Introduction
The present study aimed to assess whether task-based language teaching (TBLT) had an impact on the motivation of students with different English proficiency. Besides, the study evaluated the instructor and the students’ attitude toward TBLT. Through implementing this action research, the instructor, namely the researcher, was looking forward to making a big progress in English teaching. Consequently, Chapter Three included six sections to achieve the goals of the above. In the first section, the reason why action research was chosen was described. In the second section, the learning context was portrayed, including the Activation Curriculum in New Taipei city, and Sunny Primary School (pseudonym). In the third section, the instructor, observers and the study participants were characterized. In the fourth section, research processes and course plans were illustrated. In the fifth section, the data collection was included. Finally, in the sixth section, the data analysis was described.
3.1 Action Research
Action research emphasizes solving practical questions. Therefore, when researchers serve themselves as classroom instructors, it’s essential to reflect problems or issues throughout the whole process of the research, to adjust the action plan accordingly, and to improve teaching continually. Besides, it also pays great attention to cooperate with other teachers and experts. Through outsiders’ observation, suggestions, and assistance, researchers could discover the blind spots and at the same time do the reflection and get improvement.
Based on the characteristic of action research, it could make researchers develop effective teaching methods, let students attain higher learning achievement, and improve teachers’
teaching professional ability (Mills, 2006). Therefore, the researcher aimed to evaluate the students’ motivation and the attitude of the teacher and the learners’ toward TBLT from this study, and also through the process of observing, planning, acting, reflecting, and re-planning cycle (Gu, 2004) to improve researcher’s abilities in English teaching and problem-solving.
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3.2 Learning Context
3.2.1 Activation Curriculum in New Taipei City
In 2008, 48 public primary schools in New Taipei City joined the trial activation curriculum and next year grew to 85 schools. Since 2010, the overall pubic primary schools in New Taipei City had implemented activation curriculum. Three lessons were added to the formal curriculum, which two of them were international culture course and reading.
According to the goals of the activation curriculum, it is expected to improve students’
English proficiency and motivation, and it also provides different materials and opportunities for students with different English proficiency (New Taipei City, 2008).
Seemingly, this curriculum could not only motivate students’ interest in English learning but also improve their proficiency. However, there were still some difficulties and obstacles to be overcome including lack of administrative assistance, the heavy workload on English teachers, and mixed-level problems (Huang, 2011). The education department of New Taipei City government had noticed these potential obstacles and amended the activation curriculum plan, such as increasing certified English teachers, and providing administrators and teachers the information exchange platform, and conducting workshops to improve teachers’ profession and perception related to activation curriculum (New Taipei City, 2011). Due to the lack of English teacher and the inconsistent English courses, New Taipei City cancelled the Activation Curriculum but one more English class has officially added to formal English curriculum (New Taipei City, 2013).
3.2.2 Sunny Primary School
The action research was carried out in Sunny Primary School (pseudonym), located in Banqiao District of New Taipei City and near a train station. There are 50 classes in Sunny Primary School, and the 5
th
grade classes are eight. It’s an old school with vitality; besides, its school-based curriculum had been reported on newspaper, radio, and television.
According to the characteristic of Sunny Primary School, the researcher made the SWOT analysis to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats towards the action plan (Table 3.1).
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Table 3.1: SWOT analysis of Sunny Primary School!
Factors Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
Students (1) get used to do the group
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3.3 Participants
3.3.1 The Teacher-Researcher
The teacher as researcher of the TBLT course majored in Social Education at university, and attended English teaching courses at graduate school. In terms of her experience of teaching English, the researcher had taught English in public primary schools for two years and come across the difficulties of English teaching, including the mixed-level class, students’ low motivation in English, and classroom management issues. In order to make the teaching processes flow smoothly, the researcher used to teach English in PPP approach because it’s more organized and controllable.
In 2012, however, the researcher knew TBLT which had a big difference between her previous English teaching experiences. Through reviewing the literature, she got the gist of TBLT and would like to implement the action research plan to improve her English teaching profession and to solve the practical issue in English teaching (i.e. students’ low learning motivation).
3.3.2 Students
The students of the present study were convenient sampling, and they came from a 5
th
grade class with heterogeneous English abilities. There were 24 students in total, 13 boys and 11 girls; however, one of the girls had learning disabilities and sometimes had to go to the resource classroom, so her data were excluded from the present study. The seat arrangement was portrayed as below (figure 3.1).
*H: high achievers/ M: middle achievers/ L: low achievers Figure 3.1 Seat Arrangement
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According to the educational policy of New Taipei City, all of them had learned English for four years; in other words, they had learned English since they were in the first grade. Besides, some of them had studied English in the cram school for a long time, so they also had basic English communicative abilities.
In order to understand students’ learning abilities and attitudes as soon as possible, the researcher interviewed their homeroom teacher and English teacher; moreover, the researcher also entered their classrooms to do the observation before implementing the action plan. After observing, the researcher discovered that they were familiar with cooperative learning and liked to share their ideas in the class. Therefore, if the researcher could take advantage of students’ characteristics, there would be positive impact on students’ English learning and attitudes.
3.3.3 Classroom Observers
The researcher invited students’ homeroom teacher and their English teacher to conduct classroom observation. Firstly, students’ homeroom teacher had lots of time to get along with them and understand them much more, so she could provide more insights in classroom observation. Besides, the action plan was an additional English course; hence it’s essential to get the viewpoints of students’ English teacher. The backgrounds of the classroom observers were portrayed as below.