Action Research On Project-based Learning For Teaching English Writing In Senior High School

English writing teaching is both a major content of English learning and a vital means in English teaching in senior high schools. Effective writing teaching can not only develop students’writing skills, but also help them consolidate their English knowledge, and cultivate their capabilities of autonomous information processing and language competence. In addition, it is related to students’scores in National Matriculation English Test (NMET), as researches on the NMET over the past years indicate that NMET focuses on testing students’English competence, including basic writing skills. Comparison between the old and new standards for,English curriculum shows the latter are more demanding on English writing. In this context, senior high English teachers attach increasing importance to English writing teaching research and practice. Nevertheless, senior high English writing teaching is weak, and students are encountered with problems and obstacles, especially those in our school are relatively weak and passive in English writing, which is worth exploring in depth.The main contributor is traditional PPP (presentation, practice, and production) approach prevailing in current teaching. Due to the teacher-centered approach, students become passive recipients, whose subjectivity and cognitive factors and analytical and problem-solving capabilities are overlooked in the teaching process.The research is designed to validate the effectiveness and feasibility of the PBL in senior high English writing teaching, attempting to address the following questions:(1) To what extent can project-based learning change students’attitudes and perceptions towards English writing?(2) Is project-based learning effective in improving students’writing strategies?(3) Can students in the experimental class outperform their peers in the control class?The61subjects from two classes of the Grade1in Tsinghua Zhiqing High School were involved in the research carried out in the first term, with questionnaires used to survey the status quo of English writing teaching and the effect on students’ writing, and pre-test, mid-test, and post-test adopted to make comparative analysis.Compared with the PPP approach used in the control class, systematic and planned use of PBL can help the students in the experimental class become more motivated, confident, and interested, significantly change their attitudes and perceptions towards English writing, effectively enhance their English writing strategies, and improve their English writing competence.It is hoped that this research can facilitate English writing teaching research and practice, and better improve students’English writing.