VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATION PAPER The influences of the experiential learning Tutoring Project on ELT pre-service teachers’ professional development Supervisor: Nguyễn Thu Lệ Hằng, PhD Student: Nguyễn Phương Hà Course: QH2014.F1.E1 HÀ NỘI – 2018 ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH KHÓA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP Ảnh hưởng của chương trình học trải nghiệm Tutoring Project đối với phát triển nghề nghiệp của sinh viên sư phạm tiếng Anh Giáo viên hướng dẫn: TS. Nguyễn Thu Lệ Hằng Sinh viên: Nguyễn Phương Hà Niên khóa: QH2014.F1.E1 HÀ NỘI – 2018 Signature of Approval: _____________________________________________________________ I hereby state that I: Nguyen Phuong Ha, class QH2014E1 being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (Honors) accept the requirements of the College relating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the library. In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the paper. May 03, 2018 Signature Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude towards Dr. Nguyen Thu Le Hang, my supervisor for your valuable feedback and support. Without your insights, this research would not be possible. I did learn a great deal from your comments. It was indeed a pleasure to be your student. I would like to offer my thanks to the participants of this research for sharing your thoughts and experiences. My gratitude is extended to all the lecturers in the Fast-track program for instilling the can-do spirit in me. My two years in the Fast-track program was a series of first times: the first time I made a documentary, the first time I designed a poster and, most importantly, the first time I acted as a teacher. It was such an eye-opening journey. My appreciation also goes out to my friends, especially Nguyen Huu Nhat Minh, for his support and encouragement, and those fellow classmates for your critical comments and witty jokes in the middle of the crisis. Last but not least, I would like to express my deepest gratitude towards my mother, who taught me to never surrender to difficulties and challenges. Thank you for always being my greatest source of strength and inspiration. I am forever in your debt. i Abstract Experiential learning has been widely employed in professional training, especially pre-service teachers’ training, as a supplementary to formal theoretical instruction. The purpose of experiential learning in pre-service teachers’ education is to put the theory into practice, thereby reinforcing knowledge acquisition. However, in this paper, the impact and purpose of experiential learning is re-examined in the light of the Tutoring project 2015 – 2016, where the preservice teachers prepared and conducted lessons in pairs or groups even though they did not receive any formal training in pedagogy before and during the project. The research investigated the influences of the experiential learning Tutoring project on pre-service teachers’ professional development from the aspects of challenges. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. Specifically, the materials related to the project, such as lesson plan, course guide, teaching materials were gathered. Additionally, five pairs of pre-service teachers and one supervisor were asked to participate an online telephone interview. After that, qualitative inductive content analysis was utilized to process the data. The results pointed out major challenges facing the pre-service teachers during the project, such as learner profile, content, time management, learner engagement, classroom management and emotion. Moreover, the growth of the pre-service teachers was visible regarding teaching skills, teacher identity and the perception of their role in relation to learners. Finally, the participants proposed solutions to make up for the lack of pedagogical training and to improve the Tutoring project as a whole. Overall, the analysis of lesson plans and interview confirmed the influences of the experiential learning without theoretical training on professional development. Based on the findings, the paper also puts forward certain recommendations such as promoting the role of peers and providing detailed orientation at the beginning of the course. ii List of tables and figures TABLES & FIGURES PAGE Figure 2.1.: Kolb’s Learning Cycle 8 Table 4.1.: The difficulties from the pre-service teachers’ perspective 26 Table 4.2.: Improvement as perceived by pre-service teachers 34 Table 4.3.: Sources of knowledge 37 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Acknowledgements i Abstract ii List of tables and figures iii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1. Background of the study 1 1.2. Statement of research problem 2 1.3. Scope of research 2 1.4. Significance of the study 3 1.5. Thesis organization 3 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5 2.1. Key concepts 5 2.1.1. Experiential learning 5 2.1.2. Teachers’ professional development 5 2.2. The impact of experiential learning on pre-service teachers’ 6 professional development 2.3. Kolb’s learning cycle 7 2.4. Principle of Instructed Language Learning by Rod Ellis (2004) 9 2.5. Context: The Tutoring project 2015 – 2016 9 2.6. Summary 13 iv CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 14 3.1. Sampling 14 3.2. Data collection 15 3.3. Data analysis 16 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 18 4.1. Findings 18 4.1.1. Lesson plan analysis 18 4.1.2. Interview data analysis 23 4.1.2.1. Procedure of Tutoring project 2015 – 2016 23 4.1.2.2. Challenges 25 4.1.2.3. Lessons from Tutoring project 2015 – 2016 32 