(LUẬN văn THẠC sĩ) an investigation into the use of presentation reflection assignments in the american studies syllabus at ULIS VNUH relevance and efficacy as perceived by lecturers and students

Background of and rationale for the study

Research and teaching about the United States have a rich history that dates back to the country's inception However, at the University of Languages and International Studies – Vietnam National University, Hanoi (ULIS-VNUH), this multi-disciplinary field has only been part of the curriculum for approximately ten years, as noted by the Country Studies Division in 2009.

During this period, the academic staff of the Country Studies division has been dedicated to enhancing the American Studies course by refining its structure, updating materials, and improving teaching methods This effort is expected to intensify as the division prepares to launch a new undergraduate program in American Studies for the university in the 2012-2013 academic year As a junior lecturer collaborating with the team, the author recognized the opportunity to contribute to the revision of current teaching methods, making this thesis a valuable endeavor in supporting the course's improvement.

Between 2008 and 2011, student feedback in American Studies courses primarily focused on concerns regarding assignment requirements, quality, and grading Instead of addressing individual questions about assignments, this study aimed to explore the fundamental aspects of the existing course assignments, specifically oral presentations and written reflections, as key elements of the teaching and learning experience.

Aims of the research

The study sought to evaluate the perceptions of American Studies lecturers and students at ULIS-VNUH regarding the effectiveness of coursework design in achieving the course objectives.

Chapter 1: Introduction ii To what degree do they think the actual assignment quality has met the assignments' requirements? iii What do they suggest about modifying the assignments?

Significance of the study

The research did not propose a definitive assignment design for American Studies courses but aimed to influence the development of assignment types in these courses, as well as similar ones like British Studies and General Geography of the UK and the US Its goal was to enhance the alignment of assignments with established course objectives Additionally, the findings serve as a valuable resource for researchers and educators interested in the testing and assessment components of curriculum design.

Scope of the research

The study will focus on two primary dimensions of American Studies assignments: relevance and efficacy, with detailed interpretations of these concepts provided in the following chapter.

The research focused on students and lecturers participating in American Studies courses at ULIS-VNUH, specifically targeting the QH081E class, as they were the most recent group to enroll before the previous cohorts graduated The lecturers involved were all from the Country Studies Division within the Faculty of Linguistics and Cultures of English-Speaking Countries.

Chapter 2: Literature Review and Practical Basis

PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

Since the early 1980s, there has been an increasing interest in integrating language and content teaching, particularly in American educational settings This has led to the development of various programs and approaches aimed at merging language instruction with content areas By the mid-1990s, European countries also adopted curriculum innovations focused on Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), where subjects like science and geography are taught alongside English This integration of language and content instruction is collectively known as Content-based Instruction.

Content-Based Instruction (CBI) is a curriculum approach that integrates language and content instruction, aligning with the perspective of Curtain and Pesola (1994) CBI emphasizes teaching curriculum concepts through a foreign language, tailored to the appropriate grade level of students.

Met (1999) defines "content" in content-based programs as material that is both cognitively engaging and demanding for learners, extending beyond the target language or culture This paper aligns with the definitions provided by Met (1999) and Curtain and Pesola (1994), which are particularly relevant to the research context.

Content in this context refers to curriculum concepts that are intellectually stimulating and challenging for learners It encompasses materials that go beyond just the target language or culture, promoting a deeper understanding and engagement.

Content-based instruction (CBI) emphasizes that students can effectively learn both language skills and subject matter by engaging with content delivered in the target language This approach has gained recognition from notable authors, including Rodgers, who describe it as a significant offshoot of Communicative Language Teaching.

In 2001, Stryker and Leaver (1997) expanded the concept of Content-Based Instruction (CBI) by describing it as a comprehensive approach to foreign language education They emphasized that CBI can serve multiple roles, functioning as a philosophical orientation, a methodological system, a syllabus design for individual courses, or even a framework for entire instructional programs.

The advantages of the approach are linked to a substantial amount of research across multiple disciplines, demonstrating strong empirical support for Content-Based Instruction (CBI) in second language acquisition, teacher training, and cognitive psychology Successful programs across various contexts and instructional levels further validate these findings (Adamson, 1993; Dupuy, 2000).

Classification of CBI and current teaching context

Through a careful review of related literature, this paper adopts the classification used by Met (1999) Met (2007) has specified the approach as follows:

A CONTINUUM OF CONTENT AND LANGUAGE

Language classes with frequent use of content for language practice

The actual instruction model aligns closely with Sheltered Courses, which are defined by Echevarria, Vogt, and Short (2004) as referenced by Short and Himmel (2007).

