Faculty of Education, HKU

1. A Study of Good Practices in Secondary Schools for Enhancing Students’ English Language Proficiency Faculty of Education, HKU Consulting Team Team Leaders: Amy B.M. Tsui, Chair Professor K.K. Tong, Assistant Professor Team members: Stephen Andrews, Associate Professor Raymond Lam, Assistant Professor Albert Wong, Assistant Professor Gary Harfitt, Teaching Consultant Nicole Tavares, Teaching Consultant Margaret Lo, Teaching Consultant Maria Ng, Faculty Fellow Research Assistant Team Project Manager: Wendy Leung Research Assistants: Cathy Cheung David Kwan Gloria Chung Hayes Tang Hofan Chau Joe Wong Joffee Lam Scarlet Poon

2. Research Questions • What are the strategies adopted by schools that show consistent improvement in English proficiency since the implementation of Firm Guidance of MOI in 1998? • How effective are these strategies in bringing about positive learning outcomes? • What conditions maximize the effectiveness of these strategies in bringing about positive learning outcomes?

3. Research Design 1. Identification of schools • HKEAT sample data provided by EMB: 61 schools identified • Collection of complete HKEAT data set by schools identified in Stage 1 and triangulation with EMB data set: 46 schools provided data, 14 CMI and 11 EMI schools were identified as improving schools 2. TQ survey on practical and psychological dimensions of ELT • 36 out of 46 schools, plus one additional school (388 teachers) participated 3. Identification of “effective” teachers (ETs) • based on HKEAT scores of their students (Teacher Effective Index, TEI): 37 (CMI) and 29 (EMI) ETs were identified.

4. Research Design 4. Identification of case study schools and teachers for case study 5. SQ survey on practical and psychological dimensions of ELL • S1-S3 students from 12 case study schools 6. Student Learning Outcomes: Pre- and post-test comparisons • All classes taught by ETs • Additional classes of case study schools on voluntary basis • 2 control schools (1 CMI; 1 EMI) >

5. Research Design: case study schools and teachers • Criteria for identifying case study schools: • Medium of instruction • Student ability (school banding) • No. of “effective teachers” (ETs) based on TEI • Criteria for identifying teachers for case study: “Effective & marginally effective teachers” (21) • Teacher Effectiveness Index (TEI) • Triangulated with recommendations from school principals and / or panel chairs • Agreed to participate “Case study teachers” (9) • not initially identified because TEI was not available or did not fully meet the TEI requirements. • highly recommended by principals and/or panel chairs as effective teachers • Agreed to participate

6. Summary of case study schools and ETs *EMTP: No. of ETs and marginally effective teachers participated in the case study; (EMT) No. of ETs and marginally effective teachers identified **The Teacher Effectiveness Index (TEI) is not available in School 065 >

7. Quantitative Data Collection • Teacher Questionnaire (May’03 ~ Sept’03) • 388 teachers from 37 secondary schools • Student Learning : Pre-test (Nov’03 ~ Dec’03) • 3691 students from 12 case study schools + 2 control schools (1 EMI, 12 classes; 1 CMI, 12 classes) • Student Learning: Post-test (May’04 ~ Jul’04) • 3664* students from 12 case study schools + 2 control schools (1 EMI, 12 classes; 1 CMI, 12 classes) • Student Questionnaire (May’04 ~ Jul’04) • 6716 students (F.1 ~ F.3) from 12 case study schools * 27 students were absent from the post-test

8. Qualitative Data Collection Data collection period ( Oct 03 – Jul 04): “Asking”, “Watching” & “Examining” (Wolcott, 1992) • No. of participating schools: 12 • Interviews: • No. of principals interviewed: 12, No. of interviews: 21 • No. of teachers interviewed individually: 67, No. of interviews: 170 • No. of interviews conducted with English panels: 7 • No. of students interviewed: 349 • Observations: • No. of lesson observations: 383 • No. of “extra-curricular activities” observations: clubs activities, performances, lunch-time activities, morning assemblies: 58 • Artifacts examined: • Curriculum materials and artifacts: lesson plans, worksheets, handouts, notices, announcement templates, webpages • Student work: exercises, compositions, minutes of meetings

