Sáng kiến kinh nghiệm Some pre-reading activities to enhance the grade 10 students’ critical thinking skill

Nội dung tóm tắt: Sáng kiến kinh nghiệm Some pre-reading activities to enhance the grade 10 students’ critical thinking skill

1. participating in learning activities energetically and actively. • Type of work: Group work • Technique: Mind map • Preparation: A video of an ecotourism destination- Costa Rica and a poster of questions • Procedure: Teacher’s and students’ activities Content and products Activity 1: Watching video and answering the Activity 1: Watching video and questions answering the questions ✓ Step 1: Giving the task 1. What destination can you see - T divides the class groups of 4 - 6 students in the clip? - Show students the video of an ecotourism 2. Why does this destination destination-Costa Rica attract tourists? 3. How does ecotourism influence on the environment Fro and the local inhabitants? Some pictures cut from the clip: * Suggested answer: 1. It is Costa Rica 2. Because Costa Rica is one of the best ecotourism destinations with exotic wildlife, rainforests, beautiful beaches and exciting volcanoes 3. Ecotourism has both positive and negative affect on the environment and the local habitats. - Asking students to watch the video and discuss the questions. ✓ Step 2: Completing the task: - The groups discuss and list the influences of ecotourism on the environment and the local inhabitants on the poster. ✓ Step 3: Reporting the result 36
2. The representatives of the groups report their discussion. ✓ Step 4: Assessing the performance: - T asks other students give comments - T gives feedback. Lead to the activity 2: You have talked about an ecotourism destination- Costa Rica . Now please scan the text and determine what the text is about. Activity 2: Choosing the best title ✓ Step 1: Giving the task Activity 2: Choosing the best - T introduces the task to St and asks Sts to title read the text for 2 minutes then discuss to A. Sustainable Ecotourism and choose the best title in pairs. jobs ✓ Step 2: Completing the task B. Pros and Cons of - Sts scan the text for 2 minutes, then work in Ecotourism pairs to discuss to decide the answers. C. Ecotourism- A solution to ✓ Step 3: Report the result Environmental Problems - T calls some Sts to give the answer and explain the reasons. ✓ Step 4: Assessing the performance Key answer: B - T observes Sts’ performance and answer V. RESULTS AND COMMENT 1. Results We applied these pre-reading activities to teach our grade 10 students in the school year 2020-2021. In spite of some difficulties, we achieved considerable successes in students’ behaviors and competences, which are the results of enhancing their critical thinking skills. We have carried out the second survey with the same statements on the same students from three classes at the end of the second semester (after using these activities). The survey was done to check how effective the activities have brought about. The table below shows the results of the survey before and after using the activities with the aim of enhancing students’ critical thinking skills. 37
3. Statements Options Before using After using the activities the activities 1. Critical thinking is an important A. Yes 42% 76% skill. B. No 35% 11% C. Not sure 23% 13% 2. You have many difficulties in A. Yes 77% 24% making decisions by yourself. B. No 15% 53% C. Not sure 8% 23% 3. You are good at processing and A. Yes 9% 42% evaluating information. B. No 51% 31% C. Not sure 40% 27% 4. You always make questions A. Yes 32% 63% immediately when you get B. No 45% 24% information. C. Not sure 23% 13% 5. It is necessary to think about the A. Yes 41% 73% explanations and assumptions for our B. No 45% 18% choices. C. Not sure 4% 9% 6. English lessons have great A. Yes 12% 67% influences on your ways of thinking. B. No 34% 2% C. Not sure 54% 21% 7. The others’ thinking is important A. Yes 30% 72% to you. B. No 62% 13% C. Not sure 8% 15% 8. You are patient enough with the A. Yes 7% 45% complexity. B. No 61% 24% C. Not sure 32% 31% 38
4. 2. Comments The survey shows that after using the interventional activities, there has been much more differences from before using them. After using the activities, we have found that the students have changed considerately their attitude, behaviors and competences. First of all, they have known the importance of critical thinking; therefore, they have tried to practice it every day. Secondly, they are better at processing information as well as making decisions. For examples, they have already known how to make questions and what questions should be raised as soon as they get information to determine whether the information is true or not. They also find it necessary to think about the explanations and assumptions for their choices. Thirdly, our students have tended to respect others’ opinions whether they have the same opinions or not. Moreover, they become patient enough with the complexity. Last but not least, more students admit that English lessons have great influences on their ways of thinking, behaviors and competences. In conclusion, after using these interventional activities, our students have made a great deal of progress in their critical thinking and problem solutions. 39
