Developing Critical Reading for Pre-Service English Teachers: Actual Reflections
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REPUBLIC OF TURKEY SAKARYA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING DEVELOPING CRITICAL READING FOR PRE-SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS: ACTUAL REFLECTIONS A MASTER’S THESIS YELİZ ÜNAL SUPERVISOR ASSOC. PROF. DR. METİN TİMUÇİN AUGUST 2014 ii REPUBLIC OF TURKEY SAKARYA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING DEVELOPING CRITICAL READING FOR PRE-SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS: ACTUAL REFLECTIONS A MASTER’S THESIS YELİZ ÜNAL SUPERVISOR ASSOC. PROF. DR. METİN TİMUÇİN AUGUST 2014 iii iv v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Some people we have met touch our life and give out light for our success. This study is a result of this kind of experience and I would like to express my deepest gratitude for those contributing to the current study. First and foremost, I would like to present my deepest thanks to my supervisor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Metin Timuçin for his great encouragement, enduring support and valuable advices throughout the process. His understanding and positive attitude helped me to pursue my determination. His enthusiasm and idealistic stand will provide inspiration for my whole teaching career. I would like to express my sincerest thanks to Dean of Faculty of Education at Sakarya University Prof. Dr. Firdevs Karahan for her support and helpful suggestions. I would also like to thank Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Eskicumalı for his interest in this study, participation and contributions. I would like to express thanks to Instructor Ali İlya who helped for organization of critical reading class and separated his valuable class hours for the research. I feel gratitude to Assist. Prof. Dr. Hülya Bartu, who has been acquainted with the ideas and methods of Norman Fairclough at Lancaster University during her post- graduate studies, for sharing her vast knowledge and incredible expertise with us in her course. The basis of this study is formed by “Critical Reading Course” lectured by Dr. Bartu at Yıldız Technical University. I would like to extend my gratitude to all professors in the ELT Master Degree Program at Sakarya University and all my instructors taking part in my education life for their inestimable contributions. Also, many thanks go to the participant students. It was really a great time to study together with them during research period. I believe that they will all be great English teachers. I owe special thanks to all my friends who strengthened my motivation through their friendship and sisterhood in this journey. vi Last but never least, I would like to express my love and sincere gratitude to my family, especially my beloved mother Hülya Kızılay and my precious husband Mehmet Zeki Ünal for their endless support and faith in me. This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my beloved father, Zeki Kızılay (1954- 2014). You offered me all your continuous support and sincere encouragement till the unexpected farewell. Thank you for leaving me plenty of memories full of love. I feel “very proud” to be your child. vii ABSTRACT DEVELOPING CRITICAL READING FOR PRE-SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS: ACTUAL REFLECTIONS Ünal, Yeliz Master Thesis, Department of English Language Teaching Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Metin TİMUÇİN August, 2014. xvii+247 Page. The present study aims to investigate the effect of critical reading course on a group of pre-service English language teachers. The study was carried out with the participation of 19 pre-service English language teachers studying at the undergraduate program of English Language Teaching in the Department of Foreign Language Education at Sakarya University in the 2013-2014 fall semester. In this qualitative study, research questions intend to find out whether or not students read critically, express their critical awareness and reflect their critical reading ability on their assignments. In order to explore these questions, an action research was carried out in the study. A critical reading course was designed and presented to the participant students by the researcher. Data was collected through pre-study questionnaire, a class blog and post-study questionnaire. The blog was used as a platform for students to share their assignments of critical reading course. Open-ended questionnaires carried out before and after the course provided in-depth data for student opinions. Qualitative techniques were used in data analysis. Participants’ actual works uploaded on the blog were analysed and their opinions related to critical reading practice were compared. The results of the data analysis indicated that awareness of teacher candidates for critical reading has been raised after having