An investigation into teachers' and students' perceptions of implementing group work in EFL reading lessons at Vo Van Kiet high school

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

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NGUYEN THI MINH PHUONG

AN INVESTIGATION INTO

TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS

OF IMPLEMENTING GROUP WORK

IN EFL READING LESSONS

AT VO VAN KIET HIGH SCHOOL

MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

HO CHI MINH CITY, 2022

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

--------∞0∞--------

NGUYEN THI MINH PHUONG

AN INVESTIGATION INTO

TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS

OF IMPLEMENTING GROUP WORK

IN EFL READING LESSONS

AT VO VAN KIET HIGH SCHOOL

Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Major code: 8 14 01 11

MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

Supervisor: LAM THANH NAM, Ph.D

HO CHI MINH CITY, 2022

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC MỞ CỘNG HÒA XÃ HỘI CHỦ NGHĨA VIỆT NAM

THÀNH PHỐ HỒ CHÍ MINH Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc

KHOA ĐÀO TẠO SAU ĐẠI HỌC

GIẤY XÁC NHẬN

Tôi tên là: Nguyễn Thị Minh Phương

Ngày sinh: 01/01/1995 Nơi sinh: Long An

Chuyên ngành: Lý luận và phương pháp giảng dạy Tiếng Anh

Mã học viên: 1881401110029

Tôi đồng ý cung cấp toàn văn thông tin luận án/ luận văn tốt nghiệp hợp lệ về bản

quyền cho Thư viện trường đại học Mở Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh. Thư viện trường

đại học Mở Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh sẽ kết nối toàn văn thông tin luận án/ luận văn

tốt nghiệp vào hệ thống thông tin khoa học của Sở Khoa học và Công nghệ Thành

phố Hồ Chí Minh.

Ký tên

(Ghi rõ họ và tên)

…………………………………

CỘNG HÒA XÃ HỘI CHỦ NGHĨA VIỆT NAM

Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc

Ý KIẾN CHO PHÉP BẢO VỆ LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ

CỦA GIẢNG VIÊN HƯỚNG DẪN

Giảng viên hướng dẫn: Lâm Thành Nam

Học viên thực hiện: Nguyễn Thị Minh Phương Lớp: MTESOL018A

Ngày sinh: 01/01/1995 Nơi sinh: Long An

Tên đề tài: An investigation into teachers’ and students’ perceptions of implementing group work

in EFL reading lessons at Vo Van Kiet High School

Ý kiến của giáo viên hướng dẫn: đồng ý cho học viên Nguyễn Thị Minh Phương được bảo

vệ luận văn trước Hội đồng

Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, ngày 12 tháng 04 năm 2022

Người nhận xét

Lâm Thành Nam

i

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY

I certify that this thesis, entitled “An investigation into teachers’ and

students’ perceptions of implementing group work in EFL reading lessons at Vo

Van Kiet High School”, is my own work. Except references were made in the thesis, the whole or small parts of the

thesis have not been published or used for being awarded another degree. No materials published by another person were used in the thesis without due

acknowledgement. This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in

any other university or institution. Ho Chi Minh City, 2022

Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong

ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, I wish to express my profound gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Lam Thanh Nam, for his continuous support and encouragement of this thesis. Thank you for his patience and enthusiasm that help me learn more knowledge

during completing my thesis. Without his invaluable instructions and helpful

suggestions, I could not have finished my thesis promptly. I am thankful to the instructors teaching the class TESOL18 at Ho Chi Minh

City Open University for their interesting lectures in my coursework which had

major benefits for my thesis. I must say thank you to the boards of Vo Van Kiet High School giving me

the most favorable conditions to conduct my research. Besides, I am grateful for the

enthusiastic cooperation of the participants who contributed to my research. Finally, I would like to thank my family and my friends for their

unconditional love and considerable assistance. Especially, I desire to give my

warmest thanks to my mother who always encourages me to broaden my knowledge

and pursuit the lifelong learning.

iii

ABSTRACT

The study attempted to investigate teachers’ and eleventh-graders’ perceptions of implementing group work (GW) in EFL (English as a foreign

language) reading lessons. The study aimed to explore participants’ perceptions of

how beneficial GW is in teaching and learning in reading lessons, what challenges

teachers and students may confront, and what factors contributing to GW’s success

perceived by candidates. The study was done at Vo Van Kiet (VVK) High School

in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City, with 10 English teachers’ and 307

eleventh-graders’ participation in the second semester of the academic year

2020-2021. I adopted a research design combining data from classroom

observations, questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews. The findings

revealed that teachers and students both had positive perceptions of using GW in

reading lessons since this approach provides diverse benefits. The results indicated

the factors concerning teachers’ role, the tasks for GW and classroom context that

affected the effectiveness of GW implementation. Future research should be carried

out on a larger scale with numerous participants from many schools.

