SKKN The innovation of regular oral checking for grade 6 students at secondary school

THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTER 
OF THANH HOA CITY
INITIATIVE
THE INNOVATION OF REGULAR ORAL CHECKING FOR GRADE 6 STUDENTS AT SECONDARY SCHOOL
 The writer: Pham Thi Nhu Loan
 Position: Teacher
 Unit of work : Tran Mai Ninh secondary school
 Subject : English
THANH HOA, 2017
TABLE OF CONTENT
1
1. INTRODUCTION
2
1.1. Reasons for choosing the topic
2
1.2. Aims of the research
2
1.3. Scope and research methodology
2
2. MAIN CONTENT
3
2.1. Theoretical background
3
2.2. Practical background
3
2.3. Solutions and methods for implementation
6
2.3.1. Solutions
7
2.3.2. The tasks, objects and time for research
8
2.3.3. The methods for implementation
9
2.3.4. Some demonstrations for research
10
3. RESULT AFTER APPLYING THE RESEARCH
16
4. CONCLUSION
17
5. REFERENCE BOOKS
19
1. INTRODUCTION
         1.1  Reasons for choosing the topic
   	In the process of teaching, testing and assessment of students' learning outcomes is an important stage to determine the academic achievement as well as knowledge and skills that students accomplish.
          For students, the central character of the teaching process, testing and assessment have the role to promote the learning process for continuous development. Through test results, students can self assess their own gain in order to review themselves, consolidate and supplement to complete the system of education with the operation of their own thinking.
        For teachers, test results and assessment helps each teacher self evaluate their teaching process. Thereby, they can constantly improve and perfect their professional qualifications and teaching methods.
         1.2  Aims of the research
Results of assessment also helps education managers have grounded basis to build a team of qualified teachers, develop the new directions for the content, methods and forms of educational institutions in accordance with the characteristics of their schools.
1.3. Scope and research methodology 
Along with innovative textbooks and teaching methods, the innovation of assessment stage is very important in the process of teaching and learning in general, as well as the process of teaching and learning English in particular. Innovative teaching methods and assessment are two activities that are closely related to each other. Innovation of testing and assessment is the dynamics of innovative teaching methods, contributing to the objectives of education and training. Innovating assessment includes many stages, contents, steps in which the regular check by eliciting students is very important because this is a routine operation taking place continuously. This kind of assessment is an important activity because it takes place not only at the beginning of each lesson but also occurs throughout a lesson. If teachers neglect to check students regularly, the process of students’ achieving knowledge may be interrupted, leading to the shortage of needed the knowledge and skills for each lesson. This will affect the results of the periodical tests. In fact the oral check in English class today is inadequate due to the pressure of knowledge and skills needed to transmit and acquire in each lesson so the time spent for checking students orally is very little, maybe or even ignored. Besides, the majority of students are passive, which means that they are familiar with rote learning to cope. Even some of them lack of basis knowledge and they are lazy in studying previous lessons. Accordingly, I am concerned and boldly propose the teaching initiative "Innovating the method of oral check for students in English lessons" to help children learn proactively, perceive knowledge and skills in an exciting and comfortable way as well as create a lively atmosphere in English lessons.
 2. MAIN CONTENT
2.1. Theoretical background
In the present case, teaching does not involve what to teach but also how to teach. Innovating teaching method is an urgent requirement to improve the quality of teaching. Innovating teaching methods requires synchronic change from textbooks, teaching methods to testing and assessment of learning outcomes. Testing and assessment have an important role to play, directly impacting on improving the quality of training. Teaching and learning should always have the feedback to adjust timely for creating the highest efficiency which is best reflected through the quality of students’ learning. Regular check often helps teachers adjust and supplement the knowledge, skills, attitude proposed in different subjects, which enables students to form the suitable motivation, learning attitude to accumulate necessary knowledge and skills.
The results of testing and assessment are the basis for adjusting teaching activities, learning activities and educational management. The false results of testing and assessment lead to false statements about the quality of training, which causes great harm in the use of human resources. Therefore, innovating testing and assessment becomes urgent needs of education and society today. Precise, realistic objectives testing and assessment results will help learners become confident and enthusiastic, which develops their innovative capacity in learning. Therefore, in order to implement the process of testing and assessment effectively in different subjects in general and English in general, every teacher needs to understand and grasp some knowledge related to process of testing and assessment.
2.2. Practical background
a. Testing
           In the Vietnamese Great Dictionary, Nguyen Nhu Y defines testing as real and actual consideration. According to Buu Ke, testing is the scrutiny, review of work, consideration of the actual situation to assess and comment. Meanwhile, Tran Ba ​​Hoanh states that testing provides facts and information as a basis for the evaluation.
           To conclude, scientists and educators agree that testing is to collect data and evidence, examine and review the actual work to evaluate and comment.
b. Assessment
           Assessment is the process of forming judgments, judgments about the results of the analysis based on the information collected, collated with the objectives and criteria set out, in order to propose appropriate decisions to improve the situation, further enhanced the quality and efficiency of work. 
