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Pedagogical Experiment PDF
Pedagogical Experiment PDF
1
Drăgan I., Nicola I.: Cercetarea psihopedagogică, Editura Tipomur, Târgu-Mure , 1995, p. 30
2
Dumitriu C.: Introducere în cercetarea psihopedagogică, Editura Didactică i Pedagogică, Bucure ti, 2004, p. 43
3
Stan L.: Psihopedagogie, Editura Spiru Haret, Ia i, 1994, p. 57
motivation, which constituted a progress factor in the experiment. I asked my students to solve a
great array of reading exercises on various literary and non-literary texts, following the
curriculum. Based on the results I adopted appropriate decisions for the organization of
differentiated activities, both with students who showed very good results and with students who
were diagnosed with knowledge gaps. The analysis of the results my students achieved in the
two progress tests gave me the opportunity to adopt differentiated teaching strategies in order to
improve my pupils’ future results. The final assessment stage spanned the period May the 13th
2011 June the 17th 2011. I applied the achievement test to record the progress and the
development of my students’ reading skills. The information I collected was processed,
interpreted and used to organise, conduct and optimize future educational activities.
In order to achieve the objectives I set for my research, I used the following methods:
observation, conversation, product analysis, evaluation tests and statistical techniques.
Observation4 is a research method that uses observation in an investigation. It consists of
the systematic and organized intuition of an object, phenomenon or process which is either
normally carried out or experimentally produced in order to achieve scientific knowledge
through which the subject of the experiment obtains direct information about the object of
reflection. The observation forms I used in my research were: basic observation, which focuses
on the behavioral manifestations of the others, continued observation, which takes place over a
period of time and integral observation, which captures all conduct manifestations. Using
observation, I watched as the students participated in classroom activity, as they followed,
appreciated and corrected the answers of their colleagues, as they took notes and how they
solved their homework assignments. I observed my students both individually and collectively
and I made sure to observe the following requirements: my observations had a clear goal, I chose
the setting and the time of my observations and stuck to them, I observed the facts in natural
conditions without being influenced by other factors, I noted the observation data immediately
without this activity being perceived by my pupils and I processed the data I obtained from
observation. In order for the data obtained to be as accurate as possible, the observation was
carried out systematically, the same observation being repeated in different situations. I tried to
check the data I obtained through several processes. I also noted only the significant data and
discarded the irrelevant details.
Conversation5 is a method defined in educational research as an oral survey conducted
with each subject separately, based on a questionnaire which is applied depending on the
particular circumstances of the case, stating all the answers and circumstances in the research
protocol. This method consists of a dialogue between the researcher and the subjects undergoing
investigation, in order to accumulate data and opinions about certain phenomena. Conversation
provides information for understanding the internal motives for students’ conduct, feelings,
interests, conflicts, prejudices, values and aspirations. This method also reveals the subjects’
attitudes towards other people – parents, siblings, peers, teachers, as well as the influence of
family and of the immediate social environment on the pupil. The biggest advantage of
conversation is that it allows a collection of varied and valuable information about the reasons of
the students’ actions in a relatively short time. Using conversation I gathered information on the
thinking skills of children, on their attitudes towards the given tasks, information I used in order
to understand the pupils’ internal reasons for behavior, preferences for certain disciplines, peer
relations, affective family climate and social environmental influences.
Product analysis6 is a method that provides information about the students’ mental
processes and about their personality traits through the way in which these personal
characteristics are reflected in their drawings, written works and homework. Pupils’ educational
achievement is mirrored in various documents such as their portfolios, their student cards or the
4
Dumitriu C.: Introducere în cercetarea psihopedagogică, Editura Didactică i Pedagogică, Bucure ti, 2004, p. 45
5
id. ibid., p. 47
6
Dumitriu C.: Introducere în cercetarea psihopedagogică, Editura Didactică i Pedagogică, Bucure ti, 2004, p. 49
class roll. These products bear the mark of both the special requirements of the educational
objectives, and of the pupils’ individual characteristics. I systematically corrected students’
notebooks throughout the whole year when the pedagogical experiment took place and I kept
track of students’ development and of their typical mistakes in order to act promptly to remove
them in time through corrective exercises. I checked and assessed written work such as work
sheets and test samples and I talked to my students about how they made these products,
appreciating them and giving them support to improve performance.
