THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN TENTH GRADE ENGLISH CLASSES AT PHAN CHAU TRINH UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL, DANANG

Abstract

In recent years, Project-based Learning (PBL), an innovative pedagogical strategy which is student-centered and aims at promoting communicative competence as well as other essential skills, has been implemented in various academic institutions all over the world. This research project aimed at investigating the implementation of Project-based Learning in tenth grade English classes at Phan Chau Trinh Upper Secondary School, Danang. In an attempt to achieve this aim, the study was intended to find out how Project-based Learning is implemented in 10th grade English classes, the difficulties that English teachers and 10th grade students encounter when this approach is adopted in English classes, and students' perceptions of the impacts of PBL on their English communicative competence and other skills. In this research, the data were collected through survey questionnaires and classroom observations to fulfill the purposes of the study. The participants were ten English teachers and eighty 10th graders at Phan Chau Trinh Upper Secondary School. The findings showed that teachers usually follow the six-step procedure in implementing projects, and structured and semi-structured, mini and short – term projects as well as group projects are the most common types of project work carried out in their English classes. Moreover, teachers also encounter certain difficulties such as assessing students’ final products, providing them with constructive feedback or engaging them in self-assessment. Besides, the great number of necessary tasks or the imbalance among students’ English proficiency levels are some common difficulties 10th graders often confront. The results also indicated the positive perceptions of 10th grade students of the impacts of Project-based Learning on their communicative competence and other skills because their range of vocabulary is expanded, they become more confident in speaking English, their reading skills are improved or they can develop useful social skills as well as the skills to search for, analyze and utilize information.