In April 2022, a new course called English Logic and Expression was implemented as part of the new national English language curriculum for all high school students. Compared to the course it replaces, English Expression, there is less focus on grammar, and students should improve their skills in giving speeches, doing presentations, having discussions, and doing debates.
 Based on my research of teaching practices during my studies in the TESOL graduate program at the University of Missouri, I concluded that using a Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach would be beneficial in order to facilitate the acquisition of the target skills. The structure of PBL also encourages student-centered learning, creating opportunities for students to become independent learners and improve collaboration skills.
The PBL cycle follows the steps:
1. Driving question
2. Inquiry
3. preparing a presentation
4. practicing public speaking
5. Giving the presentation
6. Reflecting on ways to improve

 In the first step, a driving question is introduced which should stimulate student interest and provide a common objective for whole-class inquiry and individual research. During the inquiry stage, students do activities based on the topic to practice the necessary English vocabulary and expressions and increase their knowledge about the topic. Students are arranged in groups of equal boys and girls and conduct all the activities with the same group until the end of the presentation. After the inquiry stage, students will decide on a specific topic to research and present to the class. Students must negotiate with their group members to divide their research into smaller topics, so they do not present the same content. After writing their speech, the group members will check each member’s speech and give advice about content or mistakes. Students also practice before the presentation in groups. After the presentation, students will reflect on how well they could do the presentation, how much time they spent preparing, and set goals for future presentations. This PBL cycle is repeated for each project that is completed in approximately 10 classes. Students will also have a midterm and final exam based on the content of the project.
 Facilitating student-centered learning is an important part of PBL. Students should be producing language based on their ideas, and they are encouraged to be creative when they choose their topics. Students should have choices during the project to encourage increased agency and self-regulation. Teachers should also give students opportunities to express their opinions about the class, and if possible make adjustments based on students’ opinions. In research, student-centered learning has been found to improve student engagement and motivation, and therefore improved learning outcomes.
 In January of 2023, I began classroom research in order to assess if the structure of PBL had contributed to increased engagement for my students. My research was submitted as my graduation thesis in April of 2023. During the 3rd term of the 2022 academic year, students were preparing a debate based on the topics generated by students. Students were also able to choose the topic they were most interested in.
 In order to collect data, I conducted a survey that was completely voluntary and anonymous. In addition, I analyzed engagement in classroom activities, and 3 students were interviewed to qualitatively and quantitatively assess engagement. Of the 54 students participating in the survey, 54% of students ranked the debate project as the most interesting, with the next most popular project ranked first at 30%. 48 out of 54 students said they felt doing a debate topic generated by students was an important factor for improving their motivation to complete the project. 60% of students chose PBL as their preferred style of learning, with 31% preferring short-term group work, and 9% preferring lecture-style instruction. In interviews, students commented that d group work effectively improved their English and made them more independent. Based on my research, I conclude that PBL is an effective method for improving student engagement.

質問：
One component of PBL is a public product, have you thought about presenting a project to an audience outside of your school?

回答：
I would like to do this, but the logistics are very difficult. Usually, we go to Hawaii for our school trip, where we do presentations for local schools. Unfortunately, the price has gone up too much, and we cannot go this year. Fortunately, one of the schools will visit us in October, so the second term project will focus on preparing for their visit.

質問：
How are you assessing students?

回答：
The midterm and final exams account for 100 points, homework is 50 points and 2 presentations are 50 points. Assessing speeches is very time-consuming, so the paper tests are mostly mark sheet-style tests. (I showed some of the rubrics I use for evaluating speeches and presentations.)