Tests7 are used to measure the capacity of pupils’ mental characteristics, to determine the
presence or absence of these mental characteristics, their degree of development and the
peculiarities of manifestation. The results obtained by applying tests must be correlated with the
results obtained by applying other methods and with the results obtained through practice.
Statistics8 is a method which supposes the processing, analysis, systematization and
interpretation of data obtained from measurements previously made.
Measurement9 is the operation which assigns numerical or quality values to the
characteristics studied in relation to the hypothesis, in relation to methods of information
gathering and in relation to the researched type of variable. Registration records the presence or
the absence of a particular behavioural peculiarity. Table data can be synthetically represented
onto a two axes system called the abscissa and the ordinate. Frequency, expressed either in
absolute numbers or in percentage, is represented along the vertical axis, the ordinate, from the
bottom to the top. Measurement intervals are represented from left to right along the horizontal
axis, the abscissa. The most common forms of graphical displays are: the histogram, the
frequency polygon and the pie chart.
The histogram10 is the graphical form in which the data series is represented in a two-
dimensional reference system by rectangles of different heights which are proportional to the
basic values of the series. The analytical tables11 record the individual results of the investigated
subjects, while the synthetic tables12 group together the measured data, disregarding the names of
the subjects. The frequency polygon13 is obtained by uniting the tops of the rectangles that make
up the histograms into a broken line. The pie chart14 is a graphic representation which consists of
a circle divided into sectors. The surface of each sector is proportional to the number or to the
frequency represented.
Following an experiment, a systematic observation or a collection of data that cannot be
examined by a simple visual inspection is obtained. A classification or an ordering procedure
must follow, allowing for the formulation of laws. Data processing consists in the ordering, the
systematization and the correlation of empirical data in order to come to a decision about the
significance of the data in relation to the proposed hypothesis. Primary data can be grouped
together in some centralized tables or it may be presented as diagrams. During data processing it
is necessary for the researcher to combine mathematical techniques with the quality analysis of
the material. Pedagogical research prioritises quality analysis, while statistical processing is
subordinated to the former.
7
id. ibid., p. 52
8
id. ibid., p. 55
9
id. ibid., p. 56
10
Drăgan I., Nicola I.: Cercetarea psihopedagogică, Editura Tipomur, Târgu-Mure , 1995, p. 64
11
id. ibid., p. 65
12
id. ibid., p. 66
13
id. ibid., p. 67
14
id. ibid., p. 68
can also cause upheavals in the prognosis of the students’ school performance or on the score
pupils achieve.
The students’ efforts at improving their reading skills are based on motivation15, without
which nothing can be achieved. Reasons are the causes of our conduct. Achievement motivation
assumes a maximum intensity when the individual knows that his actions will be judged by a
standard. The desire to achieve success depends on the attractiveness of the performance. The
second factor that influences a person’s efforts is the difficulty of the task to be solved. Student
motivation is divided into two groups: extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. At the heart
of intrinsic motivation lie curiosity and the desire to learn more. Keeping this type of motivation
alive depends on the mastery of the teacher. The durability of the assimilated information also
depends on intrinsic motivation. The teacher must insist on intrinsic motivation because it is
motivation for knowledge and learning that determines the student to work towards meeting his
needs. The child becomes aware that he needs information, skills and techniques and he becomes
involved in searching for them, in order to shape his intellect in the desired direction. Pupils’
belief that what they have learned is a good thing acts as a strong internal stimulus for their
school activity. Extrinsic motivation for learning is reflected in marks, awards, fear of failure,
defeat and shame.
Will is a self-adjustment complex mental process, achieved by verbal means, which
consists of voluntary efforts taken in order to overcome obstacles and in order to attain a goal.16
The correlation between voluntary exercise capacity and obstacle causes effective achievement
of the purpose. Mismatch occurs either when the obstacle is overrated there is big voluntary
effort and goal achievement is reached with great energy consumption, fatigue and
dissatisfaction or when the obstacle is underestimated there is small voluntary effort which
leads to a failure in reaching the goal. It is necessary to identify the reasons for achieving the
goal and to verbalize the intention to reach the goal in order to trigger a mental plan of action. If
the child is aware of the obstacle and of the fact that he can overcome it, this may result in
mobilization and concentration of nervous energy. The value of the goal that has to be reached
determines will power.