The adjunct model, as noted by Davies (2003), focuses on acquiring specific target vocabulary and may include study skills sessions aimed at helping students with listening, note-taking, and text-skimming techniques However, these elements are misaligned with the primary objectives of the course (Country Studies Division, 2007).

In a typical American Studies course, students engage in group presentations on specific topics, accompanied by individual reflection essays from group members regarding their presentations Additionally, other groups evaluate and report on the presentation performances of their peers Both the presentations and reflections are graded, highlighting the importance of collaboration and critical assessment in the learning process (Dang, 2008).

In 2011, a new component was added to the syllabus in the form of a series of mini tests known as "quizzes." However, because of its experimental nature and recent introduction, this assignment will not be addressed in the context of this paper.

In various classes, the assignment known by different names such as report, reflection, evaluation, and comment sheet is commonly referred to as the "reflection/report assignment" for ease of reference.

"reflection assignment", with the intent to encompass all varieties of the name

In this research, the significance of assignments is evaluated based on how effectively they contribute to achieving the course objectives for both teachers and learners The perceptions of teachers and students regarding this relevance factor are analyzed separately before being discussed together.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Key and related concepts

1.1.1 Content-based Instruction and the teaching context in ULIS-VNUH American Studies courses ince the early 1980s, there has been a growing interest in combining language and content teaching In the American context, programs, models, and approaches have proliferated in all levels of instruction, creating various forms of incorporating language and content teaching (Met, 1991) In the mid 1990s in European countries, curriculum innovations have been directed toward the content and language integrated learning approach, in which both curriculum content – e.g science or geography – and English are taught together (Graddol, 2007) All these forms of incorporating language and content teaching fall under the heading of Content-based Instruction

Content-Based Instruction (CBI) is widely recognized as a curriculum approach that integrates language and content teaching This paper aligns with the perspective of Curtain and Pesola (1994), emphasizing that CBI involves delivering curriculum concepts through a foreign language, tailored to the students' grade level.

According to Met (1999), "content" in content-based programs refers to material that is both cognitively engaging and challenging for learners, extending beyond just the target language or culture This paper aligns with the definitions provided by Met (1999) and Curtain and Pesola (1994), which are particularly relevant to the research context.

Content refers to curriculum concepts that are intellectually stimulating and challenging for learners, encompassing materials that go beyond just the target language or culture.

Content-based instruction (CBI) emphasizes that students can effectively learn both language skills and subject matter by engaging with content presented in the target language Recently, prominent authors like Rodgers have acknowledged CBI as a significant offshoot of Communicative Language Teaching.

In 2001, some researchers, including Stryker and Leaver (1997), expanded the understanding of Content-Based Instruction (CBI) by describing it as a comprehensive approach to foreign language education They emphasized that CBI can function as a philosophical orientation, a methodological system, a syllabus design for individual courses, or even a framework for entire instructional programs.

The approach offers numerous benefits that are backed by extensive research across various fields, including second language acquisition, teacher training, and cognitive psychology Strong empirical evidence supports Content-Based Instruction (CBI), as demonstrated by successful programs across diverse contexts and instructional levels (Adamson, 1993; Dupuy, 2000).

Classification of CBI and current teaching context

Through a careful review of related literature, this paper adopts the classification used by Met (1999) Met (2007) has specified the approach as follows:

A CONTINUUM OF CONTENT AND LANGUAGE

Language classes with frequent use of content for language practice

The actual instruction model aligns closely with Sheltered Courses, which are defined by Echevarria, Vogt, and Short (2004), as referenced in Short and Himmel (2007).

The adjunct model, as noted by Davies (2003), emphasizes the acquisition of specific target vocabulary and often includes study skills sessions aimed at enhancing students' abilities in listening, note-taking, and text skimming and scanning However, these characteristics diverge significantly from the primary objectives of the course (Country Studies Division, 2007).

In a typical American Studies course, assignments often involve group presentations on specific topics, accompanied by individual reflection essays from group members regarding their presentations Additionally, peer evaluation reports are required from other groups to assess the performance of their classmates Both the group presentations and individual reflections are graded, highlighting the importance of collaboration and critical analysis in the learning process (Dang, 2008).

In 2011, a new assignment known as "quizzes" was added to the syllabus, consisting of a series of mini tests However, because of its experimental nature and recent introduction, this assignment is not included in the scope of this paper.

