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ENQUIRE PROJECT DETAILS BY GENERAL PUBLIC |
| Project Details |
| Funding Scheme : | General Research Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Number : | 14608820 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Title(English) : | Enhancing students’ classical Chinese reading comprehension and motivation through self-regulated learning-based instruction: A longitudinal and holistic design | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Title(Chinese) : | 通過自主學習教學提高學生的文言文閱讀能力和動機：長期及全面的研究設計 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Principal Investigator(English) : | Prof Lau, Kit-ling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Principal Investigator(Chinese) : | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Department : | Dept of Curriculum & Instruction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Institution : | The Chinese University of Hong Kong | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| E-mail Address : | dinkylau@cuhk.edu.hk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tel : | 26096714 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Co - Investigator(s) : |
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| Panel : | Humanities, Social Sciences | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subject Area : | Education | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Exercise Year : | 2020 / 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fund Approved : | 844,660 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Status : | Completed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Completion Date : | 30-6-2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Objectives : |
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| Abstract as per original application (English/Chinese): |
Background
Self-regulated learning (SRL) is an effective but demanding form of learning. While different SRL instructional principles and types of eLearning have been proposed to enhance students’ learning, both types of instruction have strengths and limitations. Previous experiences of implementing SRL-based instruction in Hong Kong (HK) Chinese language (CL) classes indicate that teachers and students are less favorable to instructional principles that place more emphasis on student autonomy. Due to the difficulties students experience in Classical Chinese (CC) reading, it is more demanding for them to develop SRL in CC reading.
Aim
The study adopts a holistic and longitudinal approach to integrate in-class instruction and out-of-class eLearning activities into a two-year SRL-based CC reading intervention program. In-class instruction will help students establish a good foundation for CC reading and compensate for the common problem of a lack of teacher support in eLearning, while eLearning activities will provide opportunities for students to apply their self-regulatory skills to independently read CC texts. By utilizing the strengths of both types of instruction, the program aims to gradually enhance students’ CC reading comprehension and motivation through the four developmental levels of SRL.
Research Plan
The study adopts a pretest-posttest treatment-control group quasi-experimental design. One secondary school will be invited to conduct the experiment. Students from one junior secondary grade in this school will be randomly assigned to two experimental treatments, one with in-class SRL-based instruction plus out-of-class eLearning (EG-I+E group) and one with in-class SRL-based instruction only (EG-I group). Another school with similar student backgrounds that uses the same CL textbook will serve as a control group (CG). Quantitative and qualitative methods, including reading tests, questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations, will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Teachers and students’ perceptions on what, how, and why the program may enhance students’ CC reading ability and motivation will also be explored through qualitative data analysis.
Significance
The study will extend the PI’s previous GRF project, which was the first to integrate SRL into CC reading instruction, by adopting a longitudinal and holistic design. The findings should provide valuable insights into the applicability of SRL-based instruction in non-Western contexts. The study also makes a first attempt to integrate in-class SRL instruction and out-of-class eLearning activities into CC reading instruction. The findings should shed light on the possibility of combining these two types of instruction to achieve greater positive effects on facilitating students’ SRL.
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| Realisation of objectives: | The first objective of the study was to design and implement an SRL-based classical Chinese reading intervention program to enhance Hong Kong students’ classical Chinese reading comprehension and motivation. It aimed to extend the PI’s previous GRF project by adopting a longitudinal and holistic design to include both in-class instruction and out-of-class eLearning activities using a flipped classroom (FC) design in a two-year intervention program. The literature on the four developmental stages of SRL (Schunk & Zimmerman, 1997), the TSAE framework of SRL-based instruction (Lau, 2021), and the Re-designed Model of Flipped Learning (RDFC model, Blau & Shamir-Inbal, 2017) was synthesized into a cohesive theoretical framework to guide the design of the intervention program. The intervention program consisted of four phases to gradually guide students’ development of SRL through the observational, emulation, self-controlled, and self-regulation levels. One reading module was designed for each phase and implemented in one of the semesters of the two academic years. Each module selected classical Chinese texts based on a humanistic theme of ancient Chinese culture. Various types of reading strategies were arranged in each module to develop students’ classical Chinese reading ability. Interesting materials and student-centered activities were used to encourage students’ active application of the learned strategies in solving various reading tasks. When integrating the TSAE framework and the four developmental stages of SRL, the importance of different instructional principles was adjusted according to students’ developmental stages of SRL. Specifically, more emphasis was placed on the T (task nature) and S (teacher support) principles in the first two stages of SRL to help students establish a solid foundation for learning through