When the student pays attention in class, it means that there was an initial interaction
between the thing the pupil is attentive to and the child. Attention17 is very important in the
learning process because a moment of inattention can make motivation impossible. The energy
which is brought about by attention is optimally selected and concentrated on the stimulus. When
the teacher can summon the students’ involuntary attention, it can lead to avoiding fatigue during
learning activities. Voluntary attention, however, which requires special voluntary effort is
intentional, consciously self-adjusting and of higher quality than involuntary attention. The
teaching process must take into account the forms of attention and the relations between them, as
well as attention qualities: volume, stability, concentration, distributivity and mobility.
Based on the results obtained in the placement stage that showed some gaps in students’
training, I designed and conducted a formative experiment in which the independent variable
was the use of active teaching methods and in which the dependent variable was the students’
academic performance in the English classes. The experiment sought to determine whether the
use of active teaching methods contribute to the efficiency of reading lessons and which aspects
of the lesson are more influenced by this practice: the volume and quality of knowledge, skill
solution, the ability to solve problems or creativity. I tried, wherever possible, to determine each
student to work on his own initiative, because he understands the need to perform the given
learning tasks, the need to take responsibility and initiatives, the need to go through with the
task.
15
Joi a E.: Pedagogie i elemente de psihologie colară, Editura Arves, Craiova, 2003, p. 90
16
id. ibid., p. 111
17
id. ibid., p. 123
7.4. Presenting, Analysing and Interpreting Data
Evaluation18 is a complex, integrated educational process that provides evidence of the
quantity and of the value of knowledge acquired at a given time, on a regular basis and providing
solutions to improve the teaching act. Evaluating pupils’ reading skills seeks to measure and
assess student progress in terms of skill training in receiving the message in various
communication situations, in the correct and appropriate use of the English language in the
production of oral and written messages in communication situations and in understanding the
written message of both literary and non-literary texts.
18
Dumitriu C.: Introducere în cercetarea psihopedagogică, Editura Didactică i Pedagogică, Bucure ti, 2004, p.
80
19
Vizental A.: Strategies of Teaching and Testing, Editura Orizonturi Universitare, Timi oara, 2003, p. 280
torrents, streaming over Harry’s hands, flooding the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting,
screaming and flailing and then he had gone.
Then came a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Ginny was stirring. As Harry
hurried towards her, she sat up. Her bemused eyes traveled from the huge form of the dead
basilisk, over Harry, in his blood-soaked robes, then to the diary in his hand. She drew a great,
shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face.»20
Students in the experimental group had to solve four exercises, each one marked 2.25
points.
1. Find synonyms for the following words in the text: ”fangs“, ”chamber“, ”look“,
”scream“, ”shake.“ ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
2. True or false? ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) Harry killed the basilisk.
b) Fawkes is an eagle.
c) The basilisk bit Harry’s leg.
d) Harry was saved by Fawkes.
e) Harry destroyed the diary.
3. Answer the following questions: ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) What kind of monster attacks Harry?
b) Who kills the basilisk?
c) Who saves Harry?
d) What pours out of the diary?
e) Who saves Ginny?
4. Prepare questions for an interview between a journalist and Ginny Weasley: ( 2.25
points in total)
Reporter: ”How old are you?“
Ginny: ”I’m almost twelve.“
Reporter: ”How did you come upon the diary?“
20
Rowling J. K.: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Scholastic Paperbacks, 2000, p. 149
10. T.V. 10
Based on both the synthetic and the analytical table I devised the histogram, the
frequency polygon and the pie chart displaying the results students in the experimental group
achieved in the placement test.
The histogram
21
Abbs B., Freebairn I., Barker C.: Snapshot Pre-Intermediate – 7th grade – Students’ Book, Longman, London,
2001, p. 88
Test Results for the Control Group
The Analytical Table
No. Name Mark
1. B.S. 7
2. B.R. 4
3. C.C. 7
4. G.V. 4
5. G.D. 5
6. H.S. 6
7. K.I. 9
8. L.A. 10
9. R.I. 8
10. R.M. 6
Based on both the synthetic and the analytical table I devised the histogram, the
frequency polygon and the pie chart displaying the results students in the control group achieved
in the placement test.