9. Factor analysis of TQ 12 dimensions differentiating English language teachers(N=388) • management of learning • management of learning: using English to interact with students at all times* • enactment of ESL curriculum: planning and classroom implementation • enactment of ESL curriculum: scaffolding* • enactment of ESL curriculum: student empowerment • pre- and post-lesson thinking • dealing with “input for learning” • general teacher efficacy* • English teacher efficacy • self-perception of efficacy in teaching English* • collaborative learning • self-learning tools *dimensions that discriminated between effective, non-effective and ineffective teachers

10. TQ Items on 4 Dimensions Discriminating ITs, NTs & ETs (1) • Management of learning: using English to interact with students at all times Q69 I insist on the use of English for classroom management purposes. Q70r When students have problems understanding my explanation in English, I repeat my explanation once again in Cantonese. Q71 I use English when I talk to my students outside the classroom.

11. TQ Items on 4 Dimensions Discriminating ITs, NTs & ETs (2) 2. Enactment of ESL curriculum: proximal and distal scaffolding Q73r I follow the textbook(s) / coursebook(s) closely. Q74 I give my students time to research the topic and discuss their ideas with their classmates before they write their composition. Q75 I ensure that my teaching of a language point takes into account what has been taught in previous years and how the point may be revisited in future years. Q76 I give my students very specific comments about the strengths they demonstrate in their writing tasks. Q77 I give my students very specific comments about the major weaknesses they show in their writing tasks.

12. TQ Items on 4 Dimensions Discriminating ITs, NTs & ETs (3) 3. General teaching efficacy Q79r There are limits to what an English teacher can achieve because a student’s achievement in English is largely influenced by his/her language environment. Q80r If parents would do more to help their children to learn English, teachers could do more. Q81r If students are not motivated to learn English, even an effective English teacher has little influence on their achievement in English.

13. TQ Items on 4 Dimensions Discriminating ITs, NTs & ETs (4) 4. Self-perception of efficacy in teaching English Q91 I understand the English language system well enough to be effective in teaching English. Q92r I find it difficult to explain to students why a sentence is grammatically wrong. Q93r When a student has difficulty understanding a grammatical concept, I am usually at a loss as to how to help the student understand it better. Q94r I am not sure if I have the necessary skills to teach English. Q95: I am very effective in involving students in language activities.

14. Differences in mean scores among teachers on 4 TQ dimensions *p < .05 The above 4 dimensions correlate significantly with Teacher Effectiveness Index, TEI, a value- added index. An arrow indicates a significant difference between the two groups marked by the beginning and the end of the arrow.

15. Interpretation of TQ findings The findings of the TQ analyses suggest that effective English teachers differ from non-effective or ineffective teachers in that they • engage students in using English for communicative purposes by interacting with them in English at all times; • provide scaffolding (both distal and proximal) in teaching; • believe that teachers can improve students’ performance in English; • perceive themselves to be effective in English language teaching.

16. Student Questionnaire: Reliability coefficients of subscales (N= 6716) (1)

17. SQ: Reliability coefficients (2)

18. SQ: Reliability coefficients (3)

19. Factor analysis of SQ (1) Factor analysis of SQ showed 3 factors: • Factor 1 Opportunities and Support for Learning English • Engagement in using language • Tailored curriculum and materials • Learning support outside the classroom • Exposure to English outside school • Exposure to English at school • Factor 2 Attitudes toward English and learning English • Self-perception of learning in general • Self-perception of learning English • Attitudes towards English & learning English • Anxiety towards learning English • Perceived control of learning

20. Factor analysis of SQ (2) • Factor 3 Motivation, attribution and strategies for learning English • Intrinsic motivation • Extrinsic motivation • Attribution of English performance to internal factors • Internal self-efficacy of students • Rehearsal strategy for learning English • Cognitive strategy for learning English • Compensation strategy for learning English • Metacognitive strategy for learning English

