Tài liệu Using powerpoint lessons for teaching grammar in a non centered high school

CAN THO UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION ENGLISH DEPARTMENT Using PowerPoint Lessons for Teaching Grammar Non-Centered School Trung in tâm a Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài High liệu học tập và nghiên cứu B.A Thesis Supervisor: Dao Minh Trung, M.A 7032470 Researcher: Nguyen Hai Yen _ English of Education 03 Course 29 Can Tho, June 2007 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is a pleasure to conclude the process of conducting my research by remembering all of those who have helped me navigate through this dissertation. I am greatly indebted to a number of people from English Department of Can Tho University for helping to make this B.A thesis possible. First and foremost, my deepest gratitude goes to Mr. Dao Minh Trung, my supervisor, who supported and encouraged me generously throughout this research study. Without his excellent academic guidance, my thesis would not have been completed. My appreciation is also extended to Mrs. Vuong Le Thien Thanh and Mrs. Phuong Hoang Yen who provided me with useful comments and profound insights about the topic, which accompanied me during the whole time of doing this thesis. Very special thanks are due to Mr. Tran Minh Tuan for his assistance in analyzing data and statistical issues. His support is greatly appreciated. Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập và nghiên cứu I would like to sincerely thank the anonymous participants who contributed data to this study. Many thanks also to Miss Nguyen Thi Tuyet Lan, my former teacher in Phan Van Tri high school, who kindly allowed me to involve her students in the data collection process. If there were not their outstanding cooperation, this thesis could not have been carried out. At last, but no means least, my heartfelt thanks go to my wonderful mother, who created good finance conditions for me to finish the study and encouraged me in anyway; especially my respected and loving father, whose encouragement has a tremendous impact on me and my thesis though he has no longer been by my side. Only thinking of him and his desire on my success, I could have overcome my vicissitudes, concentrated on my study, and got this far. i ABSTRACT Applying ITC in learning and teaching is not new in the Reform in Education period. One of the tendencies is using Microsoft PowerPoint in classrooms. In addition, there is a need to change the way to teach English, especially to teach grammar. Therefore, the main goal of the study was to examine whether PowerPoint lessons enhance the falcuty of high school students for learning grammar. An experimental research design was conducted at Phan Van Tri high school locating 15 km far away from Can Tho City. Three grammar points tests was administered for 92 grade 10 students devided into experimental group and control group before and after they were taught. The scores collected from the pre test and the post test were then computed and analyzed through the SPSS program. The major finding on overall score demontrates that there was no statistical difference between the two groups. In other words, PowerPoint lessons do not enhance the faculty of students for learning grammar. Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập và nghiên cứu ii CONTENTS Acknowledgements.............................................................................................................. i Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Lists of tables and figures ....................................................................................................v Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Statement of the problem ...................................................................................1 1.2 Thesis organization ............................................................................................2 Chapter 2: Literature review 2.1 Grammar ............................................................................................................3 2.1.1 Definition ............................................................................................3 2.1.2 Role .....................................................................................................4 2.1.3 Teaching Methods...............................................................................4 Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập và nghiên cứu 2.1.4 Problems and Solutions.......................................................................5 2.2 PowerPoint.........................................................................................................6 2.2.1 Motivation and interest .......................................................................7 2.2.2 Thinking and analytical skills .............................................................8 2.2.3 Achievement .......................................................................................9 Chapter 3: Research Methodology 3.1 Research question and hypotheses...................................................................13 3.2 Research design ...............................................................................................13 3.3 Participants.......................................................................................................13 3.4 Procedure .........................................................................................................14 3.4.1 Preparation stage...............................................................................14 3.4.2 Effectuation stage .............................................................................14 iii 3.5 Instrument ........................................................................................................14 3.5.1 Passive