UAE January 2019 pdf

Title: Teaching Techniques to Improve the English O-NET Scores of Grade 12 Students at Wat Phrasrimahadhat Secondary Demonstration School, Phranakhon Rajabhat University Comparing with the University Demonstration Schools Level By: Suthee Khamkaew, Ph.D. Lecturer, English Language Teaching Wat Phrasrimahadhat Secondary Demonstration School, Phranakhon Rajabhat University, Thailand [email protected]

Introduction The National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NIETS) has launched the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) to set up the standard of Thailand's education system for all schools which runs by Office of the Basic Education Commission, Ministry of Education. The O-NET scores are one of many requirements to study in bachelor degree and also represent the school’s standard in teaching and learning.

Office of the Basic Education Commission, Ministry of Education Thai  Private schools Education  Government schools System  University demonstration schools

Introduction Wat Phrasrimahadhat Secondary Demonstration School, Phranakhon Rajabhat University was founded in 1953, with the primary goal of being as a laboratory for student-teachers. Satit PM.

Table 1 The Number of Testers (Grade 12 Students) (2008-2017) Academic Year The Number The Number The Number The Number of Students for of Students for of Students for of Students for National Level Provincial Level School Level the University Demonstration Introduction School Level 2008 339,268 42,543 123 3,482 3,614 2009 352,805 43,067 138 3,823 3,785 2010 354,531 43,413 155 4,083 4,427 2011 370,561 45,172 154 4,396 4,278 2012 392,468 49,825 149 4,089 4,419 2013 414,688 51,726 152 2014 430,877 52,802 139 2015 423,417 50,560 148 2016 378,779 43,946 136 2017 372,587 44,854 125 Resources: The National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NIETS)

1. The average scores of O-NET scores have fallen among grade 12 students in all subjects (National Level). Introduction 2. At Satit PM, the English scores of senior high school were not satisfied since the scores fluctuate each year. 3. All English teachersdevelop their teaching techniques to get all grade 12 students familiar with the O-NET test and to promote the various teaching techniques to make the English O- NET scores higher than the university demonstration school level.

Objective: To investigate the English teaching techniques that help increase the O-NET scores of grade 12 students comparing with the university demonstration school level. Research What are the English teaching techniques that help increase the Question: O-NET scores of grade 12 students comparing with the university demonstration school level?

Literature Review: The Background and the Importance of the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) The O-NET serves the following purposes: 1) student selection to higher education programs or admission into specific courses or tracks, 2) designing individualized instructional plans, 3) supporting teachers (training, relevant materials, etc.), 4) school or educator accountability, 5) promoting competition among schools, 6) sub-national level monitoring of learning outcomes, 7) monitoring education quality levels, and 8) planning education policy reforms.

Literature Schools and students are able to see trends of average scores of Review: schools in the future. This is useful for schools and students wanting to prepare themselves for higher education, in improving the curriculum and for correcting teaching errors. Another concern for NIETS to fight for is the average poor results and inequality in the system. O-NET results have indicated a serious problem for NIETS that is the inequality in the scores of students in urban areas and in university demonstration schools.

3.1 The Participants M 1. Dr.Chaidej Naksa-ard - Weaving It Together I, II, III”. e t h 2. Dr.Suthee Khamkaew - Fundamental English I, II, III, IV, V, VI” and “English o for Communication I, II, III, IV, V, VI” d o 3. Ms.Thutiyaporn Boonlee - “Fundamental English I, II, III, IV, V, VI” and l “English for Communication I, II, III, IV, V, VI” o g 4. Ms.Ai-fa Trussat - “My World I, II, III” and “Weaving It Together I, II, III”. y 5. Mr. Rudyl R. Lumaad - “Speaking Supplementary Materials”.

3.2 Method of Data Collection Methodology: - “What are the English teaching techniques that help increase the O-NET scores of grade 12 students comparing with the university demonstration school level?” - Five English teachers would be interviewed for 10-20 minutes finding out the teaching techniques at the foreign languages department office in July 2018.

Methodology: 3.3 Instruments of Data Collection The interview was conducted to gain information concerning the opinions, points of views and comments on the teaching techniques and to investigate the teaching techniques that help increase the O-NET scores in English subject of grade 12 students. 3.4 Method of Data Analysis The results of the interview were interpreted, categorized and tabulated into the descriptive statistics together with the National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NIETS)’s statistics that were presented in table and graph.

