The implementation of the new english textbook for grade 10 in innovation: a case study

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES --˜–&—™--- NguyÔn thÞ bÝch h»ng the implementation of the new ENGLISH textbook for grade 10 in innovation: a case study (®iÓn cøu vÒ viÖc thùc hiÖn cuèn s¸ch gi¸o khoa tiÕng anh 10 míi trong ®æi míi ph­¬ng ph¸p) Combined Programme Thesis Field: Methodology Code: 60.14.10 Supervisor: L£ V¡N CANH HA NOI – 2009 CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT I certificate that this combined thesis entitled “the implementation of the new English textbook for grade 10 in innovation. A case study” is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts is the result of my own work, except where otherwise acknowledge and that this combined thesis or any part of the same has not been submitted for a higher degree to any other universities or institutions. Signed: Hanoi, February 2009. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The completion of this study would not have been possible without the assistance of special and wonderful people. First of all, I would like to acknowledge my indebtedness and gratitude to Mr. Le Van Canh, for his unfailing encouragement, constant support and supervision during all stages of the study. His enthusiastic assistance, guidance, support, and his wisdom greatly contributed to the fulfillment of my thesis. I would also like to thank my supervisor for his patience in reading and editing my draft. It must be an excruciating experience. I am also indebted to Dr. Nguyen Hoa, Dr. Le Hung Tien, Dr. Hoang Van Van, Dr. Vo Dai Quang, Dr. Nguyen Quang, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Minh, Dr. Roger Barnard and all the professors for their encouragement and wonderful lectures while I was taking the M.A course in language methodology at College of Foreign Languages Vietnam National University (VNU). Their constructive ideas, assistance and advice helped me much during various stages of learning and my M.A study. Many thanks to Dr. Roger Barnard who gave me significant materials and valuable suggestions during the process of my writing literature reviews. My heartfelt gratitude is also to the four English teachers and students of Hadong upper secondary school for their tremendous supports in the collection of data and information for my study. My appreciation also goes to my loving parents, my uncle Dr. Nguyen Huu Tho, my husband and my two little sons whose unconditional love, understanding, encouragement, and support are invaluable during my whole study. Special thanks to my friends, Luong Quynh Trang and Nguyen Ngoc Quynh for their critical reading and comments on my dissertation. They helped me in more ways than they can ever imagine how huge help they made the fulfillment of my thesis. Last but not least, I wish to express my acknowledgment to other individuals who have indirectly contributed to the completion of this thesis. To all these people I only hope that the achievement of my thesis will be favorable enough to satisfy their expectation. Ha Noi-2008. Nguyễn Thị Bích Hằng. Abstract Innovation in ELT tends to be materialized through the introduction of new materials, textbooks, teaching methods, and teacher education programs. There is a taken-for-granted view that the introduction of the new textbook which claims to be based on the findings of current theory and research results in the improvement of teaching. Despite the fact that textbooks can influence the quality of classroom teaching and learning, there has been relatively little research in ELT on how teachers use the textbook inside the classroom. Through interviews, classroom observation, and informal chats with classroom teachers this study demonstrates the gap between the intended innovation embedded in the textbook and the actual delivery in the classroom. Also, the study seeks to identify factors that affect the way teachers use the textbook. Some conclusions deriving from the study will be drawn to inform teacher educators of how to help teachers approach the innovative textbook more effectively. TABLE CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i ABSTRACT ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION Rationale 1 Aims of the study 1 Research questions 2 Research methodology 2 Scope of the study 3 Significance of the study 3 Organization of the study 4 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 5 The role of textbooks in English language teaching 5 The role of textbooks in ELT innovation 9 Previous Study on the Use of textbooks in ELT Innovation 13 Conditions Necessary for the Success of Curricular Innovations 15 CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 19 Background 19 Research Questions 20 Rationale for choosing a case study 20 The Case 22 Participants of the study 23 Instruments 23 Classroom observation Post-observation interview Data collection and data analysis procedures 6.3.1. Data collection procedures 6.3.2. Data analysis procedures 7. Conclusion 24 25 25 26 27 27 CHAPTER IV: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 28 I. Findings I.1. Teachers’ Classroom Practice I.1.1. Teachers’ Adaptation of the Textbook I.1.2. Dependence on the Textbook I.1.3. Emphasis on forms rather on communication I.1.4. Teaching is more product-based than process-based I.1.5. Extensive use of L1 28 29 29 31 32 33 33 I.2. Factors affecting teachers’ implementation of the new textbook I.2.1. Teachers’ understanding of communicative teaching approach 39 I.2.2. Teachers’ perceptions of their students’ level of English proficiency 40 I.2.2. Teachers’ perceptions of their students’ motivation and attitudes towards learning English 41 II. Discussion 42 III. Conclusion 46 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION 48 V.1. Summary of the findings 48 V.1.1. How is the new textbook implemented in the classroom? 48 V.1.2. To what extent does such implementation match the underlying methodology of the new textbook? 48 V.1.3. What are teachers’ rationales for their innovation implementation? 