Dynamic Process Of Classroom Group Dynamics Based On Task-based Language Teaching In EFL Context

This study mainly investigated the dynamic development of classroom group dynamics based on task-based language teaching in EFL context. The focus is to clarify the relationship between some relevant factors and the development of group dynamics and to figure out the dynamic process of classroom group dynamics.The study selected a class from the Material Science and Engineering College of Taiyuan University of Technology. This research, lasting for one semester, was carried out by the combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis. Quantitative research contained student questionnaires and teacher questionnaire. Student questionnaires were distributed before and after the research, trying to figure out the relationship between group dynamics and self-efficacy, willingness to communicate, motivational intensity, desire to learn English and intergroup approach-avoidance tendency these five relevant factors. Teacher questionnaire was used to test teacher’s teaching style. Qualitative research included classroom observation, interviews, videotapes and audiotapes to compensate and examine research results. Interviews included teacher interviews and student interviews. The audiotapes were the recordings of the preparing and communicating process of students’group members for the tasks. In order to avoid different results resulted from different teaching methods, and since task-based language teaching can provide students an opportunity to learn autonomously, it was chosen as the teaching method in this research.The results of the questionnaire were analyzed through SPSS17.0. The results showed that self-efficacy, willingness to communicate, motivational intensity, desire to learn English and intergroup approach-avoidance tendency the five factors and group dynamics were positively correlated. Second, comparisons between the descriptive data of the five factors and group dynamics in pretest and posttest were carried out. The results showed that self-efficacy, willingness to communicate, motivational intensity, desire to learn English and intergroup approach-avoidance tendency these five factors and group dynamics all improved to some extent. Teacher questionnaire’s result could be concluded that legislative, judicial, global and liberal thinking styles contributed more to the teacher’s teaching style. Thus the teacher was supposed to like encouraging students to solve problems creatively, analyzing and evaluating during teaching. And she was considered to prefer overall tasks rather than rigid teaching tasks. This result went consistent with the results of classroom videotapes analysis of teacher’s teaching characteristics. According to current available research results and this research, the teacher’s teaching style and characteristics had advantages of prompting group dynamics, which was also supported by the interviews of teacher and students. These results can provide some references for further studies.Classroom observation was analyzed together with classroom videotapes. It was discovered that most students can collaborated with teacher well, and students’ performance became better and better one time after another. And for the performance of each group, there was a checklist sent out to the nine judges selected from the nine groups as the standards to give marks to each group. The result was that most groups’ marks were in an upward trend.Students’audiotapes of their preparation process were analyzed together with interviews. Comparing the total numbers of turns of each group in their preparations for each task, it was found that the total numbers of turns of each group increased to some extent from time to time. And in student interviews, most students expressed their affirmation of task-based language teaching and their enjoying of the communication during preparation. Most of them also expressed that they liked their group members and they really appreciated teacher’s advice. In teacher’s interview, the teacher told that she felt the performance of students became better and better and she also felt the importance of her recognitions and suggestions to students.At last, combining the results of questionnaires, videotapes, audiotapes and interviews, group five, eight and nine were selected out for a more detailed study. According to questionnaire’s results, group members of group five had the highest average growth for group dynamics while group eight and nine had the lowest. The results of videotapes also showed that group five would have improvements one presentation after another and their marks went higher and higher. Group five’s audiotapes also showed that they had much more and better communication. And the interview of the participant from group five also showed that group members of group five had a better relationship with each other and they could handle conflicts better and finish the tasks collectively. Compared with group five, group eight had lower marks in each of their presentation. And group eight’s videotapes and audiotapes showed that their communication quantity and each of their performance had no difference. And in the interview of group eight, they said that they felt their English was not so good, so every time they just did the job which was designed and distributed by their group leader. As for the detailed study of group nine, one thing need mentioning was the great conflict occurring during their communication, which made the group development go astray.Based on all of the above studies, it can be seen that self-efficacy, willingness to communicate, motivational intensity, desire to learn English and intergroup approach-avoidance tendency are surly positively correlated with group dynamics.In addition, task-based language teaching can greatly promote cooperation among students and motivate them to improve their learning, thus improving group dynamics. Finally, teachers are found playing significant roles in this process. Teacher’s reasonable and proper guidance will promote students’learning.