EDU 702 : RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The effectiveness of Problem-based learning approach in reducing students’
Communication apprehension and improving their Oral communication skills.
Prepared by:
Student Name
: Adibah Halilah bt. Abdul Mutalib
Student ID
: 2011587513
Submission Date : 23rd June 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................. 6
1.0
1.1
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 6
1.2
Statement of Research Problem ................................................................................... 8
1.3
Research Objectives ........................................................................................................ 9
1.4
Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 10
1.5
Research Hypothesis ..................................................................................................... 11
1.5.1
Hypothesis 1....................................................................................................................... 11
1.5.2
Hypothesis 2....................................................................................................................... 12
1.5.3
Hypothesis 3....................................................................................................................... 13
1.6
Operational Definitions .................................................................................................. 13
1.6.1
Problem-Based Learning(PBL) ....................................................................................... 13
1.6.2
Traditional lecture based learning (TLBL) ..................................................................... 14
1.6.3
Public Speaking Anxiety ................................................................................................... 14
1.6.4
Communication apprehension ......................................................................................... 14
1.6.5
Oral Communication ......................................................................................................... 14
1.7
Limitation of Study.......................................................................................................... 15
1.8
Delimitations of Study.................................................................................................... 16
1.9
Significance of Study ..................................................................................................... 17
Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................... 18
2.0
Literature Review ............................................................................................................ 18
2.1
2.1.1
German-Malaysian Institute as Technical and Vocational Educational and
Training (TVET) ................................................................................................................. 18
2.1.2
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) .............................................................................. 19
2.1.3
Problem-based learning ................................................................................................... 20
2.1.3.1 What is PBL?................................................................................................................. 20
2.1.3.2 PBL and language ........................................................................................................ 21
2.1.3.3 PBL and communication skills .................................................................................... 22
2.1.3.4 Crafting the ‘problem’ and group work ...................................................................... 23
2.1.3.5 Role of the student in PBL .......................................................................................... 25
2.1.3.6 Role of the teacher in PBL .......................................................................................... 25
2.1.3.7 PBL method versus traditional lecture-based approach......................................... 26
2.1.4
Communication Apprehension related to public speaking .......................................... 27
2
2.1.5
Measuring Communication apprehension ..................................................................... 27
2.1.6
Measuring improvements in Oral communication ........................................................ 28
2.1.7
Conclusion of Literature Review ..................................................................................... 29
Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................... 30
3.0
3.1
Research Methodology & Design ............................................................................... 30
3.1.1
Variables ............................................................................................................................. 30
(A)
Independant Variable ........................................................................................................ 30
(B)
Dependant Variable .......................................................................................................... 30
3.1.2
Method /Design of pre-test and post-test for the PRCA-24 ........................................ 30
3.1.3
Method and design for the pre test and post test Oral communication skills ........... 31
3.1.4
Demographic Questionnaire ............................................................................................ 32
3.1.5
Public Speaking Anxiety ................................................................................................... 32
3.1.6
Oral Communication ......................................................................................................... 33
3.2
Sampling............................................................................................................................ 34
3.2.1
Population ........................................................................................................................... 34
3.2.2
Sample ................................................................................................................................ 34
3.3
Method of Data Processing and Analysis................................................................. 36
(A)
Oral communication skills ............................................................................................ 36
(B)
Communication Apprehension.................................................................................... 37
(C)
Oral communication correlation and Communication Apprehension .............. 37
3.4
Validity and Reliability of Method and Instruments used..................................... 37
3.4.1
Demographic Questionnaire ............................................................................................ 37
3.4.2
NCA Speakers Evaluation Form ..................................................................................... 38
3.4.3
Personal Report of Communication Apprehension ...................................................... 38
4.0
List of References ........................................................................................................... 39
5.0
Appendices ......................................................................................................................... 42
Appendix (A) Demographic questionnaire............................................................................................ 42
Appendix (B) The Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24) ........................ 43
Appendix (C) NCA(2007) Speech evaluation form ............................................................................. 44
3
List of Figures
FIGURE 1: FRAMEWORK OF RESEARCH OBJECTIVES .....................................................................................................9
FIGURE 2 : DESIGN OF A TYPICAL ‘PROBLEM’ IN PBL AT GERMAN MALAYSIAN INSTITUTE ........................................24
FIGURE 3 : COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION TEST DESIGN .....................................................................................31
FIGURE 4 :ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS TEST DESIGN ............................................................................................31
4
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1: BRIEF DEFINITION OF COMMUNICATION COMPETENCIES NCA (2007) ...............................29
TABLE 2: EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUP DESIGN 1 ...................................................................35
TABLE 3: EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUP DESIGN 2 ...................................................................36
5
1.0
1.1
Chapter 1
Introduction
With the current push for Malaysia to achieve Vision 2020, the demand to have
more skilled workers is ever increasing. This will not only appeal to foreign investors,
but it will also enable Malaysia to develop a level of competency that supersedes
global requirements (Zuraidah, 2008). The idea that Malaysia is to cater to the needs
of the global market is not without its difficulties. To compete in the world of
globalization, one needs to be equipped with technical and language skills. Therefore
Technical and Vocational Education and Training Programmes (TVET), such as
German-Malaysian Institute, have included English for Specific Purposes as a
language course to cater to this concern. The role of English for Specific Purposes
(ESP) is to bridge the gap between language and technical know-how necessitated in
the industries (Dudley-Evans & St John, 1998). Owing to the fact that the English
Language is still the dominant language used in the global business and academic
arenas (Crystal, 2003), especially in the field of engineering, English language has
been chosen as the lingua franca at German-Malaysian Institute (GMI). The objective
of ESP at German-Malaysian Institute is to facilitate the usage of the English
language in acquiring real-life communication skills in the field of Engineering
(German Malaysian Institute, 2012). Due to the overwhelming concern that students
need to develop communications skills that mimic real workplace situations while
gaining technical skills, the institute searched for a method which incorporated a
combination of theory and practical skills. Thus, the method that is adopted to teach
English for Specific Purposes at GMI is a combination of Problem/Project/ProductionBased commonly known as Pro3BL learning approach (German Malaysian Institute,
2012).
Problem-based learning approach deals with combination of Problem/ProjectBased Learning which stems from the constructivist theory of learning (Brown G. ,
2004) (Fauziah, 2010). In PBL, groups of four to five students are formed to solve
real-world type problems. Students are guided by self-inquiry, resources acquisition
and multi-tasking. This style of learning promotes a range of skills including problem6
solving, communication (written and oral), time managements, planning, decision
making and organizing (Sirotiak, 2008). With the use of problem-based learning it is
hoped that students can acquire a better range of English language skills. Since it is
said that when learning a language, one needs to actively be involved with the
learning process, problem-based learning approach can serve to stimulate the active
learning process (Brown G. , 2004). With the knowledge acquired through their selfdirected and active learning PBL approach, students are usually asked to present
their findings via a discussion or presentation with their peers and or lecturers. This
places a large amount of collaboration and communication for students.