Assessment in education, according to Duong Thieu Tong is the process of collecting and processing time, systematic information on the status and effectiveness of education. Considered the learning goals as the basis for the policy, measures and actions in the next education are put forward. It can be said that the assessment is the process of collecting analyze and interpret information in a systematic way to determine the reach of the educational targets to the students. Evaluation can be done by means of quantitative or qualitative methods.
In summary, assessment is making the judgmental conclusions about student performance. In order to assess the learning outcomes of students, the first step is to check and review the entire their learning process, then proceed to collect measurement information needed, and finally make a decision. Therefore testing and assessment of students’ learning are two stages closely related to each other. Testing is aimed to provide information to evaluate and assessment is carried out through the results of the test. Two stages are combined into the unified process named testing - assessment.
*. The forms of testing & assessment in the teaching process
+ The forms of testing
           In the teaching process, there are four forms of the following tests:
- Regular oral check
- 15 – minute test
- 45 – minute test
- End- of- the- semester test
+. The forms of assessment.
           In the teaching process, there are three main forms of assessment as below:
- Diagnostic assessment: Conducted before teaching a program or an important issue, which helps teachers understand the situation of the relevant knowledge with students, which knowledge students masters and lack ... to decide how to teach appropriately.
- Sectional assessment: Conducted many times in order to provide feedback to teachers and students timely to adjust teaching and learning ways, commenting partial results to implement the schedule suitably.
- Conclusive assessment and decision making: Conducted at the end of courses with exams to assess the overall study results and compare them with those goals, then decide specific measures to teach and help students
*. The pedagogical requirements to be complied with when assessing learning outcomes of students.
           In assessment, it is necessary to comply with the following requirements:
- Assessment must come from learning goals.
- Assessment tools must ensure a certain degree of accuracy.
- Assessment must be objective and comprehensive, systematical and transparent.
- Assessment must ensure the convenience of using assessment tools.
- The principles for assessing learning outcomes of students
           The assessment of learning outcomes should be based on the following principles:
- Evaluation is the process implemented systematically to determine the scope of the achieved goals. Hence, it is critical to clarify the assessment objectives.
- When assessing, the goals are clearly identified and expressed in forms that can be observed.
- Teachers should be aware of the limitations of each assessment tool to use them effectively.
- When assessing, teachers should be aware that assessment is a means to move to an end, but itself is not the purpose. The aim of assessment is the right and optimal optimal for the teaching process.
- Assessment always goes with the student's learning, that is first to pay attention to the learning of students. Then a new stimulus efforts of student learning, finally evaluated by the score.
- Assessment is always accompanied with students’ learning, which means teachers should care about their learning process, then motivate their efforts and finally assess with marks.
- Assessment should have remarks for students to recognize their mistakes about knowledge, skills and methods, which help student research and exchange knowledge.
- Through the mistakes of students, teachers need to learn from experience to detect errors in the process of teaching and assessment in order to innovate their teaching method.
- Assessment should use a variety of methods and different forms in order to increase the reliability and accuracy.
- Motivate and encourage students to participate in the evaluation process.
- Teachers must notify the types of questions for assessment to help students orient the answers.
- It is essential to base on teaching methods to consider the results of an answer of a test, combined with diagnostic functions or pedagogical decisions.
- In qualitative questions, teachers ask students to explain in words to determine the awareness of students.
- Method and manner of assessment must take place in comfortable situation, students feel voluntary, without worry or fear.
- Do not ask questions that teachers themselves cannot be answered with certainty.
- Basis for evaluating learning outcomes of students
The assessment of students’ learning outcomes should be based on the following basis:
- Aims of the subject
- Objectives of the subject 
- The relationship between the aims, learning objectives and assessment of learning outcomes.
          The aims of the subject, learning objectives and assessment of learning outcomes have close relationships with each other. If the aims of the subject and learning purposes are determined correctly, they support each other in the assessment and meet the requirements set by the assessment of students’ learning outcomes. the aims of the subject and learning purposes are the basis for determining the schedule, methods and processes of teaching and learning. At the same time, it provides a basis for selecting the method and process for evaluating students’ learning outcomes. Assessing learning outcomes based on aims of teaching will receive accurate feedback to complement and complete the educational process.
*. The process of assessing learning outcomes
- Teaching aims and learning objectives are based on to determine the assessment objectives:
- Quantifying the teaching aims to set out the required level of knowledge, skills, attitude ... in order to determine the content and assessment criteria;
- Selecting the assessment methods in line with the objectives and contents on the basis of the characteristics of the measured object in social circumstances;
- Drafting tools: Write questions, problems based on the aims and contents needed to evaluate;
- Sort questions, exercises from easy to difficult levels, pay attention to the equivalence of the problem (if there are multiple threads) and review the answers;
- Carry out measurements;
- Analyze the results, evaluate the reliability and validity of the test;
- Adjust and supplements to improve assessment tools of the exams. Assessment in education is a very complex issue and difficult because many factors are involve in this process. Therefore, to accurately assess a student, a class, or a course, the first thing the teacher has to do is build process, choose a method as well as collect the information needed for the evaluation. Thus, the evaluation process may include four steps: measurement, quantification, assessment and decision making.
