1
SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO ĐỒNG NAI
TRƯỜNG THPT TRẤN BIÊN
Mã số:

SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM
APPLYING PROJECT WORK TO MOTIVATING
STUDENTS' COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND
ATTITUDES IN LEARNING ENGLISH
Người thực hiện: PHAN THỊ NGỌC TÚ
Lĩnh vực nghiên cứu:
- Phương pháp dạy học bộ môn: Tiếng Anh 
- Lĩnh vực khác: Ứng dụng CNTT trong giảng dạy bộ môn Tiếng Anh 
Có đính kèm:
 Mô hình  Đĩa CD (DVD)  Phim ảnh  Hiện vật khác
Năm học: 2014 - 2015
Contents
LÝ LỊCH KHOA HỌC …………………………………………… 2
INTRODUCTION …………………………………………… 3
LITERATURE REVIEW …………………………………………… 3
Conceptual Background …………………………………………… 3
Reality …………………………………………… 5
PROCEDURES …………………………………………… 6
IMPLICATIONS AND SUGGESTION FOR TEACHING ……… 8
CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION ……………………………… 11
References ………………………………………… 11
Appendix 1 ………………………………………… 13
Appendix 2 ………………………………………… 14
PHIẾU NHẬN XÉT, ĐÁNH GIÁ ………………………………… 16
2
SƠ LƯỢC LÝ LỊCH KHOA HỌC

the project “Integrating environmental issues in the general education”. Nowadays,
teachers are still requested to take advantage of environmental contents in
curriculum of different subjects to “equip student with knowledge of ecology,
environmental preservation skills and attitudes towards surrounding
environment”(Government, 2001 , p.1). In reality, this integration is not at all easy.
Both teacher and student are faced with a huge workload, time constraints and lack
of environmental materials. Therefore, it is necessary to seek an option that both
provide scaffolding support for students with sufficient materials and motivate
students’ attitudes toward learning English.
The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of project-based learning to
motivating students' communication skills and attitudes towards English lesson of
11
th
grade students. The research was carried out in 2014 – 2015 education-
instruction year at Tran Bien high school in Bien Hoa city. Totally 72 students in
two different classes in the 11
th
grade of this school participated in the study.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Conceptual Background
Project work is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore
4
real-world problems and challenges, simultaneously developing cross-curriculum
skills while working in small collaborative groups or individuals to combine the
investigating the topic and presenting it in written form illustrated with photos,
pictures, diagrams, etc. (Blumenfeld et al., 1991; Đỗ, 2011). Project work is
student-centred and driven by the need to create an end-product (Bell, 2010).
However, it is an itinerary to achieving this end product that makes project work
so worthwhile. The process to the end-product brings opportunities for students to
develop their confidence and independence and to work together in a real-world

applications beyond the classroom (Blank,1997). Project-based learning is an
active approach to classroom teaching and learning that is designed to engage
students in investigation of complex, authentic problems and carefully designed
products and tasks (Blumenfeld et al., 1991). The use of project-based learning in
class is possible after providing the information that is needed for the project. The
classroom activities should be student-centred, cooperative, and interactive
(Moursund, 1999).
5
Based on gathered evidence over the past years, project-based learning
appears to be effective model for producing gains in academic achievement.
Project-based learning enhances the quality of learning and leads to higher-level
cognitive development through the students’ engagement with complex and novel
issues (Blank, 1997). Students not only access to a broader range of learning
opportunities in the classroom, providing a strategy for engaging culturally diverse
learners (Railsback, 2002) but also are exposed to a wide range of skills and
competencies such as collaboration, project planning, decision making, and time
management through project- based learning (Blank, 1997). There is not sufficient
research or empirical data to be able to express certainty that project-based
learning is a proven alternative to other forms of learning. Project-based learning
increases the students’ attitutes of mind students toward their learning style.
Project-based learning is still in the developmental stage within educational
settings. Moreover, these studies which were on the investigation of project-
based learning were carried out in elementary level by comparing project-based
learning with traditional methods. However, this study focuses on the effects of
project-based learning with comparison to the student textbooks based-instruction,
which were created on the basis of the new 11
th
Grade English Curriculum. From
this perspective, this research can be stated to have a significant value. In this
sense, It is hoped that this empirical study can provide a close link between