However, since most Malaysian students are generally accustomed to a
lecture-based approach, rote-learning and what is commonly known as spoon-feeding
from Malaysian public schools (Yong, 2010), there is a sense that students enter GMI
with high levels of trepidation about problem-based learning. Students are unaware of
the demands of PBL and thus may exhibit an anxiety towards the new approach
(Ahlfeldt, 2004).It also require students to be more independent in their learning and
have a certain level of confidence. Students in general are also perceived to have a
poor level of English communication and therefore do not fare well in PBL-based
English for Specific Purposes as it requires frequent discussions, presentations of
ideas and opinions and oral communication. It is also a concern that students exhibit
difficulty in speaking due to a high level of anxiety when asked to present facts and
knowledge through oral communication and presentations. This in turn affects the
acquisition of English language, specifically in oral skills and in ultimately effects the
overall objective of PBL learning. This study will thus explore the effectiveness of
using PBL at German-Malaysian Institute in teaching English for Specific Purposes
specifically in addressing students’ grasp of the English oral skills, and how in turn it
helps to reduce students’ apprehension and anxiety of public speaking. The study will
also look at the improvement of students’ oral skills in the PBL approach which will be
evaluated using the National Communication Association (NCA) Speech evaluation
form (Moore, Surges-Tatum, & Webster, 2007).
7
1.2 Statement of Research Problem
As stated by Faridah Musa et al (2011), the job market not only requires
employees to have basic academic skills like reading, writing, oral communication and
listening but they also need to have higher order thinking skills like learning,
reasoning, creative thinking, decision making and problem solving. With the future job
requirements in mind, lecturers teaching English for Specific Purposes at GMI need to
equip students with the necessary language and higher order thinking skills. Almost
all GMI students have undergone the system of Education in the Malaysian public
schools since Primary 1; however the existing level of English Oral communication
skills at GMI still ranges from poor to intermediate. Together with students’ poor level
of communication, students also display a high level of anxiety when speaking the
language. This places an undue amount of strain on the Problem-based learning
approach since it requires a fair amount of discussion and social interaction. Based
on the premise that learning takes place via social interaction, students need to use
the knowledge learnt in a decontextualized setting by engaging in language activities
(Abdullah, 1998)
Many students who come from Malaysian secondary schools are more familiar
with a teacher dependant approach (Yong, 2010) which relies on the teacher doing
most of the talking. Nonetheless, as said by Vhanabatte (2011) a large component of
the English language involves understanding the language and speaking it. Students
need to be able to speak English in order to grasp the basic language skills. Most
students state their apprehension in using English language in their learning process
and owing to the fact that a new approach is introduced, students may observe
anxiety and apprehension. (Brown G. , 2004)
8
1.3 Research Objectives
Teachers are confronted with the notion that certain teaching approaches can
churn out better results in communication activities. The approach is meant to
produce the desired learning outcome where students will be able to use the English
language, especially orally, in their desired work fields. When administering the
correct approach, the belief is that students would acquire the desired language skills
while achieving the objective of the task at hand. However to ensure that students
fully develop their English speaking skills using the PBL approach, one needs to
ensure that students are readily accepting of such an approach, and also students
have low anxiety levels when applying such an approach. Another belief is that
students will be able to overcome their anxiety levels and enhance their language
skills via such an approach. Thus, the research objectives can thus be summarised
into three areas:
1.3.1
To measure the communication apprehension levels of the students’
when implementing PBL in English for Specific Purposes, pre and post
PBL.
1.3.2
To determine whether students’ oral skills have improved with the
exposure to PBL approach in English for Specific purposes.
1.3.3
To find out if there is a relationship between communication
apprehension level and English oral skills when implementing PBL
approach.
The research framework can best be represented in the figure seen below.
Pre- PBL
Post-PBL
Anxiety level
Anxiety level
PBL
Related to
Related to
Communication
Communication
And
And
Oral communication
Oral communication
Figure 1: Framework of Research Objectives
9
1.4 Research Questions
The research will focus on the impact of Problem Based learning on students’
communication apprehension. Therefore the questions that will be asked in relation to
this study is whether PBL can assist students speaking abilities and if so how much
does it help students improve their speaking confidence, reduce their anxiety and also
become overall better orators. The study will be compared to the traditional lecture
method of teaching English public speaking, to see whether there is a significant
difference in students speaking abilities between PBL approach and traditional lecture
approach in teaching. The research questions can thus be classified into five points.
Which are seen below:
1.4.1 What are the students’ communication apprehension before using PBL and post
PBL?
1.4.2 Does PBL help reduce students’ communication apprehension in English for
Specific class?
1.4.3 What are the students’ communication skills before using PBL and post PBL?
1.4.4 Does PBL help to increase students Oral communication skills?
1.4.5 What are the relationships between Communication apprehension and Oral
communication skills in a PBL and traditional based classroom?
10
1.5
Research Hypothesis
The current literature on PBL state that Problem based learning can reduce
students’ anxiety due to public speaking. It is also believed that with PBL,
students will be able to improve their oral communication skills. Therefore this
research will explore further the effects of PBL on vocational students’ public
speaking skills and in turn how it may or may not reduce their anxiety levels in
public speaking. Thus the research can be divided into three hypotheses which
are as follows:
1.5.1 Hypothesis 1
Students will show lower communication apprehension with the PBL
approach as compared to the traditional lecture approach.
English is not the main language for most Malaysians. Malays in general tend to
speak their Mother tongue, Bahasa Malaysia in their homes. Therefore the
process of learning a second language such as English is the cause of much
anxiety. Among all the second language(L2) skills acquisition, it was shown that
88% felt anxious about learning all the L2 skills, where speaking was rated as the
highest among all language anxieties exhibited by first year College students in
Malaysia. (Hamzah, 2007) According to Garner (1985), learning a language
provides one of the biggest anxieties and thus becomes a definitive benchmark
in language acquisition as cited in (Shafiq Hizwari, 2008). Therefore it can be
said that the anxiety of speaking needs to be addressed before successful
language is acquired. If PBL offers a method of tackling the communication
apprehension then it should be means to further deliberate the usage of the PBL
approach in the classroom. As stated by White (2001), PBL provides room for
greater confidence as it allows students to confront their peers and also build
their own confidence as cited in (Ahlfeldt, 2004).
11
1.5.2 Hypothesis 2
Students will exhibit better oral communication skills with the PBL
approach than the traditional lecture approach.
