Pedagogical Experiment PDF

7.
THE PEDAGOGICAL EXPERIMENT
7.1. Key Facts about the Pedagogical Experiment

The experiment was conducted during the 2010 – 2011 school year. The subject of the
experiment was form 7 D of „Adam Müller Guttenbrunn” Highschool in Arad. This class had a
total of 20 students, and, being a class that I taught English to since the first grade, I had the time
and opportunity to know the pupils quite well. The group of students participating in the research
was homogeneous as far as age, level of intellectual development and the environment of origin
are concerned. The class was able to perform certain tasks successfully depending on their nature
and difficulty or on the intellectual potential of students. The pupils helped each other because
they desired to achieve very good results. The experiment took place in the English Lab of
„Adam Müller Guttenbrunn” Highschool and I used different teaching materials: textbooks, the
seven novels in the ”Harry Potter“ series by J.K. Rowling, tapes, CDs, movies, charts,
worksheets, assessment sheets, tests.
I applied methods of teaching which were appropriate for learning and mastering the four
skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing and which led to an effective consolidation of the
concepts I taught. Relations of cooperation, communication and sympathy were also established
between the students who participated in the experiment. I used active and creative methods of
teaching that turned my students into co-participants in their training.
I chose to use two groups of students in my experiment. I divided form 7D into two
groups: the experimental group, where I used literary texts taken from the ”Harry Potter“ series
by J.K. Rowling and the control group, where I used standard seven-grade textbook texts. I
applied the before and after approach in my experiment, using a placement test before the
introduction of the progress factor and an achievement test in the conclusion stage of the
research. The experiment I conducted had three stages. The first stage was represented by
placement tests I administered both groups. This was an assessing stage in the experiment, aimed
at establishing the level of training of the students. The second stage was represented by two
progress tests I administered both groups. At this stage I introduced the progress factor and I
varied the conditions of teaching by using active methods, in addition to the other methods I
used, in order for my students to be able to better their reading skills on which the research was
focused. I observed that the study of literary texts brought about more cooperation among
students than the study of non-literary texts. The third stage of the experiment was represented
by achievement tests I administered both groups. I also performed a comparison of the results the
students obtained in order to assess the progress or regress of my pupils as far as their reading
skills were concerned.
7.2. Research Methods

Pedagogical research aims to improve the educational process, its organization forms, its
strategies, the means of education and the moral training of pupils today. The main stages of
pedagogical research are: problem formulation and the shaping of the hypothesis, the research
itself, the fundamental stage, which involves three main moments: the assembly and selection of
factual material, the processing of the selected material and the interpretation of results obtained
by processing, as well as the condensed retrospective conclusions of the paper content.1 In
carrying out educational research, a large number of methods are used: the observation method,
experimental methods, the statistical method, the method of equivalent groups, the assessment
method.
Method is defined as a system of rules or principles used in order not only to get to know,
but also to be able to transform reality. The method is the most active aspect of science that leads
the way to acquiring new knowledge. It is an order structure, a program which molds intellectual
and practical actions to achieve a goal.2 There are several types of methods: data research
methods, research team organising methods and statistical methods. Data research methods
include observation, experiment, investigation questionnaire, biographical investigation,
conversation, educational records and testing. Research organising methods aim to collect the
research results in a correct way in order to express the generality of the sample size by using
equivalent groups and group rotation. Statistical methods mathematically process data and
express scientific laws. The method is a procedural model that places the student in a learning
situation. It is very similar to scientific research because it aims at monitoring and discovering
the truth, then reporting the truth to more practical aspects of life. Insisting during the lesson on
activities that require students to make observations, comparisons, analysis, synthesis, to apply
knowledge in various real and imaginary situations to find, by repeated trials, the most
appropriate form of oral or written expression of ideas and feelings, is not a waste of time. Such
activities are examples of optimal communicative method use. I think I used the most effective
research methods in this experiment, which are: teacher observation, experiment teaching,
conversation and data processing. The basic method I used was the psychological and
pedagogical experiment in which I checked the hypothesis and developed generalizations for
improving the methods and techniques of teaching reading.
