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STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS PAIR AND GROUP WORK IN LEARING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Graduation Project Submined in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science with Honours (TESL) Centre for Language and Communication Studies Universiti Malaysia Sarawak September 1998 Demo (Visit http://www.pdfsplitmerger.com)

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Page 1: Demo (Visit )elaine+chui+lin.pdfS:rv.rn Joseph SMKA Matang IT SMK Green Road SMK Abdul Ghapor SMK Sungai Maong SMK Sungai Tapang or SMK Sg. Tapang SMK Petra Jaya SMK Tun Abang Hj

STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS PAIR AND GROUP WORK

IN LEARING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

Graduation Project Submined in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the

Degree of Bachelor of Science with Honours (TESL)

Centre for Language and Communication Studies

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

September 1998

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1

Pair & Group Work

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my wannest gratitude to my supervisor, Puan Mahanita Mahadhir

for without her guidance and constructive criticism, this graduation project would not

have been possible.

My heartfelt thanks are extended to my TESL lecturer, Miss Diana Carol for her advice

and moral support, and also to :Mr Hong Kian Sam, a lecturer of Human Development

and Cognitive Science Faculty for his invaluable, immediate assistance in this project. I

am very grateful to Cik Norazuna Norahim, a lecturer of the Centre for Language and

Communication Studies, for her advice and help in my research instruments.

Special thanks to :Mr Chiew Yip Wha~ .Miss Shirley Kueh, .Miss Tan Lay Koon,

Cik Fariza Zahari and fellow COlITSemates for their helpfulness, advice and friendship.

I must also express my appreciation to my family for they have given me lots of moral

support and encouragement in the completion of this project, as well as throughout my