.Keywords: group work, reading lessons, factors, perceptions.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY .............................................................................................................i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.........................................................................................................................ii

ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................................ iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................iv

LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................................................... vii

LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................... viii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .....................................................................................................................ix

Chapter One: INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................... 1

1.1. Statement of the problem..................................................................................................................... 1

1.2. Research aim........................................................................................................................................4

1.3. Research questions...............................................................................................................................4

1.4. Significance of the study ......................................................................................................................4

Chapter Two: LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................... 6

2.1. Classroom interactions.........................................................................................................................6

2.2. Group work .......................................................................................................................................... 7

2.2.1. Definition of GW...................................................................................................................... 8

2.2.2. Types of GW.............................................................................................................................8

2.2.3. Formation of GW....................................................................................................................10

2.2.4. Stages of GW.......................................................................................................................... 11

2.2.5. Benefits of GW in L2 education and in reading lessons.........................................................13

2.2.6. Challenges of GW in language education ...............................................................................16

2.3. Teacher’s and students’ roles in GW activities..................................................................................17

2.3.1. Teacher’s roles in GW activities.............................................................................................17

2.3.2. Students’ roles in GW activities............................................................................................. 18

2.4. Factors influencing the success of GW activities.............................................................................. 18

2.4.1. The classroom context............................................................................................................ 19

2.4.2. The teacher’s role ....................................................................................................................20

2.4.3. Tasks for GW..........................................................................................................................20

2.5. Reading skills.....................................................................................................................................21

2.5.1. Definition ................................................................................................................................ 21

2.5.2. Class organization in reading skills........................................................................................ 21

2.5.3. Reading skills in EFL education at Vietnamese high schools................................................ 22

2.6. The relationship between GW and reading lessons........................................................................... 23

2.7. Previous studies about the effects of GW in language learning ........................................................ 23

2.8. Teachers’ and students’ perceptions of implementing GW in EFL reading lessons. ........................ 26

2.8.1. Teachers’ perceptions of GW................................................................................................. 26

2.8.2. Students’ perceptions of GW..................................................................................................27

2.9. Research gap ...................................................................................................................................... 27

Chapter Three: METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................... 29

3.1. Research design ................................................................................................................................. 29

3.2. Participants.........................................................................................................................................30

3.3. Sampling ............................................................................................................................................ 30

3.4. Research instruments......................................................................................................................... 31

3.4.1. Classroom observations.......................................................................................................... 31

3.4.2. Questionnaire surveys.............................................................................................................32

3.4.2.1. Teachers’ questionnaire ............................................................................................... 33

3.4.2.2. Students’ questionnaire ................................................................................................34

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3.4.3. Interviews................................................................................................................................35

3.4.3.1. Teachers’ interview......................................................................................................36

3.4.3.2. Students’ interview...................................................................................................... 36

3.5. Pilot testing of the questionnaires...................................................................................................... 37

3.6. Data collection ................................................................................................................................... 37

3.7. Data analysis procedure ..................................................................................................................... 38

3.8. Validity and reliability ....................................................................................................................... 40

3.9. Ethical consideration ..........................................................................................................................40

Chapter Four: FINDINGS........................................................................................................................ 42

4.1. Findings from the classroom observations........................................................................................ 42

4.1.1. Effects of GW in reading lessons............................................................................................42

4.1.2. Difficulties in GW...................................................................................................................42

4.1.3. Factors contributing to the success of GW in EFL reading lessons....................................... 43

4.2. Findings from the questionnaire surveys........................................................................................... 44

4.2.1. Teachers’ and students’ perceptions of implementing GW in EFL reading lessons.............. 44

4.2.1.1. Teachers’ perceptions.................................................................................................. 44