voice test ..............................................................................14 3.5.2 If clause type III test .........................................................................15 3.5.3 Wh- questions test.............................................................................16 3.6 Materials ..........................................................................................................16 3.6.1 The content of the experimental group .............................................16 3.6.2 The content of the control group.......................................................16 3.7 Scoring system for the tests .............................................................................16 3.7.1 Passive voice test ..............................................................................16 3.7.2 If clause type III test .........................................................................17 3.7.3 Wh_ question test..............................................................................18 Chapter 4: Research Results...........................................................................................19 Trung tâm Học liệu Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập và nghiên cứu Chapter 5: Discussion andĐH conclusion 5.1 Discussion ........................................................................................................22 5.2 Limitations of the study ...................................................................................23 5.3 Conclusions......................................................................................................24 5.4 Suggestions for further research ......................................................................24 References........................................................................................................................ 25 Appendices....................................................................................................................... 28 Appendix A – Passive voice test........................................................................................28 Appendix B – If clause type III test ...................................................................................30 Appendix C – Wh- questions test ......................................................................................31 Appendix D – Passive voice lesson plan (PowerPoint) .....................................................32 Appendix E – If clause type III lesson plan (PowerPoint).................................................38 Appendix F – Wh-questions lesson plan (PowerPoint) .....................................................43 iv LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1_ Pre-test and Post-test Result .............................................................................. 19 Table 2_ The collected data from the pre-test and the post-test of two groups in grammar (1) ........................................................................... 19 Table 3_ The collected data from the pre-test and the post-test of two groups in grammar (2) ........................................................................... 20 Table 4_ The collected data from the pre-test and the post-test of two groups in grammar (3) ........................................................................... 20 Table 5_ The overall result of two groups ....................................................................... 21 Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập và nghiên cứu v Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION This chapter provides a brief introduction to the study including reasons for conducting the thesis and outlines the structure of the thesis. 1.1 Statement of the problem Recently there are two prominent trends in Vietnamese education, especially in English Language Teaching. Firstly, there is a belief that the core of language is communication so the communicative approach has been commonly used to teach English. We can see it is proved by the Reform in Education with example of completely change of textbooks. The newest one is the textbook of grade 10. Beside the four skills which have been added to enhance communicative skills of students, the grammar aspect, now called Language Focus, has been Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập và nghiên cứu innovated to fix with the current trend. Formerly, Grammar which was one of main points in teaching English in high schools was taught with grammar translation. But nowadays there is a requirement that students not only master grammar rules but also know how to use them in a given situation. Therefore, teaching English grammar has been a challenge: What is the good way to enhance the ability to learn and use grammar points? How does a grammar lesson look like in this case? Secondly, technology is not new to the classroom; in fact, it has been brought benefits to education. The remarkable representative is emerging computer generated presentation software package that is the Microsoft PowerPoint program. It is people’s feeling that presentation software can simplify the instruction of complicated topics, as well as being more visually appealing and interesting than the traditional methods like overhead transparencies and handouts. In addition, presentation software can provide a variety of color, 1 Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school clip art, text and photographs that appeal to most audiences. So does it work in high school? Does it assist communicative approach in teaching grammar? Can it be the answer for the question mentioned above? As teachers we are forced to use a variety of teaching methods to meet the needs of the varying abilities of our students. To find a method that is beneficial to the students in terms of their understanding