TESL Programme in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

I

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Parr & Group Work

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ACKNOWLEDGE1vfENfS I

TABLE OF CONTENfS 11

UST OF TABLES w

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS IX

UST OF APPENDICES X

ABSTRACT xi

ABSTRAK xii

CHAPTER

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Statement of Problem 3

1.3 Definition ofTenns 5

1.4 Research Objectives 6

1.5 Research Questions 7

1.6 Significance of the Research 7

1.7 Limitations of the Research 8

2.0 REVIEW OF RELATED UTERATURES 9

2.1 Introduction 9

2.2 The Communicative Approach in Language Teaching 9

-2.3 The Communicative Language Teaching in the Malaysian 11

Secondary School English Language Programme

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~«--« III

Pair & Group Work

2.4 Pair and Group Work in Learning ESL 12

2.5 ESL Student's Roles in Pair and Group Work 15

2.5.1 Cohesive Partner or Group Member 15

2.5.2 Genuine Communicator 15

2.5.3 Creative Language User or Researcher 16

2.5.4 :Manager of Own Learning 16

2.6 ESL Teacher's Roles in Pair and Group Work 16

2.6.1 Neutral Chair 17

2.6.2 Facilitator 17

2.6.3 Commentator 17

2.6.4 Wanderer 17

2.6.5 Advisor 18

2.7 Learning Experiences ofPair and Group Wark 18

2.7.1 Negative Experiences ofPair and Group Work 18

2.7.1.1 Chaotic Classroom 19

2.7.1.2 Native Noise 19

2.7.1.3 Muddled Modelling 19

2.7.1.4 Faulty Feedback 20

2.7.2 Positive Experiences ofPair and Group Work 20

2.7.2.1 Increased in Motivation 20

2.7.22 Individual Empowennent 21

2.7.2.3 Divergences of Opinion 22

2.7.2.4 Increased Opportunity for Language Use 22

2.8 Influential Factors in Pair and Group Work 23

2.8.1 Learning Experience 24

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iv Pair & Group Work

2.8.2 Peer Preference 24

2.8.3 Peer Influence 25

3.0 RESEARCH MElHODOLOGY 26

3.1 Introduction 26

3.2 Research Design 26

3.3 Sample Population and Sampling Procedure 26

3.4 Research Instruments 29

3.4.1 Questionnaire 29

3.4.2 Interview 32

3.5 Procedure for Data Collection 33

3.5.1 Research Approval Procedure 33

3.5.2 Pilot Study 34

3.5.3 Questionnaire and Interview 35

3.5.4 Procedure for Data Analysis 36

4.0 DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 39

4.1 Introduction 39

4.2 Respondents' Profile 39

4.2.1 Gender 40

4.2.2 Race 41

4.2.3 F:MR English Language Paper Result 41

4.2.4 Use of Spoken English 41

4.3 Respondents' Experience ofPair and Group Work in Learning ESL 42

4.3.1 Frequency ofPair and Group Work 42

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v Pair & Group Work

4.3.2 Learning Experience 42

4.3.3 Peer Preference 47

4.3.4 Peer Influence 47

4.4 Respondents' Attitudes Towards Pair and Group Work in Learning 48 ESL

4.5 The Relationship Between Respondents' Attitudes Towards Pair 50 and Group Work and Their Achievements in Learning ESL

4.6 Significant Responses on Selected Questionnaire and Interview 51 Items

4.6.1 Peer Preference in Pair and Group WOIk 51

4.6.2 Peer Influence in Pair and Group Work 56

4.6.3 Enjoyment ofDoing Pair and Group Work 59

4.6.4 Enhancement in English Proficiency by Speaking in 61 English when Doing Pair and Group Work

4.6.5 Enhancement in English Proficiency when Doing Pair and 62 Group Work (Without Speaking in English)

5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECO:M:MENDATIONS 63

5.1 Introduction 63

5.2 Conclusions of the Findings 63

5.2.1 Students' Attitudes Towards Pair and Group WOIk in 64 Learning ESL

5.2.2 Attitudes Towards Pair and Group WOIk in Relation to 64 Achievements in Learning ESL

5.2.3 The Role of the School and the ESL Classroom in 65 Providing Opportunities to Students for Language Use

5.3 Proposals for ESL Teachers 65

5.4 Recommendations for Further Research 73

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vi Pair & Group Work

REFERENCES 74

APPENDICES 76

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vii Pair & Group Work

LIST OF TABLES

Page

Table 1 Percentage of passes for the 1997 SPM English Language Paper 27 of 12 schools in Kuching, Sarawak

schools in Kuching, Sarawak

relation to respondents' PMR English Language Paper Results

3 selected schools

schools

work in the ESL classroom per week

and group work

experiences ofpair and group work

group work

group work

towards pair and group work

Table 2 The selected classes and the number of students in the 3 selected 28

Table 3 Scale value and three categories ofEnglish proficiency levels in 29

Table 4 Functions of Questionnaire Items B02 to B16 31

Table 5 Functions ofInterview Items 01 to 09 33

Table 6 Visit dates to the 3 selected schools 34

Table 7 Administration dates for the questionnaire and interview in the 35

Table 8 Distribution of the questionnaire in the 3 selected schools 35

Table 9 Conducting and recording of the interview in the 3 selected 36

Table 10 Respondents' profile 40

Table 11 Questionnaire responses regarding frequency of pair and group 42

Table 12 Questionnaire responses regarding learning experience ofpair 43

Table 13 Two categories (positive and negative) of respondents' learning 46

Table 14 Questionnaire responses regarding peer preference in pair and 47

Table 15 Questionnaire responses regarding peer influence in pair and 48

Table 16 Two categories (positive and negative) ofrespondents' attitudes 49

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viii Pair & Group Work

Table 17 Correlation result ofrespondents' attitudes towards pair and group work and their achievements in leaming ESL

50

Table 18 Questionnaire responses regarding peer preference in relation to gender in pair and group work

51

Table 19 Questionnaire responses regarding peer preference in relation to English proficiency level in pair and group work

53

Table 20 Questionnaire responses in the fann ofexplanations regarding peer influence in pair and group work

56

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ix

ESL

SPM

S:rv.rn Joseph

SMKA Matang IT

SMK Green Road

SMK Abdul Ghapor

SMK Sungai Maong

SMK Sungai Tapang or SMK Sg. Tapang

SMK Petra Jaya

SMK Tun Abang Hj. Openg

SMKSiburan

SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman

SMK Santubong

SMK Muara Tuang

PMR

Pair & Group Work

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

English as a Second Language

Sijit Pelajaran Malaysia

Sekolah Menengah Bantuan Joseph

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Matang IT

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Green Road

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Abdul Ghapor

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sungai Maong

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sungai Tapang

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Petra Jaya

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Abang Haji Openg

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Siburan

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Santubong

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Muara Tuang

Penilaian Menengah Rendah

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x Pair & Group Work

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix A Questionnaire Primary instrument of the research