In various classes, the assignment may be referred to by different names such as report, reflection, evaluation, or comment sheet For the sake of clarity, this research report will use the term "reflection/report assignment."

"reflection assignment", with the intent to encompass all varieties of the name

In this research, the relevance of assignments is evaluated based on their effectiveness in achieving the course objectives for both teachers and learners The perceptions of teachers and students regarding this relevance are initially examined separately before being analyzed together.

In this research, the term refers to the quality and quantity of student work in relation to assignment requirements, specifically the adherence to guidelines This concept is based on the belief that strict compliance with these requirements will lead to the desired outcomes.

Accordingly, the following figure proposed another way to visualize the two concepts relevance and efficacy in their relation to each other and to course objectives:

The American Studies course objectives at ULIS encompass essential concepts that may not be immediately apparent It is crucial to clarify these concepts, particularly "English skills" within the context of sheltered instruction, in relation to existing literature to enhance understanding and effectiveness in the course.

"interdisciplinary research skills" Acknowledgedly, "presentational competencies" and foci of American Studies were important concepts, too, but they were adequately defined by the course syllabus already

1.1.4 English skills in sheltered course classes

How does this study fit into other research?

This research would best contribute to, among all relevant studies, the body of researches on sheltered instruction, which until recently dominated by commanding and

This study, inspired by the "think globally, act locally" principle from Echevarria, Vogt, and Short, offers a comprehensive review of testing and assessment in sheltered instruction classrooms, focusing on a clearly defined local context.

METHODOLOGY

Research questions

This study sought to address three key questions regarding the perceptions of American Studies lecturers and students at ULIS-VNUH: first, the extent to which the design of courseworks has facilitated the achievement of course objectives; second, their views on the quality of actual assignments in relation to the established requirements; and third, their suggestions for potential modifications to the assignments.

Participants

The research involves two key stakeholder groups from the Faculty of English Language Teacher Education and the Faculty of Linguistics and Cultures of English-Speaking Countries.

A survey was conducted with 532 third-year students from 22 classes of QH081E, who were selected due to their familiarity with the procedures and requirements of Country Studies courses Having previously completed two courses—General Geography of the UK and the US, as well as British Studies—these students had just finished the American Studies course before the survey They were invited to participate in a questionnaire survey, which is detailed in the following sections.

The second group of participants in the study consists of six teachers from the Country Studies Division who instructed American Studies for the QH081E classes Due to the limited number of educators, the research focused on analyzing the data gathered from this specific group.

Chapter 3: Methodology qualitatively to provide deeper insights and explanation to the issues arose Two of the teachers have more than 10 years of experience in teaching these courses, while the others range from 2 to 5 years This group of teachers were invited to give responses to a questionnaire survey, followed-up by a short in-depth interview.

Instruments

This research employs a mixed-methods approach, emphasizing quantitative methods to outline the broader context while qualitative methods facilitate deeper interpretation Data collection involved three instruments: a questionnaire survey tailored for both students and teachers, follow-up interviews with participating teachers post-survey, and a secondary analysis of students' American Studies scores, particularly focusing on presentation-reflection scores This triangulation ensures comprehensive insights into the research questions.

The primary tool utilized in this research was a questionnaire survey comprising two similar versions, aimed at gathering data on the perceptions of teachers and students regarding the relevance and effectiveness of American Studies assignments Each version was structured around two key dimensions, while the specific links of each question to these dimensions remained undisclosed This instrument was selected due to its numerous advantages and its alignment with the research objectives.

The 5-point Likert scale was adopted as the core framework for the design of the questionnaire Most questions were formulated on this scale in form of statements, and participants were asked to respond to these statements Possible responses range from 1- Strongly disagree to 5-Strongly agree The last open-ended question was utilized in order to gain more qualitative data for the third research aim The questionnaire consisted of 40 questions [See Appendix 1a and 1b for the final questionnaire forms]

The primary distinction between the two versions for students and teachers is the wording of the questions, while a secondary difference includes an informational question regarding teaching experience for teachers and class details for students.

In this study, a supplementary instrument was utilized alongside a questionnaire survey, involving all six participating teachers in brief discussions Each teacher elaborated on a primary question, which expanded upon an open-ended question from the questionnaire, allowing them to provide further insights to support their responses Notably, no students were included in the interview process.

This study focused on analyzing the presentation scores of QH081E students in the American Studies subject to identify any significant correlations within the gathered data, which was archived by the Faculty of English Language Teacher Education.