Experiment is an integrated research method that uses all the other research methods and
works according to a reasoning based on the following scheme: observation in order to
understand the phenomenon, hypothesis about the phenomenon, verifying the hypothesis through
data produced by experiments conducted by researchers, law formulated according to
experimental reasoning in the case given that the hypothesis has been verified.3 The experiment
does not involve the control of the situation in a global form, but in an analytical, precise
manner. Factors that participate in the teaching activity have to be controlled and data and results
have to be objectively recorded. The experiment consists of observing objects and phenomena in
a situation created by the observer. By using this method, the researcher can cause the studied
phenomenon or he may change the production conditions of the phenomena, depending on the
purpose.
The pedagogical experiment comprises three stages: the placement phase, the progress
phase and the assessment phase. My research observed the three stages of the experiment. The
placement stage spanned the period September the 13th 2010 October 1st 2010. At this stage I
applied a placement test to get to know the intellectual capacities of my pupils and to discover
their creative potential. In the ascertaining the stage I used oral, written and practical evaluation
tests. Through an initial assessment test at the beginning of seventh grade I was able to assess the
initial level of development of the students and their reading skills. The progress stage spanned
the period October 1st 2010 May the 13th 2011. During learning I have sought to improve the
working methodology by introducing modern teaching strategies to train the students in using
correct reading skills that are both coherent and expressive. Thus, I began to stimulate learning
1
Drăgan I., Nicola I.: Cercetarea psihopedagogică, Editura Tipomur, Târgu-Mure , 1995, p. 30
2
Dumitriu C.: Introducere în cercetarea psihopedagogică, Editura Didactică i Pedagogică, Bucure ti, 2004, p. 43
3
Stan L.: Psihopedagogie, Editura Spiru Haret, Ia i, 1994, p. 57
motivation, which constituted a progress factor in the experiment. I asked my students to solve a
great array of reading exercises on various literary and non-literary texts, following the
curriculum. Based on the results I adopted appropriate decisions for the organization of
differentiated activities, both with students who showed very good results and with students who
were diagnosed with knowledge gaps. The analysis of the results my students achieved in the
two progress tests gave me the opportunity to adopt differentiated teaching strategies in order to
improve my pupils’ future results. The final assessment stage spanned the period May the 13th
2011 June the 17th 2011. I applied the achievement test to record the progress and the
development of my students’ reading skills. The information I collected was processed,
interpreted and used to organise, conduct and optimize future educational activities.
In order to achieve the objectives I set for my research, I used the following methods:
observation, conversation, product analysis, evaluation tests and statistical techniques.
Observation4 is a research method that uses observation in an investigation. It consists of
the systematic and organized intuition of an object, phenomenon or process which is either
normally carried out or experimentally produced in order to achieve scientific knowledge
through which the subject of the experiment obtains direct information about the object of
reflection. The observation forms I used in my research were: basic observation, which focuses
on the behavioral manifestations of the others, continued observation, which takes place over a
period of time and integral observation, which captures all conduct manifestations. Using
observation, I watched as the students participated in classroom activity, as they followed,
appreciated and corrected the answers of their colleagues, as they took notes and how they
solved their homework assignments. I observed my students both individually and collectively
and I made sure to observe the following requirements: my observations had a clear goal, I chose
the setting and the time of my observations and stuck to them, I observed the facts in natural
conditions without being influenced by other factors, I noted the observation data immediately
without this activity being perceived by my pupils and I processed the data I obtained from
observation. In order for the data obtained to be as accurate as possible, the observation was
carried out systematically, the same observation being repeated in different situations. I tried to
check the data I obtained through several processes. I also noted only the significant data and
discarded the irrelevant details.