AppendixB Interview - Secondary instrument of the research Dem

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Xl

Pair & Group Work

ABSTRACT

'This research aims to investigate Malaysian students' attitudes towards pair and group

work in learning ESL with regard to three factors - learning experience, peer preference

and peer influence. It also aims at finding out the relationship between students'

attitudes towards pair and group work in learning ESL, and their achievements in

learning ESL. Questionnaires were used and the obtained data (on the respondents'

attitudes towards pair and group work, as well as on their experiences of learning, peer

preference and peer influence while working in pairs and groups) was analyzed using the

Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 7.5.1 on the computer. In

addition, interviews were conducted to provide supportive information to conIum the

questionnaire data. The findings revealed that there were students who had a positive

attitude and also students who had a negative attitude towards pair and group work in

learning ESL. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation, though low, between

students' attitudes towards pair and group work, and their achievements in learning ESL.

Besides that, there were students who had a positive and also students who had a

negative learning experience of pair and group work. In addition, there were students

who showed peer preference in relation to gender and English proficiency leve~ as well

as students who experienced peer influence in pair and group work. Demo (

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....

xii Pair & Group Work

ABSTRAK

_eo ,.___

Kajian ini bertujuan Wltuk menyiasat sikap para pelajar terhadap kerja berpasangan dan

berkumpulan dalam mempelajari Bahasa Inggeris sebagai Bahasa Kedua dengan

mempertimbangkan tiga faktor pengalaman pembelajaran, pemilihan rakan sekerja,

dan pengaruh rakan sekerja. Kajian ini juga bertujuan Wltuk menyelidik pertalian antara

sikap para pelajar terhadap kerja berpasangan dan berkumpulan dalam mempelajari

Bahasa Inggeris sebagai Bahasa Kedua, dan pencapaian mereka dalam mempelajari

Bahasa Inggeris sebagai Bahasa Kedua. Soal selidik telah digunakan dan data yang

diperolehi (mengenai sikap responden-responden terhadap kerja berpasangan dan

berkumpulan, serta pengalaman mereka dalam pembelajaran, pemilihan rakan sekerja

dan pengaruh rakan sekerja semasa membuat kerja berpasangan dan berkumpulan) telah

dianalisa dengan menggunakan pengisian komputer, "Statistical Packages for the Social

Sciences (SPSS) Version 7.5.1." Tambahan lagi, temuduga telah dijalankan Wltuk

mendapatkan maklumat tambahan bagi mengesahkan data datipada soal selidik.

Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa terdapat para pelajar yang bersikap positif dan juga

para pelajar yang bersikap negatif terhadap kerja berpasangan dan berkwnpulan dalam

mempelajari Bahasa Inggeris sebagai Bahasa Kedua. Terdapatjuga korelasi positifyang

rendah antara sikap para pelajar terhadap kerja berpasangan dan berkumpulan, dan

pencapaian mereka dalam mempelajari Bahasa Inggeris sebagai Bahasa Kedua. SeIain

dati itu, terdapat para pelajar yang mempWlyai pengalaman pembelajaran positif dan

juga para pelajar yang mempWlyai pengalaman pembelajaran negatif dalam kerja

berpasangan dan berkumpulan. Selanjutnya, terdapat para pelajar yang memilih rakan

sekerja berasaskan jantina dan tahap kemahiran Bahasa Inggeris, serta para pelajar yang

mengalami pengaruh rakan sekerja dalam kerja berpasangan dan berkumpulan.

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1 Pair & Group Work

CHAPTER ONE

1.0INTRODUCfION

1.1 Introduction

English is viewed important in that it functions as a means of communication in certain

everyday activities and job situations, as an enabler for meaningful engagement in local

and international trade and commerce, as well as the additional means of access to

academic, professiona~ and recreational materials (Sukatan Pelajaran Sekolah

Menengah Bahasa Inggeris, 1988, p. 1). In view of this, the Malaysian Ministry of

Education has recognized the English Language as a second language to be taught

compulsorily in schools. Thus, students in both primary and secondary schools learn

English as a second language (hereafter the term "English as a second language" is

referred to as "ESL") .. '

The Malaysian Secondary School English Language Programme aims:

"to build upon and extend the proficiency of the students from the primary schools, so as to equip them with the skills and knowledge of English to communicate in certain everyday activities and certain job situations; and also to provide points of take-off for various post secondary school needs."

