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Trang 1 QUY NHON UNIVERSITY HUYNH THI TUYET SUONG AN INVESTIGATION INTO TEACHERS’ PROMOTION OF STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING IN EFL SPEAKING CLASSES AT ETHNIC MINORITY BOARDING HIGH SCHOOLS
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING QUY NHON UNIVERSITY HUYNH THI TUYET SUONG AN INVESTIGATION INTO TEACHERS’ PROMOTION OF STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING IN EFL SPEAKING CLASSES AT ETHNIC MINORITY BOARDING HIGH SCHOOLS Field: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching Code: 8140111 Supervisor: Dr TRUONG VAN DINH BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN HUỲNH THỊ TUYẾT SƯƠNG NGHIÊN CỨU VIỆC GIÁO VIÊN THÚC ĐẨY VIỆC HỌC LẤY HỌC SINH LÀM TRUNG TÂM TRONG CÁC TIẾT HỌC NÓI TIẾNG ANH TẠI CÁC TRƯỜNG DÂN TỘC NỘI TRÚ Ngành: Lí luận và phương pháp dạy học bộ môn tiếng Anh Mã số: 8140111 Người hướng dẫn: TS TRƯƠNG VĂN ĐỊNH i STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I confirm that the work presented in this research report has been conducted by myself Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the thesis I confirm that this work is submitted in partial fulfillment for the M.A thesis in English at Quy Nhon University and has not been submitted elsewhere in any other form for the fulfillment of any other degree or qualification Binh Dinh, October 2023 Huỳnh Thị Tuyết Sương ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to convey my heartfelt gratitude to all those whose unwavering support and contributions have played an indispensable role in bringing this research to fruition First and foremost, my deepest appreciation goes out to the dedicated teachers who willingly participated in this study Their invaluable insights, wholehearted cooperation, and unwavering commitment to the advancement of English language education within ethnic minority boarding high schools have been pivotal to the success of this research I am profoundly indebted to my academic advisor, Dr Truong Van Dinh, whose guidance, sagacity, and steadfast support have been instrumental throughout this academic voyage Dr Truong Van Dinh's expertise and mentorship have been a cornerstone of this thesis, and I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support and guidance provided Acknowledgment is also due to the esteemed staff and administrators of the ethnic minority boarding high schools in Gia Lai province, Vietnam, for their gracious permission and provision of indispensable resources, which have been instrumental in the completion of this research Last but certainly not least, I wish to express my appreciation to the broader academic community and the numerous scholars whose prior research and publications have formed the bedrock upon which this study is constructed This research endeavor would have remained but a dream without the invaluable contributions and support of these exceptional individuals and institutions I offer my heartfelt thanks to all who have been an integral part of this remarkable journey iii ABSTRACT This thesis explores the application and perceptions of student- centered learning (SCL) within the framework of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) speaking courses offered at boarding high schools serving ethnic minority populations in Gia Lai province, Vietnam The central objective of this research endeavor is to gain a comprehensive understanding of how EFL instructors conceptualize, implement, and are impacted by SCL in their pedagogical practices The research methodology employed a mixed-methods approach, encompassing the administration of questionnaires, classroom observations, and interviews, in order to amass data from a cohort of eight EFL educators functioning within the designated educational institutions The outcomes of the study have disclosed that the majority of instructors operating in this context actively endorse the principles of SCL These principles revolve around nurturing learner autonomy, fostering active participation, encouraging collaborative learning, and accommodating flexibility within the instructional setting Nonetheless, the research has also identified several formidable impediments to the complete integration of SCL, including challenges related to