Figure 1: Problem indenfication
PROCEDURES
In the experimental group, cooperative learning method was applied. Whereas,
in the control group instruction based student textbooks was used in the process
of the study.
This instructional treatment was conducted the 2014-2015 academic year at Tran
Bien high school. 11
th
grade students of two classes of this school were enrolled
in the study. Firstly, the academic achievement test and English attitude scale
were performed as a pre-test. In the next step, the speaking activities in unit 3 -
Party of the Grade 11
th
English Curriculum was taught to the control group by
using the instruction based on the project-based activities through student
textbooks
After the topics to be studied were selected, the teacher developed an
instruction programme. It was crucial to develop appropriate techniques and
provide necessary materials that reflect the principles of project - based learning
7
(See Appendix 1).
In the experimental group, the students were taught with project-based
learning developed for activities in student textbook prepared in connection with
the Grade 11
th
English Curriculum. So, the instruction programme for the
experimental group was prepared according to the principles of project-based
learning. Project-based learning is based on the idea that students study a specific
subject in a deeper context. In this regard, the teacher explained the key
concepts in the unit to the students. During the lesson, though occasionally, the

four
-week study in project groups, the students presented their projects in
front of the classroom and received feedback both from the teacher herself and
their peers in the classroom. In relation with the evaluation, the projects were
evaluated by the students in other groups and the teacher with (1) teacher
evaluation and (2) peer evaluation forms. After scoring the projects of the groups,
the students of the best three projects earned some certificates and awards. Thus,
8
the students in the groups competed with the other groups instead of their team or
class mates. At the end of the project-based learning process, all the projects
created by the groups were presented to the other students and teachers in some
certain parts of the school (See Appendix 2). Meanwhile, the teacher served both
as a designer and a facilitator in the learning process. The teacher formed the
groups, prepared the materials and presented the principles and procedures of
project-based learning as a designer and he walked around the classroom and
helped the students who needed help as a facilitator during the learning process.
From the students’ studying procedures, it can be said that the students in the
experiment group have reached higher attitude scores. The experimental method
applied has enabled the students to develop positive attitudes towards English
lesson. The application of PBL to motivate English Learning on students will
increase their interest to communicate in English language ideas and to develop
basic language skills.
How does this fabric transform a more traditional classroom? The answer for
this question can be seen through students’ development presentation described a
classroom where the teacher is using the project-based learning model effectively.
In such a setting:
• Students have an oppotunities to reflect on the activities.
• There is an atmosphere that error and change are tolerated.
• Students face to the problem with no predetermined answer.
• The process for reaching a solution can be designed.

Students also thrive on the greater flexibility of project learning. In addition to
participating in traditional assessment, they might be evaluated on presentations
to a community audience they have assiduously prepared for, informative tours
of a local historical site based on their recently acquired expertise, or screening
of a scripted film they have painstakingly produced.
What are the challenges facing teachers?
When we bring project-based learning into the classroom we may have to
adopt new instructional strategies to achieve success. Having the teacher take the
role of guide or facilitator is not the way that most educators were taught, nor even
the way they were taught to teach. Direct-instruction methods that rely on
textbooks, lectures, and traditional assessments do not work well in the more open-
ended, interdisciplinary world of project-based learning. Rather, we do more
coaching and modeling and less "telling." Specific challenges facing teachers
include:
• Recognizing situations that make for good projects;
Assigning an authentic task; project-based work is supposed to be about the
real world and reflect things that people out in the real world actually care about
and need to know. This means that the teacher need to stay away from tasks that
seem to “live” only is schools such as asking them to write an essay or transform
sentences. Instead, the tasks should reflect things that people in the real world
engage in or need to know.
• Structuring problems as learning opportunities;
Using an appropriate topic; not every topic works as a project-based work –
it’s just that simple. But even beyond that, we have to find the chosen topics
engage the student in the way that we hope it would. That’s why it’s so important
to forcus on big, specific issues that are relavent to them or that reflect some
aspects of their interest. We’re most motivated to learn when the task before us is
10
matched to our student level of skill: not so easy as to be boring, and not so hard as
to be frustrating. Deliberately fashion the learning exercise so that students are

can help by implementing more flexible schedules, such as block schedules or
team planning time, and providing teachers with professional development
opportunities.
According to my observation, the best way to know if we have created a
successful project-based activity is if our students come up with different answer to
the same problem. This way, we know that they have engaged with the topic and
formed their own distinctive viewpoints based on the information. As our world
continues to increase in speed and complexity, this kind of higher-lever thinking is
going to be invaluable to ensure that they have a successful future. On the other
11
hand the teacher should be well trained and embrace the constructivist
methodological principles that are supported by the usage of this tool.
As a teacher of English in high school we can see that the use of acquiring
project-based ware can open the door for incorporating other teaching chg tools in
while accommodating the needs of new generation of students who are currently or
will come into classrooms. It is possible that using project-based ware as a
constructivist internet based tool will also help meet the school modernization and
technology incorporation push currently underway by the MOET as part of an
attempt to reach the modernization standards set bay the most developed countries
CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION
The results of the research showed a significant difference between the
attitude scores of the experiment group and the control group. On the other hand, it
was also found out that project-based learning was more effective in the positive
development of the students’ academic achievement levels. At the end of the
research, it was revealed that the students who were educated by project-based
learning was more successful and had higher attitude levels towards the lesson
than the students who were educated by the instruction based on student
textbooks.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of project-based
learning on academic achievement and attitudes of eleventh grade students

