SKKN Using graphic organizers to improve 11th graders’ reading comprehension at Nong Cong 1 high school

PART 1: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale for the study
In the context of teaching and learning English as a foreign language in Viet Nam, reading seems to be the most important and useful activity in any language class, especially for the students of English as a foreign language. Of the four language skills, reading has always received a great deal of attention, which is emphasized by Carrel [2; p.1] that “For many students, reading is by far the most important of the four macro skills in a second language, particularly in English as a second teaching of foreign language”. However, teachers of English in Vietnam have a tremendous obstacle to get students enthusiastic about reading texts. Through classroom observations and real teaching context, it reveals that students often feel scared when doing long reading tasks with unfamiliar words. They find it difficult to catch the main ideas of the text, to distinguish facts and details, and to retain information longer. Therefore, they often fail to catch the author’s thought. From this fact, as a teacher of English, I myself think it is essential to find something new to improve my students’ reading comprehension level so that they can improve their reading comprehension. As a result, I decided to carry out the entitled study: “Using graphic organizers to improve 11th graders’ reading comprehension at Nong Cong 1 high school”. 
2. Purpose of the study and research questions
This study is aimed at gaining an insightful look into the application of graphic organizers with a view to improving students, reading skill at Nong Cong 1 high school. 
 	The aims are specified in two research questions:
2.1. Does the use of graphic organizers help to develop the reading comprehension skill for high school students?
2.2. If so, to what extent does the use of graphic organizers affect the students’ reading comprehension levels?
3. Scope of the study
This study was carried out with eighty 11th students from class called 11B5 at Nong Cong 1 high school. The research focuses on whether graphic organizers can improve and how it affects these students’ reading comprehension in reading lessons. 
4. Methods of the study
This study using quantitative research method aimed to determine whether graphic organizers are able to enhance students’ comprehension skills or have a positive affect on the ability of students to make sense of what they read. The author used data collection instrument to gather information about the students involved, monitor the progress of the students when they used graphic organizers throughout the research, and determine the effectiveness of the graphs based on the pre-tests and post-tests.
The pre-tests were necessary to assess the reading comprehension level and skills the students possessed before the intervention of the strategy and used as a baseline score. The post-tests were used to determine the effectiveness of the strategy used by the students during the research process by comparing the pre-test scores to the ones taken at the end of the six practice reading lessons.
PART 2: DEVELOPMENT
2.1. Literature Review 
2.1.1. Reading skill
Reading is known as an interactive process that connected the reader with the text, making comprehension. The text displays letters, words, sentences, and paragraphs that express meaning. The reader manipulates knowledge, skills, and strategies to decide what that meaning is. Up to now reading has been described differently by lots of academics.
Harmer [4; p.153] shares his ideas “reading is an exercise dominated by the eyes and the brain. The eyes receive messages and the brain then has to work out the significance of these messages”. Clearly, ideas of reading have been diverse in exploiting words and expressions but they all focus on two actions: studying with eyes and comprehending with brains of which the latter is more significant. The most obvious thing in the latter is that the readers not only look at and understand the meaning of what is written but also read authors’ thinking.
 2.1.2. Reading comprehension 
 	Many studies confirm that the final goal of reading instruction is comprehension and one of the most important goals of skilled reading is decoding and understanding written text. However, the decoding and the ability to recognize words in texts are only the beginning stages of reading and reading comprehension. Grellet [3; p.3] states that “understanding a written text means extracting the required information from it as efficiently as possible.” He also shows the examples in which a good reader will omit unnecessary information and find out what he or she is searching for. 
In another word, reading comprehension can be defined as “a fluent process of readers combining information from a text and their own background knowledge to build meaning. Reading becomes meaningless without comprehension since only reading comprehension can appreciate how much readers get the text. Therefore, how to aid students in having efficient reading comprehension methods is considered to be the most powerful task in teaching reading. 
2.1.3. Graphic Organizers: 
	A graphic organizer is a visual frame used to represent knowledge and understanding of a subject matter by arranging important aspects of a concept or topic into logical pattern using labels. There are many types of graphic organizers namely maps, graphs, charts, diagrams, or clusters. Each of these patterns can be expressed in different layouts but they have similar purposes that portray the relationship between facts, terms or ideas within a learning task. In reading lessons, graphic organizers can be efficiently used in all lessons for students of all ages to check not only students, understanding but also motivate and improve their critical thinking. In the words of Krasnic [6; p.24] students are able to clear their thoughts and sharpen their thinking by organizing and connecting key concepts related to what they are reading from the text. This process can help students to enhance their critical thinking, a kind of cognitive activity appearing in many of cognitive process of language learning.
