Year 7 students' English reading comprehension and attitudes ...

Edith Cowan University

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Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Theses

2004

Year 7 students' English reading comprehension and attitudes and behaviours: Collaborative genrebased versus traditional teaching methods in Thailand

Sanguansri Torok

Edith Cowan University

Recommended Citation

Torok, S. (2004). Year 7 students' English reading comprehension and attitudes and behaviours: Collaborative genre-based versus traditional teaching methods in Thailand. Retrieved from

This Thesis is posted at Research Online.

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J YEAR 7 STlJUENTS' ENGLISH READING COMPREHENSION AND ATTITUDES

AND BEHAVIOURS : COLLABORATIVE GENRE-BASED VERSUS TRADITJONA'? TEACHING METHODS IN THAILAND

/

by SANGUANSRI TOROK

B.Ed .. M.Ed.

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy

in the Faculty ofCommunity Services. Education and Social Sciences at Edith Cowan University

Date of submission : February, 2004

USE OF THESIS

The Use of Thesis statement is not included in this version of the thesis.

ABSTRACT

A new system-wide educational change has been introduced in Thailand that

requires English as a foreign language (EFL) to be taught from primary to university

level. This study investigates a genre-based method of teaching English to grade 7

secondary students in Thailand. The study was conducted in three phases.

In phase I. Rasch measures of reading comprehension {based on throe kinds of

genre texts) and of a!litudes and behaviour towards genre-based learning of English

were created for use in phase 2. An interval scale of 36 items (18 real and 18 ideal

perspectives) was created from an original attitude and behaviour questionnaire of 96

items administered to a sample of 300 grade 7 students. With the same sample. an

interval scale of reading comprehension for 18 items was created from an original

sample of 60 items.

In phase 2 of the study. a controlled experiment in teaching rending involving 90

'

students from three secondary schools in Ratchoburi. Thailand. was implemented. The

students from each school were assigned randomly to an experimental group (45) and a

control group {45). The experimental group was taught by using genre-based rhetorical

structures (narrative. journalistic. expository). while the control group was taught by a

traditional teaching method. A great deal of care was taken to treat the experimental

group and the control group the same. in every respect except for the teaching method.

During phase J. a discussion group. comprising the three heads of English

departments and the three trainee teachers in the schools. evaluated the results through

focused discussions.

Results indicated that the experimental group improved in English reading

comprehension. and in attitudes and behaviour. significantly more than the control

group.

The discussion group recommended implementation of a genre-based teaching

and learning programme for EFL in teacher training. based on the results. The findings

have implications for the training of English teachers, administrators, and teacher

educators in Thailand. and for future research in the measurement of educational

variables.

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