5. PART 3: CONCLUSION The study was implemented at the beginning of the school year 2020-2021, when we were assigned to teach grade 10 students. The fact that our students’ school entrance marks were low, especially the English subject means the students’ knowledge and competences are not good. Consequently, in contrast with the continued advance of civilization, our students have had more and more difficulties in both study and life. Hence, we have made great efforts to find solutions to help our students to improve their learning and achieve successes in the life. With the pre-reading activities suggested in this study, students are engaged in their reading, curious about the texts and willing to discover more information. More exactly, they find their motivation to read materials and develop their reading skill. More importantly, they have had the habits of thinking critically to process information and solve problems in the life as soon as they are asked. Practically, the students have the ability of making decisions about their study, jobs, life by themselves easier. In addition, they can apply their knowledge into the real life although this is not always really flexible. These are the good things we have achieved in our study. Basing on the situation analysis and the survey, we have designed pre- reading activities in the reading lessons (Tieng Anh 10) which are interesting and suitable for our students. These activities are completely adapted and follow the official letter 5512 of Education Ministry. With our designed pre-reading activities, students build and develop their required behaviors and competences in teaching and learning foreign languages. By using these activities, the pre-reading stage not only activates students’ knowledge, provides them with useful language but also builds and enhances their critical thinking. Another success of our designed activities is helping students boost both their collaboration to solve problems in the life through pair work, group work and presentation skills. Besides, the students’ creativity is dramatically increased. Truthfully, sometimes, these activities are not completely effective because of the number of students in the class and the class facilities. However, undeniably, these activities have had a lot of positive influences on our students’ behaviors and competences. They have gradually changed their ways of beliefs, thinking and formed key behaviors and competences to meet the standards of a global citizen in the 21st century. As can be seen from the survey, our students have significantly improved in their attitude and competences. Therefore, we can also apply similar activities to develop grade 11 and grade 12 students’ critical thinking skills through pre- reading stage. In fact, these are only some suggested activities other teachers can design different reasonable pre-reading activities providing that they boost their students’ critical thinking. We hope that critical thinking skills should be taught and paid attention to in other subjects. Our measures have been taken during the teaching process. Thanks to the 40
6. development of information technology, we have searched for much useful information to carry out the study. In addition, the study has been completed with the assistance of the foreign language experts, our school’s Board of Directors, our colleagues and students. We would like to express our sincere acknowledgement of their support and cooperation. We would be grateful if we receive the comments and good ideas from readers and other teachers so that the study is getting more and more effective and interesting. 41
7. REFERENCES 1. Bloom, B. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: David McKay Co. Inc. 2. Anderson, L. & Krathwohl, D. (Eds.) (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching and assessing: a revision of Boom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: Longman. 3. Forrester, J. (2008). Thinking creatively; thinking critically. Asian Social Science, 4(5), 100-105. 4. Kurfiss, J. C. (1988). Critical thinking: theory, research, practice, and possibilities. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No.2. Washington, D.C.: Association for the Study of Higher Education. 5. Paul, R., Elder, L., & Bartell, T. (1997). California teaching preparation for instruction in critical thinking: research findings and policy recommendations. Santa Rosa, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking. 6. Brown, M.N. & Kelley, S.M. 1986. Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking, 7th ed. Englewood, NJ: Prentice Hall. 7. Hoang Van Van, Tieng Anh 10 textbook (2012) 8. http:// scholar.google.com 9. 10. 11. 12. 42