4.2.1.2. Students’ perceptions...................................................................................................49

4.2.2. Factors contributing to the success of GW in EFL reading lessons....................................... 54

4.2.2.1. Teachers’ perceptions.................................................................................................. 54

4.2.2.2. Students’ perceptions...................................................................................................56

4.3. Findings from the interviews............................................................................................................. 59

4.3.1. Teachers’ and students’ perceptions of implementing GW in EFL reading lessons.............. 59

4.3.1.1. Teachers’ perceptions.................................................................................................. 59

4.3.1.2. Students’ perceptions...................................................................................................64

4.3.2. Factors contributing to the success of GW in EFL reading lessons....................................... 68

4.3.2.1. Teachers’ perceptions.................................................................................................. 68

4.3.2.2. Students’ perceptions...................................................................................................71

Chapter Five: DISCUSSIONS .................................................................................................................. 75

5.1. Discussions on teachers’ and students’ perceptions of GW in reading lessons.................................75

5.1.1. Teachers’ perceptions............................................................................................................. 75

5.1.2. Students’ perceptions..............................................................................................................77

5.2. Discussions on factors contributing GW’s success in reading lessons..............................................80

5.2.1. Teachers’ perceptions............................................................................................................. 80

5.2.2. Students’ perceptions..............................................................................................................81

Chapter Six: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ...................................................................................83

6.1. Summary of the findings....................................................................................................................83

6.1.1. Perceptions of GW in EFL reading lessons............................................................................ 83

6.1.2. Factors contributing GW’s success.........................................................................................85

6.2. Pedagogical implications................................................................................................................... 87

6.2.1. Implications for English teaching practices............................................................................87

6.2.2. Implications for English learning activities............................................................................ 89

6.3. Limitations of the study ..................................................................................................................... 89

6.4. Recommendations for further research ..............................................................................................90

REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................... 93

APPENDICES......................................................................................................................................... 105

Appendix A: Example of a reading lesson in Tieng Anh 11 textbook ................................................... 105

Appendix B: Teacher’s questionnaire .....................................................................................................109

Appendix C: Students’ questionnaire (English version).........................................................................114

vi

Appendix D: Students’ questionnaire (Vietnamese version)..................................................................118

Appendix E: Teachers’ semi-structured interview questions (English version).....................................123

Appendix F: Teachers’ semi-structured interview questions (Vietnamese version).............................. 124

Appendix G: Students’ semi-structured interview questions (English version).....................................125

Appendix H: Students’ semi-structured interview questions (Vietnamese version).............................. 126

Appendix I: Classroom observation protocol......................................................................................... 127

Appendix J: Coding scheme of participants and data sources................................................................129

Appendix K: Quotes from Vietnamese interviews with research participants....................................... 130

vii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 Conceptual framework of GW in three stages........................................................................ 13

Figure 4.1 Students’ perceptions of the ways to form groups................................................................. 57

Figure 4.2 The students’ favorable number of students in one group .....................................................58

viii

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 Summary of data collection and analysis to answer research questions.................................39

Table 3.2 Cronbach’s alpha index of students’ questionnaire ................................................................. 40

Table 3.3 Cronbach’s alpha index of teachers’ questionnaire ..................................................................40

Table 4.1 Means and standard deviations (SD) for teachers’ perceptions of effects of GW on students’ reading skills and capacity ................................................................................................................ 44

Table 4.2 Means and standard deviations (SD) for teachers’ perceptions of effects of GW on students’ responsibility and autonomy ............................................................................................................ 45

Table 4.3 Means and standard deviations (SD) for teachers’ perceptions of effects of GW on learning

environment......................................................................................................................................46

Table 4.4 Means and standard deviations (SD) for teachers’ perceptions of effects of GW on

individualize instruction ....................................................................................................................47

Table 4.5 Means and standard deviations (SD) for teachers’ perceptions of GW’s difficulties...............48

Table 4.6 Means and standard deviations (SD) for teachers’ preference for GW................................... 49

Table 4.7 Means and standard deviations (SD) for students’ perceptions of effects of GW on their

reading skills and capacity ................................................................................................................ 50

Table 4.8 Means and standard deviations (SD) for students’ perceptions of effects of GW on students’ responsibility and autonomy ............................................................................................................ 51