the varying proficiency levels among students, inadequacy of classroom resources, and the constraints imposed by the prevailing curriculum requirements The findings underscore the limited institutional support and resources available to instructors as they endeavor to adopt SCL techniques, thereby underscoring the pressing necessity for comprehensive professional development opportunities and curricular guidance Moreover, this study underlines the critical importance of recognizing and addressing the distinctive challenges that instructors face in classrooms characterized by ethnic diversity In summary, this research endeavor furnishes valuable contributions to the field of EFL pedagogy in the particular context of ethnic minority boarding high schools in Vietnam It also offers profound insights into the multifaceted nature of SCL implementation Ultimately, the study advocates for customized support mechanisms and resource provision to aid instructors in surmounting obstacles and establishing more inclusive and efficacious learning environments iv TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii LIST OF TABLES .viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Rationale 1 1.2 Aim and Objectives of the Study 3 1.2.1 Aim of the Study 3 1.2.2 Objectives of the Study 3 1.3 Research Questions 4 1.4 Scope of the Study 4 1.4.1 Geographical Scope 5 1.4.2 Educational Level 5 1.4.4 Participants 5 1.4.5 Time Frame 5 1.5 Significance of the Study 5 1 6 Organization of the Study 7 CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW 9 2.1 Conceptual Framework 9 2.2 EFL Teachers' Role in Promoting Student-Centered Learning 11 2.3 Speaking Skills 12 2.3.1 Definition 12 2.3.2 Importance of Speaking 13 2.3.3 Classroom Speaking Activities 13 v 2.3.4 Assessment of Speaking Skills 14 2.4 Ethnic Minority Boarding High Schools in Vietnam 16 2.5 Previous Research Related to the Study 16 2.6 Summary 19 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 20 3.1 Research Methods 20 3.3 Data Collection Instrument 24 3.3.1 Questionnaire 24 3.3.2 Observation 26 3.3.3 Interview 27 4.1 Questionnaire Analysis 30 4.1.1 Section One: Demographic Information (Questions 1-4) 30 4.1.3 Section 3: Student-Centered Approaches (Questions 7-9) 33 4.1.4 Section 4: Factors Influencing Instruction (Questions 10-12)38 4.2 Observation Analysis 43 4.2.1 Section One: Preparation and Planning 43 4.2.2 Section 2: Teacher’s activities 44 4.2.3 Section 3: Students’ activities 45 4.2.4 Section 4: Assessment 48 4.3 Interview Analysis 49 4.3.1 Interpretations of Student-centered Learning 49 4.3.2 Key Principles and Characteristics of Student-centered Learning 50 4.3.3 Strategies for Promoting Student-centered Learning 51 4.3.4 Challenges in Implementing Student-centered Learning 52 4.3.5 Institutional Support and Professional Development 53 4.4 Discussion 54 4.4.1 Discussion of Questionnaire Findings 54 Section 1: Demographic Information 54 4.4.2 Discussion of Observation Findings 56 vi 4.4.3 Discussion of Interview Findings 58 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 61 5.1 Conclusions 61 5.1.1 Perceptions of Student-centered Learning 61 5.1.2 Implementation of Student-centered Approaches 61 5.1.3 Benefits of Student-centered Learning 61 5.1.4 Factors Influencing Instruction 62 5.1.5 Support and Resources 62 5.1.6 Challenges in Implementation 62 5.2 Limitations 62 5.3 Suggestions for Further Studies 64 REFERENCES APPENDICES vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EFL English as a foreign language SCL Student-centered Learning % Percentage EMBHS ethnic minority boarding high schools viii LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 Teachers’ Demographic Information 22 Table 4.1 Teachers’ Gender Distribution 30 Table 4.2 Teachers’ Age Distribution 31 Table 4.3 Teachers’ Educational Qualification 31 Table 4.4 Teaching Experience 32 Table 4.5 Frequency of teaching EFL speaking classes 32 Table 4.6 Key Principles or Characteristics of Student-centered Learning.34 Table 4.7 Student-Centered Activities Used 35 Table 4.8 Benefits of Student-Centered Learning 36 Table 4.9 Factors Influencing Decision 38 Table 4.10 Support/Resources for Student-Centered Learning Challenges 40 Table 4.11 Challenges in Implementing Student-centered Approaches in EFL Speaking Classes 42