Final Report on the “Seed” Project “Development of Text Sets (DTS) for Enriching the School-based English Language Curriculum at the Primary Level” (2014 - 2017)

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Final Report on the “Seed” Project “Development of Text Sets (DTS)

for Enriching the School-based English Language Curriculum at the Primary Level”

(2014 - 2017)

Abstract

Using sets of diverse, multimodal and multi-genre texts of high quality on selected themes, the Seed Project, Development of Text Sets (DTS) for Enriching the School-based English Language Curriculum at the Primary Level, aims to develop students’ skills in reading comprehension, literary response and analysis, vocabulary building, writing, listening and speaking.

The project was designed, implemented and monitored by a team of Advisory Teachers (ATs) under the leadership of the DTS Project Coordinator. An evaluation component, which focused on the criteria for completing the unit plans and selecting texts, was built into the design of the project to measure how well the goals of the project were met. Students’ and teachers’ views on the project were collected through focus group surveys and interviews in September 2014, June 2015, September 2015, June 2016 and March 2017. Comments gathered from these surveys and interviews have been incorporated into the evaluation as appropriate.

The results indicate that teaching with text sets gives students a deeper understanding of the themes and that it supports students in developing vocabulary and concept awareness, which in turn increases comprehension. Also, the units that have a more comprehensive plan based on the principles suggested and sets of rich texts identified seem stronger in helping students build background knowledge and achieve a deeper understanding of the selected topics. Moreover, the stronger the collaboration between the NETs, local English teachers (LETs) and ATs, the better the development and implementation of the project, which resulted in a school-based English curriculum that was richer in terms of the literacy experiences provided and could effectively cater for students’ varied learning interests, needs and styles.

The project has produced 19 text set units, which were co-developed by the DTS Team of the NET Section and the English teachers of the DTS project schools, addressing themes that appeal to KS1 and KS2 students and are closely relevant to their experiences. Students’ enthusiasm for these text sets kept English teachers and ATs motivated to continue creating and building them. Starting in the 2017/18 school year, DTS has become one of the NET Section’s primary literacy programmes. Twenty-seven schools have joined the programme and are going to work as a community to develop and build more text sets for the benefits of students’ English Language learning. We expect that more and more teachers in our programme schools will entrust their students with the responsibility to choose topics and create text sets on their own!

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1. INTRODUCTION

Background

1.1 A text set is a collection of materials, composed of diverse resources on a specific subject matter, genre, or theme. Text sets can include information from online sources or can be print-based, and a good text set offers materials at various reading levels. (adapted from Lent, 2012)

1.2 The “Seed” project, Development of Text Sets (DTS) for Enriching the School-based English Language Curriculum at the Primary Level, a three-year “Seed” project (2014 - 2017), investigated the design and use of text sets to inform and support the development of effective strategies to enhance students’ literacy development at primary level. It was in line with the latest trend of curriculum development, in particular Learning to Learn 2+, that lays emphasis on promoting reading across the curriculum, e-learning, self-directed learning and effective assessment strategies.

1.3 Teaching is not a one-size-fits-all enterprise. Development of text sets allows teachers to use multiple sources, ranging in difficulty, to meet their students’ learning interests, needs and styles.

By selecting different multi-genre and multimodal texts¹, DTS provides multiple ways for students to get the information they need, in the format that best suits them. If a student is not interested in or has difficulty understanding the printed text in a traditional English textbook, offering them other opportunities to gain the same content will enrich their learning. For instance, a struggling P4 student may not be able to handle the food pyramid from the English textbook, but they might love watching a video clip on making a healthy dish. The development of a school-based curriculum using text sets, rather than relying on textbooks and worksheets, serves to support an inquiry model that will:



stimulate students’ intellectual curiosity and interest in reading;



enhance students’ exposure and literacy development;



validate each student’s developmental level;



help students to develop the skills to make inter-textual connections;



reinforce and deepen concept understandings;



enhance the interrelatedness of reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and thinking;

and



provide opportunities for authentic assessment and evaluation.

Fig 1: Textbooks vs Text Sets

1 Multimodal texts are texts that combine two or more semiotic systems, which include those that are linguistic, visual, audio, gestural and spatial. Examples are a picture book, a webpage and a live musical.

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Features of Text Sets

1.4 Text sets can be organised in many different ways. In the DTS project, every text set builds around a theme and/or a concept that draws on the strengths and identities of students, providing an authentic context for students to respond genuinely.

1.5 In addition to focusing on thematic elements, each text set begins with a “big” question and a set of related cluster questions. Students explore the “big” question, which is moralistic, aspirational and critical, through reading relevant and challenging fiction and nonfiction, printed and digital texts. As they read, students analyse, interpret, compare, and synthesise information from the selections of texts. Students react to the cluster questions through writing prompts, group discussions, and independent projects as they read. In addition, they identify, practise, and apply specific critical thinking skills throughout their reading. At the end of the reading experience, students respond to the essential questions based on what they have learnt, so that their engagement with the central theme and the ethical issues associated with it is more genuine.