2.3. Solutions and methods for implementation	
With detailed understanding of the theoretical basis of the assessment process, I have been actively observed and learned from teachers and students in my school as well as the other schools in Thanh Hoa city to be more aware of the real status of the assessment in English today at the junior schools.
The reality shows that there are many difficulties from the students. The first one is due to the features of English subject, which is seen as a difficult subject which requires students to remember a lot. Moreover, a large number of students do not have the firm knowledge from the primary school, while the English program at junior schools follows that of elementary. This affects the attitude, passion and quality of learning outcomes in this subject and leads to the low motivation. To cope with their teachers, students use a reference book named "Guide to learn English well” without hard work and practicing vocabulary skills, and reviewing previous lessons at home.
           From the teachers, there have exists many reasons that the regular oral check in the class usually does not promote its role and significance in the teaching process in general and the assessment in particular. Many teachers still consider this form of assessment as the unimportant method and the final purpose is to get enough points. Some teachers still perform regular oral check in the traditional way, they often call one or two students to answer questions on the board. It just takes a lot of time while causing psychological stress for students without checking many students at the same time. Therefore, it is difficult to assess the ability of students. Some teachers arbitrarily raise questions. Meanwhile others repeat only one requirement when checking students. There are even some teachers who seem to ignore the regular oral check in the class.
           All these factors make students lazy, passive in learning, leading to the low quality of teaching and learning results.
          Aware of this situation, I did take the time to learn, study and concern to find new ways of regular oral check in the English lesson, creating significant changes in the evaluation of students, promoting the teaching of English in a positive direction, thereby improving the quality of education in my school.
2.3.1. Solutions
           Regular oral check the first and basic form in four types of the process of testing - assessment. Regular oral check provides the primary but regular basis for testing - assessment process. In English subject, regular oral check serves a special role. The renovation of the oral check at the class not only creates stimulating learning environment but also helps students avoid rote learning, passive learning, thereby promoting a positive, proactive creativity of students and providing high effectiveness in teaching and learning.
           To optimize the efficiency of the regular oral check in English lessons, I've implemented the following measures:
*. Innovating the preparatory stage for oral check
- Preparatory work is first to determine exactly what needs to check. I identify a minimum level of knowledge and skills that students have acquired in the learning process in the classroom, in the previous lessons, thereby preparing test questions suitably.
- The questions must be precise, clear to the students so that they do not misunderstand.
- If questions are from textbooks, I redesign the requirements and exercises or design a similar exercise to prevent them using the answers available in the book "Guide to learn English well" in order to cope with with teachers.
- Questions for students are presented in my lesson plan and read to students or do the small hand-out, a picture of the contents in accordance with lessons ... and then I ask students to read independently.
*. Innovating time for regular oral check
           Previously, I only check students at the beginning of each lesson to have their marks, which makes the learning atmosphere very stressful. At the beginning of the school year 2016 – 2017, I boldly apply flexible time for oral check during the lesson:
- Check at the beginning of class.
- Check during the lesson: when I need students to recall difficult knowledge in previous lessons to make connection with new lessons, I'm willing to give students 10 points to encourage learning; ask students to find friends’ mistake and correct it (the difficult question); give marks fir students positively participating in the lessons; marks for group activities; marks for preparing the information I assign from previous lessons; I attach the special importance to check students’ knowledge in the post - teaching. With the regular oral check during lessons, I can help them to improve the attention for the lesson, capture knowledge at the classroom and encourage them to involve the lesson.
*. Innovating forms and contents of questions in the regular oral check
The questions raised include essay questions and multiple choice questions. I have combined two forms of questions flexibly in the test. 
          I often use essay questions to check short content, or sentence structure and grammatical structures.
          I often use multiple choice questions to examine the longer contents of the knowledge requiring students to memorize or difficult knowledge which can make students confused.
          Oral check should examine multiple skills without focusing on any specific skills. I can read the question and then ask students to answer so that they can practice listening and speaking skills. Besides, I prepare hand-out at home, ask students to read and understand the answer, so students practice reading comprehension and speaking skills. In addition, I can ask students to write answers on the board after listening to the question, so students practice listening and writing skills. 
Questions for oral check should ensure the classification and suitability for students. For difficult questions, I often ask students with above average level and for easy question, I pose for weaker students.
2.3.2. The tasks, objects and time for research 
- Person giving comments: 
           Previously, I usually give comments, but this year, I strongly encourage students to participate in the evaluation process. I just play the role of final person who gives the final