In the case of the International Islamic University Malaysia, law department, most
students have been accepted to study law, with adequate English scores, yet
they exhibit reluctance to speak the language. This therefore does not meet the
workplace needs because employers often favour communication and
cooperation in the workplace, which needs to be enforced in the university
course (Ali, Kadir, & Zubaidah, 2005). According to Kayi (2006) speaking skills
are important for the process of language learning to take place (Pattenpichet,
2011). The measurement of good oral communication skills must then be defined
in order to diagnose oral competencies. Based on the National Communication
Association’s Speakers’ Speech Evaluation form (Moore, Surges-Tatum, &
Webster, 2007), students should be assessed based on eight competencies
needed to achieve superiority in speech. It is befitting that objectives and needs
analysis should be conducted to assure that the oral competencies for the
specific academic field is attained, however for the purpose of a general
education setting, the eight speaking competencies seen in NCA (2007) can be
applied (Dunbar, Brooks, & Kubika-Miller, 2006). Thus with the necessary
speech competencies measured, it will be determined whether PBL aids in
achieving better oral communication. Since it is purported that PBL allows
students to create communication opportunities between their peers and
lecturers, PBL is particularly effective for students to express their results via
presentations in the form of oral communication (Ali, Kadir, & Zubaidah, 2005).
12
1.5.3 Hypothesis 3
Students with lower communication apprehension in PBL approaches will
produce better Oral communication skills.
It is thought that students who are exposed to PBL method will be more familiar
and experienced in speaking and presentations and will thus in turn lower their
anxiety to public speaking. This means that a negative correlation between Public
speaking anxiety and Oral communications skills in the PBL classroom should be
obtained. Although based on (Ahlfeldt, 2004), anxiety cannot be entirely
eliminated between both the PBL and traditional methods, anxiety level was
reported much less in students that had undergone the PBL approach. Also as
mentioned by Mckeachie, 2002 as cited in (Sirotiak, 2008), PBL helps expose
students to different features of PBL techniques such as case method, roleplaying, games and simulations which improved students overall motivation in a
16-week course. Based on this, it should show that student who use the target
forms when undergoing the activities can encourage greater output in the form of
speech, which will also attract more feedback from the lecturer and peers
(Ainsworth, 2012).
1.6 Operational Definitions
Certain definitions need to be made clear before we begin the study. The
definitions that are most pertinent to the study are as follows:
1.6.1
Problem-Based Learning(PBL)
PBL is a learner-centred teaching approach which makes the learner take in
real life problems, conduct the necessary research and learn how to learn
from them. (Demirel & Arslan Turan, 2010) Students are encouraged to work
in groups, improve their communication skills, and learn to efficiently locate
sources of information when they need it. (Whitfield, 2001). In this study
Pro3BL used at GMI will be operationalized as PBL due to the fact that they
13
both stem from constructivist theory of learning (Brown G. , 2004). According
to Thomas (2000), project based and problem-based learning fall under the
same model of instruction.
1.6.2
Traditional lecture based learning (TLBL)
A method concerned with imparting knowledge from the teacher to the
student, where the students’ achievement is the primary concern of the
teacher and learning is in the hands of the teacher not the student (Brown K.
L., 2003).
1.6.3
Public Speaking Anxiety
Public speaking anxiety also termed, fear of speaking in public, fear of public
speaking or fear of speaking in front of others (Bull, 2012), is taken as the
fear of being evaluated and judged by people while delivering a speech or
presentation (University of Wisconsin, 2012).
1.6.4
Communication apprehension
As defined by McCroskey (1977) is cognitive-based anxiety which is exhibited
when one encounters real or anticipated communication with another person
or persons.
1.6.5
Oral Communication
As stated by the National Communication Association (NCA), Oral
communication is defined as ‘the art of expressing and exchanging ideas in
speech. It involves the ability to compose, critically analyze and deliver
information through verbal, vocal and visual interactions’ (Moore, SurgesTatum, & Webster, 2007)
14
1.7 Limitation of Study
The scope of the study is limited to the students of GMI. The population of GMI
students in one semester intake ranges from 250 to 900 students, however the study
shall only include students that are registered for English for Specific purposes
during duration of 18 to 20 week study, which is during a span of one semester at
German-Malaysian Institute. This will therefore limit the generalizability of the study
to other populations. Also, since the study only includes students from GMI, it may
not necessarily be applied to other settings and institutes within Malaysia or other
countries.
Also, limitations of the study can be found in the number of classes that will be
used for the experimental and control groups. Due to time constraints and also limit
in budget, there will be only a maximum of four groups that will be selected for the
study which thus limits the scope of generalizability.
The other factors that cause limitations to the study are the choice of instructors
that will conduct all four classes. If GMI administration does not agree to the
arrangement whereby four classes are to be taught by the same instructor, then the
ideal conditions of the experiment will not have been met and may pose as a
potential threat to the internal validity of the study (Yadav, Subedi, Lundeberg, &
Bunting, 2011). To reduce such threat than the researcher could ensure that proper
training and understanding of the PBL and traditional method is adhered and that all
lessons and instruments are used accordingly, however to confirm that an Affective
survey scale should be conducted (Ahlfeldt, 2004).
15
1.8 Delimitations of Study
The delimitations of the study may lie with the assumptions that were made with
regards to the objectives chosen for the study. The scope of the study is based on the
objectives to explore the students’ language anxiety with respect to their speaking
abilities. The study will not explore other language skills that may also play a role in
oral communication. Oral communication goes hand in hand with other language skills
such as reading, writing, and listening (Dunbar, Brooks, & Kubika-Miller, 2006). There
is thus an assumption that student's other skills are not relevant or less importance in
such a study which may be a contributing factor to students communication
competence.
Another delimitation to the study is that students prior language acquisitions is
not properly taken into consideration and this may in turn affect the outcome of the
study. It is assumed that students enter GMI with similar or poor language skills and
on top of that, it is assumed that students are not exposed to PBL approach, other
than the time that is spent in the ESP courses. According to (Yadav, Subedi,
Lundeberg, & Bunting, 2011), there is always the potential of diffusion, whereby
students from the experimental group may discuss with the control group and also
other external influence which may pose a threat to the internal validity of the study.
16
1.9
Significance of Study
This study will help GMI and its teachers to understand the effectiveness in using the
PBL approach in the learning of English for Specific Purposes. The main focus is to
see whether PBL does in fact reduce students’ anxiety when speaking English, and to
find out if it improves students’ overall speaking skills. If the results of the study show a
high anxiety level at the pre-entry level then the issues will need to be better
understood to assist students in their learning, which means that teachers may need to
take time to reduce their anxiety in order for effective learning to take place. This could
mean a need for a more comprehensive orientation about PBL and also how PBL
should or can play a part in their learning process.
Tasks, instructions and activities may require fine-tuning to prepare for students that
may have apprehension and anxieties with an approach that may not be so familiar.
Teachers will then have to make an extra effort to reduce students’ anxiety levels to
prepare students for learning at German-Malaysian Institute. Perhaps better scaffold of
problems are needed and also facilitators may need to combine approaches instead of
applying PBL alone.
It is also important that teachers are made aware of the implications of such a study so
that students learning potentials are met. A combination of strategies may be
necessary to ensure that learning takes place among GMI students.