2. 2. Research context
2.2.1. Setting and Participants
The participants were 40 students (who were divided into two smaller groups with twenty for each) of 11B5 class from every corner of Nong Cong district, by this I mean they are both from town and rural areas. Almost of them are females and they are 17 years old. Most these students are generally at elementary level. They learned English for at least five years at high school but this subject was not carefully taken into its consideration. In their opinion, learning English means learning grammar and structures with common lexical sources. Therefore, they re surprised and confused when they have to read long reading texts in class and then in the exams. Some students can easily adapt to the new ways of learning, but most of them face challenges
2.2.2. Textbook and Reading materials
The reading materials used in the study consisted of selected texts from new English Textbook 11 (learner-centered and communicative approach with theme-based teaching) published by Education Publishing House and Pearson. In the textbook, there are 10 units with diverse topics related to 4 themes: Our lives, Our society, Our environment, Our future. 5 sections were included in one unit namely: Getting started, Language, Skills, Communication and Culture, Looking back and Project. There are some samples based on the new English textbook for grade 11 in which such common organizers are appropriately applied. It is hoped that English teachers will have a better insight into graphic organizes and become confident to integrate these effective tools into their reading classroom practice. The study was conducted when the participants were in the second semester when they already had had knowledge about basic structures as well as vocabulary in textbook of grade 10 and 11. Therefore, the author found that it matched with the objectives of the learning program and students’ levels of proficiency. 
2.2.3. The reality of teaching and learning reading skill at Nong Cong 1 high school
	As mentioned above, reading skill in new Tieng Anh 11 is the third of eight lessons that comprise one unit in the textbook. Reading lesson admittedly provides language inputs such as vocabulary, structures as well as knowledge background related to the lesson topic. The students in our school, however, have been facing numerous challenges in reading lesson because of their poor source of vocabulary, structures. Some get bored with long reading task, others don’t know how to activate their language capacity to comprehend the reading passage. In addition, most of them have difficulty getting general ideas, specific information, paraphrase the meaning of the words in order to successfully explore the reading text to tackle assigned reading tasks. 
2.3. Stages of the study
2.3.1. Instructional Procedure
At the beginning of the instruction, I familiarized the students with what graphic organizers are and how to use them effectively while reading a text. The students were also trained to use different organizers for different types of passages. The students learned a variety of existing graphic organizers and they also started creating their own organizers. They used these graphic organizers at all the three levels – before instruction, during instruction and after instruction.
2.3.2. The Pre-test and Post-test Model
	Post-test is measurement of the outcome in both groups after the experimental groups have received the treatment while pre-tests measure the student performance prior to the experimental intervention. A pre--test was administered to both experiment and control groups to ascertain the standard of the students in reading comprehension. The pre-test scores of both groups were recorded. The test material was designed based on the scope of the study. It was made up of 2 passages, totaling 20 questions which can be classified into four types of reading questions – (1) Identifying the main idea, (2) finding the supporting details, (3) understanding vocabulary, and (4) making inferences. Out of 20 questions, there were 5 main idea questions, 5 supporting detail questions, 5 vocabulary questions, and 5 inference questions. Each question was worth 1 mark and the sum total of the test was 20 calculated over 100 marks.
Before administering the pre-test, it was important for the researcher to examine whether the proficiency level of the students in both the experimental and controlled groups are the same or different. In the first session of the experiment, a pre-test was given to all the participants in the two groups. The result of the pre-test proved that the comprehension skills of both the groups were on the same level
2.4. Types of graphic organizers employed in the study
During my teaching process, four basic graphic organizers namely cause & effect map, problem & solution map, compare & contrast matrix, and KWL chart will be described. The value of these organizers will be discussed and followed by their application in English reading lessons at upper secondary schools in Vietnam. 
2.4.1. Cause & effect map
A cause and effect map is one of the effective organizers used to show relationships of all factors (causes) that lead to the given situation (effect). It is usually preceded by cause and effect analysis. The teacher uses this organizer to help students realize that there are many causes that contribute an effect. It also graphically displays the connections of the causes to the effect to each other. Students can do this task individually, in pairs or in groups and then share what the information in the diagram with the others.
2.4.1.1 Procedures:
- Copy the cause & effect map template for students.
- List the topic or problem explored in the center of the organizer.
- Discuss the causes and effects with students.
- Record what makes the problem happen in the Causes section.
- Record what happens because of these causes and list them in the Effects section
Cause & effect map
(Adapted from IRA/NCTE. 2006. Read-Write-Think: Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer. Retrieved June. 2, 2015, from 
2.4.1.2. Application
Global warming is real
	Global warming, the rise in temperature around the earth’s atmosphere, is one of the biggest issues facing human nowadays. The results of numerous studies show that global warming is real. It is mainly man-made and its effects on people and nature are catastrophic.
	The biggest cause of global warming is carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from coal burning power plants. When coal is burnt to make electricity, it releases a large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In the USA, about 40% of CO2 emissions come form electricity production. The second greatest source of CO2 emissions is the burning of petrol for transport. In the USA, motor vehicles running on petrol are responsible for about 33% of CO2 emissions. The situation is getting worse as the demand for cars is increasing rapidly in the modern world. Another reason for the temperature rise is the cutting down of forests for wood, paper or farming. Forests absorb and capture CO2 from the atmosphere. This process has been disrupted by the current alarming rate of deforestation.
