Chapter One Introduction
1.1 Background of the research
Needless to say, tremendous developments have been achieved in distinctive periodsafter the foundation of China and especially after the Reform and Opening in China, fosteringlarge numbers of outstanding cadres and scholars of foreign languages. Teaching English as aforeign language has been developing for many years since the Reform. Great achievementshave been made in the process of English teaching and learning. Nearly every student inevery level has easy access to English.However, in English teaching there still are some existing problems that remain to besolved immediately.As far as most English teachers are concerned, what's the most important is that thepresent situation of teaching is not so satisfactory, which can be reflected in the followingrespects: lack of students’ learning subjectivity, poor interaction in class, simple and uniformteaching modes, and failures to complete learning tasks creatively and effectively.The students lack subjectivity in English learning. Under the influence of traditionaleducation, the subject-deficiency in the English learning process of high school studentsis severe. Under the multiple pressures, students' learning has been lacking in desires forfurther learning and examinations. Teachers’ role is focused on in the teaching procedure,which attaches great importance to knowledge instead of really arousing students' enthusiasmand initiative. For the lack of understanding the teaching pattern that curriculum hasadvocated, teachers can't make full use of it. In the teaching reality, some of the Englishteachers even don’t dare to have a try, feeling it difficult for both teachers and students tograsp advanced teaching modes for fear that using the modes will affect students' test scores.
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1.2 Significance of the research
The students’ overall English reading ability can be classified into four parts: the deepunderstanding of key words and important sentences in the passage, the ability to select,summarize and conclude the important information from the context, the ability to master thewhole passage and dig out what the writer wants to say between lines and maybe even behindthe lines, and the ability to recognize the writing styles, structures, design and the languagepattern of the passage. The application of Cooperative Learning method in English reading teaching can make the following practical differences to help improve the specific abilitiesabove. In terms of factors affecting students' learning, the Cooperative Learning method canprovide the necessary part of motivation in English reading class. Psychological researchsuggests that students learning is under the influence of various factors. They are learners'developmental status, learners' cognitive structures that are already possessed, readingstrategies, learning types, motivation and the external environment.Physical development and learning needs is a prerequisite for learning materials. And,constantly learning enhances learners' psychological and physiological development.Cognitive structure that already has existed is a key factor for learning to occur and remain.Learning strategy mainly refers to achieving certain learning objectives and rules in thelearning activities and it also refers to controlling over the learning methods and techniques.Namely, something that students can consciously use to increase the efficiency of learningskills is a gradual process of thinking in learning activities.
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Chapter Two Literature review
2.1 Relevant theories
The Cooperative Learning method becomes well-received throughout the world. Thereason is that it is based on a firm series of language and learning theories. In this section, theresearcher presents four theoretical bases in the following paragraphs. They are HumanismTheory, Constructionist Theory, Affective Filter Hypothesis and Self Determination Theory.The typical representatives of Humanism Theory are Maslow, who is well known for hisNeeds Theory, and Rogers, who is famous for learner-centered theory. The learner-centeredtheory is not only the target but also the origin of the Cooperative Learning method. AsRogers says, the internal factors influence the growth of students' subjectivity and potentials,while the external factors emphasize students' interpersonal relationship. The CooperativeLearning method provides both the internal and external preparations.Language is commonly considered original in the communication and the developmentof human beings. So Humanism Theory has the following views about education. First,waking up all the students' potential is the main purpose of education. Second, the growth oflearners' intellectual is based on their humanistic growth. Then, education in either teachingor learning is carried out in all the human's aspects. Third, students' feelings are important tochange the learning into a meaningful one. Fourth, the meaning of learning must bediscovered by learners themselves. Fifth, the peaceful and pleasant relationship with peershelps carry out effective learning. Sixth, students themselves are eager to realize their ownpotency. Seventh, one of the motivations is to know what or who we are. Finally, anotherlearning motivation is trying to build up one's own status (Moscowitz, 1978).