as well as one that will maintain their interest in the subject matter is a difficult task. This research project was developed to determine if the lessons created with PowerPoint presentation can enhance the faculty of students for learning grammar points in compared to the traditional lessons that are designed with blackboard. The investigation was also interested in identifying students’ attitude toward such kind of lesson: like or not? 1.2 Thesis organization Trung tâm Họchasliệu CầnThe Thơ@Tài liệu học tập và nghiên The thesis fiveĐH chapters. first two chapters provide a background for cứu the research through the literature review on grammar and PowerPoint. The next two chapters discuss the research methodology, with the focus on experimental method, and present findings of the experiments and questionnaire. The final chapter discusses the findings in light of the research literature and set out the conclusion of the research and suggest for further studies in using PowerPoint in teaching. 2 Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter reviews prominent studies, books and journals to support the present research. The principle areas to be discussed are English grammar and its teaching, PowerPoint software and its benefits to the field of teaching and learning. 2.1 GRAMMAR 2.1.1 Definition For most of people, answering the question “What is grammar?” is not too hard, yet defining the term “grammar” exactly is not an easy work. Thus in this chapter, there is a review of many different linguists’ opinion about “grammar”. First of all, Jamal Ouhalla (1999) suggested that grammar refers to the rules which govern pronunciation (phonology), word formation (morphology), and sentence formation (syntax). ThisHọc assertion is somewhat by Peterliệu Collins (2000). his view Trung tâm liệu ĐH Cầnsupported Thơ@Tài học tập He vàshared nghiên cứu that the description of any language could be divided into 3 major areas: grammar (comprising two sub-fields, morphology and syntax), phonology, and lexicon. He also added, “Sometimes grammar is understood to encompass all three areas” which means grammar is the set of morphology, syntax, phonology and lexicon. Similarly but from another angle, Barry Sesnan (1997) confirmed, “grammar is the set of rules for choosing words and putting words together to make sense.” In addition, Scott Thornbury (1999) raised his idea about grammar that it is partly the study of what forms or structures are permitted in a language and “the study of grammar consists of looking at the way these forms are arranged and patterned” Given these concepts, we can see that, in general, the set of rules governing a particular language is the grammar of that language, in another word grammar is the study of rules governing the use of the language. 3 Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school 2.1.2 Role The formal study of grammar is an important part of education from a young age through advanced learning; however, grammar, historically, has been taught in a manner that leaves learners wondering why they need to learn it. Hence, it is necessary to answer the question “Do we need to study grammar to earn a language? The short answer is "no". Many people in the world speak their own, native language without having studied its grammar. Children start to speak before they even know the word "grammar". Nevertheless, if we are serious about learning a foreign language, the long answer is "yes, grammar can help us to learn a language more quickly and more efficiently." In Systems in English Grammar: An Introduction for Language Teachers (1996), Peter Master thought highly of the role of grammar “That is not to say that there is no role for grammar in the modern classroom. On the contrary, the need is as great as ever, Trung tâm Học liệutoĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu we học tập và realized nghiên cứu especially when it comes developing editing skills. What have finally is that grammar is a tool for expressing meaning and for this reason it can have no use until there is a need for it.” In short, it is thought to be so clear that grammar is central to the teaching and learning of languages. However, it is also one of the more difficult aspects of language to teach well. 2.1.3 Teaching Methods Many people, including language teachers, hear the word "grammar" and think of a fixed set of word forms and rules of usage. They associate "good" grammar with the prestige forms of the language, such as those used in writing and in formal oral presentations, and "bad" or "no" grammar with the language used in everyday conversation or used by speakers of no prestige forms. Language teachers who adopt this definition focus on grammar as a set of forms and rules. They teach grammar by explaining the forms and rules and then drilling students on 4 Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school them, which is called “Grammar – translation method”. This results in bored, disaffected students who can produce correct forms on exercises and tests, but consistently make errors when they try to use the language in context. This can be proved in The Study of Language (1996) of George Yule. In his book, he described, “Long lists of words and a set of grammatical rules have to be memorized, and the written language rather than the spoken language is emphasized… This label has actually been applied to the approach by its detractors who have pointed out that its emphasis on learning about L2 leaves students quite ignorant of how the language is used. Learners leaving school… typically find themselves a loss…” Other language teachers, influenced by another method – “Audio lingual method” – that became popular in the 1950s, tend to teach grammar by “moving from the simple to the more complex” (George Yule, 1996, p.193). George continued that believing that “the fluent Trung Họcwas liệu ĐH Cần liệucould họcbe tập và nghiên use of atâm language essentially a setThơ@Tài of ‘habit’ which developed with a lotcứu of practice”, the teachers taught their students by spending hours in a language laboratory repeating oral drills. Then he concluded “…isolated practice in drilling language patterns bears no resemblance to the interactional nature of actual language use. Moreover, it can be incredibly boring”. 