(Sukatan Pelajaran SekolahMenengah Bahasa Inggeris 1988, p. 2)

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----------------- p' --_...._--_.

2 Pair &. Group Work

The objectives of the Malaysian Secondary School English Language Programme, drawn

upon these aims, are stated as below:

"At the end of the secondary school English Language Programme, the students should be able to • listen to and understand spoken English in the school and in real life

situations; • speak effectively on a variety of topics; • read and understand prose and poetry for information and enjoyment;

and • write effectively for different purposes. "

(Sukatan Pelajaran Sekolah Menengah Bahasa Inggeris 1988. p. 2)

Thus, Malaysian ESL students are anticipated to achieve communicative ability in the

foW' language skills, namely, listening, speaking, reading, and writing. To be able to use

a language to communicate efficiently in it means that one needs the abilities to

understand the language when others speak, to speak to others, to read the language and

also to write it (Compendium, 1989, p. ix). Therefore, these four language skills are

essential to form the foundation of all language learning programmes~ including the

Malaysian English Language Programmes for all secondary and primary schools.

Chitravelu, Sithamparam and Teh (1995, p. 345) claim that a communicative approach

places more stress on language as communication than on language as a system of

grammatical and phonological rules, thus emphasizing on the teaching and learning

process to reflect the following three characteristics - task-based activities, interactive

activities and integration of skills. In other words, they advocate teachers, who adopt the

Communicative Approach, to carry out activities, which ensure the use of language in

situations relevant to students, pair and group work that stresses on the interactive

fimction of language, and lesson plans that include tasks for students to employ various

combinations of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.

I

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3 Pair & Group Work

Thus, it is apparent that the Malaysian Secondary School English Language Programme

adopts the Comrntmicative Approach.

ill addition, Wringe (1989) wrote that:

"'In a commWlicaUve approach in which oral production is regarded as

being at least as important as the other three language skills, the culminating activity of a lesson or Wlit of work will often be oral work in groups or pairs."

(Wringe 1989, p. 62)

With regard to this, pair and group work, which requires students to hold a discussion,

exchange and share infonnation, and/or Wldertake a task together is being encouraged in

the Malaysian ESL classroom.

1.2 Statement of Problem

In Malaysian schools, the teaching of the English Language is compulsory. However,

our Deputy Director-General 1 of the Ministry of Education in 1989, Datuk Abdul Aziz

Ismail wrote that "it [the English Language] is often described as 'a strong second

language' but is, in reality, a compulsory foreign language in all primary and secondary

schools." (Compendium, 1989, p. v). For most commWlities throughout Malaysia,

English is not used as a medium of daily commWlication. The exposure to English in

some of these commWlities is so limited that the students' sole contact with the language

may only be when they attend their English Language classes during the school hours.

Unfortunately, the importance of the English Language as mentioned at the beginning of

this research paper remains as a fact. Therefore, all students, regardless of their origins,

I

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4 Pair & Group Work

should be given the opportunity to learn to be proficient in the English Language, or

more precisely, to be competent to communicate effectively in the English Language as

in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Thus, the school plays an important role in

providing students with this opportunity.

Many teachers of ESL are aware of the implementation of pair and group work in the

teaching and learning process for the purpose of facilitating students' learning of ESL.

However, there are many opinions of educators and researchers on pair and group work,

some ofwhich are opposing and others that are supportive to its implementation.

According to Jacobs and Ratmanida (1996), pair and group work (which they referred to

as group activities where between two and six students are assigned to work together) is

related negatively to chaotic classrooms, native noise, muddled modelling, and faulty

feedback. It is feared that students will abuse their freedom when they are assigned to

work in pairs and groups, and cause the class to become difficult for the teacher to

con1ro1. In addition, there is the high tendency for students to use their mother tongue in

their pairs and groups with the teacher's absence to supervise all the time and thus,

native noise exists in the classroom. While working in pairs and groups, students listen

to each other use the English Language, which is inclusive of pronunciation and

grammatical errors. This may result in the provision of poor models to students and

prove to be hannful to students when fossilization of non-target fonns happen. Besides

that, students are also feared ofnot having the ability to identify each other's errors. The

greater fear is that one may provide others with incorrect feedback.

