Page 16 - The SpeakTeach method - Esther de Vrind

Chapter 1. General introduction
1.3 Overview
In order to answer the main research question What are the design principles for an approach for self-regulated learning of speaking skills in a foreign language that is adaptive for students and practical for teachers?, four empirical studies were carried out (see chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5 below). Chapter 2 reports on a pilot study into a possible adaptive and practical approach with self-evaluation by students as a design principle. After this pilot study, three studies were carried out from two different perspectives, the perspective of the student and the perspective of the teacher, and with different foci.
Chapter 2
In the first phase of this research, based on a literature review, we conducted a pilot study to explore a design for an adaptive and practical approach for teaching speaking in a foreign language. Chapter 2 reports on this pilot study which explored whether self-evaluation by students can help teachers to gain insight into individual students’ needs regarding speaking skills and to adapt their intended feedback to meet these needs. The self-evaluation was tested on a small scale by three French teachers who taught at three different secondary schools in two year-5 pre-university classes and one year-4 pre-university class3. In each class 5 or 6 students were chosen at random (n=17). We analysed the self-evaluation forms completed by the 17 selected students and described how the students evaluated their own work. In open structured interviews held with the three teachers we investigated whether their intended feedback and evaluation had shifted as a result of seeing the self-evaluations. Finally, the teachers were asked to evaluate the potential practicality of the evaluation procedure itself.
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 reports on the research from the perspective of the teachers and its focus is on practicality for teachers. The design principle on which the students’ self-evaluation of the pilot study (chapter 2) was based was further elaborated into an adaptive approach with ‘adaptive feedback’ and ‘activities for improvement’. This chapter addresses the question of
3 The Dutch education system offers differentiated secondary schooling by ability. Pre-university education (vwo in Dutch) is the most academic stream which prepares students to go on to university. Year 4 students are aged 15-16 and year 5 students are aged 16-17.
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