2.1.4 Problems and Solutions As we can see, although teaching grammar is an important part of language teaching, it, specifically teaching English grammar has met many problems. The problems and their solutions have been taken universal interest. Belinda (China) said in British Council teaching English website, “I'm a TEFL teacher in a senior high school. The biggest problem for me right now is grammar teaching.” In addition, Zahid Hameed from Pakistan worried about the grammar translation method. “I was wondering what would be the best way to teach grammar! Most teachers say that we should present the structure at first, but others say that 5 Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school it is better to use an inductive approach.” Juliana, a high school teacher, expressed her care about grammar teaching methods. In Grammar and Its Teaching: Challenging the Myths (1997), Diane pointed out one of the myths was “Grammar is boring.” and proved that this myth is derived from the impression that grammar can only be taught through repetition and other rote drills. Teaching grammar does not mean asking students to repeat models in a mindless way, and it does not mean memorizing rules. Such activities can be boring and do not necessarily teach grammar. The problem has been partly that teachers have not been provided the insights needed to move the teaching of language conventions and grammar from the position of "textbook exercise" to that of "tools of the trade" as used by professional editors and writers. Coupled with these problems have been some suggestions. Liora Tamir (Israel) emphasized the importance of real situation in teaching grammar or it is advisable to let Trung Học that liệu“grammar ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu và nghiên cứu studentstâm understand is something ‘alive’ and học not a tập collection of exercises.” Besides, Diana (China) highly appreciated the use of authentic materials. She said “… it's important for teachers to give the students authentic materials to practice. They also need interesting teaching.” Similarly, Lyle French, Sao Paulo (Brazil) showed his agreement with Diana “I find that the more authentic, and at times, freer the practice, the faster the students learn the grammar.” In brief, such findings underlined the importance of grammar and teaching grammar in learning English as a foreign language. Besides, greater awareness that was being brought to bear on grammar was how to teach it effectively. Although there were suggestions being shared by many teachers all over the world, a satisfied answer of the “how” was still a puzzle. However, those teachers proposed a prompt which could lead to better solutions, that was using more authentic materials. 6 Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school 2.2 POWERPOINT In recent years, many technological innovations of the 20th century have promised breakthroughs in the methods and effectiveness of teaching. Some of the most promising innovations included filmstrips and motion pictures, teaching machines, and programmed instruction. Two very different technologies may have far greater effects on educational practice than their predecessors that are computer and communication technology. However, the revolution in computer holds out hope that all students will connect with more information and more people than ever before. Innovations in the field suggest that certain barriers to learning, such as short attention spans or faulty memories, might one day be reduced by means other than the traditional reliance on sheer effort alone. One of their prominent representatives is computer generated slide shows called PowerPoint software whose advantages are believed to be to inform and persuade others. Yet, other benefits of Trung tâmthat Học ĐHcareCần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập vàthenghiên cứu PowerPoint take liệu the most is to increase the motivation and interest, thinking and analytical skills, and the achievement of students. 2.2.1 Motivation and interest In 1996, Reynolds and Barba suggested that one of the ways that technology contributes to the learning process is by increasing the motivations of the students. They proposed that students enjoy working in a technologically enhanced learning environment (p. 6). One of the first research projects on the effectiveness of computer-generated presentations was begun in 1990 before multimedia presentation software was developed for the educational setting. The study was conducted at the University of Minnesota and was titled “Enhancing Lecture Presentations in Introductory Biology with Computer-Based Multimedia” (Fifield & Peifer, 1994, p. 235). The study has shown that the effects of illustrations in oral presentations have increased the motivation and interest of students (p. 7 Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school 235). Using this as a basis, Fifield and Peifer decided to incorporate the same idea into computer-generated presentations. Based on surveys conducted in the introductory biology lecture courses from the fall of 1990 through 1993, students had very positive responses to the multimedia system. Students’ comments included statements about the computer-based illustrations and animations making it easy to see the function and detail as well as making it interesting to the students. One particular student’s response to the survey included the