Pilot study for defense

Title

  • The Effect of Speaking Strategy Instruction on Students’ Speaking Achievement, Perception, and Self-Efficacy: First Year Social Sciences Students, Jimma University

Chapter Layout

  • CHAPTER ONE: Background of the study

  • CHAPTER TWO: Literature Review

  • CHAPTER THREE: Research Methodology

  • CHAPTER FOUR: Results (Findings of the Pilot Study)

  • CHAPTER FIVE: Discussion of the Pilot Study Finding

  • CHAPTER SIX: Summary, Conclusions, Recommendations and Implications of the Study

Chapter One: Background of the Study

1.1 Historical Background

  • Importance of Speaking:

    • Speaking is critical in education, involving the creation, reception, and processing of information (Brown, 1994; Burns & Joyce, 1997; Brown, 2001).

    • Factors of speaking include pronunciation, intelligibility, pacing, projection, articulation, and eye contact (Brown, 1994).

    • English facilitates communication and idea sharing globally.

1.2 Practical Background

  • Scholars indicate low communication skills in English among students (Pathan, A.K. 2013).

  • Proposed solution: Implement speaking strategies to foster active engagement and language competence (Oxford et al., 1990).

1.3 Statement of the Problem

  • Numerous studies have investigated English speaking skills, revealing teachers' awareness of students’ challenges in speaking (Farooqui, 2007).

  • Research shows that English speaking improvement is prioritized in private universities over governmental institutions (Razmjoo & Ghasemi Ardekani, 2011).

Research Questions

  • Is there a significant statistical difference in:

    1. Speaking achievement between experimental and control groups using speaking strategies?

    2. Speaking perception between experimental and control groups?

    3. Speaking self-efficacy between experimental and control groups?

Research Hypothesis

Hypotheses:

  1. Ha: There is a significant difference in speaking achievement due to speaking strategy instruction.H0: No significant difference exists.

  2. Ha: There is a significant difference in speaking perception due to speaking strategy instruction.H0: No significant difference exists.

  3. Ha: There is a significant difference in speaking self-efficacy due to speaking strategy instruction.H0: No significant difference exists.

Variables of the Study

  • Independent Variable: Speaking strategies instruction

  • Dependent Variables:

    • Speaking achievement

    • Speaking perception

    • Speaking self-efficacy

Significance of the Study

  • Evaluate feasibility and identify weaknesses of the study procedures.

  • Validate study tools for comprehensibility and suitability for target population.

  • Test data collection methods and statistical relevance of findings.

Scope of the Study

  • Focused on the effects of speaking strategies on first-year social science students at Jimma University, employing a quasi-experimental design with sample size of 93 students.

Limitations of the Study

  • Challenges include limited information access, time constraints, and lack of previous research.

Theoretical & Conceptual Framework

  • Discusses relevant literature and frameworks aligning with social constructive theory to emphasize speaking skill development strategies.

Research Methodology

Research Design

  • Quasi-experimental method to evaluate the causality between speaking strategy instruction and outcomes.

Study Area & Context

  • Conducted with first-year social science students at Jimma University involving intervention and evaluations with collected data.

Data Collection Methods

  • Primary data: achieved through tests and questionnaires.

  • Secondary data: through literature review.

Analysis Methods

  • Quantitative analysis applied, examining reliability and validity through established statistical measures.

Results

Pre-Test Data

  • No significant differences exist pre intervention among groups regarding speaking achievement, perception, and self-efficacy.

Post-Test Data

  • Significant differences noted in all three dependent variables post intervention through statistical analysis indicating effectiveness of speaking strategies.

Conclusion and Recommendations

  • Confirmed that speaking strategy instruction significantly improves students’ speaking skills, perception, and self-efficacy.

  • Calls for larger-scale studies and methodological comparisons in future research on speaking strategy education.

Implications for Future Studies

  • The pilot study informs design and processes for future inquiries, enhancing the potential for effective educational strategies in speaking skill development.