Table 4.9 Means and standard deviations (SD) for students’ perceptions of effects of GW on learning

environment......................................................................................................................................51

Table 4.10 Means and standard deviations (SD) for students’ perceptions of effects of GW on

individualizing instruction .................................................................................................................52

Table 4.11 Means and standard deviations (SD) for students’ perceptions of difficulties of GW........... 53

Table 4.12 Means and standard deviations (SD) for teachers’ perceptions of factors contributing to the

success of GW................................................................................................................................... 54

Table 4.13 Means and standard deviations (SD) for students’ perceptions of factors contributing to the

success of GW................................................................................................................................... 56

ix

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CLT : Communicative Language Teaching

EFL : English as a Foreign Language

ESL : English as a Second Language

L2 : Second Language / Foreign Language

MKO : The More Knowledgeable Other

GW : Group Work

PW : Pair Work

SPSS : Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

VVK : Vo Van Kiet

ZDP : The Zone of Proximal Development

1

Chapter One: INTRODUCTION

This chapter will indicate the problem related to teaching and learning English at

high schools in Vietnam, particularly in reading lessons. The research aim, research

questions and research significance will also be mentioned in this chapter. 1.1. Statement of the problem

For the past decades, English has become an international language which is

considered as “lingua franca of whole world” (McKay & Hornberger, 1996, p.53). Lingua franca is defined as a language used for communication among groups of

people who speak different languages (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2008). Nowadays, English is used in many fields such as education, science, economics, politics (Hoang, 2020). Many books and other sources of information

are written in English. Besides, a number of companies, schools and universities

require staffs and students to have a great command for English. Thus, mastering

English is the key to broaden the knowledge and get a job. The increasing demand

for English has resulted in great requirement for appropriate teaching methods. Many studies have been conducted to seek effective teaching methodologies and

techniques to help learners gain the development of English, which opens

employment and educational opportunities for learners. Learners are quite inactive in traditional English classrooms. They sat quietly, listened passively to what the teacher taught and wrote anything the teacher wrote

on the board (McLeish, 2009; Prince, 2004). In other words, learners lacked

opportunities to use English in class. In traditional classrooms, students who are

passive listeners of lectures without interaction with teachers or classmates are not

likely to gain and retain information and skills longer as students who actively

participate in group learning (Davis, 2009; Prince, 2004). Meanwhile, in the modern

era of globalization, learners do not only need English to read texts but also use

English to communicate with others. This result in the change of classrooms that

sets environment for learners to practice English. Hence, in the need of English

2

language teaching, it “has shifted from the traditional whole-class approach to a

more communicative classroom” (Karim, 2015, p.97). In other words, the aim of

teaching and learning foreign language is no longer limited to the teacher’s asking

the student to do lexical and grammatical exercises, or to develop one or two

language skills such as reading or writing. Instead, the aim of teaching and learning

is focusing on communication in target language with purpose of understanding

others and making ourselves understood (Hoang, 2016). One of the most significant techniques in communicative language teaching

is GW (Nešić & Hamidović, 2016), which is gradually adopted for use in EFL

classroom to develop students’ communicative ability and language proficiency

(Zhang, 2005). Many studies indicate the effectiveness of GW in develop second

language learning (Ahmadian, Amerian, & Tajabadi, 2014; Dobao, 2014). Within in context of Vietnam, English is the most common foreign language

and becomes a compulsory subject in numerous schools from primary schools to

universities across the country (Hoang, 2010). Hence, the demand for English for

students from primary schools to universities is becoming greater and greater. Among seven foreign languages (English, Russian, Chinese, French, Japaneses, German, and Korean) taught as a compulsory subject in Vietnamese general school

system, English has always gained dominant status (Hoang, 2020). Besides, the

number of students learning English as a required subject always accounts for over

98% out of the number of students learning foreign language in the Vietnamese

general school education (Hoang, 2020). Thus, English is becoming more and more

significant for both education and career in Vietnam. Some problems in teaching English in Vietnam have emerged. One of the

problems is that teaching English has failed to meet the demand for competent

English-speaking people (Hoang, 2010). The reason explained for this is that the

mismatch between teaching and testing English in Vietnam. Whilst teaching relies

on the communicative approach, testing concentrates mainly on learners’

lexicogrammatical knowledge (Hoang, 2010). Moreover, in the context of