1.6 In the development of a text set, teachers use a core text to introduce the theme and the concept.

The core text is central to the unit and has ideas and information that encourage students to think broadly about the topic. Each text set is also accomplished through a wide range of multimodal and multi-genre texts which support students to build knowledge, invite students to think about the topic from multiple perspectives and encourage substantial amounts of critical discussion. As the texts in the set share common vocabulary, it helps bolster students’ vocabulary knowledge through repeated readings.

Fig 2: Possible items in a text set Video about Toy Story

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2. IMPLEMENTATION

2.1 Objectives

DTS aimed to explore ways to develop and use text sets as a means of enriching the school-based English Language curriculum and students’ English learning experiences at the primary level. The objectives of the project were:



To develop and/or identify cross-curricular themes and issues to inform the development of text sets and the design of learning activities;



To identify, adapt and design sets of diverse, multimodal and multi-genre texts of high quality on selected themes and issues to enhance students’ exposure and literacy development, to stimulate their intellectual curiosity and interest in reading, and to cater for learner diversity;



To design authentic and challenging reading and writing tasks, as well as varied learning activities, which provide opportunities for students to develop and apply a range of skills, including reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and thinking;



To develop effective assessment strategies; and



To evaluate the effectiveness of learning, teaching and assessment using text sets as part of curriculum development.

2.2 Key Emphases

The key emphasis of the project was on:



curriculum planning, and developing strategies for learning and teaching English;



development of critical thinking, creativity and communication skills;



assessment for/as learning;



building on existing pedagogical strengths/trends to promote independent learning capacities, e.g. self-directed learning, collaborative learning; and



catering for learner diversity, reading across the curriculum and e-Learning.

2.3 Three main levels

The project was implemented in three main levels:



At the learning and teaching Level;



At the school organisational level; and



At the community partnership level 2.4 Methods of evaluation

The evaluation conducted covered the following three strands:



Knowledge generation through reflecting on the voice of project participants learnt through the conduct of focus group interviews, consultations and questionnaires;



Reflection practices promoted through seed school visits, reflective writings and individual interviews; and



Networking promoted through workshops, cluster meetings and web-based platforms.

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2.5 Project beneficiaries/targets

2.5.1 Both KS1 and KS2 students benefited from the DTS Project. They engaged in English Language activities that enabled them to achieve understanding of multiple texts within a structured and supported environment.

2.5.2 Teachers participated in the DTS Project gained knowledge and skills in developing, implementing and evaluating the text sets to cater for their students’ needs.

2.5.3 In 2014 to 2015, there was one seconded teacher from a project school. The role included developing the text sets, with 60% of her time spent in the NET Section Office. The remaining 40%

of her time was spent teaching in her school. In 2015 to 2016, there was a different seconded teacher from another project school who followed the same work mode. There was no seconded teacher in 2016 to 2017. The Seconded Teacher was expected to:



collaboratively develop text sets with ATs in the NET Section and participate in professional development programmes on relevant topics;



take the leading role in the DTS Project within the school;



develop, teach and evaluate DTS lessons with project teachers;



visit network schools to share good practice; and



support data collection.

2.6 Participating Schools

2.6.1 In the 2014/15 school year, there were four project schools and one network school. Each school implemented the project at one specific year level. The number of classes, English teachers and students involved in the project varied from school to school, as did the role of the NET. They had students from a wide variety of backgrounds, from low to high socio-economic ones. The project schools developed their own text sets to enhance their school-based English curriculum. See Table 1 below for details.

School

Project Network

Target Year

No. of English Classes

No. of English Teachers

Role of the NET

No. of Text Sets Developed /

Adapted

Mode of Delivery Dr Catherine F Woo

Memorial School

 P2 4 classes per

year level 5 (with NET) Co-plan &

co-teach 2 In a concentrated

block SKH St Peter’s

Primary School



P1 6 classes per

co-teach 2

1. Spacing lessons over a longer period

2. In a concentrated block

CUHK FAA Thomas Cheung School

year level 4 NA 1 Integrated with PLP-

R/W St Paul’s Primary

Catholic School



P3 4 classes per

co-teach 2

St Anthony’s School  Attended a workshop

Table 1: DTS Project and Network Schools in the 2014/15 School Year

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2.6.2 In the 2015/16 school year, there were four project schools and five network schools. Four of them continued with the project for a second year, while one joined as a new project school and four joined as new network schools. See Table 2 below for details.