I

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Pair & Group Work

On the contrmy, there are supportive views of pair and group work. Firstly, it is the

nature of working in pairs and groups to require some interaction to take place among

students themselves. Therefore, opportunity for realistic and meaningful use of the

language is created. Secondly, some second language educators view that group

activities lead to increased success for students and a better learning environment, thus

increase student motivation for language learning (Jacobs & Ratmanida, 1996, p. 112).

In addition, Tsui (1995, p. 93) claims that "in small groups, students have to take on the

responsibility of managing talk and determining the direction of the discussion

themselves." This results in students' experience of individual empowerment and also in

the high probability for the individual students to raise divergences of opinion.

The earlier mentioned views of pair and group work are from educators and researchers.

In view of this, this research is decided to be different in the sense that its interest is on

students themselves, who are the participants that are directly involved in the

implementation of pair and group work in the ESL classroom. So, students are the main

determiners to the success of pair and group work and with regard to this, this research is

initiated mainly to fmd out their attitudes towards pair and group work in learning ESL.

1.3 Definition of Terms

Attitude:

Best and Kahn (1993) define one's attitude as how one feels or what one believes, ie.

one's opinions. They explain that one's opinions are obtained through one's answering

questions or expressing reaction to statements and later, from these statements of

opinion, the researcher will be able to infer one's attitude to form a description or

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6 Pair & Group Work

measurement of one's attitude. They also stress that though this method cannot always

ensme a true indication of one's attitude, it may closely be able to. Based on Best's and

Kahn's definition of attitude and explanations, it is decided that for the PW"pOse of this

research, students with a positive attitude towards pair and group work in learning ESL is

referred to as students who like doing pair and group work with the view that it enhances

their ESL learning. On the contrary, students with a negative attitude towards pair and

group work in learning ESL is referred to as students who dislike doing pair and group

work with the view that it stagnates their ESL learning.

Pair and group work:

Working in a pair requires two students to interact as they work with each other to

complete a task. Similarly, this requirement for interaction applies to students' working

in a group of three or more. According to Rivers (1987, p. 4) interaction occurs when

one interacts, by expressing one's own ideas and comprehending the ideas of others.

Therefore, it is decided that for the purpose of this research, pair and group work for

Malaysian students in learning ESL is referred to as a situation that requires them to

interact between and among themselves using the target language.

1.4 Research Objectives

The objectives of this research are to investigate:

i) whether Malaysian students have a positive or a negative attitude towards pair and

group work in learning ESL; and

ii) the relationship between the students' attitudes towards pair and group work, and

their achievements in learning ESL.

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7 Pair & Group Work

1.5 Research Questions

With regard to the objectives of the research, two research questions were fonnulated to

direct the research. They are as follows:

i) Do Malaysian students have a positive or a negative attitude towards pair and group

work in learning ESL?

il) What is the relationship between the students' attitudes towards pair and group work,

and their achievements in learning ESL?

1.6 Significance of the Research

This research highlights the need for teachers to be aware of students' attitudes towards

pair and group work in learning ESL, as well as the relationship between students'

attitudes towards pair and group work and their achievements in learning ESL.

It is hoped that this research will be able to increase the insight of Malaysian ESL

teachers who adopt the Communicative Language Teaching Method as it serves as a

source of infonnation to them on how to manage students' pair and group work

effectively.

With the above knowledge as well as the conclusions and recommendations included in

this research paper, it is anticipated that ESL teachers will be able to ensure the success

in students' pair and group work by taking the necessary actions to overcome students'

negative attitude as well as to promote students' positive attitude towards pair and group

work. As teachers manage pair and group work effectively in the classroom, students'

ESL learning is facilitated, and thus, their English proficiency is enhanced.

________1

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8 Pair & Group Work

1.7 Limitations of the Research

This research has a few limitations due to time and financial constraints. Firstly, the

samples, who were from six Form IV classes, only amOlmted to 195 students. Moreover,

the research was conducted in three selected schools in Kuching, Sarawak only. Thus,

the data collected was insufficient to form an accW'ate generalization to represent the

whole population ofMalaysian ESL students.

Secondly, this research only focuses on two areas, which are students' attitudes towards

pair and group work in learning ESL, and the relationship between students' attitudes

towards pair and group work, and their achievements in learning ESL. Other variables

like learning strategies and motivation are not explored.