guidance and support. As students progressed to later stages, greater focus was given to the A (student autonomy) and E (evaluation practices) principles to promote independent learning through student-directed tasks and self-assessment. In reference to the RDFC model, various out-of-class eLearning and in-class activities, designed based on the TSAE principles and students’ SRL developmental stages, were organized in a coherent manner to provide students with extensive independent learning supported by teacher scaffolding and peer collaboration to facilitate knowledge construction, application, and further development before, during, and after lessons. A detailed design of the program can be found in Lau & Qian (2024; attached in Part C). The second objective of the study was to determine whether the inclusion of eLearning activities would strengthen the effectiveness of the program and the third objective was to provide rigorous data for program evaluation: To achieve these two objectives, this study adopted a quasi-experimental design to provide objective and reliable data to examine the effectiveness of combining SRL-based instruction and eLearning in facilitating students’ classical Chinese reading development. All participants were assigned to one of the following conditions: SRL instruction plus out-of-class eLearning (EG-I+E), SRL instruction only (EG-I), and control (CG). Students in EG-I+E and EG-I had the same number of Chinese language lessons, reading materials, and in-class SRL instruction, but only those in EG-I+E were assigned out-of-class eLearning activities. In the CG, teachers employed a traditional teacher-centered approach that focused on explaining the vocabulary, sentences, content, and writing techniques of each classical Chinese text in the students' textbooks. To ensure that each group spent a similar time studying classical Chinese in the out-of-class context, EG-I students received post-class paper-based SRL tasks and CG students received all classical Chinese texts in the intervention package in the form of traditional comprehension exercises. The study adopted a concurrent mixed methods design to collect both quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the intervention. The reading comprehension test and questionnaire pre- and post-tests were administered to the entire student sample to objectively assess students' reading ability and motivation. After each phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with teacher and student representatives from both EGs to delve into their specific comments regarding the implementation of the intervention program and what impacts it had on students' reading ability and motivation throughout the program. The intervention program was implemented in the experimental schools from the beginning of the academic year of 2022/2023 and ended at the end of the academic year of 2023/2024. The findings in response to Objective Three support the effectiveness of SRL-based instruction on students’ learning of classical Chinese reading. While all treatment groups significantly improved their performance in the reading post-tests, only students of the two EGs significantly improved their strategy use, self-efficacy, and intrinsic motivation. In the interviews, the students and teachers from the two EGs pointed out that the word interpretation strategies, humanistic themes of ancient Chinese culture, and interactive and high-level activities designed in the intervention were effective in enhancing students’ classical Chinese reading ability and motivation. Contradictory to the prediction of Objective Two, both EG groups had similar improvements in all quantitative measures, suggesting that the integration of out-of-class eLearning into SRL instruction did not yield additional positive effects on student learning. Nevertheless, the findings of qualitative data indicated that teachers and students of EG-I+E opined that the eLearning component of FC facilitated teachers’ implementation of the intervention and students’ strategy learning and motivation. The fourth objective of the study was to explore the applicability of SRL-based instruction in a Chinese context. The instructional principles of SRL are largely different from traditional Chinese instruction. Due to the difficulty of classical Chinese reading and the cultural background of classical Chinese reading instruction, it may be more difficult to implement SRL-based instruction in classical Chinese reading instruction. To achieve this objective, the study adopted both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore whether all the principles of SRL-based instruction could be successfully implemented in classical Chinese reading instruction. Findings of the quantitative data indicated that there were significant differences among the three groups in terms of the changes in their perceived reading instruction measured at different time points, with the largest effect observed for Principle A. While both EGs perceived significant increases in the degree of most SRL instructional principles between the pre-test and the first post-test and maintained a high degree of all principles in the second post-test, the CG only noticed minor improvements in some principles, with the magnitude of most changes being much smaller than those observed in the EGs. Classroom observations revealed EG teachers followed all the instructional principles in the intervention package to deliver their lessons. The EG students’ descriptions of their learning experiences in the interviews also matched the SRL instructional principles. Comparatively speaking, EG students held the most positive perceptions of the word interpretation strategies, cultural themes of the modules, and the interactive activities in facilitating their learning. However, they were less receptive to metacognitive control activities, and some students opined that certain higher-order activities were too difficult for them. In response to Objective Four, these findings provide empirical support for the applicability of using FC to integrate SRL instruction and eLearning to facilitate student learning in the context of classical Chinese reading, a traditional school subject long dominated by teacher-centered instruction. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Summary of objectives addressed: |