The histogram
The Diagram Containing the Results Achieved by Students in Both Groups in the
Placement Test
Analyzing the results included in the tables I found out that the data reflected in the tables
horizontally gives clear information about the performance of each student, about his knowledge,
but also his weaknesses, while the data reflected in the tables vertically presents the percentage
out of the total number of students who have obtained the same mark on the test.
In the placement test two students from the control group failed to solve the test and got a
four. With these students I worked differently than with the rest of the group, applying a
recovery program for their level.
I permanently supervised the students’ intense self-training by using the textbook,
collections of exercises and additional literature reading the seven novels in the ”Harry Potter“
series by J.K. Rowling in the teaching process. The effects of the actions I took following the
analysis of the results my pupils achieved in the placement tests led to better results in the
progress tests. The use of progress tests has some advantages: they are a fast self-evaluation tool,
superficiality can be avoided if they are constantly used because the rigor, the brevity and the
concrete nature of thought processes result in a more serious mobilisation of mental processes:
attention, will and logical thinking. I further supervised the development of my students’ reading
skills from placement to progress and finally to achievement tests, paying more attention to
pupils who achieved poorer results in these tests. They were helped by applying recovery plans
and were evaluated using several methods and evaluation techniques. If students are stimulated,
their motivation to learn English will increase. This growth is illustrated by further increasing in
school performance.
22
Vizental A.: Strategies of Teaching and Testing, Editura Orizonturi Universitare, Timi oara, 2003, p. 284
Harry could do nothing to prevent it, he was tied too tightly. He saw the shining silver
dagger shaking in Wormtail’s remaining hand. He felt its point penetrate the crook of his right
arm and blood seeping down the sleeve of his torn robes. And then, suddenly, the sparks
emanating from the cauldron were extinguished. A surge of white steam billowed thickly from
the cauldron instead, obliterating everything in front of Harry, so that he couldn’t see Wormtail
or Cedric or anything but vapor hanging in the air... But then, through the mist in front of him, he
saw, with an icy surge of terror, the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin, rising slowly
from inside the cauldron.
”Robe me,“ said the high, cold voice from behind the steam, and Wormtail, sobbing and
moaning, still cradling his mutilated arm, scrambled to pick up the black robes from the ground,
got to his feet, reached up, and pulled them over his master’s head.
The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, staring at Harry... and Harry stared back into
the face that had haunted his nightmares for three years: whiter than a skull, with wide, livid
scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snake’s with slits for nostrils. Lord Voldemort had risen
again.»23
Students in the experimental group had to solve four exercises, each one marked 2.25
points.
1. Find synonyms for the following words in the text: ”silent“, ”eerie“, ”figure“, ”to
buckle“, ”to kill.“ ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
2. Choose the correct variant: ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) ………………………. told Harry and Cedric that the cup was a Portkey.
Professor Dumbledore Professor McGonagall nobody
b) The killing curse is ……………………….:
Avada Kedavra! Imperio! Crucio!
c) The killing curse emits a ………………………. light.
red yellow green
d) Harry was bound to a ……………………….
chair headstone pole
e) Wormtail cut out his own ……………………….
hand leg ear
3. Write questions for these answers: ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) A figure was walking steadily towards them between the graves.
b) Kill the spare!
c) Wormtail took blood from Harry’s arm.
d) Steam was rising from the cauldron.
e) Lord Voldemort had risen again.
4. Prepare questions for an interview between a journalist and Harry Potter: ( 2.25 points
in total)
Reporter: ”You’re the famous Harry Potter, aren’t you? “
Ginny: ”Yes, I am.“
Reporter: ” When did you notice that something was wrong in the tournament?“
23
Rowling J. K.: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Scholastic Paperbacks, 2002, p. 282
The Analytical Table
No. Name Mark
1. B.A. 8
2. F.C. 7
3. G.M. 9
4. H.R. 8
5. I.D. 8
6. I.R. 9
7. L.O. 10
8. O.I. 10
9. R.A. 9
10. T.V. 10
Based on both the synthetic and the analytical table I devised the histogram, the
frequency polygon and the pie chart displaying the results students in the experimental group
achieved in the first progress test.