	The worst effect of global warming is the rise in sea levels worldwide, which could make millions of people lose their homes. Global warming also results in severe weather-related natural disasters such as droughts and floods that can kill or injure large numbers of people. Global warming with increasingly high temperature can reduce crop harvest globally, which may lead to famine. It is also predicted to have the worst impact on water supplies. Water shortages are likely to delay economic growth and damage ecosystems. Another scary effect of global warming is the disappearance of millions of species in the world. Widespread loss of species is a matter of great concern for humans since we cannot exist without species diversity on Earth.
	It is important that people understand that human-caused global warming is happening and its effects on us are serious. Everybody has to take some action now to reduce the risks. 
 (Vietnam MOET. (2015).Tiếng Anh 11: Student book 2, p.10. Hanoi: Education Publishing House and Pearson.)
(See Cause and Effect Map in the next page)
CAUSE & EFFECT MAP
Carbon dioxide emissions
from burning of petrol for transport
dumping plastic or other inorganic waste in the ground 
Carbon dioxide emissions
from coal burning power plants
- disappearance of millions of species
- reduce crop harvest
- famine
- severe weather-related natural disaster
- kill or injure large number of poeple
- contaminated vegetation
- decrease of soil fertility
- rise of sea levels
- make people homeless
Cutting down of forest
for wood, paper or farming
GLOBAL WARMING
2.4.2. Problem & solution map
The critical thinking necessary to problem-solve by posting and evaluating solutions is an important skill the students need throughout their lives. Being able to write clearly and persuasively about proposed solutions is as important as being able to think clearly and logically in formulating solutions. This reading guide helps students organize and write about problems and proposed solutions. This activity is also applied into a writing class where students are aware of the relevant problem and discuss reliable methods. Students can do this task individually and then share what the information in the diagram with their partner or their group members.
2.4.2.1. Procedures:
- Have students identify the problem in the text and write it in the diamond at the top of the template labeled PROBLEM.
- Let students list each of the solutions presented in the text in the box labeled SOLUTIONS.
- Have students predict and write the results expected from the chosen solutions in the box labeled RESULTS. (optional)
- Students then have presentation about the discussed topic, using the template as a guide. Remind students to use the key organizing words to help connect ideas
(Adapted from Bromley, K., Irwin-Devitis, L. & Modlo, M. (1999). 50 graphic organizers for reading, writing & more: Reproducible templates, student samples, and easy strategies to support every learner, pp. 106-107. New York: Scholastic Professional Books.)
2.4.2.2. Application
A Longevity Hot Spot
	Nagano is a mountainous, landlocked prefecture in the center of Japan, with a population of more than two million. In 2014, the life expectancy there was 87.2 years for women and 80.9 for men, which is one of the highest in the world.
	The region once experienced high death rates from causes such as stroke and heart attacks. This was attributed to the residents, favorite food: salted pickled vegetables and miso, a kind of fermented soybean paste. Being inland, Nagano does not have readily available seafood, and salt was used to process and preserve food for use in the long snowy winters.
	The turning point was in 1981, when the non-profit Nagano Dietetic Association decided to take action. The first step was a campaign to reduce salt intake and promote a healthier diet and lifestyle. Volunteers were trained to conduct nutrition seminars at supermarkets, shopping malls, and community centers. At first, it was difficult to convince people to change, but gradually, it became easier. The efforts paid off with surprising speed. By 1990, life expectancy had risen by three years in a decade, and the death rates due to heart disease had decreased.
	The local government has also taken other measures in cooperation with the association: organizing routine health check-ups, creating hundreds of walking trails for residents to exercise, and building hot springs for local people to recover from ill health.
	The efforts of Nagano’s residents and the government to change the lifestyle and prolong life have been really successful. Nagano is an excellent model that the rest of the world can follow: educations, dietary changes, exercise, and the spirits of cooperation can make a difference.
(Vietnam MOET. (2015). Tiếng Anh 11: Student book 2, p.67. Hanoi: Education Publishing House and Pearson.)
(See the map in the next page)
PROBLEM & SOLUTION MAP
High death rate in Nagano
PROBLEM(S)
high death rate because of stroke and heart attacks
CAUSES (optional)
salted pickled vegetables and miso (a kind of fermented soy bean paste)
SOLUTIONS
- reduce salt in take action and promote a healthier diet and lifestyle
- conduct nutrition seminars at supermarket, shopping malls
- organizing routine health check-ups
- building hot springs for local people 
RESULT(S)
- prolong life
- an excellent model of health care
2.4.3. Compare & contrast matrix
The compare and contrast matrix has a wide variety of classroom applications. English teachers can use it as a means of comparing different historical events, geographical regions, cultural and traditional differences or political systems. Students are able to clearly see similarities and differences between more than one by using this type of graphic organizer. This reading activity can be done in the whole class, in groups or individually.
2.4.3.1. Procedures:
- Copy the compare and contrast matrix template for students.
- Help the students create headings for major concepts on the vertical and horizontal axis.
- Walk around as the students read the text together and think aloud.
- Discuss the similarities and differences with them if necessary.
- Make sure the students are recording details from the text in appropriate places on the matrix graphic organizer
2.4.3.2. Application
Ways of raising children
In the US
	For many Americans, a parent’s most important task is to teach their children to live independently. From an early age, most children get their