4.1.2.4. Suggestions for improvement 39 4.2. Further discussion 43 4.3. Summary 48 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 50 5.1. Summary of major findings 50 5.2. Implications 51 v 5.3. Limitations and suggestions for further study 52 References 53 Appendix: Course guide 4C* 55 vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background of the study With the belief that a qualified teacher requires more than sound pedagogical strategies and solid subject knowledge, experiential learning or field experience has been widely employed in EFL pre-service teacher education (Anderson, 2004, as cited in Hudson, Nguyen & Hudson, 2008; Stewart, 2004, as cited in Hudson, Nguyen & Hudson, 2008). Experiential learning is conducted with a view to bringing more attention to teaching practice in context. It is usually utilized as a supplementary to pedagogical theory training to enable pre-service teachers to reinforce and apply what they have accumulated through in-class instructions in actual social and cultural settings. However, it is argued that experiential learning or field experience in Vietnamese ELT pre-service teacher education seems “severely limited” (Nguyen, 2017, p.12), with too much emphasis on English proficiency and subject-matter knowledge (Nguyen, 2013, as cited in Nguyen, 2017) while “the core of language teacher education must center on the activity of teaching itself, the teacher who does it, the context in which it is done, and the pedagogy by which it is done” (Freeman & Johnson, 1998, p.397, as cited in Nguyen, 2017). Yet, it is unclear whether experiential learning is still effective without the precondition of formal professional training. In the “Tutoring Project”, experiential learning was also employed to improve pre-service teachers’ pedagogical skills. Specifically, thirty-nine ELT pre-service teachers in sophomore year were asked to participate in the “Tutoring Project”, in which they designed their own course and conducted lessons from scratch. Firstly, these pre-service teachers were assigned a target level. Their job was to train their students to reach that goal (B2 in Semester 1 & C1 in Semester 2). Subsequently, they had to decide what to teach, how to teach it, and conduct the lesson. After the lesson, they were required to provide follow-up activities for their students to do at home. Notably, none of the mentioned pre-service teachers had undergone 1 any formal teacher training both before and during the project. Formal training here is limited to education and training at university only. 1.2. Statement of research problem and questions The impact of experiential learning as an independent course has not been clearly defined. In order to fill in such gap, this research examined the influences of the experiential learning Tutoring Project 2015 – 2016 on pre-service teachers’ professional development from the aspect of difficulties and lessons learnt by overcoming these challenges. Additionally, the study searched for solutions to counter the lack of pedagogical training and to enhance the course in general. To reach the above goals, a set of questions were laid out with the aim of orientating the research: 1. What are the difficulties that ELT pre-service teachers encountered in the Tutoring Project as perceived by pre-service teachers and supervisor? 2. What professional lessons did they gain by overcoming such challenges? 3. In what ways can the “Tutoring Project” be improved to make up for the lack of formal pedagogical training? 1.3. Scope of the study This study set out to answer such questions by investigating ELT pre-service teachers in QH.2014, Fast-track program, University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS), who participated in the Tutoring Project 2015 – 2016. Though the Tutoring project might serve multiple purposes, the sole focus of this study was the impact on professional development of ELT pre-service teachers. The population of this research was restricted to 39 participating pre-service teachers of the Tutoring project 2015 – 2016. 2 1.4. Significance of the study Generally, this study aimed to contribute to the body of knowledge about the practice of experiential learning in teacher education. Additionally, this research would significantly benefit the stakeholders of the “Tutoring Project”, namely teacher educators and pre-service teachers. Teacher trainers may use the result of this research as a basis for adapting teaching methodology and revising the syllabus if needed. On the other hand, this research allows pre-service teachers to take informed actions for their own professional development. 1.5. Organization The paper is presented in five chapters. Chapter 1: Introduction explains the practical background of the research: the experiential learning Tutoring project of the year 2015 – 2016. Next, research questions, scope of research and its theoretical and practical contribution are clearly defined. Chapter 2 lays the theoretical foundations for the research. It starts with a review of experiential learning and its role in pre-service teachers’ education. Subsequently, Principles of Instructed Language Learning by Rod Ellis (2004) is introduced. Finally, the chapter sets the context of the research. The focus of chapter 3 is on the research design. It justifies the use of purposive sampling technique, interview, document analysis, and content analysis in relation to the context of this research. The steps in three stages sampling, data collection and data analysis are also specified. Chapter 4 displays the data collected by instrument: secondary data collection and interview. The interview results are divided into four main parts: procedure, challenges, lessons and suggestions. Then, major findings and their implications are presented based on the analysis of data. 3 Finally, chapter 5 answers the research questions and summarizes key findings. Limitations are also acknowledged and directions for further study are suggested. 