Based on students’ major of grade 10-12 students, there are the differences among students. DATA 1. Class 4/1, 5/1 and 6/1 are Science – Mathematics Major. PRESENTATION 2. Class 4/2, 5/2 and 6/2 are English – Mathematics Major. 3. Class 4/3, 5/3 and 6/3 are English – Japanese and English – Chinese Major.

Table 2 The Teaching Techniques of 2008-2011 Academic Years Lecturers Teaching Techniques The O-NET DATA 1. Dr.Chaidej Naksa-ard - All teachers taught following the Scores Results PRESENTATION 2. Dr.Suthee Khamkaew coursebooks approved by the Ministry of The O-NET Education and well-known publishers such as: 3. Ms.Thutiyaporn 1. “Weaving It Together I, II, III”, scores in Boonlee 2. “My World I, II, III”, “My Goal I, II, III”, English 3. “Mega-goal I, II, III”. subject of grade 12 students were uncertainty. 4. Ms.Ai-fa Trussat - All teachers used the coursebooks as their 5. Mr. Rudyl R. Lumaad main resources and added more worksheets. - Most activities seemed to be passive learning style. The style of learning was teacher- centered all the time while students only received information from the teachers.

Table 3 The Teaching Techniques Development of 2012-2014 Academic Years Lecturers Teaching Techniques The O-NET 1. Dr.Chaidej Naksa-ard Results 2. Dr.Suthee Khamkaew 1. 500 new vocabularies for grade 10 students, 700 new vocabularies for grade 11 The average 3. Ms.Thutiyaporn Boonlee 4. Ms.Ai-fa Trussat students, and 1,000 new vocabularies for grade 12 students. scores of the 5. Mr. Rudyl R. Lumaad 2. The presentation skill related to the interview in the real situations. Ordinary National DATA 1. Grade 11 students, reading comprehension using the textbooks called “Mega-goal 5”. Educational Test (O-NET) were PRESENTATION 2. Grade 12 students, reading comprehension using the textbooks called “Mega-goal 6”. higher (at least In addition, add more contents related to the entrance examination week by week. 1% up) than the All students were required to find out the difficult vocabularies accounting for 50 words average scores each week. They had to find out parts of speech and meaning of the vocabularies they of the picked up. university 3. The new subjects named “English for Communication I-VI” only for class 4/2, 5/2 demonstration and 6/2. The contents emphasized on how to make students get familiar with the entrance school level. examination test. 1. Make the “Vocabulary Notebook” 2. Introduce the entrance examination in the past three years by analyzing the vocabulary, structure, and test techniques. - Set up “10 Minutes with O-NET Test” for grade 10-12 students of 4/2-3, 5/2-3 and 6/2- 3 classes. 1. A related structure of the test. 2. In listening and speaking activities, relevant topics of possible issues in O-NET. 3. At least 5 vocabularies from the previous entrance examination per meeting.

DATA From 2015 - 2017 Academic Years PRESENTATION Students of class 4/1, 4/3, 5/1, 5/3, 6/1, and 6/3 believed that the contents of English for Communication I-XI could make them do the entrance examination well. They desired to study as class 4/2, 5/2, and 6/2 did Redesign the curriculum by teaching English for Communication I-XI in all classes in order to prepare students know how to do the Ordinary National Educational Test (O- NET) from grade 10 to grade 12. All teachers were still required to emphasize on how to get students familiar with the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) in subject(s) they taught as they used to.

The Entrance Examination Results Table 4 The Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) Scores (2008-2017) Academic The Average The Average The Average The Average Scores Differentiation between Year Scores of Scores of Scores of National Provincial of School Level and Level Level School Level the University the University 45.03 DATA 42.13 Demonstration Demonstration School 43.16 PRESENTATION 41.60 School Level Level 43.44 2008 30.68 39.68 47.69 48.05 - 3.02 2009 23.98 34.24 45.55 2010 19.22 30.29 49.90 42.75 - 0.62 2011 21.80 31.78 57.46 2012 22.13 31.51 57.72 40.96 + 2.20 2013 25.35 35.21 42.54 - 0.94 2014 23.44 32.54 2015 24.98 34.42 41.89 + 1.55 2016 27.76 38.01 46.62 + 1.07 2017 28.31 39.65 43.07 + 2.48 46.19 + 3.71 50.73 + 6.73 53.08 + 4.64 Remark: The Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) Score is 100 points.