The histogram
24
Abbs B., Freebairn I., Barker C.: Snapshot Pre-Intermediate – 7th grade – Students’ Book, Longman, London,
2001, p. 92
e) Smuggled goods were either hidden in caves or ……………………….
4. Write a paragraph on ”Smuggling Today.“ Use the following guidelines: ( 2.25 points in
total)
How common is smuggling today?
What sort of things do people smuggle?
Is it a serious crime?
What are the problems involved in catching smugglers today?
During the progress stage, which spanned the period October 1st 2010 May the 13th
2011, I measured and assessed students’ reading achievement. My actions helped them to
progress and improve their training. During the teaching of English classes I used methods that
were appropriate for training and developing students’ intellectual skills, so as to obtain
performance and remove knowledge gaps.
The marks the students in the experimental group achieved in the placement test were
average: one student got a six, two students got a seven, one student got an eight, two students
got a nine and four students got a ten. Academic progress was evident when analysing the results
students in the experimental group achieved in the first progress test: the lowest mark was seven,
not six as in the previous test. One student got a seven, three students got an eight, three students
got a nine and three students got a ten. The situation of students in the control group was similar
to the situation of students in the experimental group. In the placement tests two students in the
control group failed the test and got a four, one student got a five, two students got a six, two
students got a seven, one student got an eight, one student got a nine and one student got a ten.
They performed better in the first progress test, which demonstrates the fact that increasing
student learning motivation brings about improved results. Everybody was able to solve the first
progress test successfully, which means that the lowest mark in the control group was five, not
four as in the previous test: one student got a five, two students got a six, three students got a
seven, two students got an eight, one student got a nine and one student got a ten.
The second progress test I devised for the experimental group, was centered on the
reading-comprehension of a literary text taken from the seventh novel of the ”Harry Potter“
series by J.K. Rowling: ”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows “, while the second progress test I
devised for the control group, was centered on the reading-comprehension of a non-literary text
taken from the seven-grade textbook ”Snapshot“: ”Stowaway.“
”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows“ by J. K. Rowling:
Harry Dies – Progress Test 2
«Voldemort had raised his wand. Harry looked back into the red eyes, and wanted it to
happen now, quickly, while he could still stand, before he lost control, before he betrayed fear.
He saw the mouth move and a flash of green light, and everything was gone.
Harry lay face down, listening to the silence. He stood up, looking around. Albus
Dumbledore was walking towards him, sprightly and upright.
”Harry.“ He spread his arms wide. ”You wonderful boy. You brave, brave man.“
”But you’re dead,“ said Harry.
”Oh yes,“ said Dumbledore matter-of-factly.
”Then… I’m dead, too?“
”That is the question, isn’t it? On the whole, dear boy, I think not.“
”Not?“ repeated Harry.
”Not,“ said Dumbledore.
”But I should have died I didn’t defend myself! I meant to let him kill me!“
”And that,“ said Dumbledore, ”will, I think, have made all the difference.“
”Explain,“ said Harry.
”But you already know,“ said Dumbledore.
”I let him kill me,“ said Harry. ”So the part of his soul that was in me… has it gone?“
”Oh yes!“ said Dumbledore. ”Yes, he destroyed it. Your soul is whole, and completely
your own, Harry.“
”But if Voldemort used the Killing Curse,“ Harry started again, ”and nobody died for me
this time, how can I be alive?“
”I think you know,“ said Dumbledore. ”Think back. Remember what he did.“
”He took my blood,“ said Harry.
”Precisely!“ said Dumbledore. ”He took your blood and rebuilt his living body with it!
