An Investigation Of Deep Learning In Junior High School English Reading Class

With the beginning of the New Curriculum Reform and the proposal of core literacy,there has been extensive concentration on whether students are achieving deep learning in English,especially in reading lessons,which are an important type of English subject.It seems urgent to understand the current situation of junior high school students’ deep learning in English reading classes and to analyze the factors that affect the development of deep learning.Compared to superficial learning,deep learning emphasizes students’ ability to learn critically,collaboratively and reflectively based on meaningful learning and focuses on developing their ability to solve real-life problems.This study is formulated to answer the following two questions:(1)What is the current situation of deep learning in English reading class for junior high school students?(2)What factors affect junior high school students’ deep learning in English reading class?To get effective answers,this study takes 3 research methods,classroom observation,questionnaire and interview,with a sample of 3 teachers and 150 junior high school students from Grade8,Xi’an Foreign Language School.The questionnaire for this study is adapted from Biggs’ revised two-factor deep learning assessment scale,Bloom’s Cognitive Objectives Taxonomy and the Krathwohl’s Affective Objectives Taxonomy.The observation scale is adapted from Jensen’s 7 Effective Strategies for Deep Learning,by incorporating the concept of English core literacy.After two months’ data collection,the results were analyzed and discussed,and the final conclusion was drawn.It found that the junior high school students’ deep learning in English reading classes as a whole is at a moderate level.Students’ performance in the analysis dimension was at a high level but moderate in the application and creative dimensions;students evaluated teachers highly but generally considered that their teaching was deficient.Students are interested in English reading but learning mostly stems from external motivation.Teachers have a good understanding of deep learning,but their practical performance requires improvement.Teachers believes that fostering deep learning has the following difficulties: lack of practical teaching experience,lack of the guidance from professionals,the difficulty in designing deep learning activities,and the conflict between exam-oriented teaching and quality education.These difficulties lead them to set shallow teaching objectives,inauthentic teaching environment,inappropriate teaching methods and simplified teaching assessment.These are the four factors that affect junior high school students’ deep learning in English reading class: teaching objectives,teaching environment,teaching methods and teaching assessment.This study has published recommendations to address these questions.