The effects of mind mapping on 11th graders' reading comprehesion at Le Thanh Ton high school in district 7 Ho Chi Minh City

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

_________________________ NGUYEN THI MY CHAU

THE EFFECTS OF MIND MAPPING ON 11TH

GRADERS’ READING COMPREHENSION AT LE

THANH TON HIGH SCHOOL IN DISTRICT 7 OF

HO CHI MINH CITY

MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

Ho Chi Minh City, 2019

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

NGUYEN THI MY CHAU

THE EFFECTS OF MIND MAPPING ON 11TH

GRADERS’ READING COMPREHENSION AT LE

THANH TON HIGH SCHOOL IN DISTRICT 7 OF

HO CHI MINH CITY

MAJOR: TEACHING ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGE

CODE: 60 14 01 11

MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

Supervisor : Assoc. Prof. Dr. NGUYEN THANH TUNG

Ho Chi Minh City, 2019

i

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I certify that this thesis entitled “The Effects of Mind Mapping on 11th Graders‟

Reading Comprehension at Le Thanh Ton High School in District 7 of Ho Chi

Minh City” is my own work.

Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis does not contain

material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which

I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma.

No other person‟s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main

text of the thesis. This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or

diploma in any other tertiary institution.

Ho Chi Minh City, 2019

NGUYEN THI MY CHAU

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Master of Arts in TESOL thesis is the result of a fruitful collaboration of all

the people who have kindly contributed with enormous commitment and

enthusiasm in my research. Without the help of those who supported me at all times

and in all possible ways, it would not have been feasible for me to complete my

M.A. thesis.

First of all, I am deeply indebted to my supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh

Tung, from Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, whose compassion,

encouragement and guidance throughout the research have helped in the completion

of this thesis. I have truly learned from the excellence of his skills and from his

wide experience in research; no words are adequate to describe the extent of my

gratitude.

I am also sincerely grateful to all lecturers of the Open University in Ho Chi Minh

City for providing me with invaluable sources of intellectual knowledge during my

study there. This knowledge was very useful when I conducted this research.

I owe a great debt of gratitude to the anonymous participants who contributed data

to this thesis. Without them the data collection for this study could not properly

been carried out.

Last but not least, I would like to express my particular gratitude to my beloved

husband and my family for their unconditional love, understanding, encouragement,

financial and spiritual support over time and distance.

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ABSTRACT

Reading comprehension is significantly important for students at all levels as it can

help them enhance their foreign language learning. However, teaching reading has

not been concerned appropriately at many high schools in Vietnam and this is also

true to Le Thanh Ton High School, at which the teaching approach has been

focused on the product rather than the process of learning and limited the students‟

involvement. A mind mapping strategy is believed to exert a positive effect on

improving students‟ comprehension and motivating them to read. Therefore, the

study aimed at investigating the feasibility of using mind mapping as a strategy in

teaching reading comprehension to Vietnamese high school students, particularly

those at Le Thanh Ton High School in District 7 of Ho Chi Minh City.

To achieve this purpose, relevant literature on mind mapping including types,

benefits, time, and situations of using it was reviewed in the theory chapter to shape

the theoretical framework of the study.

Based on this conceptual framework, the study was conducted Le Thanh Ton High

School with the participation of 80 11th graders. Data were collected through the

tools of a pre-test, a post-test, a questionnaire, and interviewing, and then analyzed

with version 20.0 of the SPSS software.

The findings of the study indicate that mind mapping technique enhanced the

participants‟ reading performance and increased their positive attitudes towards

reading learning.

Based on the research findings, the paper concluded with some pedagogical

implications and a recommendation for further study in the line of research on mind

mapping.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP....................................................................................i

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

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

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

LIST OF FIGURES.........................................................................................................viii

LIST OF CHARTS ............................................................................................................ix

LIST OF TABLES.............................................................................................................. x

CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION..................................................................................... 1

1.1. Background of the study ............................................................................................ 1

1.2. Statement of the problem ........................................................................................... 2

1.3. Rationale to using mind mapping .............................................................................. 3

1.4. Aim of the study and research questions.................................................................... 4

1.5. Significance of the study............................................................................................ 4

1.6. Organization of the study ........................................................................................... 4

CHAPTER 2 : LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................ 6

2.1. The understanding of mind mapping ......................................................................... 6

2.1.1. Definition ............................................................................................................ 6

2.1.2. Types................................................................................................................... 8

2.2. Reading comprehension ........................................................................................... 12

2.2.1. Definition .......................................................................................................... 12

2.2.2. Approaches........................................................................................................ 12

2.3. The learners of reading comprehension class with mind mapping .......................... 14

2.4. The use of mind mapping inside and outside of the classroom ............................... 15

2.5. The use of mind mapping in stages of teaching reading comprehension................. 15

2.6. Relationship of mind mapping to reading comprehension....................................... 17

2.6.1. Enhancing reading comprehension ................................................................... 17

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2.6.2. Enhancing learning motivation ......................................................................... 18