4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter provides a theoretical context for this research. Firstly, it clarifies key concepts such as experiential learning and teachers’ professional development as well as offers a research-based explanation of their relation. Secondly, the context of the Tutoring project 2015 – 2016 is presented. Finally, how this study fits into the existing literature is also mentioned in this chapter. 2.1. Key concepts 2.1.1. Experiential learning Experiential learning, as defined by Beard and Wilson (2006, p. 2), is “the sense- making process of active engagement between the inner world of the person and the outer world of the environment”. In general, experiential learning serves to encourage students to apply the knowledge gained through in-class instruction into real life situation (Wurdinger & Carlson, 2010). In pre-service teacher education, experiential learning can also be seen as the intersection of theory and practice, where pre-service teachers apply their knowledge into contextual situations, thereby reinforcing what they have learned in class. In this paper, experiential learning is interchangeable with field experience or field- based experience. 2.1.2. Teachers’ professional development The term “teachers’ professional development” is a controversial term since it is viewed differently by scholars in terms of definition and phases. For example, Hoyle and Megarry (1980) argued that professional development the ongoing process of acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge for teaching. On the other hand, Day (1999, as cited in Jiang, 2017, p. 5), after reviewing a great amount of literature, concluded that professional development of teachers is made up of “all natural learning experiences and various consciously organized activities”. Fullan and Hargreaves (1992, as cited in Jiang, 2017) assumed that there are more to professional development than just the skills and knowledge 5 acquired through teacher education. They believed that the process of setting goals, getting along with co-workers and many other aspects are also a part of professional development. However, in this research, the term “professional development” of teachers adopts Perry’s definition (1980, as cited in Jiang, 2017, p. 6) since it provides the most comprehensive understanding: “In the neutral sense, teachers’ professional development means teachers’ personal growth in professional life, including the enhancement of confidence, the improvement of skills, constant update and deepening of disciplinary knowledge and the intensification of the sense of why to do this in the classroom teaching. And in the most positive sense, teachers’ professional development encompasses even more content; teaching has gone beyond a skill, and become an art; teachers has promoted teaching from a job to a career, and turned the professional knowledge to authoritative knowledge.” 2.2. The impact of experiential learning on Pre-service teachers’ professional development Experiential learning has long been employed in teacher education as a supplementary tool to formal professional training, and has proved its role successfully. Research has shown that experiential learning contributes immensely to pre-service teachers’ professional development. One benefit is professional identity construction (Gil- Gomez, Chiva-Martoll, & Marti-Puig, 2015; Yu & Hunt, 2016). Pre-service teachers’ perception of their role as a teacher is gradually shaped via field experience. As exemplified by the study of Yu and Hunt (2016), the pre-service teachers in the study showed remarkable changes in their attitude and perception towards their role. According to Yu and Hunt (2016), experiential learning is essential for making sense of one’s role as a teacher in relation to students, school and parents. Another advantage is professional skills. Experiential learning also helps pre-service teachers to brush up professional skills such as creating a learning environment, planning and delivering a lesson, and classroom management. Finally, field-based experience builds up pre-service teachers’ confidence as a teacher, helping them believe in their teaching ability (Yu & Hunt, 2016). 6 These influences still hold true even when the experiential learning coincides with formal training instead of following it. This claim is manifested by Mukeredzi’s (2016) investigation of the professional development of Professionally Unqualified Practicing Teachers (PUPTs) in rural Zimbabwe secondary schools. Due to the lack of teachers, university graduates were recruited as teacher in rural areas. These teachers were well equipped with subject knowledge from their university degree, yet lacked formal pedagogical training to be qualified as a teacher. Once recruited, they were enrolled in a formal professional training in order to become qualified, and at the same time, conducted their teaching at school as a teacher. The study pointed out that their development as a teacher were attributable to experiential learning (teaching at school) rather than formal pedagogical training provided by the government. The experiential domain received unanimous agreement from participants to have greatly enhanced their professional skills. According to these participants, their professional growth not only came from hands-on experience in class like delivery and classroom management, but also from lesson preparation, reflection and evaluation. Besides, opportunities to observe, discuss with colleagues, appraise one’s practice and question another’s were also of great help to their professional development. In general, previous studies have confirmed the influences of experiential learning on teachers’ professional development. The impact was noticeable whether experiential learning was carried out subsequently or simultaneously with formal pedagogical training. However, the impact of experiential learning as a stand-alone course is still in question. Hence, this study hopes to fill in such gap of knowledge so as to better illustrate the impact of experiential learning in pre-service teacher education. 