In conclusion, to the best of my knowledge, no study has been conducted on the
effectiveness of PBL approach in improving students speaking anxieties and oral
speech in TEVT institutions. Based on similar studies conducted in (Ahlfeldt, 2004),
17
2.0 Chapter 2
2.1 Literature Review
2.1.1 German-Malaysian Institute as Technical and Vocational Educational and
Training (TVET)
German-Malaysian institute (GMI) which was established since 1991, is a
collaboration between the government of Germany and Malaysia. It is an institution
which has been set up to cater to the needs of the Malaysian sector where students
are given hands on and theoretical training in Diploma of Engineering Technology
(German Malaysian Institute, 2012). Currently GMI, is listed by the Malaysian
government as one of the private providers of the TVET programmes in Malaysia,
which aims to meet the demands for skilled workers in the industries (Zuraidah, 2008).
With the government objectives to build a nation equipped with workers that possess
technical and social human competencies, the National Dual Training System(NDTS)
has been introduced in various TEVTs across the nation (German Malaysian Institute,
2012). The method which is executed by GMI is a coupling of Problem, Project,
Production Based learning (Pro3BL) approach and the basis of the NDTS programmes
which promote real-work situations in the industries. This not only prepares students
for working life but it also helps develop necessary cognitive and social skills
(Zuraidah, 2008).
The need for students to develop both theoretical and practical skills has been
promoted in all fields of education. The research shows that, in order to prepare
today’s workforce, change in our curriculum is needed (Ward & Lee, 2002). Therefore,
Engineering fields are particularly looking at educational models that cater to a diverse
range of students, and to fill the gap between institutes of higher education and the
industries. Looking at the current education curriculum it is said that the FordistTylorist industrial organization model is no longer applicable in our education
programmes, as they cater for algoristic thinking which rely heavily on the heads of
management to think. Therefore, due to globalization and an ever-increasing influx of
information,industries today require all employees to be have a ‘new habit’ of thinking
(Albassam, 2007) . This new habit involves employees to have the cognitive demands
of the working world and also the soft skills to match (Ward & Lee, 2002). Achan,
18
Philip and Gunjew (2003) as cited in (Kim, 2006) explain that a graduate must have
range of skills that are flexible enough to adapt to a number of situations and
positions. It is also mentioned that such skills should comprise of four branches of
skills, which are interpersonal skills, self-managements skills, communications skills
and problem-solving or metacognitive skills.Nonetheless,the notion that still prevails in
Malaysia and many countries is that TVET programmes are for students who do not
excel academically and therefore enter vocational institutes (Zuraidah, 2008). As a
result students enter with the perception that vocational schools will accept students
from diverse needs and varying qualifications but not necessarily have the academic
prowess to boot. Although GMI has stipulated the minimum academic requirements,
most students enter GMI with merely a pass in English (German Malaysian Institute,
2012).This creates a large amount of problems where by students that enter GMI may
not have the academic flair, particularly in the English language. A situational analysis
reveal that the existing English communication skills of students at GMI range from
poor to intermediate. This then makes it difficult for students to engage in GMI
activities that involve large amounts of speaking, even more so in the industries and
future places of work. Though most have undergone the system of Education in
Malaysian public schools since Primary 1, where English has been taught as the
second language, many students are still using their first language to speak (Ali, Kadir,
& Zubaidah, 2005).
2.1.2 English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
GMI students are required to complete three levels of English for Specific Purpose
courses during semester one, two and three respectively. English for specific courses
in GMI serves to bridge the gap between students technical knowledge and English
language. A summary of ESP as defined by Dudley-Evans (1997) is English
language, centered on the learner’s specific needs. With this in mind, it can be divided
into absolute and variables characteristics, which do not limit the use of the English
language for a particular discipline, age group, methodology or language proficiency
(although ideally students should have basic grasp of English concepts) cited in
(Anthony, 1997). In other words, ESP is a language tool to help students acquire
engineering skills
19
2.1.3 Problem-based learning
2.1.3.1
What is PBL?
It is reported that Socrates never lectured his students, he instead employed a
method which included asking a series of questions, which led to finding answers to
life-related problems (Ward & Lee, 2002). Based on this premise, it is believed that
problem-based learning; linked to interdisciplinary education, is not a new concept
since its foundations dates back to the 360 BCE. However with respect to education, it
is still recent and slowly gaining popularity. The first usage of this approach can be
seen among medical school students, where 20 years ago, it was thought to be an
innovative way to solve real-life medical cases. Now, PBL is covering more ground,
finding its way in the field of administration,management,optometry, arts, engineering
and also social work (Whitfield, 2001). According to Brown,G (2004) types of learning
which promote deep understanding are project and problem-based learning
approaches. Both approaches have links to cooperative, interdisciplinary learning and
also stem from the Constructivist learning theories (Fauziah, 2010). In this study, it
must be understood that a combination of the three PBL models taken from McMaster
( Barrows & Tamblyn,1980), Torp&Sage Model (IMSA,1998) and Pastirik model
(2006) have been modified to become the Pro3BL model at GMI (German Malaysian
Institute, 2012). This model shall thus be used to answer the research questions in this
study. Therefore for the purpose of this study, we shall herein take Pro3BLproblem/project/production-based learning as Problem-based learning (PBL). As even
stated by (Sirotiak, 2008) and (Simpson, 2011), constructivism provides the theoretical
framework of which project and problem-based learning stem from. Both types of
approaches show a hands-on method which promote effective learning. It is no
wonder that both happen to have the same abbreviation, PBL. While PBL here,
focuses on solving problems and intiating a response, it also expects a delivery of
findings and answers in a problem and project-based-learning and sometimes may
lead to an end result of a project or product (Sirotiak, 2008) .In summary, the concept
dictates that students will learn effectively by engaging in problem-solving activities
(Ward & Lee, 2002). Based on Engel (1991), which are based on two precepts, one is
to develop skills to solve problems deemed necessary to become a life-long learner
20
and secondly, is to learn the required competencies as cited in (Ward & Lee, 2002).
According to (Fauziah, 2010), in Malaysia, it is important to address the different
theories used in PBL to ensure that the actual process is carried out effectively.
PBL has been successful in the impart of engineering knowledge mainly because
the rate of attrition in engineering schools today has been caused by the lack of
creative-thinking and ineffective curriculum designs that were once used to teach
engineering students (Felder & Brent, January 2005). What PBL encourages in the
learning of engineering topics, is deep approach of learning which probes student with
new possibilities to diverge,assimilate, converge and accommodate new information’.
The fact that PBL helps students answer the ‘what if’s makes for an ‘ideal pedagogical
strategy for engineeering students (Felder & Brent, January 2005).