21. Triangulation of TQ and S Q 4 discriminating dimensions of TQ • Management of learning: using English to interact with students at all times • Enactment of ESL curriculum: scaffolding • General teacher efficacy • Self-perception of efficacy in teaching English 3 dimensions identified in SQ • Opportunities and Support for Learning English • Attitudes towards English and learning English • Motivation, attribution and strategies for learning English

22. Results of analyses of SQ • Students in 3 schools reported more opportunities and support for learning English(Factor 1) compared to other schools of similar banding: • school 112 (CMI) • school 030 (EMI) • school 065 (EMI) • Students in all improving case study schools showed significant gains in nearly all psychological subscales (Factors 2 & 3) compared to previous year, except for Attribution to External Factors and External Self-Efficacy. • Students in 4 classes taught by “effective teachers” reported larger gain in almost all psychological subscales (Factors 2 & 3) compared to students taught by other teachers at the same level in the same school: • school 426 (CMI) class 2B • school 268 (CMI) class 3A • school 114 (CMI) class 1E and 2C

23. Qualitative Data Analysis and Triangulation with Quantitative Data • Identification of distinctive features of each case study • Cross case analysis: Identification of common themes emerging from distinctive features of all cases • Triangulation with quantitative student data: SQ and pre- post-test findings • Identification of conditions / strategies for effective English language teaching and learning under the six themes

24. Qualitative Data Analysis:Findings of Cross-case analysis (1)

25. Promotion of Reading • Whole school approach to promotion of reading • Involvement of all stakeholders: teachers, librarian, students, and parents • Teachers as role models • Librarian as facilitator and resource person • Parents as supporters and companions • Students as readers and resource persons • Integration of ER into formal and informal curricula • Allocate class time for ERS and teacher-student, student-student story telling • Story-sharing corner: peer support and peer learning • Home reading and journal entries / letters to peers on books read: integration of reading and writing • Incentives for reading • Reading competition; awards for voracious readers • Small prizes for telling stories • ERS achievement as part of assessment • School Library: “moving from backstage to the front” – sch. librarian • Pleasant and inviting environment to read, e.g. reading corner • Students, parents, teachers and care-takers recommend books to librarian • Several visits to bookstores by student librarians for book purchase • Books for parents

26. Promotion of Writing • Process writing: drafting and revising • Revision of drafts in response to peer and teacher comments • Raised students’ awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses in writing through evaluating others’ writing • Focusing on content and form separately rather than simultaneously • Created a sense of audience and ownership of text • Regular writing / free writing • Helps students to develop a habit of expressing themselves in writing • Provides a venue for personal interaction between the student and the teacher • Provides a low anxiety environment for risk-taking and hypothesis testing in language learning

27. Adaptation of Curriculum Materials • Adaptation of textbooks • Flexible approach to curriculum and scheme of work, e.g. oral story telling curriculum • Clear objectives: adapting up and adapting down • Careful grading and sequencing of tasks to ensure coherence and to provide adequate scaffolding • Formative and summative feedback • Exploitation of school resources and public resources for teaching • Public resources: Internet, public talks, workshops, videos, TV programs and movies, posters • Resources within the school, e.g., school tuck shop and staff, library, content subject teachers • Collaborative Materials Adaptation • Materials and experience sharing • Collaborative lesson planning

28. Catering for Students of Lower Academic Ability • Alleviating English learning anxiety • Create a positive and non-threatening environment for risk-taking • Make English learning relevant to students’ daily lives • Making learning tasks manageable • Use of carefully graded tasks • Use of scaffolding • Use of partitioning strategies • Using focusing strategies • Effective use of blackboard to highlight and focus students’ attention on key learning points • Effective use of mnemonic devices