Conversation5 is a method defined in educational research as an oral survey conducted
with each subject separately, based on a questionnaire which is applied depending on the
particular circumstances of the case, stating all the answers and circumstances in the research
protocol. This method consists of a dialogue between the researcher and the subjects undergoing
investigation, in order to accumulate data and opinions about certain phenomena. Conversation
provides information for understanding the internal motives for students’ conduct, feelings,
interests, conflicts, prejudices, values and aspirations. This method also reveals the subjects’
attitudes towards other people – parents, siblings, peers, teachers, as well as the influence of
family and of the immediate social environment on the pupil. The biggest advantage of
conversation is that it allows a collection of varied and valuable information about the reasons of
the students’ actions in a relatively short time. Using conversation I gathered information on the
thinking skills of children, on their attitudes towards the given tasks, information I used in order
to understand the pupils’ internal reasons for behavior, preferences for certain disciplines, peer
relations, affective family climate and social environmental influences.
Product analysis6 is a method that provides information about the students’ mental
processes and about their personality traits through the way in which these personal
characteristics are reflected in their drawings, written works and homework. Pupils’ educational
achievement is mirrored in various documents such as their portfolios, their student cards or the
4
5
id. ibid., p. 47
6
class roll. These products bear the mark of both the special requirements of the educational
objectives, and of the pupils’ individual characteristics. I systematically corrected students’
notebooks throughout the whole year when the pedagogical experiment took place and I kept
track of students’ development and of their typical mistakes in order to act promptly to remove
them in time through corrective exercises. I checked and assessed written work such as work
sheets and test samples and I talked to my students about how they made these products,
appreciating them and giving them support to improve performance.
Tests7 are used to measure the capacity of pupils’ mental characteristics, to determine the
presence or absence of these mental characteristics, their degree of development and the
peculiarities of manifestation. The results obtained by applying tests must be correlated with the
results obtained by applying other methods and with the results obtained through practice.
Statistics8 is a method which supposes the processing, analysis, systematization and
interpretation of data obtained from measurements previously made.
Measurement9 is the operation which assigns numerical or quality values to the
characteristics studied in relation to the hypothesis, in relation to methods of information
gathering and in relation to the researched type of variable. Registration records the presence or
the absence of a particular behavioural peculiarity. Table data can be synthetically represented
onto a two axes system called the abscissa and the ordinate. Frequency, expressed either in
absolute numbers or in percentage, is represented along the vertical axis, the ordinate, from the
bottom to the top. Measurement intervals are represented from left to right along the horizontal
axis, the abscissa. The most common forms of graphical displays are: the histogram, the
frequency polygon and the pie chart.
The histogram10 is the graphical form in which the data series is represented in a two-
dimensional reference system by rectangles of different heights which are proportional to the
basic values of the series. The analytical tables11 record the individual results of the investigated
subjects, while the synthetic tables12 group together the measured data, disregarding the names of
the subjects. The frequency polygon13 is obtained by uniting the tops of the rectangles that make
up the histograms into a broken line. The pie chart14 is a graphic representation which consists of
a circle divided into sectors. The surface of each sector is proportional to the number or to the
frequency represented.
Following an experiment, a systematic observation or a collection of data that cannot be
examined by a simple visual inspection is obtained. A classification or an ordering procedure
must follow, allowing for the formulation of laws. Data processing consists in the ordering, the
systematization and the correlation of empirical data in order to come to a decision about the
significance of the data in relation to the proposed hypothesis. Primary data can be grouped
together in some centralized tables or it may be presented as diagrams. During data processing it
is necessary for the researcher to combine mathematical techniques with the quality analysis of
the material. Pedagogical research prioritises quality analysis, while statistical processing is
subordinated to the former.
7.3. The Procedure

Motivation, affect, will, attention and skills are conditions that determine all mental
processes and activities and they constitute together the series of non-intellective factors of the
learning process. These factors can produce either a beneficial effect, or a disruptive one. They
7
id. ibid., p. 52
8
id. ibid., p. 55
9
id. ibid., p. 56
10
Drăgan I., Nicola I.: Cercetarea psihopedagogică, Editura Tipomur, Târgu-Mure , 1995, p. 64
11
id. ibid., p. 65
12
id. ibid., p. 66
13
id. ibid., p. 67
14
id. ibid., p. 68
can also cause upheavals in the prognosis of the students’ school performance or on the score
pupils achieve.