2.1.3.2
PBL and language
A part of the engineering professions deals with engineers using soft skills in
their constructing and designing work. As engineering students that will need to use
language to obtain new skills (Sirotiak, 2008) which later will be applied in their future
place of work.Thus language skills at GMI is crucial for one to be successful in the
grasp of engineering skills and also when appling it to future work. According to
(Faridah, Norlaila, Rozmel, & Mohamed, 2011) as students are seeking answers to
their problems, they undergo a series of inquiries which is then translated into
language skills as they present and perform their task.To obtain language-based
knowledge that can be applied to real-world situations, students need to be actively
involved in communicating, without being overtly concerned about grammar rules and
accuracy. Thus, if the constructs of grammar rules are placed second to the
application of the English languages, then an active learning method needs to be
considered (Ainsworth, 2012).As a result, Problem-based learning is the approach
which implements cooperative learning whereby gaps between learning activities and
learning goals are cemented. According to (Abdullah, 1998), PBL method provides the
link between the ‘unreal’ world of school and real world where they will use language
to communicate what they need. By using PBL approach, students are able to
impersonate workplace problems whilst gaining transferable skills such as public
21
speaking, problem-solving, teamwork and self-motivation. (Trinitiy College Dublin,
2011).Based on the premise of constructivism; problem-based, project-based and
production-based learning serve as a tool to develop deep and meaningful learning
(Brown G. , 2004). According to George Brown (2004), how a student learns is
important when considering the design, teaching and assessments. To ensure deep
learning is achieved, teacher needs to include approaches such as group projects,
projects, dissertations, problem-based learning, active learning which are known to
develop deep understanding within the pockets of a subject area.Using the framework
of Problem-based learning, students are required to attempt learning through
independent research and present their ideas through verbal discourse.
2.1.3.3
PBL and communication skills
"Regardless of the changes in technology, the market for well-crafted messages will
always have an audience."
-Steve BurnettThe aim of English for Specific Purpose at GMI is to accelerate the process of
obtaining necessary language skills in the field of Engineering.As declared by Todd. L
Sirotiak (2008), engineering is not only concerned with technical skills, but also the
use of soft skills like communicative discourse. Furthermore, according to (Faridah,
Norlaila, Rozmel, & Mohamed, 2011),the need for workplace skills is highly sought
after by employers on all professions.With reiterations from Bell (2010), Faridah Musa
et al (2011), states that the PBL form of learning promotes communication,
collaboration and negotiation skills needed for the 21st century workplace. As seen
from this study, students who applied this type of learning improved their social skills
which correlated with formal and informal language used in communicative discourse.
Language skills can be broken up into four major skils,which are speaking, reading,
writing and listening.When studying the effects of PBL be it problem-based or projectbased learning, studies indicate a rise in speaking abilities after administering PBL in
their English course (Simpson, 2011), (Ahlfeldt, 2004), (Sirotiak, 2008), (Kim,
2006).Communication involves a combination of experimentation and concrete
experience (Ainsworth, 2012). Thus PBL not only enriches this belief, but it also
entails an improvement in communication( written, listening and oral skills) whilst
22
simultaneously improving skills such as decision-making, problem-solving, time
management, planning and organizing which was rarely used in the traditional lecturebased delivery (Sirotiak, 2008). According toT.H. Allen (2002) as cited in (Ahlfeldt,
2004), the success of a students learning is very much dependant on their
communication because speaking and listening skills will determine their success in
college and beyond as few university students have the ability to excel in
communication due to their lack of exposure in schools.
2.1.3.4
Crafting the ‘problem’ and group work
The design of PBL is based on a few steps. First the problem must be illstructured enough to serve as what is known as a ‘trigger’. Triggers function to ask
students three fundamental questions “what they know” and “what they do not know”
and “what they need to know”. These questions are meant to prompt students to think
about what new ideas and innovative ways to solve the problem.As each stage of the
inquiry process unfolds, facilitators may provide scaffolds, which guide the students to
the answer with a set of WH-questions- the what, why, where, when and how (Kim,
2006). Next students have to relate the problem to the solution, in the form of
searching for new knowledge and information .The process in which we learn, are
directed in the steps that guide PBL. Students, search, skim, inquire, define and
create hypotheses, refine, scan, and recreate hypothese, similarly as one would do in
a normal learning scenario. This leads to an interdisciplinary approach to learning,
which combines different knowledge,fusing it into new knowledge. (Ward & Lee,
2002). At this stage students should gather their findings in a group of four to five
students and compare notes (Fauziah, 2010). It is also crucial that students are asked
to showcase their findings in the form of a presentation or project, which thus
emphasises the verbal communication skills and collaborative work. Most importantly,
PBL is directed towards a set of resources that help the students obtain the relevant
knowledge to solve their problems,which finally lead to sharing their solutions with
their peers (Simpson, 2011). Stages in the PBL learning process carried out in GMI
can be seen in Figure 2, below adapted from (Kim, 2006).
23
Introducing the Problem Statement ( ill-structured
problem consisting of inquiring ‘triggers’
Listing out the 3 K’s of the ill-structured problem:



Scaffold 1
What students know?
What they do not know?
What they need to know?
Forming a group of 4-5 students, while defining the
problem
Outsource information, evaluating and accessing
information resources
Scaffold 2
Presenting new information to peers while reachin a
consensus.
Synthesizng final proposal and presenting the ideas.
Scaffold 3
Evaluation of the problem
Figure 2 : Design of a typical ‘Problem’ in PBL at German Malaysian Institute
The problem must be reflective of the outcomes of learning in the course outlines and
must be applicable to real-world problems whilst still being able to be carried out in
the classroom. Group work usually ranges between 2 to 5 members.
24
2.1.3.5
Role of the student in PBL
Students are believed to be more empowered in their learning as the focus is now
placed on the student instead of the teacher. Students are thus asked to be more
actively involved in the learning of knowledge and generic skills which are thought to
include, critical thinking, communication and problem solving. Students who are more
involved will benefit further from the PBL method (Kim, 2006). Success in PBL of the
student will be students who are aware of their own learning needs and are able to
search for the relevant data to achieve the right knowledge needed. According to
(Albassam, 2007), the student takes on the role of an active decision maker who is
involved in the problem solving . Thus instead of being passive participants, they are
the ones that personally construct their knowledge.
2.1.3.6
Role of the teacher in PBL
The teacher, or more so known as facilitator, acts as the bridge which connect the
students’ prior knowledge or lack of prior knowledge ( ‘what they know’ or ‘do not
know’) to the new forming knowledge (Simpson, 2011). Teachers are now not in the
spotlight, instead they are the ‘experts’ of the discussion that take a ‘back-seat’ in the
process of problem-solving. Teachers are the consultants and will need not only to be
knowledgable in their own field of study, but may need to be equipped with knowledge
in other content areas and skills (Ward & Lee, 2002). This may create some
unwillingness on the part of some lecturers that feel that their field of specialization
may require a lecture-based approach. Nonetheless facilitators are able to guide
students in the form of modelling and asking open-ended questions which promote
students to think critically. Teachers are meant to maintain the momentum of the
problem, yet not reveal the answers to the problem. Teamwork skills, self
determination and access to broadbase of resources is essential in the success of the
teacher’s role in PBL (Ward & Lee, 2002). As stated by Mardziah (1998), a facilitator
in PBL does not teach. He/ she instead, remains in the background where he will help
a student locate the relevant resources for the problem (Kim, 2006). Albassam (2007)
states that the teachers is not the disseminator of the knowledge, but instead plays
25
the role of cognitive or meta-cognitive coach, who always ensures that there is a
problem to be solved.