School

Project Network

Target Year

Adapted

Mode of Delivery

St Paul’s Primary Catholic School



P3 &

P4

4 classes per

co-teach

Developed 1 unit and adapted 3 established

units

CUHK FAA Thomas Cheung School

year level 4 NA 1 Integrated with PLP-

R/W Dr Catherine F Woo

Memorial School



P1, P2

& P3

4 classes per year level

13 (with NET)

Co-plan &

co-teach

Adapted 4 established

units

Jordan Valley St Joseph's Catholic Primary School



P4 4 classes per

year level 4 NA 1

In a concentrated block

CCC Kei Wan Primary School



P2 4 classes per

co-teach

Used some authentic texts to enhance the PLP-R/W and

textbook programmes

Integrated with PLP- R/W

Lam Tsuen Public Wong Fook Luen Memorial School



P4 2 classes per

year level 2 NA Adapted 1

established unit

Integrated with SuRE²

Sau Ming Primary School

year level 5 NA Adapted 1

established unit

SKH Holy Carpenter Primary School



P4 3 classes per

co-teach

units

SKH St Peter’s Primary School



P1 &

P2

13 (with NET)

Co-plan &

co-teach

units

Table 2: DTS Project and Network Schools in the 2015/6 School Year

2.6.3 In the 2016/17 school year, there were seven project schools and six network schools. Eight of them continued with the project as either project or network schools, while three joined as new project schools and two joined as new network schools. See Table 3 below for details.

2 SuRE is the acronym for an earlier Seed project, “Supported Reading”, implemented by the NET Section. The school concerned was adopting the strategies promoted in the project.

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7 School

Project Network

Target Year

Adapted

Mode of Delivery

Canossa Primary School (San Po Kong)



P1

7 (with NET)

Co-plan &

co-teach

Developed 1 unit and adapted 1 established unit

CCC Wanchai Church Kei To Primary School



P4

3 Attended Workshops

Adapted 2 established units

Jordan Valley St Joseph's Catholic Primary School



P4

4 NA

Developed 1 unit and adapted 1 established unit

Hong Kong Taoist Association Wun Tsuen School



P5

4 NA

Developed 2 units and adapted 1 established unit

SKH St Peter’s Primary School



P1, P2

& P3

19 (with NET)

Co-plan &

co-teach

Developed 1 unit and adapted 4 established units

SKH Holy Carpenter Primary School

 P4 &

P5

3 & 5 classes per

year level

6 (with NET)

Co-plan &

co-teach

Developed 1 unit and adapted 3 established units

3. Spacing lessons over a longer period St Paul’s Primary

Catholic School



P1, P3

& P4

13 (with NET)

Co-plan &

co-teach

Developed 4 units and adapted 4 established units

Dr Catherine F Woo Memorial School



P1, P2

& P3

13 (with NET)

Co-plan &

co-teach

CCC Kei Wan Primary School

 P2

5 (with NET)

Co-plan &

co-teach

Adapted 1 established unit

Lam Tsuen Public Wong Fook Luen Memorial School

 P4

5 NA Adapted 1

established unit

Integrated with SuRE

PLK Women’s Welfare Club

Western District Fung Lee Pui Yiu Primary School

 P1

5 (with NET)

Co-plan &

co-teach

Adapted 1 established unit

Sau Ming Primary School

 P4

5 Attended Workshops

Tai Po Old Market Public School

 Attended Workshops

Table 3: DTS Project and Network Schools in the 2016/17 School Year (con’t)

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2.7 The Process for Planning a DTS Unit

Teachers used the CLAP processes when they developed text sets. The processes included:



Choose a theme



Look for quality texts



Analyse and organise the resources



Plan and assess

2.7.1. Choose a theme or an issue

Refer to the English Language Education KLA Curriculum Guide and textbooks (if needed) to identify the content that will be taught. Choose a theme or an issue that appeals to primary students and are closely relevant to their experiences. The unifying concept and focus question of the text set can be based solely on English language learning or address one or more content areas, such as Mathematics or General Studies.

For example:

Theme: Toys

Key Concept: Sharing and caring

Focus Question: Do you (always) share your toys? Why or Why not?

Objectives:



Knowledge:

o vocabulary: toys, colours, size, numbers, etc.

o words to describe feelings and state preferences



Attitudes and values:

o sharing with friends



Skills:

o talk about toys using descriptive language

o explain preferences using “like” and “don’t like”

o use polite language

o scan for details

o write and talk about their favourite toys 2.7.2 Look for quality texts

Search for appropriate texts on the theme or issue in a wide variety of genres and modalities that will help scaffold the unit.

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9 Fig 3: A multimodal and multi-genre text set

2.7.3 Analyse and organise the resources Decide on a model to organise the texts.

Fig 4: Models for organising texts

Example: Sunburst

The Sunburst Model is the model frequently used in planning and organising text sets. It provides the opportunity to model the thinking across the texts in the themes.

Steps to Creating a Text Set:

Step One: Identify core text/s and formulate an overall line of inquiry for the text set

The core text serves as an introduction or scaffolding learning and teaching material for the exploration of the theme.

Step Two: Use a variety of databases to search multimodal and multi-genre texts around the topic (#50688: Teaching with Text Sets ©Shell Education Chapter 4)

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Teachers and ATs devised a set of criteria for selecting texts, i.e. they can be read independently by students, they can be used for pair or group work, they can be multi-genre, multi-level and can cater for learner diversity.