Figure 1 The Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) Scores (2008-2017) 70 60 57.46 57.72 4. School Level DATA 50 49.9 50.73 53.08 3. University Demonstration PRESENTATION 48.05 45.03 4476..6692 45.55 46.19 School Level 4422..1753 43.16 4412..654 43.44 43.07 40.96 41.89 40 Series1 39.68 39.65 2. Provincial Level 38.01 34.24 35.21 34.42 Series2 30 30.68 31.78 31.51 32.54 Series3 28.31 1. National Level 30.29 Series4 27.76 23.98 25.35 24.98 21.8 22.13 23.44 20 19.22 10 0 2002 9 2013 0 20141 20512 20613 20714 20815 20916 201017 20108 Remark: The Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) Score is 100 points.

5.1 Discussion of Major Findings Table 5 The Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) Scores (2008-2017) DISCUSSIONS: Academic Year The Average Scores The Average Scores The Average Scores The Average Scores of Differentiation between School Level and of Provincial Level the University Demonstration School 2008 of of the University Demonstration Level 2009 39.68 2010 National Level 34.24 School Level School Level - 3.02 2011 30.29 - 0.62 1st Period 30.68 31.78 45.03 48.05 2012 23.98 33.99 42.13 42.75 + 2.20 2013 19.22 43.16 40.96 - 0.94 2014 21.80 41.60 42.54 2nd Period 23.92 42.98 43.57 2015 22.13 31.51 43.44 41.89 + 1.55 2016 25.35 35.21 47.69 46.62 + 1.07 2017 23.44 32.54 45.55 43.07 + 2.48 3rd Period 23.64 33.08 45.56 43.86 10-year-average scores 24.98 34.42 49.90 46.19 + 3.71 27.76 38.01 57.46 50.73 + 6.73 28.31 39.65 57.72 53.08 + 4.64 27.01 37.36 55.02 50 27.83 34.73 56.08 45.58 Remark: The Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) Score is 100 points.

DISCUSSIONS: 5.2 Implications of the Findings The conduct of this study suggests all teachers how the English subjects and materials (coursebook, handout, worksheet, etc.) should be applied as follows: 1. The materials should be consisted of appropriate topics, authentic texts, etc. related to the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET). 2. The classroom activities should be authentic, motivating, and varied. 3. Individual work is suitable because it could promote the students’ confidence in doing the entrance examination test. 4. The additional materials used should be authentic such as video clips, animation, multimedia, PowerPoint presentation, movie, etc. to get the attention from the students. 5. The students are required to change their learning styles to be active learning. 6. The teachers should facilitate the students to do the entrance examination test further by creating a relaxed atmosphere, providing various testing techniques and suggesting with accuracy.

DISCUSSIONS: 5.3 Recommendations for Further Studies To help an improvement of test skill for the students, recommendations for further studies should be executed as follows: 1. The teaching materials should be implemented in varied contexts, topics, and learning activities. 2. Learning and teaching activities should be carefully designed to meet the students’ needs. 3. The teachers should establish a learning environment with information technology, learning activities, etc. to enable the students increase their opportunities in learning proficiently. 4. The study of students’ satisfaction towards learning English in senior high school should be studied in order to improve the further teaching techniques for next academic year. 5. To help grade 12 students understand more about the test, all English teachers should create web-site or video clips or E-learning to suit students’ learning preferences.

CONCLUSIONS: The Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) is of the tests presenting the students’ learning achievement. To enhance all students’ test skills, all teachers are required to develop a variety of teaching techniques and activities by critical thinking more than memorizing. All English teachers at Wat Phrasrimahadhat Secondary Demonstration School, Phranakhon Rajabhat University has developed the teaching techniques for many years; as a result, the English average scores of school’s Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) is higher than the average scores of the university demonstration school level. The English teachers have continually developed their teaching techniques to be “The Best Practice of the Foreign Languages Department”. Moreover, the researcher believes that these teaching techniques will be useful for other English teachers in different schools if they need to adopt for their teaching.