2.7. Procedure to apply mind mapping in teaching reading comprehension class.......... 18

2.8. Previous studies related to the research topic........................................................... 19

2.9. Chapter summary ..................................................................................................... 21

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .................................................................................. 22

3.1. Research site............................................................................................................. 22

3.2. Research participants................................................................................................ 22

3.3. Approach and method of investigation .................................................................... 24

3.3.1. Approach ........................................................................................................... 24

3.3.2. Methodology ..................................................................................................... 24

3.3.3 Techniques of data collection............................................................................. 27

3.3.3.1. Pre-test and post-test...................................................................................... 27

3.3.3.2. Questionnaire ................................................................................................. 28

3.3.3.3. Interview......................................................................................................... 29

3.4. Analytical framework............................................................................................... 31

3.4.1. Tests .................................................................................................................. 31

3.4.1.1. Grouping individual scores............................................................................ 31

3.4.1.2. Comparing means .......................................................................................... 32

3.4.1.3. Checking assumptions of the Independent samples t-test .............................. 32

3.4.2. Questionnaire .................................................................................................... 33

3.4.3. Interview............................................................................................................ 33

3.5. Reliability and validity............................................................................................. 34

3.5.1. Tests .................................................................................................................. 34

3.5.2. Questionnaire .................................................................................................... 35

3.5.3. Interview............................................................................................................ 35

3.6. Summary .................................................................................................................. 35

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION................................................ 36

4.1. Data analysis ............................................................................................................ 36

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4.1.1. Results in the tests............................................................................................. 36

4.1.1.1. Performance of the both groups on the pre-test............................................. 36

4.1.1.2. Performance of the both groups on the post-test ........................................... 39

4.1.1.3. Summary of test results .................................................................................. 43

4.1.2. Results in the questionnaire............................................................................... 43

4.1.2.1. Reliability of the questionnaire ...................................................................... 43

4.1.2.2. Students’ perceptions on the effects of mind mapping on reading

comprehension............................................................................................... 44

4.1.2.3. Students’ perceptions on the effects of mind mapping on reading motivation46

4.1.2.4. Students’ perceptions on the challenges of applying mind mapping for

reading........................................................................................................... 47

4.1.2.5. Summary of students’ perceptions.................................................................. 49

4.1.3. Results in the interview..................................................................................... 49

4.2. Discussion ................................................................................................................ 53

4.2.1. The students‟ improvement of reading comprehension with mind mapping.... 53

4.2.2. The students‟ positive change in learning attitudes with mind mapping .......... 55

4.3. Chapter summary ..................................................................................................... 57

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................. 58

5.1. Conclusion of key findings ...................................................................................... 58

5.2. Evaluation of methodology...................................................................................... 59

5.2.1. Strengths............................................................................................................ 59

5.2.2. Limitations ........................................................................................................ 59

5.3. Recommendations.................................................................................................... 60

5.3.1. For teachers....................................................................................................... 60

5.3.2. For students ....................................................................................................... 61

5.4. Suggestions for further research............................................................................... 61

5.5. Chapter summary ..................................................................................................... 61

REFERENCES.................................................................................................................. 62

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APPENDIX A.................................................................................................................... 70

APPENDIX B.1 ................................................................................................................. 74

APPENDIX B.2 ................................................................................................................. 80

APPENDIX B.3 ................................................................................................................. 85

APPENDIX C.................................................................................................................... 89

APPENDIX D.................................................................................................................... 94

APPENDIX E.1 ............................................................................................................... 100

APPENDIX E.2 ............................................................................................................... 103

APPENDIX F .................................................................................................................. 105

APPENDIX G.................................................................................................................. 106

APPENDIX H.................................................................................................................. 107

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1: Example of a mind map (Buzan, 2011)..........................................................8

Figure 2.2: An example of Network Tree Map ................................................................9

Figure 2.3: An example of Event Chain Map.................................................................10

Figure 2.4: An example of Cycle Concept Map .............................................................10

Figure 2.5: An example of Spider Concept Map ............................................................11

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LIST OF CHARTS

Chart 4.1: Pre-test score distribution of the experimental and control groups…………….36

Chart 4.2: Post-test score distribution of the experimental and control groups…….……..40

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1. Demographic information of the participants....................................................23

Table 3.2. The types of mind mapping of each unit ............................................................25

Table 4.1. Group statistics on the pre-test of the experimental and control groups ............37

Table 4.2. Independent Samples T-test on the pre-test of the two groups...........................38

Table 4.3. Tests for normality of pre-test scores .................................................................39

Table 4.4. Group statistics on the post-test of the experimental and control groups...........41

Table 4.5. Independent Samples T-test on the post-test of the two groups.........................41

Table 4.6. Tests for normality of post-test scores................................................................42

Table 4.7. Reliability of the Questionnaire (Items 1-20) ....................................................43

Table 4.8. Students' perceptions on the effects of mind mapping on reading .....................44

Table 4.9. Students' perceptions on the effects of mind mapping on reading motivation ..46

Table 4.10. Students' perceptions on the effects of mind mapping on challenges of applying

mind mapping for reading....................................................................................................48

Table 4.11 Interview results.................................................................................................50