Step Three: Evaluate texts for inclusion in the set

During co-planning time, teachers and ATs worked together to:



refine and ensure the selected texts support students’ knowledge-building over the course of the theme and contribute to a range and balance of text types and formats;



brainstorm possible activities that link to the chosen texts;



fine-tune the objectives, focus and guiding questions; and



continue to refine the selections until there are a range and balance of texts that support student engagement with the line of inquiry.

Fig 5: Example of a sunburst model

Text Title Text Type Modality Main Ideas Possibilities Possible

Sequence Crazy Hair

Day (Core Text)

Story (narrative)

Print The character learns an important lesson from his friends, e.g.

• Good friends are loyal, encouraging and supportive

• Friends support one another in good times and in bad times by showing love and kindness

• Reading aloud / Supported Reading

• Peer / Group discussion

• Understand the main message of the story

• Role play

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Good Friend, Bad Friend Bullying

Videos about friends and values;

and bullying

Digital Show the differences between how a good friend and a bad friend behaves.

• Viewing

• Identify different types of bullying

• Role play a scenario about being bullied

2, 6

Willy the Champ

Story (narrative)

Print The story is a lesson on being different, bullying and overcoming these issues in your own way.

• Reading aloud

• Discuss the problem and solution

5

You can count on me

Song Digital A song about friendship • Illustrate the lyric

• Rewrite the lyric

3

Friendship cards

Exchange Print / Digital

Show appreciation to a friend • Vocabulary building

• Analyse the language used in different friendship cards

4

Table 4: Sample Resource Analysis Chart

facebook Twitter

Two

Lost &

Found

Crazy Hair Day

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2.7.4 Plan and Assess



Select outcomes that are to be assessed.



Identify and list the key ideas for each selected outcome.



Identify and list the skills for each selected outcome.



Based on the theme, determine what would constitute evidence that students have acquired a target skill or learning objective that you will assess



Design the task/activity around the evidence of learning to look for.



Include a challenge section at the end of the task for students to demonstrate high levels of achievement beyond the year level.

Things to consider:

➢ Lesson arrangement

➢ Timetable constraint

➢ Sequence of teaching schedule

➢ Lesson connectivity

➢ Planning lesson format

➢ Resource management

➢ Differentiation

➢ Monitoring students’ progress

➢ Scaffolding towards assessment task/s

2.8 Text Sets Developed in 2014 - 2017

2.8.1 19 text sets were developed in this three-year project, which covered a variety of text-types and reading comprehension skills and strategies. The first year of the project aimed at establishing a foundation for implementing DTS effectively, which involved introducing concepts, teaching approaches and methodologies that would scaffold both teachers’ and students’ learning. In the second and third year of the implementation, the focuses were more on understanding how different concepts and perspectives intertwine and incorporating teaching methods for deconstructing and analysing different texts. Tables 5 and 6 provide a summary of the DTS themes that were developed and implemented in the course of the project.

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12 Table 5: Themes and Key Elements - KS1

Key Elements

Themes Key Stage Core Text/s Focus Question/s Concept Assessment Tasks

Animals KS1  Dear Zoo  What animals make

good pets?

Respect and caring for animals

Write a Booklet - Identify the animal

- Describe the features and body parts - Write what it can do and where it lives - Explain how to choose a good pet and why

the identified animal is/is not a good pet

Celebrating the 100^th Day of School

KS1  The 100^th Day of School

 What has happened in the first 100 days of school?

Learning is fun  Celebrating the 100^th Day of School Event

Friends KS1  The Things I Love About Friends

 What makes a good friend?

To have a good friend, you have to be a good friend

 A Dream Seating Plan

 A Letter to Teacher for Changing Seats

Getting Around KS1  Transportation in Many Cultures

 What is the best way to travel around/get to different places?

Making choices Writing: My Favourite Transport - Write about their favourite transport - Show and Tell

Healthy Eating KS1  Incredible Book Eating Boy

 What do we know about the food we eat?

Choices Students have a choice of two tasks:

 Write a story: An Incredible … Eating ….

 Write a recipe I am a Primary One

Student Now!

KS1  The Things I Love about School

 How can I be the best me?

Be a better me  I can do it! Think-Tac-To

- Students have a choice of eight tasks

 Celebrating the 100th Day of School Event I’m Special KS1  I’m Special, I’m me!  What makes me

special?

All About Me I’m special because…

- Students write about what makes them special, e.g. write about their name, favourite food, colours, toys, activities and body parts, i.e. big eyes, long legs, that make them special

We Can All Be Authors!

KS1  Author – A True Story

 What do authors do? Everybody can be an author

Publish a text

My Family and I KS1  All by Myself

 My Mom

 My Dad

 How can I contribute to my family to make it better?

