English plays a significant role in economy, politics, and even education. It is undeniable speaking skill takes the first priority in learning a language. However, among four basic language skills for learners, writing has been much taken into account currently because writing is a productive, creative skill that connects other skills in the process of learning languages, which ensure the language acquisition. Writing, in fact, is an effective and essential means for learners to convey their views, strengthen language knowledge. Hyland (2003) stated that performance in language development is the process of writing skill. English learners do not only speak the language but they also have to write down it on paper to exchange email, report and so on. 1.1. Statement of the problem To all English as a Foreign Language students, writing is a challenging skill. Thorson (1996) believed that it was not easy for EFL students to master writing skill because of their limited language vocabulary and knowledge. In Vietnam, Pham (2013) also indicated that the students at his college could not produce high quality writing papers due to the influence of Vietnamese in depth. Writing in groups is proved to bring back considerable effectiveness by many international and national researchers. In the view of Doff (1988), writing in groups is a learning activity in which two or more students deal with a writing task and work together to solve it. Storch (2014) realized that 2 in the world, group work in writing classes outside the classrooms occurred more often than that in the classrooms. Besides, according to Storch, group work would be an excellent way for students to develop their academic writing quality. The effectiveness of writing in group work is also pointed out in his study and other studies Kim (2008), Dobao (2012), Inglehart et al, 2003; Lowry et al, 2004). In Vietnam, writing in group is not a new teaching strategy which is employed by instructors at almost colleges and universities but it is still limited in use at high schools. In the high school English courses in Vietnam, the goals of teaching writing are to facilitate students in writing about the topics they have learned in the textbooks. Although there has been much innovation in English Teaching Methodology, some teachers tried to instruct their students in their own way. Consequently, the students particularly ethnic minority students encounter numerous difficulties in writing in the target language. Learners are often passive, even lose their motivation in language learning. They report that it is difficult for them to pass the writing tests. The answer to this problem might be the way that English is traditionally taught. As a teacher of English, who is aware of the fact and wishes to motivate ethnic minority learners into writing skill by group work activity, the researcher conducted this study to shed the light on the effects of group work on learners’ writing skill, to identify their attitudes towards group work in writing classes and find out if there is any relationship between the writing scores and the attitude towards group work. 3 1.2. Aims and Objectives of the Study Not only the impact of group work on students' writing abilities but also the attitudes towards group work in writing classes at Lam Dong Ethnic Minority Boarding were investigated in this study. The following are the research's precise goals: • To determine the effects of group work on learners’ writing skill at Lam Dong Ethnic Minority Boarding; • To learn about students' perspectives toward group work at Lam Dong Ethnic Minority Boarding's writing classes; • To find out if there is any relationship between the writing scores and the attitude towards group work. 1.3. Research questions The following research questions must be answered in order to attain the aforementioned goals: 1. To what extent, group work can contribute to improving high school students’ English writing skill? 2. What are their attitudes towards using group work in writing classes? 3. Is there any relationship between the writing scores and the attitude towards group work? 1.4. Scope of the study The study aimed to examine to what extent group work can contribute to improving high school students’ English writing skill at Lam Dong Ethnic Minority Boarding school and the students’ attitudes towards using group work in writing classes. The study was managed at Lam Dong Ethnic Minority Boarding school. Only activities involved in the writing skill of 61 students who were 4 learning English in grades 11, at Lam Dong Ethnic Minority Boarding school were investigated in the study. The mixed-methods design was done by examining writing skill and the students’ attitudes. Questionnaires and an interview in semi-structured format were exercised to collect information. To analyze data, SPSS version 26.0 and content analysis were employed. 1.5. Significance of the study The study would confirm the functions of group work in writing to EFL learners in general to students at Lam Dong Ethnic minority boarding school in particular. Therefore, it is expected to bring about some advantages to both teachers and students at Lam Dong Ethnic Minority Boarding School. The researcher hopes that the students will raise their awareness of the benefits of group work in their writing lessons to help each other to achieve the common goals. Besides, it is hoped that the study will notify the teachers at Lam Dong Ethnic Minority Boarding school to adjust their teaching methods as well as organize some activities appropriately. Furthermore, this study is also believed as a reliable source of reference for all researchers who are concerned. 1.6. Organization of the thesis The introduction, literature review, research methods, results and discussions, and implications and conclusions are the five components of this study report. Chapter 1: The first chapter provides an overview of the study's background, as well as a summary of the problem, as well as the study's goals and objectives. Three research questions are an integral aspect of the package. Finally, the thesis's breadth, significance, definitions of terminology, and arrangement are all justified. 5 Chapter 2 : The literature review in Chapter 2 shows the knowledge and theories linked to group writing activity. The definition and nature of group work are hotly discussed. Aside from that, certain past research in both the Vietnamese and international contexts that are relevant to the current study are taken into account. Chapter 3 : The methodology of the study is defined in Chapter 3, which includes the research design process, a description of the research setting, research stakeholders, research methods, data collection methods, and data evaluation. Chapter 4: Chapter 4 examines the data acquired from the questionnaire and semi-structured interview in order to convey the study's findings. The discussion of the findings also highlights counterparts and differences with data from relevant studies. Chapter 5: Chapter 5 offers the shortening of the core findings of the studies, suggestions of the research, restriction of the research, and exhortations for further research.
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