Delta Kappan International. Fraenkel, J. R. and Wallen, N. E. (1996). How to
design and evaluate research in education. (3rd ed.). New
York: McGraw-Hill.
Merkham, T., Mergendooler, J., Learmer, J. and Ravitz, J. (2003). Project based
learning handbook. Hong Kong: Quinn Essentials Books and Printing, Inc.
Moursund, D. (1999). Project-based learning using information technology.
Eugene, Oregon: International Society for Technology in Education.
Pham, H. H. (2006). Researching the Research Culture in English Language
Education in Vietnam. Journal, 10(2). Retrieved from http://www-
writing.berkeley.edu/TESLEJ/ej38/a10.html
Railsback, J. (2002). Project-based instruction: Creating excitement for learning.
Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
/>Thomas, J. W. (2000). A review of research on project-based learning executive
summary. San Rafael, CA: The Autodesk Foundation.
Thomas, J. W., Mergendoller, J. R. and Michaelson, A. (1999). Project-based
learning: A handbook for middle and high school teachers. Novato, CA: The Buck
Institute for Education.
Educational Technology Division Ministry of Education Malaysia. (2006). Project-
Based Learning Handbook “Educating The Millennial Learner” Retrieved from
/>%20Learning%20Handbook/2%20-%20Project%20Based%20Learning
%20Handbook.pdf
13
Appendix 1
16 September, 2014
Project 1: BEST PARTY – Group ……… Class: 11D
• Students use the context of party planning to practice talking about how to
organize the best party. Decide on the following:
- budget
- date and time
- who to invite

Group members
Topic …………………………………………………………… Class: 11D …
14
Order Name Role in the project PP OP Individual Total
1
2
3
4
5
6
Note
PP
PowerPoint for presentation in classroom (10
marks)
OP
Oral presentation (10 marks)
Individual
Students's handout (10 marks)
Total score = (PP + OP + dividual)/3
Due date:
PowerPoint for presentation ………………………………………….
Oral presentation ……………………………………………
Students's handout ………………………………………………
Appendix 2
15
SỞ GD&ĐT ĐỒNG NAI
TRƯỜNG THPT TRẤN BIÊN
CỘNG HOÀ XÃ HỘI CHỦ NGHĨA VIỆT NAM
Độc lập - Tự do - Hạnh phúc
16

3. Khả năng áp dụng (Đánh dấu X vào 1 trong 3 ô mỗi dòng dưới đây)
- Cung cấp được các luận cứ khoa học cho việc hoạch định đường lối, chính sách:
Trong Tổ/Phòng/Ban  Trong cơ quan, đơn vị, cơ sở GD&ĐT  Trong ngành 
- Đưa ra các giải pháp khuyến nghị có khả năng ứng dụng thực tiễn, dễ thực hiện và dễ đi vào cuộc
sống: Trong Tổ/Phòng/Ban  Trong cơ quan, đơn vị, cơ sở GD&ĐT  Trong ngành

- Đã được áp dụng trong thực tế đạt hiệu quả hoặc có khả năng áp dụng đạt hiệu quả trong phạm vi rộng:
Trong Tổ/Phòng/Ban  Trong cơ quan, đơn vị, cơ sở GD&ĐT  Trong ngành 
Xếp loại chung: Xuất sắc  Khá  Đạt  Không xếp loại 
Cá nhân viết sáng kiến kinh nghiệm cam kết và chịu trách nhiệm không sao chép tài liệu của
người khác hoặc sao chép lại nội dung sáng kiến kinh nghiệm cũ của mình.
17
Tổ trưởng và Thủ trưởng đơn vị xác nhận đã kiểm tra và ghi nhận sáng kiến kinh nghiệm này
đã được tổ chức thực hiện tại đơn vị, được Hội đồng chuyên môn trường xem xét, đánh giá; tác
giả không sao chép tài liệu của người khác hoặc sao chép lại nội dung sáng kiến kinh nghiệm cũ
của chính tác giả.
NGƯỜI THỰC HIỆN SKKN
Phan Thị Ngọc Tú
XÁC NHẬN CỦA TỔ
CHUYÊN MÔN
Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hồng
THỦ TRƯỞNG ĐƠN VỊ
Nguyễn Văn Hưng
18