Everyone has different roles (in their family)

My Family Booklet - My family members - Family tree

- Things my family do together - Family rules and habits

- Things my (Mum / Dad / Brothers / Sisters) does to make our home a better place - Things I do to make my home a better place - A thank you note/card to my ____

My Five Senses KS1  My Five Senses

 Seven Blind Mice

 How do our five senses help us learn about our world?

Learning is multi-sensory

 Five Lines Poem

 Write a page of the Class Five Senses Book

Playing Together KS1  The Playground Problem

 How to be a good team player?

Cooperation and teamwork

 Design a game with rules and instruction

 Play the game with friends

Toys KS1  I Love You, Blue

Kangaroo

 Do you (always) share your toys?

Why or Why not?

Taking care of and sharing my toys

My Favourite Toy

- Describe their favourite toy - Why they like it

- How they can take care of it

- Whether they share their favourite toy, why or why not

- Show and Tell

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13 Table 6: Themes and Key Elements - KS2

2.9 Assessment Tasks

2.9.1 DTS provided students with multiple opportunities to share both what they learnt in the process of learning (assessment as/for learning) and what they had learnt up to any given point in time (assessment of learning). Assessment tasks were designed under each DTS theme to assess students' attainment of the learning outcomes. The learning outcomes under each theme were what students were expected to know, understand or be able to do (examples can be found in Tables 5 and 6). In undertaking the final task of the theme, students were expected to demonstrate initiative and intellectual achievement, understanding of the chosen theme, and the development of skills in reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing, listening, speaking, and viewing. They were also expected to use their knowledge about the chosen theme, as well as creativity, to accomplish the language tasks assigned. Samples of students’ work were collected to illustrate how students used the skills to accomplish their learning goals.

Fig 6: Sample DTS Unit Framework Key Elements

Themes Key Stage Core Text/s Focus Question/s Concept Assessment Tasks

Eat Smart KS2  Mr. Fact and Miss Opinion

 How can I be a smart eater?

Facts and opinions

Students have a choice of two tasks:

 A Letter to Principal (Persuasive Text)

 Food Report (Information Text) Friends and Values KS2  Crazy Hair Day  What makes a good

friend?

To have a good friend, you have to be a good friend

 Friendship Recipe

 Friendship Haiku

 A video about bullying

I Love Hong Kong KS2  Where are you going Today Bertie?

 What makes HK special?

HK is our home A photo competition

A photo and caption of their favorite place(s) in HK

Our Community KS2  An Animal Community

 Swimmy

 What is a community?

Understand what a community is

 A poster to promote community elements

 A video to explain what a good community member should do

Then and Now KS2  Freeze Goldilocks!  How do new devices change our lives?

Changes A Play Script

Innovating on the fable, Cinderella

Recycle, Reuse and Invent

KS2  Great Paper Caper  What is recycling and reusing?

 How can you help the environment with new invention from recycled things?

Caring for Earth A new product description

- Write a description of the new product (new invention) to inform readers how recycling, reusing and reproducing help the earth - Do a presentation to persuade participants to

buy the new product

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3. PROJECT EVALUATION

3.1 The evaluation of the DTS Project was an ongoing, formative process. The AT of each project school, in collaboration with the teachers involved, devised an Advisory Support Plan (ASP) to track the progress of the project, or the areas of the project being supported and how the support was being managed. The visit logs and the project evaluation were recorded in each school’s ASP over the three years when the project was running.

3.2 The DTS Project Team, made up of members of the ATT tasked with supporting the project schools, held regular team meetings to monitor the implementation of the project, and to discuss issues that arose at each project school and to brainstorm ideas on how to resolve those issues.

3.3 In addition to these records, teachers were asked to complete a pre-project survey (Appendix I) and a post-project survey (Appendix II) at the beginning and end of the first and the second years of the project (2014 - 2016). Students’ and teachers’ responses to the DTS Project were also collected through focus group interview sessions in the second and third years of the project. The data collected from these surveys and interviews were analysed for the project:

a) to find out what the perceptions and attitudes of students and teachers were regarding the use of text sets for learning and teaching English; and

b) to collect feedback on the project so that adjustments could be made in the following years.

Findings

3.4 In the 2014/15 school year, 21 teachers from the four project schools completed both the pre- and post-project surveys. According to the results of the pre-project survey, most of the respondents found that looking for quality texts (95.24%) and designing critical questions (90.47%) were the most challenging aspects in developing a text set. Most respondents also said that they seldom used reading instructional strategies such as reading aloud (9.5%), buddy reading (0%), independent reading (14.3%) and reciprocal teaching (4.76%)³ in the reading lessons. Workshops on criteria for selecting quality texts, effective questioning strategies and strategies for teaching reading were conducted in November 2014 and March 2015 respectively. According to the results of the post-project survey in June 2015, more than half of the respondents indicated that they were confident in choosing quality texts (52.38%) and designing critical questions (66.67%). The majority of respondents reported using a variety of strategies for teaching reading, e.g. reading aloud (80.95%), buddy reading (76.1%). However, only 9.52% of the respondents reported having used reciprocal teaching in the DTS lessons.