following: “it made me more interested in the material. I told people about it. My friend is taking the class because of it” (p. 239). Fifield and Peifer concluded that computer-based multimedia significantly improved the quality of the lecture courses. Sara Bushong (1998, p. 9) wrote a paper on the utilization of PowerPoint presentation software in library instruction. It is her feeling that presentation software can simplify the instruction of complicated topics, as well as being more visually appealing and interesting Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH like Cầnoverhead Thơ@Tài liệu học và nghiên cứu than the traditional methods transparencies and tập handouts. In addition, presentation software can provide a variety of color, clip art, text and photographs that appeal to most audiences. Another detailed study by Erwin Mantei (2000, p. 301) conducted at Southwest Missouri State University during the period of 1992 to 1998 compared student performance in physical geology lecture classes using a traditional method of presentation with that using Internet notes and PowerPoint lecture slides. The result suggests that students found the animated PowerPoint format more interesting and that they believed they learned the material better in that format. 2.2.2 Thinking and analytical skills According to the same surveys conducted by Fifield and Peifer, students had very positive responses to the multimedia system. Students’ comments included statements about the computer-based illustrations being helpful in making the material concrete. Others 8 Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school commented on the animations making it easy to see the function and detail. Fifield and Peifer found that “animations are not only more realistic representation of structures and processes, but they model thinking skills that we want our students to develop” (p.238). Williamson and Abraham (1995, p.521) published their study on the effects of computer animation on the particulate mental models of college chemistry students. The researchers found that conceptual understanding was significantly increased for students who viewed animated sequences depicting particulate behavior. Students who viewed the animations had a more particulate view of matter as was evident from their drawings. In the survey given by Atkins-Sayre, Hopkins, Mohundro, and Sayre (1998, p.11) they found that a large percentage of respondents perceived PowerPoint as a cognitive aid. They determined that sixty-nine percent indicated that PowerPoint assisted in their understanding of the material and sixty-eight percent thought that PowerPoint helped them Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập và nghiên cứu retain the material. PowerPoint and other computer-generated presentation software incorporates animations and illustrations aiding students in developing a better conceptual understanding of concepts and increasing their level of analytical thinking. 2.2.3 Achievement It is possible the longer students are exposed to dynamic visuals, the better they comprehend the information. In Bushong’s study (1998) one aspect she attempted to determine was if students who view a PowerPoint presentation understand and use reference books more effectively than those who only receive an oral explanation. She also wanted to establish if these students received higher grades or scores on the assignment than those who received the lecture explanation only. It was concluded that the students who did not view the PowerPoint 9 Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school presentation felt the instruction they received was more helpful in their understanding of the reference books than those who had the PowerPoint presentation. Moreover, the students that viewed the PowerPoint presentation did not score statistically significantly better than those that did not on the assignment. Christine Ahmed (1998) presented a paper at a conference of the South Dakota Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation. The paper was a comparison of PowerPoint versus traditional overheads to determine which is more effective for learning. It was found that there was very little difference in test scores when comparing the two methods. However, in Mantei’s study (2000, p.304) the use of Internet notes and PowerPoint lecture slides resulted in higher exam scores for the students exposed to these methods. Campbell and Leonard (Mantei, 2000, p.305) also found evidence that computer supported Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập và nghiên cứu methods could increase student achievement. Except for a few of the research studies, it seems that computer-generated presentations do not significantly increase student achievement. However, it has been discussed that this method does have many other advantages. PowerPoint and other computer-generated presentations have the potential to increase motivation and interest. They also have been linked to increase cognitive abilities as well as creating better mental models. It is possible that the achievement of students will increase. To sum up, the purpose of the review reported here is to show the vigorous support of using PowerPoint software, the advantages of which are the motivation and interest, the thinking and analytical skills, and the achievement. Foreign researchers in foreign countries have warranted them, thus, there is a need to know whether PowerPoint has any impact on Vietnamese education. 