A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PRIMARY 4 STUDENTS' ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND PERCEPTION OF LEARNING CHINESE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE UNDER AN INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING METHOD AT AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IN BANGKOK, THAILAND

Authors

  • SUNANTHA MEESIN Student
  • SUPIT KARNJANAPUN

Keywords:

Academic achievement in learning Chinese; Chinese as a foreign language; Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi; Inquiry-based learning method;

Abstract

The objective of conducting this comparative research was to determine students' academic achievement in learning Chinese while being instructed under the teaching methodology of inquiry-based learning method in learning Chinese as a foreign language at an international school in Bangkok. How has learning under the inquiry-based learning method increased students' academic achievement and sufficiency for Primary 4 students, which prepared them sufficiently to pass their HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) Chinese proficiency test at their respective Chinese levels? This study examined both the effectiveness of the learning methodology and students' perception of their academic performance to determine how inquiry-based learning methods work in learning a foreign language. A pre-test and post-test were given to Primary 4 students in a Chinese class. The research was conducted from May 2020 to June 2020 in Chinese class. The topic was in Unit 1, "Greeting," which emphasized classroom activity, friends, and family. The lessons were conducted for four weeks, with 3 hours of class per week lasting for a total duration of 60 minutes. The sample size of this study was 18 students being instructed under the inquiry-based learning method. Results indicated that the student's academic achievement and performance in the Chinese language have increased in percentage under the inquiry-based learning methodology. The findings showed that the inquiry-based learning method results in higher achievement in students' academic performance. Students' perception of learning Chinese under the inquiry-based learning method was effective. Therefore, the findings of the study indicated a
1 M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, Chinese Language Teacher, Raffles American School, No.15, Moo.15 Bangna-Trad Road, Bangkaew, Bang Phli, Samut Prakan, Thailand. sunanthameesin@gmail.com
2 Ph.D., Associate Professor, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Assumption University, 592/3 Ramkhamhaeng Road, Soi 24, Hua Mak, Bang Kapi, Bangkok, Thailand. supitkrn@au.edu
Scholar: Human Sciences, ISSN 2586-9388, Vol.14 No.2 (Jul.-Dec. 2022)
433
significant difference in gains instructed under the inquiry-based learning method at a significance level of .05 found in this study. Students achieved higher when exposed to inquiry-based learning methods in learning Chinese as a foreign language.

References

Abdullah, I. (2005). Teaching Guide. Academic Staff Development Center. University College of Engineering & Technology Malaysia.

Adams, R. (2009). Recent publications on task-based language teaching: A review. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 19(3), 339–55.

Ambridge, B., & Lieven, E. V. M. (2011). Child language acquisition: Contrasting theoretical approaches. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching and assessing: A revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives: Complete edition. New York: Longman.

Applebee, AN., Langer, Nystrand & Gamoran. (2003). Discussion-based approaches to developing understanding: Classroom instruction and student performance in middle and high school English. American Educational Research Journal, 40 (3), 685-730.

Arung, F., & Jumardin. (2016). Improving the students' speaking skills through debate techniques. Journal of English Education, 1(1), 70–76. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/ 10.31327/jee. v1i1.85

Banchi, H., & Bell, R. (2008). The many levels of inquiry. Science and Children, 46(2), 26–29.

Bingham, G. E., & Hall-Kenyon, K. (2013). Examining teachers' beliefs about and implementation of a balanced literacy framework. Journal of Research in Reading, 36(1), 14-28. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9817.2010. 01483.x

Bruner, J. S. (1990). The process of education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Cakir, I. (2006). The use of video as an audio-visual material in foreign language teaching classroom. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 5, 67-72.

Caputo, L. (2014) Using inquiry-based learning to teach additional languages.

Cheng, H.-J. (2014). The study of CSL online teacher training course and the teachers' development of technological pedagogical content knowledge. Journal of Technology and Chinese Language Teaching, 5(2), 1–18. Retrieved from http://www.tclt.us/journal/2014v5n2/

Collins, A., & Stevens, A. (1983). A cognitive theory of inquiry teaching. In Reigeluth, C.M. (Ed.), Instructional design theories and models: An overview of their Current Status Instructional-design theories: An overview of their current status. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishing. pp. 247-278.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York: Collier.

Scholar: Human Sciences, ISSN 2586-9388, Vol.14 No.2 (Jul.-Dec. 2022)

De Houwer, J. (2019). Moving beyond the distinction between system 1 and 2, conditioning, implicit evaluation, and habitual responding might also be mediated by relational knowledge. Exp. Psychol., 66, 257–265. doi: 10.1027/1618-3169/a000450

Ellis, R. 2002. Grammar teaching: Practice or consciousness-raising? In J.C. Richards & W.A. Renandya (Eds.), Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Fauziati, & Endang. (2016). Applied linguistics principles of foreign language teaching, learning, and researching. Surakarta: Era Pustaka Utama.