3.5 In the 2015/16 school year, 39 and 33 teachers from the 11 project schools, who were new to the project, completed the pre- and post-project survey respectively. According to the results of the pre-project survey, most of the respondents found that looking for quality texts (92.31%) and designing critical questions (94.87%) were the most challenging aspects in developing a text set.

Most respondents also said that they seldom used reading instructional strategies such as reading aloud (9.5%), buddy reading (0%), independent reading (14.3%)⁴ and no respondents used reciprocal teaching in the reading lessons. Workshops on criteria for selecting quality texts, effective questioning strategies and strategies for teaching reading were conducted in November 2015 and March 2016 respectively. According to the results of the post-project survey in June 2016, more than half of the respondents indicated that they were confident in choosing quality texts (81.82%) and designing critical questions (66.67%). The majority of respondents reported using a variety of strategies for teaching reading, e.g. reading aloud (84.85%), shared reading

3 The numbers in brackets indicated the percentages of teacher respondents saying they had used the strategies referred to.

4 The numbers in brackets indicated the percentages of teacher respondents saying they had used the strategies referred to.

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(93.94%), buddy reading (90.91%). However only 27.27% of the respondents reported having used reciprocal teaching in the DTS lessons.

3.6 The comments that respondents offered in the focus group interview for teachers and students in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 school years were generally constructive and helped inform the implementation of the project in the third year (2016/17) and the design of the DTS programme in 2017/18. Here are a few representative examples:

Comments Focus Group

Questions

Teachers Students

What did you learn from DTS project?

 I learned to use various reading resources to enhance the school- based curriculum.

 I agree that learning should relate to the real life experience.

 I learned how to identify quality texts and design assessment tasks.

 I learned a lot of vocabulary which was not taught in the text book.

 I used the new vocabulary in my writing.

 I learned prediction, clarifying, questioning and summarising.

 I learned how to debate with my friends.

What is the value of developing

concept/focus questions?

 We enrich students’ learning, from a boarder perspective (big idea).

 It provides students and teachers with a clear focus for learning and teaching.

 It helps students focus their thinking on the topic we want to talk about.

 I have lots of questions about what I read.

 The more I read, the easier it is to find the answers.

 I remember the concept “You are what you eat”. The character in the story was sick because he ate too much of something. I will not eat too much chips and

chocolates.

Did the unit design change your teaching practice?

 I saw the power of buddy reading and the related activities. Pupils really learned and most importantly, they learned by themselves.

 Sure. Changes: pair-work, discussion, pupils became more active. We used different strategies to teach reading, e.g. read aloud, storytelling,

reciprocal teaching.

 Yes, the unit included more student- student interaction through group work/buddy reading, etc.

Which strategies do you think are useful and use a lot in your teaching?

 Shared reading.

 Buddy reading enhances students to support each other.

 Critical questioning.

 Viewing.

 Pair or group work.

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Comments Focus Group

Questions

Teachers Students

Can you find any changes in students’ learning?

 Students were motivated as the unit was authentic and related to their real life experience.

 Students were less stressed because they could learn the vocabulary and sentence patterns from different texts.

 Students were more aware of the learning focus.

 The collaboration between students was improved.

 Students were more willing to express their opinions.

Do you think DTS has enriched your school- based English

curriculum?

 The unit design changed my usual planning practice.

 We used a lot of e-learning tools to facilitate the learning and teaching.

 Teaching resources are more organised around a theme and the teaching focus is clear.

 A variety of texts could be used to enrich the GE lessons.

What are your comments on DTS?

 It’s fun. We can use a variety of teaching strategies and quality texts which we do not have time to implement in our GE programme.

 We have time to design learning activities that provide opportunities for students to develop and apply a range of language skills.

 We allocate time to collaboratively plan, reflect on and adapt the units according to students’ interests and learning needs.

 We can be flexible.

 I like watching the videos. They are more interesting than the stories in the textbook.

 I like DTS lessons because we can choose what we like to read and what we like to write.

 I have time to enjoy reading lots of information about the same topic.

 I can remember the new vocabulary better.

 It is easier to read when all the books are on the same topic. I can make connections.

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3.7 Each project school was assigned an AT, who supported the school in meeting the objectives of the project through lesson observations, co-planning meetings, demonstration lessons and co- teaching lessons. ATs’ comments and reviews from school visits and classroom observation provided insight into how the project was developed. Evidence showed that teachers were more confident in using multimodal texts and various teaching strategies for reading after three years of implementation. The following comments are examples extracted from the End-of-year Advisory Support Plans for the DTS schools from the 2014/15 to 2016/17 school years, during the course of the Seed Project implementation:

 Overall the students were exposed to many different facets of learning. They were engaged in the activities using a wider range of reading materials that included such activities as reading aloud, buddy and guided reading. The core text was motivational and suited to student interest and ability.