Your blood in his veins, Harry, Lily’s protection inside both of you! You were the seventh
Horcrux, Harry, the Horcrux he never meant to make. He had rendered his soul so unstable that
it broke apart when he committed those acts of unspeakable evil, the murder of your parents, the
attempted killing of a child. He left part of himself latched to you, the would-be victim who had
survived. He took your blood believing it would strengthen him. He took into his body a tiny part
of the enchantment your mother laid upon you when she died for you. His body keeps her
sacrifice alive, and while that enchantment survives, so do you and so does Voldemort’s one last
hope for himself.“
”Tell me one last thing,“ said Harry, ”Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my
head?“
”Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it
is not real?“
He was lying face down on the ground again. Every inch of him ached, and the place
where Killing Curse had hit him felt like the bruise of an iron-clad punch. He did not stir, but he
remained exactly where he had fallen, with his left arm bent out at an awkward angle and his
mouth gaping. He had expected to hear cheers of triumph and jubilation at his death, but instead
hurried footsteps, whispers, and solicitous murmurs filled the air.»25
Students in the experimental group had to solve four exercises, each one marked 2.25
points.
1. Find synonyms for the following words in the text: ”quickly“, ”fear“, ”silence“,
”brave“, ”soul.“ ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
2. Correct the sentences about the text: ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) Voldemort had lowered his wand.
b) He saw the mouth move and a flash of red light, and everything was gone.
c) Harry lay face down, listening to the noise.
25
Rowling J. K.: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Scholastic Paperbacks, 2009, p. 234
d) I didn’t let him kill me.
e) He took into his body a large part of the enchantment your mother laid upon you when
she died for you.
3. Match the questions and the answers: ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) Are you dead?
b) Then, am I dead, too?
c) So, the part of his soul that was in me is gone?
d) But if Voldemort used the Killing Curse, how can I be alive?
e) Has this been happening inside my head?
A) I think not.
B) Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry.
C) I think you know.
D) Oh, yes.
E) Yes, he destroyed it.
4. Write a letter, as Harry, to a friend describing your near death experience: ( 2.25 points
in total)
Dear Hermione,
I have just had the strangest experience of my life. I was dead. I was surely dead and then…
Based on both the synthetic and the analytical table I devised the histogram, the
frequency polygon and the pie chart displaying the results students in the experimental group
achieved in the second progress test
The histogram
The frequency polygon
26
Abbs B., Freebairn I., Barker C.: Snapshot Pre-Intermediate – 7th grade – Students’ Book, Longman, London,
2001, p. 60, p. 61
9. R.I. 9
10. R.M. 8
The Synthetic Table Containing the Results Achieved by Students in Both Groups in the
Progress Tests
Progress Test Marks 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No. of Students in the Experimental Group – 1st 0 0 0 1 3 3 3
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Control Group – 1st 0 1 2 3 2 1 1
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Experimental Group – 2nd 0 0 0 0 1 4 5
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Control Group – 2nd 0 0 1 2 2 3 2
Progress Test
The Diagram Containing the Results Achieved by Students in Both Groups in the
Progress Tests
27
Vizental A.: Strategies of Teaching and Testing, Editura Orizonturi Universitare, Timi oara, 2003, p. 296
”He’ll be alright,“ murmured Ginny.
As Harry looked at her, he lowered his hand absentmindedly and touched the lightning
scar on his forehead. ”I know he will.“
The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.»28
Students in the experimental group had to solve six exercises, each one marked 1.5
points.
1. Find synonyms for the following words in the text: ”autumn“, ”suddenly“, ”crisp“,
”road“, ”to grin.“ ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5 points in total)
2. True or false? ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5 points in total)
a) Albus and James’s pets are cats.
b) Lily isn’t old enough to go to Hogwarts yet.
c) Albus doesn’t want to be sorted into Slytherin House.
d) Albus has blue eyes.
e) The scar had not pained Harry for twenty years.
3. Continue the sentences using bits of information from the text: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5
points in total)
a) You’ll write to me, ……………………….
b) James says most people only get letters from home ……………………….
c) Harry knew that only the moment of departure could have forced Albus to reveal
……………………….
d) Alone of Harry’s three children, Albus had inherited ……………………….
e) The scar had not pained Harry ……………………….
4. Match the quotation to the character: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5 points in total)
a) ”Two years … I want to go now!“
b) ”I won’t! I won’t be a Slytherin!“
c) ”We wrote to James three times a week last year. “
d) ”Don’t duel anyone till you’ve learned how.“
e) ”The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account.“
5. Fill in the gaps with the missing information about the text: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5
points in total)
The weather was ………………………. that September morning when Harry and his
wife ………………………. took their ………………………. children to the
………………………. They were preparing to leave for school and the ……………………….
were full of luggage.
