catering for learner diversity – using variation theory to enhance students’ understanding of...
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Catering for learner diversity –Catering for learner diversity –using variation theory to enhance using variation theory to enhance
students’ understanding of students’ understanding of argumentative writingargumentative writing
Catering for learner diversity –Catering for learner diversity –using variation theory to enhance using variation theory to enhance
students’ understanding of students’ understanding of argumentative writingargumentative writing
Pat Heung Central Primary School – To Kwok Kuen
2009.2.19
Background and Aim• New English Language Curriculum Guide
(different text types - 6 categories*)
• Individual differences (reading comprehension)
• Students learning problems (lack the experience)
• *Narrative texts, Information texts, Exchanges, Procedural texts, Explanatory texts, Persuasive texts, (CDC, 2004 - p.17)
Aim:
To use variation theory to improve students’ understanding of argumentative writing
Background and Aim
Flowchart
About the lesson preparation……
• Students had problems in understanding the structure of argumentative writing
• Students had great individual differences
• A pre-test was conducted in order
to better understand their ways of understanding or seeing argumentative writing
Students’ different ways of seeing (Pre-test)
Case 1
Teacher : What is argumentative writing?
Student A: Oh, argumentative writing is to argue about … write something to tell someone that this is good and this is bad and argue about it.Case 2
Teacher : What is argumentative writing?
Student B: There is no who, where, what and when and no background
information in argumentative writing.
Students’ different ways of seeing (Pre-test)
Case 3
Teacher : What is argumentative writing?
Student C: Oh, argumentative writing is to argue about … write something to tell someone that this is good and this is
bad and argue about it.Case 4
Teacher : What is argumentative writing?
Student D: Argumentative writing has many paragraphs but fewer words.
Students’ different ways of seeing (Pre-test)
Case 5
Teacher : What is argumentative writing?
Student E: Argumentative writing is something about gossip.
Case 6
Teacher : What is argumentative writing?
Student F: I don’t know.
About the lesson preparation……
• Dr Pang’s suggestions• 3 experienced English teachers prepared and
designed the lessons together
- We focused on:• Students’ learning problems• Students’ learning diversity
About the lesson preparation……The 2 critical aspects identified are:
• 1. different ways of reading texts resulting in different understandings
• 2. different genres having different structures
Lesson plan (1)
Pattern of variation/ invariance OutcomeText Act Learner
i v iMakes act visible
Text Meaning Learneri v v
Makes meaning visible
Text Act Learnerv i i
Generalizes act across texts
Text Meaning Genrev i v
Brings out genre related differences between texts
Text Type Characteristicsv i v
Brings out differences between texts within same genre
Lesson plan (1)Stage 1 Teacher uses the variation theory to make the act visible(Same text A but different in act)Students should discern that there are different ways of reading
Stage 2 Teacher uses the variation theory to make the meaning visible (Same text A but different in meaning from their summaries)Up to here, students should discern if they use different ways of reading to read a text, they may have different understandings on the same text.
Lesson plan (1)
Stage 3Teacher generalizes act across texts(Read text A and B and generalize the way of understanding and reading the texts)*
Students should discern the relationship between the way of reading and the understanding of the text
*-Text A and B are narrative texts
Lesson plan (1)
Stage 4 Teacher points out genre-related differences between texts (narrative and argumentative)
Read text C (similar topic/meaning to text B but different in genre, that is argumentative)
Lesson plan (1)
Stage 5Teacher guides students to discuss the differences between text C and text D (both of them are argumentative texts but they have different themes)
Teacher brings out differences between texts within same genre
The 3 teachers discussed the performance of students in the 4 lessons after the instruction.
The teachers reviewed the students’ work and interviewed some students. They found that after the two critical aspects of the object of learning were introduced, students had no significant improvement after the instruction.
Reflection
The teachers decided to start another cycle to deal with the students’ problem.
After discussion, it was concluded that some critical aspects of the object of learning might be missed and the texts that students have read might be too difficult for them at this level.
Reflection
The three additional critical aspects:
3. the difference between the meaning of descriptive sentence and writer’s opinion
4. the words used in argumentative and narrative writing (support, agree, should….)
5. the structures of argumentative and narrative writing.
Reflection
Two extra lessons were spent on helping students achieve the object of learning. At the same time, all the texts used in the lessons were tailored and shortened.
Reflection
Lesson plan (2)Example 1:
Ask students to read the 5 sentences on the left-handed column (writer’s opinion)Guide them to find out the similarities of the 5 sentences
Variant: wordingsInvariant: function of the sentences
Separation and generalization
Lesson plan (2)Example 2:
Let students read text C (Theme - Lies and Honesty, argumentative) Text C has a similar topic to text B (Theme - An Honest Boy, narrative)
Variant: structure of the text (genre)Invariant: themeStudents may discern the differences of the text structure.
Contrast
• Introducing variations in the second instructional design did help improve students’ understanding of the features of argumentative writing.
• Students made significant improvement in discerning the features of argumentative writing.
• More than half of them were able to either state
the features of argumentative writing or categorize the given texts correctly.
Results
• Appropriate and sufficient variations be introduced in teaching to enhance students’ learning.
• Teacher’s reflection is important to the use of variation theory in teaching and learning.
Suggestions
Thank you !