Data collection procedures

The questionnaire survey was conducted in the following steps:

1 Introducing about the research via student mail group with the aid of a student coordinator This introduction reached all students of QH081E

2 The coordinator forwarded the questionnaire form to monitor of each class

3 All monitors then forwarded this form to their class' members, who later returned the filled forms to their respective monitor

4 All monitors packed the forms together and sent back to the researcher via email

Teachers received the form directly and submitted their completed responses to the researcher Subsequently, they participated in individual interviews after their answers were carefully reviewed.

To conduct research on American Studies scores for QH081E students, the researcher first obtained authorization from the faculty by completing an archive access request form Once filed with the faculty office, this allowed the researcher full access to utilize the students' scores for the study.

Data analysis procedure

Data from questionnaire was first grouped together on "community" basis, i.e students' forms were grouped according to their class, while all teachers' forms were taken together under the "teacher group"

Raw data was meticulously sorted and enumerated using specialized software, primarily MS Excel, for efficiency compared to SPSS The nominal responses, such as 1 for "Strongly disagree" and 3 for "Uncertain," were converted into numerical data for analysis.

Responses were organized into batches following the principles outlined in section 3.3.1, ensuring that the questionnaire was formulated and analyzed quantitatively for effective interpretation and discussion in the subsequent chapter.

The analysis combined responses from open-ended questions with interview data to explore deeper issues Given the qualitative nature of the open-ended responses and the interviews, the focus was on the content of what was expressed rather than the frequency of responses.

This study focuses exclusively on students' presentation scores from the QH081E classes, as these scores were used for grading the presentation-reflection assignments The average presentation scores for each class and the overall QH081E classes were calculated to explore potential correlations between presentation scores and the efficacy index.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Perceptions of teachers and students of the degree to which the actual assignment

Efficacy, defined as the effectiveness of assignments in aligning with syllabus objectives, is crucial for assessing their contribution to achieving educational goals To evaluate this, students' and teachers' perceptions were measured through eight questions for the presentation assignment and three questions for the reflection assignment, yielding positive results.

In a recent presentation assignment, around 70% of students reported that they adhered closely to the provided guidelines, with median scores reflecting an average of 3.1 out of 4 across eight criteria Interestingly, teachers rated their students' compliance even higher, with a median score of 3.3, indicating a strong appreciation for their adherence to the presentation standards.

The evaluation of the reflection assignment's efficacy was moderately positive, with approximately 60% of student respondents agreeing that their reflections met the assignment's requirements The median ratings were 2.7 from students and 3.0 from teachers, indicating a slight disparity in perception between the two groups.

Correlation between efficacy index and presentation score

In an attempt to find the correlation between the efficacy (perception) index and students' presentation scores, which took both assignments – presentation and reflection – into

Chapter 5: Conclusion consideration, the researcher used students' official presentation scores (as filed by the faculty) jointly with data yielded from the questionnaire survey

The calculation involved using means to determine the average scores and efficacy indexes for each class, allowing for the assessment of differences between individual class metrics and the overall averages.

20 classes (See Appendix 5 for details)

With this method, positive correlations between the efficacy indexes and presentation scores were identified:

 A 1 point increased in presentation efficacy index would yield 2.14 points increased in presentation score

 A 1 point increased in reflection efficacy index would yield 0.85 points increased in presentation score

 A 1 point increased in presentation-reflection combined efficacy index would yield 1.54 points increased in presentation score

The study found a strong correlation between students' perceptions of their adherence to guidelines and their scores, indicating that those who believed in their efficacy were more likely to follow the requirements closely This relationship can be interpreted in two ways: first, students with higher efficacy perceptions tended to adhere better to grading guidelines, and second, these confident students were likely to excel in various presentational assignments.

What do teachers and students suggest about modifying the assignments? – Practical

The influx of qualitative data from students has led to a wide range of suggestions, many of which may not directly address the posed questions For a concise overview, refer to Appendix 6, which summarizes and reorganizes the pertinent suggestions from students This discussion focuses exclusively on the relevant feedback from both students and teachers, derived from questionnaires and interviews.

The primary concern regarding the presentation assignment is that many students, along with 75% of teachers, noted that the presentations lacked depth To enhance the quality of presentations, students proposed implementing new requirements that emphasize research content, encouraging better preparation and discussion of topics beforehand, increasing post-presentation dialogue, or even substituting presentations with seminars Teachers echoed these sentiments but suggested varying strategies to address the issue.

Students expressed dissatisfaction with reflection assignments, deeming them tedious and ineffective, as many resorted to copying each other's work without proper monitoring for grading They suggested eliminating these assignments or substituting them with graded reflective essays following each lecture In contrast, teachers proposed more moderate solutions that lacked the assertiveness students desired.

