穨Review. Pdf

 
Table 4.25 Paired Sample Statistics of Low Achievers in Control Group 
N=8 
Pre 
Post 
M 
SD 
t 
P 
Appropriateness 7.75 
8.50 
.75 
2.31 
.917 
.39 
Vocabulary 
9.25 
8.50 
-.75 
1.90 
-1.11 
.30 
Grammar 
10.25 
10.25 
.00 
.75 
.00 
1.00 
Intelligibility 
8.50 
8.50 
.00 
1.06 
.00 
1.00 
Fluency 
11.00 
8.00 
-3.00 
2.26 
-3.74 
.00** 

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4.3.3 Ms. Lee’s Reflection 
In order to triangulate the statistical findings presented in the oral test scores and 
the school monthly examinations, Ms. Lee was interviewed for her observation of the 
high- and low- achievers in the experimental class. Ms. Lee’s reflection 
complimented the positive statistical results presented in the previous sections.
Ms. Lee also noticed some positive effects of academic achievements and 
motivation on the low-achievers as well as the high-achievers in the experimental 
group. She said that both the high- and the low-achievers in the experimental group 
were eager to speak English in class; especially the low-achievers who never scored 
over 40 in the monthly examinations were enthusiastic to speak English in class.
The high-achievers did not show signs of impatience because they had to work with 
low-achievers in the same groups. Instead, the high-achievers were motivated to 
explore English other than their textbooks. According to Ms. Lee, the 
high-achievers in the experimental group started to read some English newspapers or 
listen to some broadcasting EFL teaching programs, like Let’s Talk in English.
According to Ms. Lee, the students in the experimental group were: 
l Active to participate in group discussion and eager to share their 
opinions. The low-achievers who always failed the written tests in 
the monthly examinations were eager to speak English in class.
Whenever they spoke, they could earn some points for their groups.
They found self-esteem in themselves because they were able to 
contribute to their groups by speaking English. They were not able 
to achieve this part if taught otherwise. What’s more, the 
high-achievers were motivated to study English other than their 
textbooks. They [high-achievers] often asked me questions they 

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found in English newspapers or in Let’s talk in English
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. They 
[high-achievers] began to go beyond the scope of their English 
textbooks. Sometimes they applied what they learned outside the 
classroom to their group performance in class. I guess it gave them 
sense of accomplishment. (Ms. Lee’s oral reflection made on June 
01, 2001) 
From Ms. Lee’s reflections, it seemed that both the high- and low-achievers in 
the experimental group were able to progress at their own pace and at the same time, 
helped one other grow and learn in their groups. 
4.3.4 Results of Student Interview
According to the interview with four high-achievers and four low-achievers from 
the experimental group, the results explored further the reasons to account for the 
statistically significant gain in their oral performance and in the motivational 
questionnaire survey. As stated by the students in the experimental group, there 
were four categories of the effects of cooperative learning that contributed to the 
enhancement of their motivation toward learning English, which included: (1) the use 
of positive reinforcement techniques, (2) the techniques of building individual 
accountability, (3) supportive learning context, and (4) individual needs addressed in 
such learning context. 
First of all, the students expressed positive feelings about cooperative learning 
because they enjoyed the team spirit that either helped them grow as persons or 
helped them become attentive in class. Both the low- and high-achievers all enjoyed 
cooperative learning to such an extent that some of them even wanted to implement 
cooperative learning in their class meetings. The informants reported that they 
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