2.3. Kolb’s Learning Cycle Kolb’s Learning Cycle or Kolb’s Experiential Learning Style Theory is based on his belief that “Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Kolb, 1984, p.38, as cited in McLeod, 2013). The model encompasses four stages as below: 7 Concrete experience (doing/ having an experience) Active Reflective observation experimentation (reviewing/ reflecting on (planning/ trying out what the experience) you have learned) Abstract Conceptualization (concluding/ learning from the experience) Figure 2.1.: Kolb’s Learning Cycle • Concrete experience: experiencing a new situation or actually doing an activity • Reflective observation: reflecting on the performance and considering both strengths and weaknesses • Abstract conceptualization: Forming new ideas from the experience • Active experimentation: Applying the newly-formed concepts to future situations, leading to new experience Kolb (1974, as cited in McLeod, 2013) sees the four stages as mutually complementary. A learner may start at any stage of the cycle. However, according to him, effective learning is only achieved when a learner experiences all four stages. 8 2.4. Principles of Instructed Language Learning by Rod Ellis (2004) Principles of Instructed Language Learning is Ellis’s (2004) attempt to generalize a set of ten principles for second language instruction. “Principle 1: Instruction needs to ensure that learners develop both a rich repertoire of formulaic expressions and a rule-based competence; Principle 2: Instruction needs to ensure that learners focus predominantly on meaning; Principle 3: Instruction needs to ensure that learners also focus on form; Principle 4: Instruction needs to be predominantly directed at developing implicit knowledge of the L2 while not neglecting explicit knowledge; Principle 5: Instruction needs to take into account the learner's "built-in syllabus"; Principle 6: Successful instructed language learning requires extensive L2 input; Principle 7: Successful instructed language learning also require opportunities for output; Principle 8: The opportunity to interact in the L2 is central to developing L2 proficiency; Principle 9: Instruction needs to take account of individual differences in learners; Principle 10: In assessing leaners' L2 proficiency, it is important to examine free as well as controlled production.” (From Ellis, 2004, p. 209-224) 2.5. Context: The Tutoring project 2015 – 2016 “Tutoring Project”, or the Tutoring Program, is the name of the project where the pre-service teachers acted the role of teachers to prepare and deliver lessons. The Tutoring project originally was a course of third-year and fourth-year pre-service teachers, who had 9 learned English language teaching methodology. The objective of the Tutoring project then was to give the third-year and fourth-year pre-service teachers a chance to put the knowledge they had learn into practice (Y, telephone interview, April 14, 2018). However, in the year of 2015 – 2016, the Tutoring project was incorporated in the course 3C* and 4C* for second-year pre-service teachers. This distinguished the Tutoring Project of the year 2015 – 2016 from those of the previous years in two major points. Firstly, none of the pre-service teachers had received any formal pedagogical training by the time. Secondly, the Tutoring project was featured as an activity of Fast-track program, thereby embodying the philosophy of a Fast-track course. According to AUN Report (2012, as cited in Nguyen, n.d.), a Fast-track course is defined in two distinct characteristics. Knowledge acquisition should not be the sole objective of the course, but generic skills must also be a part of that aim. In addition, learner-centered approach must also be highlighted. The Tutoring Project as well as the courses 3C* and 4C* of the year mentioned were conducted with 39 pre-service teachers from two different classes, (coded as Class 1 and Class 2), of QH2014, Fast-track program, Faculty of English Language Teacher Education (FELTE), University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS). There were two teacher trainers participating in this course as the supervisors. The supervisor teachers of the two classes were swapped between the two semesters. That meant the supervisor teacher who took charge of Class 1 in semester 1 would take care of Class 2 in semester 2 and vice versa. The content of the courses 3C* and 4C* varied from year to year. In the year of 2015 – 2016, these courses were comprised of more than one components. For example, according to University of Languages and International Studies (n.d., p. 3), the 4C* course consisted of “attendance and participation in CLC (20%), the Tutoring project (30%), the research project (20%) and the end-of-term test (30%)”. The Tutoring project and the 10