Thạc Sĩ An action research on the effects of pre - writing activities on the grade – 11 non – major english

An Action research on the effects of
Pre - writing activities on the Grade – 11 Non – Major English students’ motivation in writing at Nguyen Binh Khiem High School Hanoi

nghiên cứu thực nghiệm về ảnh hưởng của các hoạt động trước khi viết tới việc tăng cường hứng thú trong kỹ năng viết cho học sinh lớp 11 không chuyên trường THPT Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm, Hà Nội





TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Acknowledgements i
Abstract . ii
Table of contents . iii
Abbreviations . vi

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION
I. Rationale 1
II. Research questions 1
III. Methods of the study . 2
III.1. Participants 2
III.2. Instrumentation . 2
IV. Research procedure . 3
V. Scope of the study 4
VI. Design of the study 4
VII. Significance of the study 4

PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW
I.1. ACTION RESEARCH
I.1.1. What is action research? 5
I.1.2. Why does a teacher need action research? 6
I.1.3. How does a teacher carry out action research in a language classroom? 7
I.1.4. Summary 8
I.2. WRITING . 9
I.2.1. What is writing? 9
I.2.2. Why teach writing? . 9
I.2.3. Approaches to teaching writing . 10
I.2.3.1. Controlled – to – Free Approach . 10
I.2.3.2. Free – Writing Approach . 10
I.2.3.3. Paragraph – Pattern Approach 11
I.2.3.4. The Grammar – Syntax – Organization Approach 11
I.2.3.5. Communicative Approach . 11
I.2.3.6. The Process Approach 11
I.2.4. What is pre – writing? . 12
I.3. PRE – LESSON FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN WRITING LESSONS 12
I.3.1. Student factors . 12
I.3.1.1. Students’ learning styles . 12
I.3.1.2. Students’ motivation . 13
I.3.1.3. Students’ language level . 13
I.3.2. Teacher factors 14
I.3.2.1. Teachers’ teaching methods . 14
I.3.2.2. Teachers’ knowledge 15
I.3.2.3. Teachers’ instructions 15
I.3.3. External factors 16
I.3.3.1. Time limitations 16
I.3.3.2. Classroom and materials restraints . 16
I.4. THE WRITING PROGRAM FOR GRADE 11[SUP]TH[/SUP] NON – ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT NGUYEN BINH KHIEM HIGH SCHOOL . 17
I.4.1. The objectives of the program . 17
I.4.2. The teaching materials . 18
I.4.3. The schedule of the course 18

CHAPTER TWO: ACTION RESEARCH PROCEDURE
II.1. Pre – Improvement stage 20
Step 1: Identifying the problem . 20
II.1.1. Identifying the problem 20
II.1.2. Observing a lesson that illustrated the problem . 20
II.1.3. Conducting a survey to get information from students . 22
Step 2: Finding causes of the problem 24
II.1.4. Consulting with colleagues . 24
II.1.5. Reading professional books or journals for ideas and suggestions . 28
II.2. Try – out stage . 28
Step 3: Designing strategies for improvement 28
Step 4: Trying out strategies and making notes on what happened in the class 29
II.3. Post – Improvement . 29
Step 5: Evaluating the try – out . 29
II.3.1. Post – improvement class observation 30
II.3.2. Post – improvement questionnaire for students . 34
II.4. Summary . 38

PART THREE: CONCLUSION . 39
I.Summary of the main findings . 39
II. Implications for more effective writing lessons 39
II.1. To the teachers 39
II.2. To the classroom facilities . 40
III. Limitations and suggestions for further study 40
IV. Conclusion 40

REFERENCES VII
APPENDICES . IX