A Study On The Application Of Thinking Visualization Tools In Teaching Senior High School English Continuation Writing

General Senior High School Curriculum Standards of English(The standard)formally identifies the enhancement of students’ thinking capacity as a significant goal in the development of core competencies in English.Continuation writing tests the logicality,criticality,and innovativeness of students’ thinking and is a powerful way to promote learners’ thinking capacity.Applying suitable methods and strategies is key for teachers to effectively enhance their students’ thinking skills.It has been found that thinking visualization tools play a significant role in developing learners’ thinking skills.However,there has been limited research on the application of thinking visualization tools in teaching continuation writing,and some teachers have a vague understanding of the use of thinking visualization tools in teaching continuation writing,which has negatively impacted the effectiveness of their teaching practice.Therefore,this study investigates the current situation of 42 English teachers in three high schools in Haikou City,Hainan Province,from the perspective of teachers’ teaching,using thinking visualization tools in continuation writing teaching,analyzes the underlying problems and causes and proposes effective suggestions.This study employs a combination of questionnaires,classroom observations,and interviews to investigate the current state of thinking visualization tool implementation among senior high school English teachers in the context of teaching high school continuation writing.The following research questions are attempted to be answered:(1)How do senior high school English teachers perceive thinking visualization tools?(2)How do senior high school English teachers use thinking visualization tools to teach continuation writing?(3)What factors affect the application?After analyzing the collected data,the following problems have been found in teachers’ use of thinking visualization tools in teaching continuation writing:(1)At the cognitive level: The teachers have a limited understanding of the concepts and types of thinking visualization tools;(2)At the practical level: The teachers do not utilize the thinking visualization tools enough in the preview and lead-in sessions in the class;the teachers overlook the development of the higher-order thinking;the teachers neglect the principles of thinking development and appropriateness.Based on these problems,this study further explores the factors that influence teachers’ application of thinking visualization tools in teaching continuation writing:(1)Teachers’ theoretical understanding,practical skills,age,teaching experience,and educational background;(2)School teaching and research culture.In light of these findings,the author presents the following suggestions for teachers:(1)At the cognitive level: teachers shall enhance the theoretical knowledge of thinking visualization tools;(2)At the practical level: teachers shall choose thinking visualization tools based on specific needs;teachers shall use thinking visualization tools to set up preview and lead-in activities.