In addition, there are many influential factors in students' attitudes towards pair and

group work in learning ESL but this research has covered only three of them, which are

learning experience, peer preference and peer influence.

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CHAPTER TWO

2.0 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES

2.1 Introduction

This chapter begins with the discussion on the CommWlicative Approach, the

Communicative Language Teaching and the objectives of the Malaysian Secondary

School English Language Programme in relation to the implementation of pair and group

work to facilitate students' ESL learning in the classroom. Then, it illustrates pair and

group work, as well as the roles of both the teacher and the student in pair and group

work. Lastly, three influential factors in pair and group work learning experience

(which includes four positive learning experiences as well as four negative learning

experiences of pair and group work), peer preference and peer influence, are discussed.

2.2 The Communicative Approach in Language Teaching

Chitravelu, Sithamparam and Teh (1995, p. 345) define the Communicative Approach as

"an approach to language teaching and learning, which gives greater importance to

language as communication than on language as a system of grammatical and

phonological rules". Implying the same view, Larsen-Freeman (1986, p. 123) stresses

that "students may learn and know the rules of language usage but will be unable to use

the language". Therefore, commWlication should be part of students' language learning.

According to Edge (1993, p. 17), commwtication is the vital essence of Modem English

Language Teaching due to two reasons. He explains that firstly, commWlication is the

II

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10 Pair & Group Work

goal of language teaching because in one way or another, one learns the English

Language so that one will be able to communicate in the language. Secondly,

communication is part of the learning process itself in that while being engaged in

meaningful communication during the English Language class, the student acquires the

language subconsciously by asking for, giving or exchanging infonnation, doing things

and getting things done, expressing opinions and feelings, etc.

Similar to Edge's (1993) views, Larsen-Freeman (1986, p. 128) stresses that one of the

principles of the Communicative Approach views the English Language as "a vehicle for

classroom communication, and not just as the object of study." This is because when

one communicates, one uses the language to accomplish some functions within a social

context. She stresses that as students learn the English Language in the classroom, they

acquire the knowledge of the language, which includes language forms, language

fimctions and meanings but more importantly, students learn to apply this knowledge in

negotiating meanings through interaction, i.e. communication among themselves. When

one interacts with another, meaning becomes clear. For instance, Student A listens to

Student B speaks and then, gives Student B feedback as to whether or not he/she

understands what Student B has said. If necessary, Student B communicates hislher

intended meaning again.

Therefore, the Communicative Approach is essential to be adopted in the teaching and

learning of language, including the English Language in schools. In other words, ESL

teachers should practise the Communicative Language Teaching in the classroom.

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11 Pair & Group Work

2.3 The Communicative Language Teaching in the Malaysian Secondary School

English Language Programme

The objectives of the Malaysian Secondary School English Language Programme, drawn

from its aims, are stated as below:

.,At the end of the secondary school English Language Programme, the students should be able to • listen to and understand spoken English in the school and in real life

situations; • speak effectively on a variety of topics; • read and understand prose and poetry for information and enjoyment;

and • write effectively for different purposes."

(Sukatan Pelajaran Sekolah Menengah Bahasa Inggeris 1988, p. 2)

Nunan (1989) claims that "CLT [CommUnicative Language Teaching] has stressed

function over fonn, meaning over structure, and has encouraged teachers to let their

learners proceed through classroom tasks which attempt to simulate communicative

purposes in the real world" (cited in Bums, 1990, p. 42). With reference to this, the aims

and objectives of the Malaysian Secondary School English Language Programme seem

to underpin the Communicative Language Teaching, which supports the nature of

communicative competence. An achievement in communicative competence refers to

the ability to communicate efficiently in the target language, using the four language

skills - listening, speaking, reading and writing in that "we must be able to: understand

the language when someone speaks to us, speak to other people, read the language and

also write it" (Compendium, 1989, p. ix). Therefore, the contents of the syllabus for each

of the five secondary levels Forms I, II, III, IV, and V, are spelt out in terms of

communicative competence, i.e. the abilities to do things with the English Language by

listening to, speaking, reading and writing the language. FQr example, it is stated in the

Huraian Sukatan Pelajaran Bahasa Inggeris Tingkatan IV (1989, p. 8) that by the end of

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