49 V.2. Recommendation for more effective use of the new textbook 50 V.2.1. Physical dimension 51 V.2.2. Professional dimension 52 V.2.3. Administrative dimension 53 V.2.4. Providing teachers with more professional support 54 V.3. Limitation of the study 55 V.4. Suggestions for further study 56 V.5. Conclusion 58 REFERENCES 59 APPENDICES I Appendix 1: Confirmation Letter I Appendix 2: Classroom Observations Schedule II Appendix 3: Post-Observation interview schedule III Appendix 4: Observations and Post-Observation interviews 1-6 IV CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION I. RATIONALE For some decades Vietnam has seen an explosion in the demand for English and the knowledge of English has become the passport to a better job in all aspects of modern life. English is taught as a compulsory subject in almost all secondary schools in 61 provinces and cities throughout Vietnam where students learn English for three 45-minute periods a week, which means that before entering upper secondary schools students had four years experience studying English “communicatively” in lower secondary schools. However, the fact is that after those years of learning English, not many pupils have a clear cut purpose of learning English in their mind and they are likely passively motivated to learn English basing on the textbooks and teachers’ method of delivery. Consequently, most pupils find themselves unable to use English for day-to-day communication after having passed the English national examination as a requirement for the General Education Diploma. To remedy such a problem and to satisfy the demand of its economic open door policy as well as its integration into the world economy, the Vietnamese has required the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) to reform English language teaching at upper secondary schools toward a greater emphasis on communication and student centeredness. In implementing this reform, a new textbook series for upper secondary school students have recently been institutionalized in schools nation-wide. It has been claimed that the new textbook will help teachers to change their teaching toward a greater emphasis on communication and student-centeredness. However, the practical information about how the prescribed change affects teachers, students, and the school as well as how teachers respond to such prescribed change has not been researched yet. This study is an attempt to look into the issue more empirically. It is my hope that the findings of this study will inform concerned people of how innovation is being implemented and what further actions are needed to achieve the targeted success. II. AIMS OF THE STUDY With the above presented rationale, the purpose of this study is to examine the implementation of the new textbook inside high school classrooms. Specifically, it aims to (1) find out how the described innovation is being implemented through the use of the new textbook in the classroom; (2) understand teachers’ attitudes towards and beliefs about the innovation embedded in the new textbook; and (3) find out the factors affected teachers’ use of the new textbook. III. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The study intends to find out the answers to the following questions: How is the new textbook implemented in the classrooms? To what extent does such implementation match the underlying methodology of the textbook? What are teachers' rationales for their innovation implementation? IV. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Since this study sets out to explore the implementation of the new textbook in the context of the recent curriculum renewal, it is a natural inquiry in nature. The purpose of the study is not to evaluate, but to understand how the innovation is being implemented by looking at the way the new textbook is being used. Therefore, it is designed as a single qualitative case study. The case here is an upper secondary school on the outskirts of Hanoi. The school has both the characteristics of an urban school and a rural school. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. V. SCOPE OF THE STUDY As the study was designed as a single qualitative case study, it is limited to the exploration of the implementation of the new textbook for Grade 10 in one particular secondary school. Generalization is therefore not intended. The reasons for the scope of the study was that the new textbooks for 10th grade have been in use for three year meanwhile the textbooks for grade 11 is being used at the first time, 12th grade textbook is not in use yet. VI. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This project can be significant in a number of ways. First, as discussed earlier, the textbook is a key component in most language programs. In an EFL context like Vietnam, it may even constitute the main source of language input that learners receive and the basis for language practice that occurs both inside and outside the classroom. For many Vietnamese senior high school learners, textbooks may even help to supplement teachers’ instruction, which is constrained by less than three class hours a week. In order to serve their purposes most effectively, textbooks need to be professionally designed, fit the curriculum and closely correspond with the aims of the teaching program and the needs of the students. However, a close look at the MOET funded new textbooks has indicated that there might be several problems with them. Thus, teachers and learners working with the new textbooks might experience considerable difficulty in achieving the ultimate goal of their teaching and learning program, which is developing students’ communicative competence. The current project helps to identify the problems and suggests ways of improving them. This contribution would be of practical value to textbook authors, teachers and teacher trainers in Vietnam. Besides, the project focuses on a teaching context that is largely unheard of and under-represented in the world’s TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) scholarship. Therefore, for the scholars outside Vietnam, the project report would be a rich source of information for their use and reference. Findings of this study may also provide useful information for textbook writers, teacher educators and educational authorities so that they can make appropriate decisions on how to achieve the goal of innovating the teaching of English in the upper secondary schools. It may also contribute to the common knowledge about the role of textbooks in educational innovation. VII. ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS There are 5 chapters in my thesis: Chapter 1 is the Introduction presenting the rationale, aims, scope, significance, research questions and methods of the study. Chapter 2 is the Literature Review, which reviews theoretical issues related to the role of textbooks in English language education in general and in innovation in particular as well as previous studies on the implementation of innovation and the role of textbook in English language teaching (ELT) innovation. Chapter 3 is the Research Methodology, which is composed of 3 parts: research design, research procedures, the settings (the case) and the participants of the study. Chapter 4 is the discussion of the findings through an analysis of the data collected by means of classroom observations and semi-structured interviews. Chapter 5 is the Conclusion. In this Chapter, major findings of the study will be briefly summarized as well as the acknowledgement of the limitations of the study will be made. Besides, the classroom transcripts and interview transcripts are included in the Appendices. CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW Chapter one presents the rationale, the aim, scope and significance of the present study. This Chapter reviews the literature on teachers’ implementation of innovation and the role of textbooks in ELT innovation. It begins with a discussion of the role of textbooks in ELT in general. This will lead to the discussion of the role of textbooks in ELT innovation, which is followed by a review of previous studies of the issue under investigation. The last section discusses necessary conditions for successful implementation of curricular innovation. 2.1. The role of textbooks in English language teaching ELT textbooks play a very important role in many language classrooms but in recent years there have been a lot of debates throughout the ELT profession on the actual role of textbooks in teaching English as a second/ foreign language. Arguments have encompassed both the potential and limitations of textbooks for ‘guiding’ students through the learning process and curriculum as well as the need and preferences of teachers who are using textbooks. Other issues that have arisen very recently include textbook design and practicality, methodological validity, and the role of textbooks in innovation. Nonetheless, there has been very little research on the role of textbooks in ELT innovation. Materials are among the five important components in language instruction. Allright (1990) argues that materials should teach students to learn, that they should be resource books for ideas and activities for instructions/ learning, and that they should give teachers rationale for what they do. Textbooks are one type of teaching and learning materials, and they as a matter of fact share the role materials. Textbooks are considered to be a key component in most language programs. Among many important components of English language instruction, textbooks used by language instructors are considered as the most essential constituent to any language program. Hutchinson and Torres (1994) have claimed that The textbook is an almost universal element of [English language] teaching…No teaching-learning situation, it seems, is complete until it has its relevant textbook. (p. 315) Thus, textbooks, in Hutchinson and Torres’ view, are the nuts and bolts of a language program or a language course. Textbooks play such a crucial role simply because they offer a variety of different benefits to both students and teachers (Sheldon, 1998; Croft 1988). For example, Sheldon (1998) argues that [Textbooks] represent not merely the visible heart of any ELT program but also offer considerable advantages for both the students and the teachers when they are being used in the ESL/EFL classroom (p.237). Those advantages include their greater credibility in comparison with teacher-generated materials or in-house materials (Sheldon, op.cit), their sensitivity to students’ needs as well as their efficiency in terms of time and money (O’Neill, 1982). These advantages have been elaborated by Sheldon (1988) that textbooks yield a respectable return on investment and relatively inexpensive and involve low lesson preparation time, whereas teacher-generated materials can be time, cost, and quality defective. In this way, textbooks can reduce potential occupational over-load and allow teachers the opportunity to spend their time undertaking more worthwhile pursuits. A textbook, as described by Cunningsworth (1995), is “a syllabus” which not only defines the learning objectives but also helps less experienced teachers who have yet to gain in confidence to feel more confident in teaching. From learners’ perspectives, textbooks are useful in the sense that they function as a guide-map which helps learners know exactly what they have learned, what they are going to learn, what they will have learned by the end of the course, and what they should revise for achievement exams (Wendy, submited by Admin, 2008). In addition, Anon (submited by Admin, 2008) has maintained that textbooks add a definite structure which allows students to work on their own at their own pace. Thus, textbooks are useful because they are considered as not only a starting point but also as a finishing point; students know exactly what they are supposed to be learning during the lesson of the day and what they need to revise before the next one. To those students who are working for the exams, the use of a course book is even more essential in odder to be sure that they have already covered all the grammar, structures and vocabulary they need. It is these advantages that give such credibility to textbooks that it is hard to imagine a language program or a language course without a textbook. Of course, there are people who advocate a zero option or teach English without using a particular textbook, but teachers will be overburdened if they are supposed to develop the teaching materials themselves. This is not to say that a textbook can be a source of available activities or learning tasks for both the teacher and the learners (Cunningsworth, 1995). Richards’ (online manuscript) words may best summarize the role of textbooks, according to which textbooks have been and will be, no doubt, a useful resource for both teachers and learners. He observes that textbooks not merely provide learners with major source of contact they have in language practice that occurs in the classroom but also give primary supplement to teachers to plan their lessons appropriately and perfectively. He concludes that it seems not to be able to carry out any language teaching throughout the world without the extensive use of textbooks. Despite the above-mentioned undeniable advantages of textbooks in language teaching, the limitations of textbooks are also well documented in the literature. According to Allright (1981), these limitations include the inflexibility, the writers’ biases in terms of the underlying methodology, the selection of linguistic content, and the ignorance of learners’ needs. Therefore, textbooks may ‘de-skill’ the teachers who use them (Richards, 1998). Another drawback of textbooks has been pointed out by Sheldon (1988) that many ELT textbooks are often regarded as the “…tainted end-product of an author’s or a publisher’s desire for qu