About teachers, and other factors that related to the either or both of the assignments

Students, when looking at teachers to make suggestions, seemed to focus more on their teachers' degree of effort invested in helping them

While these suggestions may arise from the oversights or teaching methods of specific educators rather than all teachers, they serve as a valuable checklist for everyone to consider and adapt to their unique classroom environments.

1 Summary of findings o sum up in clear terms, average medians were used as a measure to gauge the relevance of presentation-reflection assignment toward realizing each course objective:

1 2.75 Met the objective for the most part (with only 1 over

2 2.38 Failed to meet the objective

3 2.56 Partially met the objective (each group of English skills and interdisciplinary research skills could only meet two thirds of the objective)

The combined efficacy of presentation-reflection assignment could be deemed high at median value of 3.0, however, the reflection assignment's requirements were slightly less observed, with the median value of 2.67

To enhance the effectiveness of presentations as a valuable assignment, most suggestions focused on maximizing their potential, while the reflection assignment lacked targeted feedback, indicating possible disinterest from both students and teachers This is further supported by the median values that highlighted "failures to meet the objective," which predominantly fell within the reflection assignment's scope.

Despite meticulous design and instrumentation to minimize potential issues, the study was not entirely free from flaws A significant limitation arose from the researcher's inexperience in handling a large sample size of 323 participants, leading to challenges in processing raw data This resulted in duplicates and variations in responses, which, although mostly addressed, may have introduced noise that could impact the reliability of the findings.

Based on the study's limitations, future research should prioritize frequent communication with respondents and closely monitor their answering processes Additionally, further investigations could explore each objective of the syllabus, particularly the less clear aspect of interdisciplinary research skills, as well as examine the correlation between the combined efficacy index and presentation scores.

It will be then that we can confirm the positive correlation

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Appendix 1 American Studies course outline

Appendix 2a Survey questionnaire form – Student version

Appendix 2b Survey questionnaire form – Teacher version

Appendix 3a Summary of questionnaire data – Students' Perception

*Shaded boxes indicate areas of median value

Appendix 3b Summary of questionnaire data – Teachers' Perception

Item Student Teacher Item Combined Student Teacher

16 3.0 3.5 PreP-C Presentation's influence on presentational skills combined

18 2.0 2.5 RepP-C Reflection's influence on presentational skills combined

20 2.0 2.5 EngP-C Presentation's influence on English skills combined

22 3.0 2.0 EngR-C Reflection's influence on English skills combined

24 2.0 2.0 ResSk-C Interdisciplinary research skills combined

26 3.0 3.0 FurS-C Preparation for further study combined

Appendix 5 Correlation between efficacy index and presentation score

Dif Difference compared with average (ALL)

XcD/P Amount of presentation score increased (or decreased) per 1 point of X increased (or decreased)

*Conforming to the anonymity principle, real class IDs were replaced by ordinal ID.

Summary of findings

o sum up in clear terms, average medians were used as a measure to gauge the relevance of presentation-reflection assignment toward realizing each course objective:

1 2.75 Met the objective for the most part (with only 1 over

2 2.38 Failed to meet the objective

3 2.56 Partially met the objective (each group of English skills and interdisciplinary research skills could only meet two thirds of the objective)

The combined efficacy of presentation-reflection assignment could be deemed high at median value of 3.0, however, the reflection assignment's requirements were slightly less observed, with the median value of 2.67

To enhance the effectiveness of presentations, it's essential to focus on maximizing their value, as most suggestions for improvement were directed towards this assignment In contrast, the reflection assignment lacked specific feedback, indicating a potential disinterest from both students and teachers This is further supported by the observation that many median values associated with "failures to meet the objective" were linked to the reflection assignment.

Limitations of the study

Despite the meticulous design of the study and its instrumentation to minimize potential issues, it was impossible to eliminate all flaws A significant limitation arose from the researcher's inexperience in managing a large sample size of 317+6 participants, which resulted in challenges during data processing The presence of duplicates and variations in responses complicated the analysis, and although many inconsistencies were addressed, some noise remained, potentially impacting the reliability of the results.

Suggestions for further research

Based on the study's limitations, future research should prioritize frequent communication with respondents and closely monitor their answering processes Additionally, subsequent studies could explore each objective of the syllabus, particularly the less clear aspect of interdisciplinary research skills, or investigate the correlation between the combined efficacy index and presentation scores.