An Empirical Research Of Problem-based Teaching Of English Reading In Senior High School

As one of four basic skills of English,there is no doubt that reading is very important to every senior school student.With the new curriculum developing,the requirements that new curriculum standard gives English reading are higher and higher.English reading is gaining more and more importance,and English teachers have been trying their best to explore new methods for teaching reading.In this thesis,on the basis of constructivism,meaningful learning,educational theory of Dewey and lifelong education theory,the problem-based learning teaching method was applied to English reading teaching in senor school.The research subjects were seventy-four students of senior three from two parallel classes in Linfen NO.12 Middle School,Linfen,Shanxi province,and the research lasted for four months,from September 2015 to January 2016.Based on the three tools of tests,questionnaire and interview,integrating the qualitative and quantitative research methods,the paper attempted to address three questions: the first one was whether the PBT can improve significantly students' English reading scores;the second one was whether the PBT can increase students' critical thinking ability;the third one was whether the PBT can develop students' transfer ability of learning.The effect of the PBT on students' English reading scores was tested by the pre-tests and post-tests.The validity and reliability of the pre-tests and post-tests had been examined,the data from which can reflect the changes of students' grades in the EC before and after the experiment.Thus the effectiveness of PBT can be proved accurately.Based on the studies on critical thinking,the effect of the PBT on students' criticalthinking was tested by the questionnaire of students' critical thinking tendency.It was based on Chinese Version of Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory,which was short for CTDI-CV.It included seven dimensions,they are respectively reality,thought openness,analysis ability,systematic ability,self-confidence,curiosity and thought maturity.Through comparing two questionnaires before and after the experiment,the paper proved that PBT can increase students' critical thinking obviously.As for students' transfer ability of learning,the effect of the PBT on it was examined by the questionnaire of students' learning transfer ability.The questionnaire consisted of three dimensions: students' emotional attitude towards English learning,students' English cognitive structure and conscientiousness of transfer.Through analyzing the two questionnaires before and after the experiment,the paper testified that PBT can develop students' learning transfer ability.Through four months' experimental research,the research results have shown as follows: Firstly,PBT can improve students' English reading scores significantly.Though students' reading scores of the two classes have made progress,the experimental class were obviously higher than the control class.Comparing the pre-test with the post-test of the EC,we can see the students' grades improved greatly.Secondly,PBT can increase students' critical thinking ability,especially in five dimensions including reality,such as analysis ability,systematic ability,self-confidence and thought maturity,students in the EC have developed obviously in the EC.Thirdly,PBT can enhance students' transfer ability of learning in the three aspects of emotion and attitude,cognition structure and transfer consciousness.Though there are some deficiencies in this paper,the author believes that the results of the experimental research can still provide effective reference to improving students' English reading competence.