 Teachers used a wide range of genres and levelled texts to cater for learner diversity. Students were effectively engaged throughout the units by effective teaching strategies such as questioning, reading aloud, buddy reading and reciprocal teaching. Pre- and post- assessment illustrated that students gained a deeper understanding of the units.

 The P1 students participated in buddy reading every week. One of the lessons was observed by the AT, and it was a huge success. Students read a familiar story to their buddy. Some students read a story from an iPad whilst their buddy read a real book. The students listened to the story being read to them and capably asked questions about the stories on completion.

The teachers provided all the necessary pre-teaching and support so that when the reading took place, the students performed very well and with independence. The AT suggested that buddy reading be integrated into PLP-R/W in the coming year as it allows for more extensive reading by the students and exposure to quality texts around PLP-R/W topics.

 Quality texts have been identified and different teaching strategies have been included in the P3 text set.

 Multimodal and multi-genre texts and different teaching strategies have been used and students’ four skills have been further enhanced.

3.8 In Appendix III, The Teaching Strategies Used for Reading Instructions in the DTS Project, illustrates a variety of strategies for teaching reading were used during the three years of the project.

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4. GOOD PRACTICES

Enhance a Collaborative Culture

4.1. Evidence shows that the teachers who made the DTS Project a success in their schools had committed to co-planning and attended relevant professional development sessions. English teachers, including NETs, worked together, with the support of ATs, to explore new practices, discuss implementation issues, and to share beliefs on important educational issues. A collaborative culture was reinforced within the school or among the DTS schools.

Impact on School-based Curriculum Planning

4.2. The project enabled the teachers to see the importance of incorporating text sets into the school- based English curriculum. The text sets are able to keep students interested while also focusing on the development of English language skills. Teachers also see that text sets are needed in their English classrooms in order to allow students to develop strong reading comprehension skills. As a result, the DTS schools adapted their scheme of work and modified their textbook teaching. The change in curriculum planning allowed time for teachers to consider and carry out innovative teaching practices.

Impact on Students’ Literacy Development and Proficiency

4.3. As observed during class visits, students were engaged in lessons. This could be seen in their responsiveness to different texts, ability to discuss the topics of the chosen texts, opportunities to think critically about issues or themes discussed in the texts. The lessons were student-centred, which allowed greater participation and self-monitoring in their learning. Such examples of student engagement can be found in group work, answering and generating critical questions, and reflecting on the type of reading strategies taught. Evidence also showed that students’

vocabulary knowledge was bolstered through repeated readings.

4.4. Students demonstrated their knowledge and understanding of the topics using multimodal texts, e.g. video and audio content, photographs, illustrations and print. Examples of students’ work included in Appendix VI are visual representations of student learning and their grasp of the project learning outcomes.

Expansion to Other Schools

4.5. During the three-year project, the DTS developers took the opportunity to share information about the Seed Project through sharing sessions, centralised professional development sessions and networking with other schools.

4.5.1. Centralised Professional Development:

Over the three years of the project, six professional development workshops were held at the NET Section office for primary English teachers. Two of these workshops were conducted by Dr Cheri CHAN and Dr Margaret LO, assistant professors and professional development coordinators for the School-University Partnership in the Division of English Language Education at The Hong Kong University. They were hired as project consultants. Each workshop provided participants with guiding principles on text selection, practical strategies for planning and implementing DTS lessons, as well as providing information on how to develop critical literacy skills and the assessment of reading in the context of using text sets.

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4.5.2. Sharing Sessions:

The “Seed” project teachers, including NETs, shared their experiences of learning and teaching in the project, as well as integrating text sets with the textbook, in the sharing sessions conducted by the NET Section and in the PNET Scheme’s 15th Anniversary Conference. In the third year, project teachers shared their overall experiences of learning and teaching in the project.

5. PROJECT DELIVERABLES

5.1. 19 DTS Learning and Teaching Packages were co-developed by DTS schools’ teachers and ATs. Each package includes a theme overview, a resource analysis chart, lesson plans and learning materials, all of which serve to provide a guide for other schools in developing a text set unit. Moreover, the process of developing the learning and teaching packages provides an invaluable opportunity for frontline teachers, including the NETs, to engage in the development of text sets, a curriculum innovation in the local context, as a means of enriching the school-based curriculum, under the guidance of a team of Advisory Teachers of the NET Section. A tripartite partnership between the local English teachers, NETs and ATs was forged. A sample package can be found in Appendix V.

5.2. The DTS Teachers’ Handbook offers guidance and support for the implementation of the DTS project as a literacy programme launched by the NET Section in 2017/18, as well as enhancing teachers’ understanding of the strategies for teaching reading and the use of effective questioning strategies. Sample pages of the Teachers’ Handbook can be found in Appendix VI.

6. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

6.1. “Teaching with text sets allows teachers to select the kinds of text that are appropriate for scaffolding learning at all levels in the classroom, providing for the range of needs in today’s culturally, socially, and linguistically diverse populations” (Cappiello & Dawes, 2012, p.26). After three years of trialling, the DTS project has been proven valuable in enhancing school-based English Language curriculum. Through the project, teachers created a multitude of ways to assist students’ English Language learning within and beyond the English classrooms. Students learn not only from the books they are reading, but about their own life, their own perspectives of the information from these books, as well as the perspectives of other students. With the project experiences accumulated, starting from the 2017/18 school year, DTS has been implemented as one of the NET Section’s primary literacy programmes to provide schools with another support strategy that aims to strengthen school-based curriculum development and expand teachers’

repertoire.

6.2. However, creating text sets requires not just time and money; ongoing professional development regarding how to support teachers to enrich teaching materials and teach critical literacy is needed.

Text Set Unit Design

6.3. The units that have a more comprehensive plan based on the DTS Unit Framework and sets of rich texts seem stronger in helping students build background knowledge and achieve a deeper understanding of the selected topics. Thus, it is important to devise a set of criteria for completing unit plans, which is introduced and explained in the DTS Teachers’ Handbook (Appendix VI).

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Text Selection and Evaluation

6.4. A set of criteria for selecting texts was devised in the third year of the project. ATs had to work with the teachers together as a team to build shared understanding.

6.5. The core text and supporting texts framework works well. It supports unit planning and exposes students to a wide range of texts and multimodal texts with multiple viewpoints on a topic. ATs should help teachers to evaluate the texts in each unit to identify which texts are more interesting and pitched at the right level, which support literacy development and which can be used to develop critical thinking. ATs should also encourage teachers to read widely so that they can source new and more authentic texts each year to enrich the units and cater for students’ needs.

Teachers might consider including students’ own texts which they know best in order to sustain their interest.

Getting More Out of the Materials

6.6. Helping teachers get more out of the materials should be one of the foci in the ongoing professional development workshops. Teachers should know how to:

● analyse each text in more depth, e.g. not only the text type features, but why the author wrote it, where it can be found and what messages are communicated;

● identify links between the texts in terms of content and their potential to generate thinking, discussion and response;

● map out the (multimodal) language features that the texts could be exploited for; and

● check for recycling of language among texts so that the texts can be used to scaffold students’

completion of the main task or students’ text creation.

6.7. In collaboration with teachers, design more meaningful tasks in the unit instead of just one final task, e.g. designing extended projects that move students from the personal to the socio-political where appropriate. Teachers should not shy away from discussing real social problems, such as stereotypes and racism in the Hong Kong community when implementing a unit about traditions and cultural practices in a school where 90% of the students are non-Chinese!

Critical Literacy (CL)

6.8. Teachers should learn how to develop critical questions for students to explore ethical issues connected with a chosen theme so that the engagement with such issues can become more genuine. It is important to support teachers to promote CL in a balanced approach, with use of the Four Resources Model⁵, to enhance the reading experience of students. In KS1, CL can be approached mainly within the modelled and shared reading components to raise students’

awareness, and promoted further through guided and supported reading as students develop readiness in terms of their knowledge about, and skills in discussing, a given issue.

6.9. Drawing on students’ strengths and prior knowledge is essential when introducing CL:

● Start with students’ concrete experience.

● Engage with their feelings and emotions.

● Move to more abstract thinking and reasoning.

● Reflect on students’ assumptions and beliefs, and challenge the status quo.

● Share and respond to students’ texts.

5 According to the Four Resources Model (Freebody & Luke, 1990), the four roles of the reader are text decoder, text participant, text user and text analyst. Details about these roles are provided in Appendix VI on p. 42.

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Pre-project Survey Appendix I

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Thank you for your support for the DTS Project. We would like to learn more about your views on developing text sets to enrich the school-based English curriculum. This will help us to:

 design relevant and purposeful professional development;

 provide effective school support; and

 reflect on the project’s development.

What year level will you implement DTS? (please circle)

Primary 1 Primary 2 Primary 3 Primary 4 Primary 5 Primary 6

1. How do you feel about developing a text set? (please circle)

Confident---Not confident

6 5 4 3 2 1

2. What challenges would you anticipate in the development of a text set?

Challenges Please circle the number from most to least

Most challenging Least

a) Integrating using the textbook 6 5 4 3 2 1

b) Choosing a theme 6 5 4 3 2 1

c) Looking for quality texts 6 5 4 3 2 1

d) Accessing resources 6 5 4 3 2 1

e) Planning the lessons 6 5 4 3 2 1

f) Adopting cooperative learning strategies 6 5 4 3 2 1

g) From teacher-centred to student-centred approach 6 5 4 3 2 1

h) Developing authentic learning tasks 6 5 4 3 2 1

i) Designing different assessment tasks 6 5 4 3 2 1

j) Teaching of printed texts 6 5 4 3 2 1

k) Teaching of e-resources 6 5 4 3 2 1

l) Teaching of fiction texts 6 5 4 3 2 1

m) Teaching of non-fiction texts 6 5 4 3 2 1