10 Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school In Vietnam, “electronic lesson plans” designing on PowerPoint software have been paid much attention on. According to the information from Ministry of Education and Training, nearly 300 “electronic lesson plans” from Can Tho University, Ho Chi Minh Semipublic Open University, Da Nang University were gathered on January, 2nd, 2007. Many colleges and universities have adopted such a new lesson plan, in which students approach the modern technology more and more. In “Giáo Án Điện Tử” (2004), Mr. Hoàng Đức Huy confirms that ‘Giáo Án Điện Tử’ built in PowerPoint is one of means that are suitable to the Reform in Education. When first appearing in Vietnam, it has been welcomed by teachers and students as well. A typical example applying “electronic lesson plans” is Ngoi Sao private high school in Ho Chi Minh City. The concrete guidance viewpoint of the school is that all teachers of the school have to use computers and necessary software for designing lessons and teach with the Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học course tập và nghiên aiding of modern technology. Following it, there has been a training being hold for cứu the whole school. As a result, most of teachers have been able to use PowerPoint incorporating with other soft wares to make their own electronic lessons. In 2003, there was a seminar “Improve Teaching Methods by Applying ITC and Modern Teaching Devices” taking place in HCMC. In the workshop, there were twelve lessons designed in PowerPoint being taught, among them was an English lesson. Then, attendees listened to reports about the necessity of applying ITC in teaching especially using PowerPoint software in class. After the reports, everyone agreed that the reports are really convincing. Mr. Phan Van Xang in Binh Duong Teachers College confirmed that those lessons are good and vivid. He said “If any lesson has been applied ITC, the result of students will be the best.” 11 Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school The review summarized above have some importance implications for a belief that PowerPoint can be one of the solutions of the problems mentioned in 2.1.4 because of its prominent effects on learning and teaching. All in all, this section has just discussed two major issues of the study, grammar and PowerPoint. It is showed that there is much attention being paid on using more authentic materials for teaching grammar better. It is also informed that PowerPoint with its obvious benefits to education in general can be an effective tool. Correspondingly, combining such things for a good result is the matter of the research. Trung tâm Học liệu ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập và nghiên cứu 12 Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school Chapter 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This chapter presents (1) the research question and hypotheses, (2) the research design, (3) the participants, (4) the procedure, (5) the research instruments, (6) the materials and (7) the scoring system. 3.1 RESEARCH QUESTION AND HYPOTHESES The study derived from the Reform in Education in Vietnam which impulses many teachers’ desire including grade 10 English teachers to seek appropriate teaching methods, especially for teaching grammar. Besides, the advent of computer, a representative of which is its package, Microsoft PowerPoint has had a tremendous impact on foreign language education. Those have led me to a research question: Do PowerPoint lessons enhance the faculty of students for learning grammar? BundleHọc with liệu the question was Thơ@Tài an assumptionliệu that học benefits of và PowerPoint a Trung tâm ĐH Cần tập nghiênhascứu significant impact on learning and using grammar of the students and the students really like learning with this software. With respect to reality, clearly the goal of the research is to prove that hypotheses. 3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN Given the research question, hypotheses and the scope of the study as well, the design employed in the present study will be discussed. The research employed in this study was experimental method. In detail, the research was conducted to compare the ability to use and learn grammar between two groups: a group learns with PowerPoint lessons (experimental group) and another with blackboard lessons (control group). 3.3 PARTICIPANTS The results to be seen in the study were those of 92 EFL adult learners from two classes of grade 10 in Phan Van Tri high school. They have learnt with reformed English 13 Using Powerpoint Lessons for teaching Grammar in a non-centered high school textbook from grade 7. At that moment, they have been working with new English 10 textbook. They were divided into two groups, experimental group (10A7) and control group (10A6). Their roles in the project were to provide a picture of their learning progress as they studied with and without PowerPoint software and, where possible, to show whether they were interested in working with it. 3.4 PROCEDURE 3.4.1 Preparation stage First, the three grammar points were chosen from English textbook grade 10. They were passive voice (unit 10), If clause type III (unit 11), and Wh- questions (unit 12). Then three PowerPoint lessons were designed and examined by a high school teacher who was responsible for teaching those lessons. Besides, the four tests were also made in the same way. Trung tâm Học liệu stage ĐH Cần Thơ@Tài liệu học tập và nghiên cứu 3.4.2 Effectuation In total, there were six lessons each of which is corresponding to a period (45 minutes). All of them took place in real classroom atmosphere. At the beginning of each lesson, a pre-test was administered to determine the students’ knowledge of a certain grammar point. After a period learning, the participants did the post-test to show their progress. 3.5 INSTRUMENTS Data collection has its starting points with tests. Corresponding to three grammar points were three tests. Most of items in the tests were taken from English Study 4.0 software 2001 of InterSOFT Company and English 10 – Advance book. 3.5.1 Passive voice test (See appendix A for the full test) There were three sections in the test. 14