been exposed to proposed activities. It was also found that students could express this awareness through materials they preferred to read and design for assignments. Relying on the data collected, it can also be concluded that a course for critical reading and a blog for learning outcomes viii may improve students’ way of thinking and critical reading skills. Analysed data suggest that revision of the existing curriculum, and attempts to include more critical courses into the curricula of ELT programs has bear the potential of making teacher candidates more capable critical readers. Keywords: Critical Reading, Pre-service English Teachers, English Language Teaching. ix ÖZET ADAY İNGİLİZCE ÖĞRETMENLERİNDE ELEŞTİREL OKUMAYI GELİŞTİRME: GERÇEK YANSIMALAR Ünal, Yeliz Yüksek Lisans Tezi, İngiliz Dili ve Eğitimi Bölümü Danışman: Doç. Dr. Metin TİMUÇİN Ağustos, 2014. xvii+247 Sayfa. Bu çalışma eleştirel okuma dersinin İngilizce öğretmeni adayı öğrenciler üzerindeki etkisini incelemektedir. Çalışma 2013-2014 akademik yılı güz döneminde, Sakarya Üniversitesi Yabancı Diller Bölümü İngilizce Öğretmenliği programında lisans eğitimi alan 19 aday öğretmenin katılımı ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bu nitel çalışmada araştırma soruları öğrencilerin eleştirel okuma becerilerini, eleştirel farkındalıklarını ifade edebilmelerini ve eleştirel okuma becerilerini ödev çalışmalarında yansıtabilmelerini belirlemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu soruları araştırmak amacıyla, çalışmada eylem araştırması kullanılmıştır. Araştırmacı tarafından eleştirel okuma dersi hazırlanmış ve ders katılımcı öğrencilere uygulanmıştır. Veriler ders öncesi sorular, sınıf blogu ve ders sonrası sorular kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Blog öğrencilerin eleştirel okuma dersi ödevlerini paylaşmalarını sağlayan bir ortam olarak kullanılmıştır. Ders öncesinde ve sonrasında uygulanan açık uçlu sorular öğrenci görüşlerine dair detaylı veri sunmuştur. Veri analizi için nitel yöntemler kullanılmıştır. Katılımcıların blog sayfasına yüklenmiş olan çalışmaları incelenmiş ve eleştirel okuma uygulamasına yönelik öğrenci görüşleri karşılaştırılmıştır. Veri analizi önerilen aktivitelerin uygulanmasının ardından öğrencilerin eleştirel okumaya dair farkındalıklarının arttığını göstermektedir. Ayrıca, öğrencilerin bu farkındalığı seçtikleri okuma materyalleri ve tasarladıkları ödevler ile ifade edebildikleri görülmektedir. Elde edilen verilere dayanarak, eleştirel okuma dersinin ve öğrenme çıktılarını görmek amaçlı blog kullanımının öğrencilerin düşünme ve eleştirel okuma becerilerini geliştirebileceği de söylenebilir. Çalışma sonuçları var olan eğitim programının gözden geçirilmesinin ve İngiliz Dili Eğitimi x programlarında eleştirel derslere daha çok yer verilmesinin öğretmen adaylarının daha etkin eleştirel okuyucu olmalarını sağlayacağını göstermektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Eleştirel Okuma, İngilizce Öğretmenliği Öğrencileri, İngiliz Dili Eğitimi. xi TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration .................................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................... vi Abstract ..................................................................................................................... viii Özet .............................................................................................................................. x Table of Contents ....................................................................................................... xii List of Tables.............................................................................................................. xv List of Figures ........................................................................................................... xvi CHAPTER I, INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 1.1 Research Question .................................................................................................. 3 1.2 Sub Questions ........................................................................................................ 3 1.3 Significance of the Study ....................................................................................... 3 1.4 Assumptions ........................................................................................................... 5 1.5 Limitations of the Study ......................................................................................... 5 1.6 Abbreviations ......................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER II, REVIEW OF LITERATURE............................................................... 7 2.1 Literature Review ................................................................................................... 7 2.1.1 Overview of Critical Approaches.......................................................................