Abstract

 

Guided Learning Plan has caught growing attention for several years, a new model for English teaching. Guided Learning Plan refers to a newly emerged teaching and learning model based on teacher’s collective design, directed by the New Curriculum Standard(2011), regarding Quality-oriented Education as the goal, in order to lead students to autonomous learning, active participation, cooperative research and optimized development. Generally speaking, teaching tasks, students’ knowledge levels, learning styles and cognitive levels should be taken into account of the design of that.

This study aims to prove the feasibility and effectiveness of Guided Learning Plan in EFL by exploring the effects of the application of it for Grade 7 students. The writer clarifies the role of Guided Learning Plan from the definition, the design and the application, etc. 

In order to find the answers to these questions above, the writer invited 48 participants of Grade 7 in Hangzhou Fengtan Middle School, among which, 25 students were in the experimental group, 23 in the control group. For the experimental group, these students experience Guided Learning Plan Teaching; while the control group continues to employ the traditional teaching mode. This experiment was conducted for six weeks, and four kinds of methods, namely, documentary research method, observation, interviews and questionnaires are employed during the research.

According to the data analysis, the writer comes to a conclusion that Guided learning plan could improve Grade 7 students’ English learning effect to some degree, in terms of cooperative awareness and autonomous learning. Students could form good learning habits, while the teaching efficiency could also be enhanced with the help of it. But further research is required for improvement of the mode.

To be more specific, this thesis is divided into five chapters:

Chapter One introduces the research background of the study, including problems in traditional teaching mode, advocacy of autonomous learning and requirements of the New Curriculum Reform. This chapter also puts forward the purpose and significance of the study.

Chapter Two presents the literature review of the thesis from three perspectives: the definition, the theoretical basis and the features.

Chapter Three describes the implement of the research. The research questions, participants, methods and procedures are presented in detail.

Chapter Four is to analyze the data collected from questionnaires, case study and interviews.

Chapter Five provides the conclusion of study. The major findings and limitations of the research and also 

some suggestions for future study are all stated in this chapter.

 

Keyword: Guided Learning Plan; Grade 7 students; English learning; autonomous learning; design of learning plans

 

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 The Research Background of the Study-1

1.1.1 Problems in Traditional Teaching Mode-1

1.1.2 Advocacy of Autonomous Learning-1

1.1.3 Requirements of the New Curriculum Reform-1

1.2 The Purpose and Significance of the Study-2

2. Literature Review-3

2.1 The Definition of Guided Learning Plan-3

2.2 The Theoretical Basis of Guided Learning Plan-4

2.2.1 Theories of Constructivism-4

2.2.2 Theories of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development-5

2.2.3 Theories of Discovery Learning-5

2.2.4 Theories of Humanism-6

2.3 Features of Guided Learning Plan Teaching-6

2.3.1 Regarding the New Curriculum Concepts as the Principles-6

2.3.2 Regarding Autonomous Learning as the Core-7

2.3.3 Regarding Cooperative Study as the Highlight-7

3. The Implementation of the Research-8

3.1 Research Questions-8

3.2 Participants-8

3.3 Research Methods-9

3.3.1 Documentary Research Method-9

3.3.2 Questionnaires-9

3.3.3 Observation-9

3.3.4 Interview-10

3.4 Research Procedure-10

3.4.1 The Process of Guided Learning Plan Model-10

3.4.2 The Design of Guided Learning Plan-11

3.4.3 The Process of Traditional Teaching Model-16

4. Data Collection and Analysis-17

4.1 The Analysis of Questionnaires-17

4.2 The Analysis of Observation-21

4.3 The Analysis of Interviews-21

 

4.3.1 The Analysis of the Interview with Students-22

4.3.2 The Analysis of the Interview with the Teacher-23

5. Conclusions-25

5.1 Major Findings of this Study-25

5.1.1 The Advantages of Guided Learning Plan-25

5.1.2 The Problems of Guided Learning Plan-26

5.1.3 Suggestions for the Design of Guided Learning Plan-26

5.2 Limitations of the Study-27

5.2.1 Participants-27

5.2.2 The Length of the Research-27

5.2.3 Inexperience-27

5.3 Suggestions for Future Study-28

References-29

Appendix A-30

Appendix B-31

Appendix C-33