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2.2 Previous studies on Cooperative Learning and English reading
When the author is surfing the internet, a lot of researches about the CooperativeLearning method, English reading teaching and even some studies that both are involved inhave been conducted in the past few years. The researchers study them from three aspects.Here go the detailed overviews.Since the 1960s, the Cooperative Learning method has been spreading rapidly from theUSA to many other countries, such as England, Australia, Canada and Japan. It is commonlysaid that the Cooperative Learning method is one of the most successful and outstandingeducational reforms ever since. At present, it is applied in many subject researches andpractice areas, such as physics, chemistry, computer, and mathematics and so on, each tovarious learning levels of students or learners, such as little pupils, some high school students,also college students, graduates, masters and even doctors. The author of this thesis has madea list of some research abroad, and classified them into four aspects according to the researchemphases. They are researches about the definition, the elements, the theory foundations andthe history of the Cooperative Learning method, researches about the modes, strategies andthe specific ways of implementing the Cooperative Learning method, and researches aboutthe effectiveness and practicability of the Cooperative Learning method.
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Chapter Three Research design........26
3.1 The research questions.... 26
3.2 The research subjects ...... 26
3.3 The research instruments ....... 27
3.4 The research procedure .......... 31
3.5 The experiment ........ 31
3.6 Data analysis ..... 35
Chapter Four Results and discussion......36
4.1 Results........ 36
4.2 Discussion ......... 49
Chapter Five Conclusion.....55
5.1 Major finding .... 55
5.2 Implications....... 57
5.3 Limitation of the study.... 61
5.4 Suggestions for future study ......... 61
Chapter Four Results and discussion
This chapter is made up of two parts: results and discussion. Results includeimprovement in the students' English reading interest, improvement in the students' Englishreading sub-skills and improvement in the students' overall English reading ability.
4.1 Results
Here are the results including improvement in the students' English reading interest, inthe students' English reading sub-skills and in the students' overall English reading ability.4.1.1 Improvement in students' English reading interestThe students' English interest is investigated using two instruments, interview andquestionnaire.Some students finally report and state that they almost have no or even less interest inEnglish reading, roughly because when they often meet with unknown words, they are likelyto stop to look up the words in the dictionary so that they waste a lot of time, break thecomprehension of the passage and in the end lose their interest in it. They also say that theydon't like to attend English reading class. They attend it just because of the exam pressure.They feel that they have received little effect only by listening to the teacher. But they haveno choice but to follow the teacher. So they lose their interest.
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Conclusion
This chapter concludes from four aspects: major finding, implications, limitation of thestudy and possible suggestions for future study.After the experiment, there is a major finding that attracts the researcher's attention. It ispresented as follows.
1) The Cooperative Learning method is very effective in enhancing students' interestparticularly in English reading in most of senior high schools. Most of students' stronginterest in reading English largely comes from the transformation of their teachers' role.Group learning transforms teachers' role. Han Yu's thought "Teachers' job is preaching,instructing and disabusing." In traditional teaching mode teachers are the "preachers ofknowledge". The students' interest in reading English comes from the cooperation with groupmembers with the result of maximizing their strengths and compensating their weaknesses.The students' interest in reading English comes from the joy of experiencing common successachieved by teamwork. Spirit of solidarity makes group members encourage each other, andhelp each other.
2) The Cooperative Learning method helps develop students' specific English readingsub-skills.
a. The improvement of students' English reading sub-skills helps prove the effects ofguessing the words with the help of the team members. With the help of the CooperativeLearning method, students can provide hints for one another, making progress for everyone inthe cooperative reading experience.b
. The improvement of students' English reading sub-skills helps prove the effect ofinferring and reasoning during the debate in the classroom. Inferring or reasoning needsstudents' critical thinking that is based on the information provided by the reading passage.From this point of view, the Cooperative Learning method is very necessary and imperative.Involving effective group work activities of debating into the English reading teachingprocess in senior high schools makes good sense.
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References (omitted)