The students’ efforts at improving their reading skills are based on motivation15, without
which nothing can be achieved. Reasons are the causes of our conduct. Achievement motivation
assumes a maximum intensity when the individual knows that his actions will be judged by a
standard. The desire to achieve success depends on the attractiveness of the performance. The
second factor that influences a person’s efforts is the difficulty of the task to be solved. Student
motivation is divided into two groups: extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. At the heart
of intrinsic motivation lie curiosity and the desire to learn more. Keeping this type of motivation
alive depends on the mastery of the teacher. The durability of the assimilated information also
depends on intrinsic motivation. The teacher must insist on intrinsic motivation because it is
motivation for knowledge and learning that determines the student to work towards meeting his
needs. The child becomes aware that he needs information, skills and techniques and he becomes
involved in searching for them, in order to shape his intellect in the desired direction. Pupils’
belief that what they have learned is a good thing acts as a strong internal stimulus for their
school activity. Extrinsic motivation for learning is reflected in marks, awards, fear of failure,
defeat and shame.
Will is a self-adjustment complex mental process, achieved by verbal means, which
consists of voluntary efforts taken in order to overcome obstacles and in order to attain a goal.16
The correlation between voluntary exercise capacity and obstacle causes effective achievement
of the purpose. Mismatch occurs either when the obstacle is overrated there is big voluntary
effort and goal achievement is reached with great energy consumption, fatigue and
dissatisfaction or when the obstacle is underestimated there is small voluntary effort which
leads to a failure in reaching the goal. It is necessary to identify the reasons for achieving the
goal and to verbalize the intention to reach the goal in order to trigger a mental plan of action. If
the child is aware of the obstacle and of the fact that he can overcome it, this may result in
mobilization and concentration of nervous energy. The value of the goal that has to be reached
determines will power.
When the student pays attention in class, it means that there was an initial interaction
between the thing the pupil is attentive to and the child. Attention17 is very important in the
learning process because a moment of inattention can make motivation impossible. The energy
which is brought about by attention is optimally selected and concentrated on the stimulus. When
the teacher can summon the students’ involuntary attention, it can lead to avoiding fatigue during
learning activities. Voluntary attention, however, which requires special voluntary effort is
intentional, consciously self-adjusting and of higher quality than involuntary attention. The
teaching process must take into account the forms of attention and the relations between them, as
well as attention qualities: volume, stability, concentration, distributivity and mobility.
Based on the results obtained in the placement stage that showed some gaps in students’
training, I designed and conducted a formative experiment in which the independent variable
was the use of active teaching methods and in which the dependent variable was the students’
academic performance in the English classes. The experiment sought to determine whether the
use of active teaching methods contribute to the efficiency of reading lessons and which aspects
of the lesson are more influenced by this practice: the volume and quality of knowledge, skill
solution, the ability to solve problems or creativity. I tried, wherever possible, to determine each
student to work on his own initiative, because he understands the need to perform the given
learning tasks, the need to take responsibility and initiatives, the need to go through with the
task.
15
Joi a E.: Pedagogie i elemente de psihologie colară, Editura Arves, Craiova, 2003, p. 90
16
id. ibid., p. 111
17
id. ibid., p. 123
7.4. Presenting, Analysing and Interpreting Data
Evaluation18 is a complex, integrated educational process that provides evidence of the
quantity and of the value of knowledge acquired at a given time, on a regular basis and providing
solutions to improve the teaching act. Evaluating pupils’ reading skills seeks to measure and
assess student progress in terms of skill training in receiving the message in various
communication situations, in the correct and appropriate use of the English language in the
production of oral and written messages in communication situations and in understanding the
written message of both literary and non-literary texts.