2.1.3.7
PBL method versus traditional lecture-based approach
The PBL method takes the form of a learner-centered approach which places
the student in the central focus (Kim, 2006). This involves the students to be more
aware and actively involved with their learning as opposed to being just receivers of
knowledge seen in the traditional lecture methods. According to (Kim, 2006), there is
a constant negotiation that occurs between the learner and the teacher in the PBL
method which helps the teacher adjust the learning style according to the students
needs. Therefore it can be said that the PBL method allows for a certain amount of
fluidity between students, as the teachers will need to monitor students’ needs and
adapt accordingly. In the case of the PBL approach to language learning, the method
is functional as it caters to a wider group of students and not particularly to one
learning style. This is crucial in GMI as it needs to involve a diverse group of students
and students come from different backgrounds, education qualifications and
language proficiencies.
The traditional, didactic, lecture-based approach involves the transference of
content from the lecturer to the students ,with a focus placed more on students
making connections with the teacher as opposed to the learning process itself.
Student achievement is supposed to be the central focus of a lecture-based
approach since content is heavily reliant on the work and skills of the students.
Hoewever most teachers place accountability on the standards set by the curriculum
which usually is at the expense of students needs (Brown K. L., 2003). Another
downside to lecture-based approach especially when teaching language skills is the
limited exposure to activities and practice which is important in acquiring
communication skills. The main concern with lecture-based learning is the lack of
opportunities for students to apply the language as it is a very inert method involving
mainly rote learning. (Ali, Kadir, & Zubaidah, 2005)
In brief, both methods are aware that students play a big role in achievement
of knowledge, however lecture based approach places more knowledge in the hands
on the teacher and involves less student work (Brown K. L., 2003).
26
2.1.4
Communication Apprehension related to public speaking
According to McCroskey (1970) communication apprehension is a multi-based
anxiety which is linked to oral communication. Further to that, Arnold (2007) says, in
the field of applied linguistics, the concept of communication apprehension is closely
related to that of language anxiety. Therefore one can say that the fear of speaking in
public is interconnected to communication apprehension and oral communication.
Communication apprehension can be best defined by Berger,McCroskey, Baldwin
(1984)as the the ‘feeling’ one gets when communicating and thus not how one
communicates as cited in (P’Rayan & Shetty, 2008). Fear or anxiety in speaking can
be related to a few factors, P’Rayan & Shetty (2008) states namely, a poor grasp of
the target language, lack of practice, certain insecurities or a pre-programmed thought
process. Among Malaysian students, anxiety can be attributed to one of the highest
factors which dampen the success of student’s second language acquisition
(Mustapha, Ismail, Singh, & @Alias, 2010). It has also been recorded that students
that are so fixated on their speaking anxiety, tend to spend most of their time focusing
on that instead of the task at hand, resulting in a reduction in retention of information
and thus lower grades (Mustapha, Ismail, Singh, & @Alias, 2010). The need to use
PBL in overcoming public speaking anxiety can be linked to studies that show students
request more exposure and practice in overcoming their communication apprehension
(P’Rayan & Shetty, 2008). In fact, among UiTM Johor university students, as in the
study conducted by (Mustapha, Ismail, Singh, & @Alias, 2010), students claim that
group discussions helped lower their communication apprehension and overall
preparation was the best way to overcome their anxiety. Thus,in PBL, where students
are encouraged to speak and mingle with peers and lecturers and given plenty of
opportunity to practice English often should lessen anxiety of public speaking.
2.1.5
Measuring Communication apprehension
According to (Ahlfeldt, 2004), public speaking is about ‘conducting and
presenting a speech’. Therefore the test of public speaking is not in the knowledge they
gain about public speaking, but in how they apply it. Communication apprehension as
27
defined by McCroskey (1977) is a cognitive based measurement, although it can also
be physiological and behavioural in nature.
Public speaking anxiety measurement cannot be entirely applied since it fails to
consider individuals’ anxiety to speaking. This therefore makes it questionable on
whether it is representative of communication apprehension (McCroskey, Beatty,
Kearney, & Plax, 1985). Thus to measure the construct of communication
apprehension with respect to public speaking and individual response to speaking
anxieties, the students will be given the Personal Report of Communication
Apprehension(PRCA). The PRCA has been adapted from the Public Speaking Anxiety
Report (PRSPA) which is thought to be a more complete construct of communication
apprehension. The PRCA model that is now further modified and widely used is the
PRCA-24 (P’Rayan & Shetty, 2008). The purpose of the PRCA-24 will be to verify
students’ anxiety levels within a set scale of low, moderate or high. It is divided into 24
questions which cover students feelings about communicating (McCroskey, Beatty,
Kearney, & Plax, 1985) (see appendix B).
2.1.6 Measuring improvements in Oral communication
Students speaking ability will be measured with the use of a rubric scoring sheet,
which will look at the eight competencies recommended by the National
Communication Association (Moore, Surges-Tatum, & Webster, 2007). The eight
competencies which have been tested for validity and reliability (Dunbar, Brooks, &
Kubika-Miller, 2006) in the NCA rubrics are; 1.Chooses and narrows a topic 2.
Communicates thesis/specific purpose 3. Provide appropriate supporting material 4.
Uses appropriate organizational pattern 5. Uses appropriate language 6. Uses vocal
variety in rate, pitch and intensity 7. Uses appropriate pronunciation, grammar and
articulation 8. Uses physical behaviours that support the message (Moore, SurgesTatum, & Webster, 2007). The eight competencies have been selected to ensure that
they reflect the current literature review concerning communication. When grading
each competency, the following criterias must be considered, as suggested by the
NCA (2007) manual:
28
Compentencies
Brief definition
Chooses and narrows a topic
The speaker choice of topic must reflect purpose with adjustments
made to suit audience needs, within time limitations.
Communicates thesis/specific
The introductory segment of the speech must deliberate to all
purpose
audience members the specific purpose of the speech.
Provide appropriate supporting
The use of electronic or non-electronic aids must enhance the
material
credibility of the speaker and support the topic.
Uses appropriate organizational
The front, body and conclusion of the content of the speech should
pattern.
engage audience in a creative manner and clarity .
Uses appropriate language
The speaker uses the language that enhances understanding and
enthusiasm while choosing words which exhibt exceptional nuances.
Uses vocal variety in rate, pitch
Varied pitches and tones that are well paced and appealing.
and intensity
Uses appropriate pronunciation,
Fluency and sound with no grammatical or pronunciation errors.
grammar and articulation
Uses physical behaviours that
Uses the bodily gestures, eye contact, behaviour that support
support the message
speech.
