The present study adopted the action research approach. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected to evaluate the effects of instructional plans and actions.
The quantitative data were collected with questionnaires. Meanwhile, the qualitative data were collected through (1) questionnaire, (2) teaching journals, (3) students’
learning journals, (4) classroom observation by two colleagues, and (5) in-depth interviews with students. Moreover, all of the students signed a consent form (see Appendix S) to confirm their willingness to participate in this research and allow the teacher to collect data from them. The detailed data collection procedure is presented in Figure 4.
Figure 4. Data Collection Procedures
Questionnaires
Three questionnaires were given to the students in this study. The first questionnaire was used to inquire about students’ background and perspectives of English speaking/presentation training, which was conducted at the beginning of the English speaking/presentation course (see Appendix C) for the teacher researcher to have a better idea about the background of the participants.
To assist the teacher-researcher to answer Research Question 2 on how to reduce students’ speaking anxiety, the second questionnaire, Cheng’s (2017) L2 Speaking Anxiety Scale (see Appendix D), was used to collect quantitative data about students’
level of speaking anxiety. The anxiety questionnaire consists of three sub-components (three items per component); in other words, nine items in total. A 5-point Likert scale (one to five points respectively for opinions of “strongly disagree”, “disagree”, “neither agree nor disagree”, “agree”, and “strongly agree”) was used as the response format.
The first component, items 1 to 3, measured the cognitive dimension of speaking anxiety, i.e., one’s dysfunctional or maladaptive cognitions related to English speaking.
The second component, items 4 to 6, measures the somatic dimension of speaking anxiety, i.e., one’s physical reactions to anxiety in speaking English. The third component, items 7 to 9, measured the behavioral dimension of speaking anxiety, i.e., specifically avoidance of speaking English. The anxiety questionnaire was conducted at the beginning and the end of the English speaking/presentation course to compare students’ speaking anxiety before and after the course.
The third questionnaire employed was called “Teaching Activities Feedback.”
This was completed weekly by students at the end of the class to understand their perceptions toward each activity and their preparations for each speaking activity (see Appendix E). The data collected from the third questionnaire were used to answer
Research Question 1 on ways to help students develop their English speaking and presentation skills.
Teaching Journals
Teaching journals kept throughout the English speaking/presentation course were used to document how each class developed and to record the teacher-researcher’s reflections on teaching procedures and materials, observations of students’ reactions, and offbeat events at each class meeting (see Appendix J). During the class, the teacher attended to students’ learning behaviors, participation in learning activities, preparations for presentations, discussions in group presentations, and dynamics in group discussions. Students’ group discussions and presentations were videotaped to help the researcher recall the teaching procedures and crucial events during the teaching intervention. Based on the teaching journals, the researcher adjusted the teaching procedures, teaching methods, and teaching materials to better suit students’ needs and to alleviate students’ speaking anxiety. In the process of conducting action research, the teaching journals offered useful information for answering the two research questions.
Students’ Learning Journals
Students’ learning journals are tools for the researcher to delve more into the participants’ perspectives toward the instructional interventions. In this study, students were required to write weekly learning journals (see Appendix I) in which they reflected on their learning in the English speaking/presentation course, including learning difficulties, achievements, and feelings (including anxiety) toward each learning task. In addition, for the presentation tasks (i.e., giving persuasive and informative speeches) implemented in the second phase of the program, students were asked to document their learning experiences in two forms: a preparation form and a
anxiety on the preparation form. They documented their feelings and difficulties on the post-preparation form to reflect on their progress and find solutions to difficulties. The information provided by students’ learning journals helped the researcher better understand the perceptions of students and helped answer both research questions.
Peer Observations
Two colleagues of the teacher-researcher were invited to observe the speaking/presentation class. Both of them were English teachers; one had obtained a Master’s degree in TESOL from Indiana University in the U.S.A. and the other had received a Master’s degree in TESOL from the National Taiwan Normal University.
They both came to the class every week. A classroom observation sheet containing two sections (see Appendix Q) was provided to guide their observations. In the first section, the observers recorded students’ reactions toward the classroom activities, and their speaking performance. In the second section, the observers documented the teacher’s teaching procedure, and teaching activities. They documented the events by taking notes and photos. The observers did not interrupt or aid students when they were doing their speaking practice and presentations. The data collected helped triangulate the data collected through other sources.
Interviews
Interviews (see Appendix R) were used to provide an in-depth understanding of students’ perceptions toward the teaching activities in the English speaking/presentation course and the speaking anxiety they experienced before and after their presentations. Six students were randomly chosen to be interviewed at the end of the fluency training phrase and at the end of the English speaking/presentation course. In the first interview, four questions were designed to obtain students’
perceptions toward speaking fluency training activities, including which speaking
activities could increase their confidence in speaking and decrease their anxiety.
Furthermore, two questions were posed to understand the difficulties students encountered in the process of learning and how they prepared their presentations during the fluency training phase.
At the end of the program, a second interview was held to understand students’
perceptions toward presentation skills training activities and their overall learning experiences. Six interviewees shared their thoughts about presentation skills training in each class in the second phase. They were also invited to elaborate on what difficulties they had encountered when preparing the persuasive and informative presentations, what they had learned from the presentation conference, and overall suggestions for the English speaking/presentation course. All interviews were recorded and the data collected helped the researcher better understand students’ thoughts and answer the research questions.