6. Write a letter home from school, as Albus Severus, describing how you’ve settled in at
Hogwarts: (1.5 points in total)
Dear mum and dad,
I have just arrived at Hogwarts and I have already made some friends on the train ride. Guess
what? You were right, dad. I was sorted into Gryffindor House. When the Sorting Hat was put
on my head…
28
Rowling J. K.: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Scholastic Paperbacks, 2009, p. 605
5. I.D. 9
6. I.R. 10
7. L.O. 10
8. O.I. 10
9. R.A. 10
10. T.V. 10
The histogram
29
Abbs B., Freebairn I., Barker C.: Snapshot Pre-Intermediate – 7th grade – Students’ Book, Longman, London,
2001, p. 116
2. Choose the correct variant: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5 points in total)
a) When Nikki was born, he was starved of ……………………….
nutrients oxygen blood
b) His mother took him to ………………………. for therapy.
Florida California Texas
c ) Friends and ………………………. helped the Brice family r a i s e £ 1 0 , 5 0 0 f o r
Nikki’s treatment.
relatives neighbours celebrities
d) N i k k i s w i m s w i t h ………………………. as part of his therapy.
dolphins fish seals
e) Nikki’s first word was ……………………….
back in out
3. Answer the following questions: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5 points in total)
a) What was wrong with Nikki?
b) What had happened to him earlier in life?
c) Why did his parents decide to take him to Miami?
d) How did they raise the money for it?
e) How do medical experts explain the success of the treatment?
4. Match the headings and the paragraphs: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5 points in total)
a) Dolphin Therapy
b) An Unlucky Start in Life
c) A Miracle
d) Not a Complete Cure
e) Hopes for the Future
5. Put the sentences in the correct order to summarise the text: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5
points in total)
a) His mother took him to Florida to attempt an unconventional therapy.
b) He was starved of oxygen when he was born.
c) This helped him start to speak.
d) Nikki Brice has never spoken a word.
e) Nikki was given a combination of conventional speech therapy and daily swimming
sessions with dolphins.
6. Interview the Brice family in Miami: ( 1.5 points in total)
Reporter: ”Can you tell us about Nikki?“
Mrs. Brice: ”He can’t speak. He hasn’t been able to speak since
he was born.“
Reporter: ”What happened? “
The histogram
The Diagram Containing the Results Achieved by Students in Both Groups in the
Achievement Test
I applied the achievement test to record the progress and the development of my students’
reading skills. The information I collected was processed, interpreted and used to organise,
conduct and optimize future educational activities.
I noticed a dramatic improvement in my students’ results when I compared their marks in
the achievement test with the first and the second progress tests and with the placement test. As
it can be seen from the tables and diagrams above, after using communicative teaching methods
in the English classes, the results of pupils in both the experimental and the control group
improved throughout the experiment. The marks of students in the experimental group were
higher for the achievement test than for the other ones. The lowest mark for the achievement test
was nine, not eight as in the previous test. Four students from the experimental group got a nine
in the achievement test and six students got a ten. The situation of students in the control group
was similar to the situation of students in the experimental group: the lowest mark for the
achievement test was seven, not six as in the previous test. One student from the control group
got a seven in the achievement test, four students got an eight, two students got a nine and three
students got a ten. This demonstrates that the students’ motivation for learning increased and so
did their reading skills. I believe that this progress is due to the use of active methods in teaching
English and to the fact that the ameliorative measures I took in the progress stage were effective.