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| Research Outcome | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Major findings and research outcome: | A total of five journal papers (four published and one under review) and four conference papers have been generated from this research project (attached in Part C). A detailed report of the project’s major findings can be found in Lau, K. L., & Qian, Q. (2025). Enhancing students’ classical Chinese reading through a two-year flipped self-regulated learning intervention program. Reading and Writing, 38, 293-327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-024-10516-9. The study’s findings indicated that after implementing the intervention, the EG students perceived significant changes in their classical Chinese lessons to be more SRL-oriented and demonstrated significant improvements on their classical Chinese reading performance, strategy use, self-efficacy, and intrinsic motivation. While the CG students also improved their reading performance, their strategy use and motivation remained low throughout the two years. The positive findings revealed in this study were consistent with many SRL intervention studies, adding empirical evidence for the effectiveness of SRL instruction in facilitating student learning in general and in the specific context of classical Chinese learning, which has long been dominated by traditional teacher-centered instruction. Contradictory to prediction, both EG-I and EG-I+E demonstrated significant increases in their perceived degree of SRL instruction and all outcome measures, suggesting that the integration of out-of-class eLearning into SRL instruction did not yield additional positive effects on student learning. Since student autonomy was emphasized in SRL instruction, the in-class SRL instruction might produce similar positive impacts on EG-I students’ learning, even in the absence of out-of-class eLearning activities. Nevertheless, some benefits of using FC to facilitate the implementation and effectiveness of SRL instruction were revealed in the qualitative results. Teachers and students of EG-I+E opined that the eLearning component of FC facilitated teachers’ implementation of the intervention and students’ strategy learning and motivation. The successful implementation and positive effects of the SRL intervention program revealed in this study extend the research of SRL instruction by providing empirical support to the applicability and usefulness of SRL and FC instruction in a new cultural and disciplinary context. Specifically, EG teachers’ and students’ positive comments on the cultural themes of the modules and word interpretation strategies--designed based on the specific nature of classical Chinese learning-- highlight the importance of embedding SRL instruction in the design of subject-specific interventions should achieve more robust effects in a particular subject area. This is especially important when implementing Western-oriented instruction in subjects rooted in non-Western culture. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Potential for further development of the research and the proposed course of action: |
Compared with other components of SRL-based instruction, EG students were less receptive to metacognitive control activities. Given that Chinese students are used to playing a passive role in learning classical Chinese reading, they may need more time to develop their metacognitive skills and take full responsibility for their learning. The study’s successful implementation experience lays a solid foundation for promoting SRL-based instruction in regular classical Chinese instruction. Follow-up studies can focus on training more teachers to integrate SRL instruction into their daily instructional practices to develop students into fully self-regulated learners in the long run. While some benefits of using FC to facilitate the implementation and effectiveness of SRL instruction were revealed in the qualitative results, the expected additional effect of eLearning was not found in this study. In future studies, the eLearning component of FC can be further strengthened. Considering that some weak students failed to complete pre-class eLearning assignments, which might affect the effectiveness of eLearning, clear guidelines and incentives can be given to motivate students to participate in out-of-class learning. With the rapid development of AI technology, engaging students in interactions with generative AI chatbots can enhance the effectiveness of FC in enhancing student SRL. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Layman's Summary of Completion Report: | This study investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of using a flipped classroom (FC) approach to combine self-regulated learning (SRL) instruction and out-of-class eLearning activities in a two-year intervention program to facilitate students’ learning of classical Chinese reading. A total of 352 Hong Kong junior secondary students voluntarily participated in the study. Using a quasi-experimental design, students were assigned to one of three conditions: SRL instruction plus eLearning (EG-I+E), SRL instruction only (EG-I), or control (CG). Data was collected through reading tests, student questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations for program evaluation. The findings indicated that after implementing the intervention program, EG students perceived significant changes in their classical Chinese lessons to be more SRL-oriented. All treatment groups significantly improved in reading post-tests, but only EG students showed significant enhancements in strategy use, self-efficacy, and intrinsic motivation. Both EG groups demonstrated similar improvements across all quantitative outcomes; however, teachers and students from EG-I+E opined that the eLearning component of FC better facilitated the intervention’s implementation and enhanced students' strategy learning and motivation. This study contributes to SRL and FC research by examining their applicability and benefits in a different cultural context and offering insights for improving current classical Chinese instruction. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Research Output | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peer-reviewed journal publication(s) arising directly from this research project : (* denotes the corresponding author) |
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| Recognized international conference(s) in which paper(s) related to this research project was/were delivered : |
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| Other impact (e.g. award of patents or prizes, collaboration with other research institutions, technology transfer, etc.): |
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| SCREEN ID: SCRRM00542 |