Frey, B. B., Lee, S. W., Tollefson, N., Pass, L., & Massengill, D. (2005). Balanced literacy in an urban school district. Journal of Educational Research, 98(5), 272- 280.

Garreth, T. (2008). Student-centered and teacher-centered classroom management: A case study of three elementary teachers. Journal of Classroom Interaction, 43.1, 34-47.

Gass, S. (2002). Interactionist perspectives in second language acquisition. In R. Kaplan (Ed.), Handbook of applied linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Ghavifekr, S., Abd Razak, A.Z., Ghani, M.F.A., Ran, N.Y., Meixi, Y. & Tengyue, Z. (2014). ICT integration in education: Incorporation for teaching & learning improvement. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology (MOJET),2 (2), 24-46.

Glasersfeld, E. von (1993). Learning and adaptation in the theory of constructivism. Communication and Cognition, 26(3/4), 393–402.

Lee, H. Y. (2014). Inquiry-based teaching in second and foreign language pedagogy. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 5(6), 1236-1244.

Li, L., Zhang, D., & Zhao, S. (2013). Willingness to communicate among Singaporean Chinese children. Huawen Jiaoxue Yu Yanjiu [TECSOL (Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages) Studies], 2, 57-63.

McCombs, B. L. & Whistler, J. S. (1997). The learner-centered classroom and school. Strategies for increasing student motivation and achievement. San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers

Moore, M. G. (1989). Three types of interaction. The American Journal of Distance Education, 3(2), 1-6.

Moore, S. (2002). Literacy in America. (In Encyclopedia of History, Theory, and Practice, 1, p. 46). Santa Barbara, CA: Encyclopedia of History, Theory, and Practice.

Scholar: Human Sciences, ISSN 2586-9388, Vol.14 No.2 (Jul.-Dec. 2022)

Olmanson, J., & Liu, X. (2017). The challenge of Chinese character acquisition: Leveraging multimodality in overcoming a centuries-old problem. Emerging Learning Design Journal, 4(1), 1–9.

Piaget, J. (1972). The psychology of the child. New York: Basic Books.

Rutherford, W., & Sharwood Smith, M. (1985). Consciousness-raising and universal grammar. Applied Linguistics, 6, 274-282. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/applin/6.3.274

Silberman, R. B., & Tuan, Y. F. (1999). World views: Maps & art: 11 September 1999-2 January 2000. Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, University of Minnesota.

Skinner, B. F. (1957). Century psychology series. Verbal behavior.

Appleton-Century-Crofts. https://doi.org/10.1037/11256-000

Smith, T. (2015). Whole language. Research starters: Education (Online Ed.). Technology-Enabled Learning Implementation Handbook, Chapter: Appendix 1, Publisher: Commonwealth of Learning, Editors: Adrian Kirkwood, Linda Price, pp.59-68

Tofade, T., Elsner, J., & Haines, S. (2013). Best practice strategies for effective use of questions as a teaching tool. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 77(7), 1–9.

Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach. (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc

Thornbury, S. (2000). A dogma for EFL. IATEFL,153, (2).

Van der Heijden, M. (2013). The perceptions of using inquiry-based methods in the Mandarin language classroom in IBO Primary Years Programme schools in the Asia Pacific region. Singapore: United World College.

Vygotsky. L. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.Walsh, J. A. & Sattes, B. D. (2005). Quality questioning: Research-based practice to engage every learner. Thousand Oaks, CA: AEL and Corwin Press.

Whewell, W. (2014). In the philosophy of the inductive sciences: Founded upon their history (Cambridge Library Collection - Philosophy, pp. I-Ii). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

White, B. Shimoda, T.A, & Frederiksen, J.R. (1999). Enabling students to construct theories of collaborative inquiry and reflective learning. Computer Support for Metacognitive Development. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education,10, 151-182. Wright, A. (1976). Visual materials for the language teacher.

Xu, H. X. (2002). Explorations and practices in the school-based curriculum: Teacher training activities in Qingdao New Century School. Continuing Education, 3(2), 29-30.

Scholar: Human Sciences, ISSN 2586-9388, Vol.14 No.2 (Jul.-Dec. 2022)

Zohrabi, M., Torabi, M.A., & Baybourdiani, P. (2012). Teacher-centered and/or student-centered Learning: English language in Iran. English Language and Literature Studies, 2(3).

Downloads

Published

2022-08-24

How to Cite

MEESIN, S., & KARNJANAPUN, S. (2022). A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PRIMARY 4 STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND PERCEPTION OF LEARNING CHINESE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE UNDER AN INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING METHOD AT AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IN BANGKOK, THAILAND. Scholar: Human Sciences, 14(2), 432. Retrieved from http://www.assumptionjournal.au.edu/index.php/Scholar/article/view/5431

Most read articles by the same author(s)