A Study on the Effectiveness of Grammar Intervention PBL in Secondary School English Reading in China

Abstract

This paper compares the effectiveness of grammar intervention problem-based learning (GIPBL) and problem-based learning (PBL). PBL is a constructivism-based popular teaching pedagogy previously used in medical education, then widely applied in other fields education, including junior high school English reading teaching. But, researchers of Scaffolding learning theory argue that grammar intervention PBL (GIPBL) is more suitable for Junior high students in English reading courses. For comparing the effect of GIPBL and PBL on satisfaction and learning process in junior high school Grade 3 students, this study does a quasi-experimental study in Jiang (2015) Foreign Language Experimental School in Sichuan Province, China. The participants include 120 students of grade 8 in two different classes in Junior High School. Experimental and control groups are designed. The experimental class is taught in GIPBL and the control class is taught in PBL. Both classes are learning English reading, an important part of the English course. Pre-test and post-test were applied. The instruments were a demographic questionnaire, reading test and satisfaction questionnaire. The result shows students’ reading comprehension scores in GIPBL are better than those of the control group. GIPBL broadens the implementation of PBL in practice. There was more satisfaction with GIPBL. 82% of students thought GIPBL was a more acceptable and effective teaching method. The result shows that Grammar Intervention PBL suits junior high and middle school students in English reading courses.