Table 1: Brief definition of Communication competencies NCA (2007)
2.1.7 Conclusion of Literature Review
In conclusion, PBL is a form of learning which serves as a catalyst in a student’s
learning process. In the process of scanning, skimming, obtaining, evaluating and
synthesing new information, students become more aware of their learning goals as
well as the process of searching for information. Concurrently,when faced with
problems to real-life situations, students gain skills to solve the problem which not only
sharpen their academic knowledge but also skills which benefit their social skills such
as team membership, speaking, problem-solving and critical thinking. In turn, this is
believed to help students gain a more wholistic perspective of their learning which is
thought to be more deep and meaningful (Kim, 2006).
The following chapter will discuss the methods that will be administerd to collect
data as well as the tests that will be used to analyse data acquired.
29
3.0 Chapter 3
3.1
Research Methodology & Design
3.1.1 Variables
(A) Independant Variable
The independant variable in this study is the instructional approach applied to the
groups. Since there will be two groups, the experimental group and control group, then
the independant variable is the Problem-based learning and lecture-based approach
respectively.
(B) Dependant Variable
The dependant variable in this study is the impact of the instructional approach on
students communication skills and also the students communication apprehension. The
dependant variables will be measured using the NCA(2007) Speech Evaluation form
for the oral communication skills and with the PRCA-24 test for students
communication apprehension.
3.1.2 Method /Design of pre-test and post-test for the PRCA-24
Students are first required to fill out demographic surveys to record the data regarding
groups characteristics such as gender, race, educational background (see appendix A).
All groups will be required to fill in the survey form and demographic data will be
collected at the beginning of the course.
An experimental pre-test and post-test method will be applied here to collect the
data from the two groups. The purpose of the pretest-posttest design is to measure the
change from experimental treatments (Dimitrov & Rumrill, 2003). In this type of design,
the sample groups are broken into two distinctions. One will be the experimental group,
receiving the treatment and the other group shall remain as the control group,
consisting of students who will not receive the treatment. Therefore the experimental
group, E (PBL group) shall be the group of students that are taught using the problembased learning approach and C (non-PBL group) will consist of the group of student
30
that will be taught using the didactic, traditional lecture method. All groups shall be given
the same course learning outcomes with the same lesson plans learning goals; however
the tasks and activities shall both be carried out in different approaches, namely
problem-based learning approach and traditional lecture approach. The instructor will
also be maintained for all classes. The treatment, which is the problem-based learning
approach, shall be given the denotation of T. Figure 3 and 4 both show the overall
Demographic data collected upon
entry into the course.
design structure of experimental group (E1):
Pre-test of
Communication
Apprehension
Task (T)
(PRCA-24)
Post-test of
Communication
Apprehension
(PRCA-24)
Figure 3 : Communication Apprehension test design
Pre-test of Oral
communication
Skills (NCA-2007)
Task (T)
Post-test of Oral
communication
Skills (NCA-2007)
Figure 4 :Oral communication skills test design
3.1.3 Method and design for the pre test and post test Oral communication skills
Groups for the Oral communication skills tests will be maintained as mentioned for the
test of Communication Apprehension seen in 3.1.2. However since the test will be
administered via a rubric scoring sheet, then the instructor will have to observe all
students during a delivery of a speech. All orators will be judged pre-treatment (PBL
and lecture method) and a score will be collected. Only one researcher will be involved
in the experiment and will also be the lecturer for all groups. As seen in (Pattenpichet,
2011), the students will be asked to perform 3 criterion-referenced test (Dunbar,
Brooks, & Kubika-Miller, 2006) with regards to 3 speech topics: Talking about oneself,
having a telephone conversation and talking about a topic in public. The speeches will
31
be conducted one at a time and scored according to the rubric guidelines given with the
NCA (2007) evaluation form.
Data will be collected in three areas for this study. The three areas are as stated below:
 The demographic of the students under the study will be collected.
 Students questionnaire with regards to their Communication Apprehension
(PRCA-24)
 Oral communications evaluation form from NCA (2007).
The instruments used to measure the three aspects of the study are as follows.
3.1.4 Demographic Questionnaire
Firstly, students will be randomly given to the instructors by the GMI
administration. All groups have enrolled in the first semester at GMI with the basic
entrance requirements, with little or no exposure to PBL approach. Next, students are
randomly assigned to control or experimental groups. Groups (E1 and E2; C1 and
C2)will be determined via a demographic questionnaire. A equidistance sampling
where extraneous variables are held constant , is used to divide the experimental
groups (E1 and E2) and control groups (C1 and C2) [See 3.2 sampling]which will be
selected based on likeness of English SPM results and education qualifications
However since students are not placed according to certain characteristics by GMI
administration then the first selection of groups will be accepted randomly. However
threats to validity for both experimental and control groups were controlled using a
randomized Solomon four group design (Dimitrov & Rumrill, 2003).
3.1.5 Public Speaking Anxiety
To test the hypothesis with regards to students anxiety due to public speaking
the Richmond & McCroskey (1995) Personal Report of Communication Apprehension24 taken from (McCroskey, Beatty, Kearney, & Plax, 1985) will be used (See appendix
B). The data will be collected using a closed ended questionnaire which students have
to complete individually. The purpose of the questionnaire is to reveal the level of
apprehension students have ranging from low to moderately low, moderate to
moderately high and high. This was measured using 24 items. The items were marked
32
using a 5 point Likert-scale of (1) Strongly Agree (2) Agree (3) Undecided (4) Disagree
(5) Strongly Disagree. Lowest attainable score is 24 and highest is 120 on the PRCA-24
(P’Rayan & Shetty, 2008).
3.1.6 Oral Communication
The National Communication Association (NCA) has devised a set of evaluation
forms to measure oral communication. This instrument can be seen in Appendix C.The
evaluation form, is devised based on eight competencies of speaking skills, four are
dedicated to preparation and the othe four are measuring delivery. The form can be
used by the evaluator as a ratio scale which measures between the eight
compentencies and or can be given a weightage overall score. The eight competencies
are rated according to 1-unsatisfactory, 2-satisfactory and 3-excellent. The minimum
attainable score for the evaluation is 8 for unsatisfactory delivery of a speech, while the
maximum attainable score for an excellent speech is 24 .
33
3.2
Sampling
3.2.1
Population
GMI students comprise of students from the Production Technology department
and Industrial Electronics department. Each department in turn offers specialized
trades within their department. After completing three years of study at GMI, students
will have completed three levels of English for specific purposes (ESP). The students
are not given any supplementary English classes in GMI other than ESP. Therefore
upon their enrolment into ESP in the first semester their exposure to English is only
what was obtained in their learning at secondary schools. All GMI students regardless
of their department are required to complete three levels of English for Specific
purposes, taken in semester 1, semester 2 and semester 3 respectively. Each
semester, students meet for ESP classes for a total of 2 contact hours a week for a
total of 18 weeks per semester. Students completing an ESP class in one semester
therefore will have fulfilled a 36 hour class. The primary objective of the course is to
ensure students enhance their four English language skills, i.e. Reading, Writing,
Speaking and Listening and which in the long run will be transferable into the
workplace.