29. Confidence Building thro’ Student Empowerment and Engagement with Target Language • Engagement with target language • Maximize opportunities for public speaking for ALL students, e.g., morning assembly, speech festival, drama festival, etc. • Maximize opportunities for using the language for communicative purposes, e.g., meetings, agenda and minutes, ECAs, notices, posters, etc. • Provide adequate scaffolding for speaking tasks • Organize experiential dimension of English learning: overseas trips to English speaking country and preparatory activities • Student Empowerment: making students responsible for their own learning • Senior students as mentors to junior students • Students take responsibility for organizing English activities • Peer learning: peer feedback on performance in English

30. Whole School Approach to English Enhancement • Motivating and involving all stakeholders • Involvement of content subject teachers • Developing positive attitudes towards English learning • Infra-structure and human resources deployment • Identification of key personnel as change agents • Infra-structure for planning, teaching, assessment and feedback • Effective deployment of NET • Consensus building in resource allocation • English chat room, teaching assistants, renovation of library, time-tabling, etc. • Integration of Formal and Informal Curricula • Focusing on accuracy in the classroom and fluency in ECAs • ECAs as an extension of the formal curriculum

31. Student Learning Outcomes: Results of analyses of pre- and post-tests • The students in the following classes showed positive value-added indices in all English skills / domains: • The indices were based on comparison with classes of the same ability banding. • Positive value-added indices Negative value-added indices small positive effect + .30 to .49 small negative effect 0 -.30 to -.49 medium positive effect ++ .50 to .79 medium negative effect 00 -.50 to -.79 large positive effect +++ .80 or higher large negative effect 000 -.80 or higher <

32. Triangulation of Data: an example (Sch 065) (1) Qualitative Data Analysis: Distinctive Features Identified in 065 • Promotion of reading • Innovative writing curriculum • Using EMI for content subjects Quantitative Data Analysis: Pre- and Post-test comparisons • Reading comprehension • Case study class vs other classes in same school: ES = 0.71 • Case study class vs classes in similar banding: ES = 0.48 • Writing • Case study class vs other classes in same school: ES = 0.98 • Case study class vs classes in similar banding: ES = 0.67 ES = Effect size Small: 0.3 to 0.49 Medium: 0.5 to 0.79  Large: 0.80 or above 

33. Triangulation of Data: an example (Sch 065) (2) Quantitative Data Analysis: SQ scores (n = 15 junior classes) • 12 classes showed significant gain in self-perception of learning English (SPE) scores compared to previous year • 11 classes showed significant gain in the following subscales compared to previous year: • internal self-efficacy of students (ISS) • metacognitive strategy for learning English (MSE). • 10 classes showed significant gain in the following subscales compared to previous year: • extrinsic motivation for learning English (EM) • cognitive strategy for learning English (CgSE)

34. Triangulation of Data: an example (Sch 065) (3) Using EMI for content subjects: Study skills • All S.2 classes were taught study skills for learning content subjects in English. One period per cycle was allocated to each class. • More S2 classes showed significant gains than S1 and S3 classes in the following subscales compared to previous year. • Self-perception of learning • Motivation for learning English • Attribution of English Performance • Self-efficacy (internal self-efficacy) • Strategies for Learning English • All five S.2 classes showed statistically significant gain on all the items (except for one item for 2E) in the subscale ‘Strategies for Learning English’. • The mean score of S2 on ‘Use of English in Content Subject Classroom Situations’ is higher than those of S1 and S3. <

35. Improvement in psychological and cognitive subscales: S2 back

36. Facilitating Conditions and Strategies for Effective EL Teaching & Learning • A positive, non-threatening and collaborative school culture for risk-taking • Involvement of all stakeholders • Flexibility in the English curriculum • Maximisation of opportunities and resources for learning English • Integration of the formal and informal curricula • Provision of scaffolding: distal and proximal

37. Implications of findings for medium of instruction policy • The six dimensions are relevant to all schools. • The related good practices can be implemented in all schools regardless of MOI. • Exposure to English and engagement with the target language can be achieved through means other than using English as MOI. • For students whose English proficiency has not reached the threshold level for using it as a medium for learning, it would be more beneficial for them to maximize opportunities for learning English in their specific contexts, and for schools to ensure that students’ learning is adequately supported.

38. Overview of 15 exemplars

39. Thank you