7.4.4. Analysing and Interpreting the Results Students in Both the Experimental and the
Control Group Achieved in all the Tests
The Synthetic Table Containing the Results Achieved by Students in Both Groups in All the Tests
Test Marks 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No. of Students in the Experimental Group – 0 0 1 2 1 2 4
Placement Test
No. of Students in the Control Group –Placement 2 1 2 2 1 1 1
Test
No. of Students in the Experimental Group – 1st 0 0 0 1 3 3 3
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Control Group – 1st 0 1 2 3 2 1 1
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Experimental Group – 2nd 0 0 0 0 1 4 5
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Control Group – 2nd 0 0 1 2 2 3 2
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Experimental Group – 0 0 0 0 0 4 6
Achievement Test
No. of Students in the Control Group – 0 0 0 1 4 2 3
Achievement Test
The Diagram Containing the Results Achieved by Students in Both Groups in All the Tests
When analysing the results my students in the experimental and in the control group
achieved in the placement tests, the first and second progress tests and the achievement tests, I
noticed that they had made significant progress. I believe that this positive outcome was brought
about by the use of communicative methods, so out of the two students of the control group who
failed the placement test and got a four, one was able to get a seven in the achievement test and
the other one got an eight. The student in the control group who got a five in the placement test
managed to get an eight in the achievement test, while all three students – two in the control
group and one in the experimental group – who got a six in the placement test achieved better
results in the final test: two of them got an eight and the other one got a nine. Research results
have confirmed the hypothesis, showing that students’ school progress can be influenced
decisively by using active teaching methods.
The Synthetic Table Containing the Results Achieved by Students in the Experimental Group in
All the Tests
Test Marks 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No. of Students in the Experimental Group – 0 0 1 2 1 2 4
Placement Test
No. of Students in the Experimental Group – 1st 0 0 0 1 3 3 3
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Experimental Group – 2nd 0 0 0 0 1 4 5
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Experimental Group – 0 0 0 0 0 4 6
Achievement Test
The Diagram Containing the Results Achieved by Students in the Experimental Group in All the
Tests
The Synthetic Table Containing the Results Achieved by Students in the Control Group in All the
Tests
Test Marks 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No. of Students in the Control Group –Placement 2 1 2 2 1 1 1
Test
No. of Students in the Control Group – 1st 0 1 2 3 2 1 1
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Control Group – 2nd 0 0 1 2 2 3 2
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Control Group – 0 0 0 1 4 2 3
Achievement Test
The Diagram Containing the Results Achieved by Students in the Control Group in All the Tests
As it can be seen from the tables and diagrams above, when analysing the results my
students in the experimental and in the control group achieved in the placement tests, the first
and second progress tests and the achievement tests, I noticed that, although students in both
groups made progress, there were marked differences between the results students in the
experimental group and the results students in the control group achieved. The results of students
in the experimental group, where I used literary texts taken from the ”Harry Potter“ series by
J.K. Rowling, were consistently better than the results achieved in all the tests by students in the
control group, where I used standard seven-grade textbook texts. A comparison of the results of
students in both groups in all tests is in order to highlight the difference the use of literary texts
to boost pupils’ reading skills made. The lowest mark in the placement tests was six for the
experimental group – one student – and four for the control group – two students –, while the
highest mark in the placement tests was ten for the experimental group – four students – and ten
for the control group – one student. The lowest mark in the first progress tests was seven for the
experimental group – one student – and five for the control group – one student –, while the
highest mark in the first progress tests was ten for the experimental group – three students – and
ten for the control group – one student. The lowest mark in the second progress tests was eight
for the experimental group – one student – and six for the control group – one student –, while
the highest mark in the second progress tests was ten for the experimental group – five students –
and ten for the control group – two students. The lowest mark in the achievement tests was nine
for the experimental group – four students – and seven for the control group – one student –,
while the highest mark in the achievement tests was ten for the experimental group – six students
– and ten for the control group – three students. I noticed that the study of literary texts was
enjoyed more and yielded better results, as far as my students’ reading skills were concerned,
than the study of non-literary texts.
It is very important to teach literature in English with commitment, dedication and a
sense of responsibility to ensure a sound basis on which to further support the variety of
knowledge students acquire both in English and in other school subjects. Reading is acquired by
pupils in the communication process itself and the use of reading exercises in English classes
aims at activating students intellectually by cultivating heuristic attitudes and by encouraging
team spirit. The exercises presented in this paper provide optimal content for students to practice
reading in order to achieve full intellectual development, as well as mental flexibility and
creativity which leads to the formation of algorithmic thinking. All types of exercises presented
in this paper, some taken from established practice books, others created by me, support the idea
that learning is accomplished through communicative practice, which leads to the correct
acquisition of English.