The student majority mainly comprise of Malaysian Malays. There are also a
small percentage of students who are bumiputras from Sabah and Sarawak,
Malaysian Indians and Malaysian Chinese. The English entrance requirement for the
diploma programme is a minimum pass, from SPM, SPMV, and Pre-diploma or
Technical certificate. (German Malaysian Institute, 2012).
3.2.2
Sample
The sample in the study shall comprise of first year, semester one students at
GMI, enrolled in the compulsory core course English for Specific Purposes 1(ESP
2012). The students in one semester consist of 400 to 900 students, and are divided
into classes of approximately 20 to 25 students. Therefore for each group, n= less
than 30. The total number of students that shall be selected for the four groups, E1,
E2 and C1 and C2 shall be estimated at a sample size of about 200 students. The
34
groups E1, E2, C1 and C2 respectively will undergo a randomization selection where
each group member will have an equal chance of being selected into the
experimental or control group (Fraenkel, Wallen, & Hyun, 2012). This will decrease
the threats to validity. However the demographic survey will be used to control
extraneous variables such as English SPM results or education qualifications, which
may have influence over outcomes. These variables will be maintained across the
groups, so that they would minimize the extraneous variance within the two groups
(Dimitrov & Rumrill, 2003). Below is the Randomized Solomon four group model:
PBL Approach (Group E)
Pre Anxiety
speaking test
Traditional Approach (Group C)
Pre- Oral
communication
test
Pre Anxiety
speaking test
Task
Task 1
Post Anxiety
speaking test
Pre- Oral
communication
test
Task
Task 1
Post- Oral
communication
test
Post Anxiety
speaking test
Post- Oral
communication
test
Table 2: Experimental and Control Group Design 1
35
PBL Approach (Group E2)
Pre Anxiety
speaking test
Traditional Approach (Group C2)
Pre- Oral
communication
test
Pre Anxiety
speaking test
Pre- Oral
communication
test
Task 1
Task 1
Post Anxiety
speaking test
Post- Oral
communication
test
Post Anxiety
speaking test
Post- Oral
communication
test
Table 3: Experimental and Control Group Design 2
3.3
Method of Data Processing and Analysis
(A) Oral communication skills
Firstly, the data that will be collected will need to be processed using the Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).To measure the pre- and post test oral
communication score in the same group of students, a paired sample t-test within
groups with the same participants can be used. (Sirotiak, 2008).The quantitative scores
were used to find out if the post test data , t-value would show a significant level of
difference of (p< .05) for post-test values in after PBL or after traditional lecture method.
Post test scores of the oral communication of the NCA(2007) will be compared based
on the scores obtained from Speech evaluation form. A repeated measures ANOVA will
be used to compare between the PBL and traditional method groups (Arnold, 2007).
36
(B) Communication Apprehension
The data that will be collected will need to be processed using the Statistical Package
for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The 24 likert scale items will be calculated for the
overall score PRCA-24 will be collected as pre and post test scores and also collected
between PBL group of students and Lecture-based students. A paired sample t-test is
recommended between pre and post test scores of the PRCA-24 (Ahlfeldt, 2004), if
there were significant difference between the mean scores of pre-treatment and posttreatment (Dunbar, Brooks, & Kubika-Miller, 2006); however a MANOVA is needed to
check for the relation between the pre-posttest scores, interaction between the PBL and
lectured based clases and also for significant difference within the groups (Ahlfeldt,
2004).
(C) Oral communication correlation and Communication Apprehension
Using
the
paired
sample
t-test
for
communication
apprehension
and
oral
communication, the effect size of the post-test scores can be compared for correlation
between
oral
communication
and
communication
apprehension
as
seen
in
(Pattenpichet, 2011).The correlation value is between two or more variables and will
have a range of (-1/1) (Sirotiak, 2008). With the mean scores for the post test taken for
communication apprehension and also oral communication skills, a Pearson correlation
is taken into consideration, to calculate the relationship between communication
apprehension and oral communication.
3.4
Validity and Reliability of Method and Instruments used
3.4.1 Demographic Questionnaire
Ideally students should comprise of groups that are randomized to maintain validity and
reliability of testing, however due to administrations restraints, students will be taken
from existing groups set by GMI administration therefore in a sense they were initially
37
randomized into a group which increases the external validity. However due to the fact
that E and C groups were selected based on similar traits, then the external validaty
makes it more contrived and harder to be generalizable.
3.4.2 NCA Speakers Evaluation Form
To maintain the reliability of the Evaluation form, two expert instructors that have fully
read the NCA manual can record the rubric scoring sheet (Pattenpichet, 2011).
Threats to internal validity are in the maturation, pretest values, history. Based on the
Solomon four group design, if D1, D2, D3 and D4 are denoted as the increased scores
between the E1, C1,E2 and C2 respectively, so the factors that influence the internal
and external threats can be monitored. It can be noted that the gain scores for each
value is affected as such D1( pretesting, treatment, maturation and history), D2
(pretesting, maturation and history) D3 (treatment, maturation and history) D4
(maturation and history). Manipulating the difference between D scores can help us
monitor the effect of treatment as suggested in (Dimitrov & Rumrill, 2003).
According to Berliner (2002), educational science is the ‘hardest science’ to measure
since it is not ideally able to control a perfect experimental setting as cited in (Yadav,
Subedi, Lundeberg, & Bunting, 2011). Nonetheless, having said that, it is still important
to control any threats to validity by randomly assigning the groups if possible.
3.4.3 Personal Report of Communication Apprehension
Due to possible threats to internal validity the research shall consist of two groups in
the experimental group; E1 and E2 and two groups in the control group C1 and C2. As
students who are exposed to the pre-test group may in fact be more prone to improve
or may increase their awareness of PBL method upon completing the pre-test question,
we shall try to reduce the possibility of pre-test effects by having only groups in C1 and
E1 take the pre-test. However all four groups will be exposed to the post-test. This
randomized design method is based on the Solomon four-group design (Dimitrov &
Rumrill, 2003) and can be seen in Table 2 and 3.
38
4.0
List of References
Abdullah, M. H. (1998). Problem-based learning in language instruction: A constructivist method.
Retrieved June 2012, from Teach: http://teach.valdosta.edu/whuitt/files/prbsollrn.html
Ahlfeldt, S. L. (2004). Problem-based learning in the public speaking classroom. ProQuest Dissertations &
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5.0 Appendices
Appendix (A) Demographic questionnaire
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Appendix (B) The Personal Report of
Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24)
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Appendix (C) NCA(2007) Speech evaluation form
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