7.4.1. Analysing and Interpreting the Results of Placement Tests

During the placement stage19 which spanned the period September the 13th 2010
October 1st 2010, I applied a placement test to get to know the intellectual capacities of my
pupils and to discover their creative potential. Through an initial assessment test at the beginning
of the seventh grade I was able to assess the initial level of development of the students and their
reading skills.
The placement test I devised for the experimental group was centered on the reading-
comprehension of a literary text taken from the second novel of the ”Harry Potter“ series by J.K.
Rowling: ”Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets“, while the placement test I devised for the
control group, was centered on the reading-comprehension of a non-literary text taken from the
seven-grade textbook ”Snapshot“: ”A Circus with a Difference.“
”Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets“ by J. K. Rowling:
Harry and the Basilisk – Placement Test
«Harry was on his feet, ready. He could see the vast, bloody eye sockets, see the mouth
stretching wide, wide enough to swallow him whole, lined with fangs long as his sword, thin,
glittering, venomous. Harry raised the sword in both his hands. The basilisk lunged again, and
this time its aim was true. Harry threw his whole weight behind the sword and drove it to the hilt
into the roof of the serpent’s mouth. But as warm blood drenched Harry’s arms, he felt a searing
pain just above his elbow. One long, poisonous fang was sinking deeper and deeper into his arm
and it splintered as the basilisk keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, to the floor. Harry slid
down the wall. He gripped the fang that was spreading poison through his body and wrenched it
out of his arm. But he knew it was too late. White-hot pain was spreading slowly and steadily
from the wound.
“Fawkes,” said Harry thickly. “You were fantastic, Fawkes…”
He felt the bird lay its beautiful head on the spot where the serpent’s fang had pierced
him. He could hear echoing footsteps and then a dark shadow moved in front of him.
“You’re dead, Harry Potter,” said Riddle’s voice above him. “Dead. Even Dumbledore’s
bird knows it. Do you see what he’s doing, Potter? He’s crying.”
If this is dying, thought Harry, it’s not so bad. Even the pain was leaving him… But was
this dying? Instead of going black, the Chamber seemed to be coming back into focus. There was
Fawkes, still resting his head on Harry’s arm. A pearly patch of tears was shining all around the
wound, except that there was no wound.
“Phoenix tears…” said Riddle quietly, staring at Harry’s arm. “Of course… healing
powers… I forgot…” He looked into Harry’s face. “But it makes no difference. In fact, I prefer it
this way. Just you and me, Harry Potter… you and me…” He raised the wand…
In a rush of wings, Fawkes had soared back overhead and something fell into Harry’s lap
the diary. Then, without thinking, without considering, as though he had meant to do it all
along, Harry seized the basilisk fang on the floor next to him and plunged it straight into the
heart of the book. There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in
18
Dumitriu C.: Introducere în cercetarea psihopedagogică, Editura Didactică i Pedagogică, Bucure ti, 2004, p.
80
19
Vizental A.: Strategies of Teaching and Testing, Editura Orizonturi Universitare, Timi oara, 2003, p. 280
torrents, streaming over Harry’s hands, flooding the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting,
screaming and flailing and then he had gone.
Then came a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Ginny was stirring. As Harry
hurried towards her, she sat up. Her bemused eyes traveled from the huge form of the dead
basilisk, over Harry, in his blood-soaked robes, then to the diary in his hand. She drew a great,
shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face.»20
Students in the experimental group had to solve four exercises, each one marked 2.25
points.
1. Find synonyms for the following words in the text: ”fangs“, ”chamber“, ”look“,
”scream“, ”shake.“ ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
2. True or false? ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) Harry killed the basilisk.
b) Fawkes is an eagle.
c) The basilisk bit Harry’s leg.
d) Harry was saved by Fawkes.
e) Harry destroyed the diary.
3. Answer the following questions: ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) What kind of monster attacks Harry?
b) Who kills the basilisk?
c) Who saves Harry?
d) What pours out of the diary?
e) Who saves Ginny?
4. Prepare questions for an interview between a journalist and Ginny Weasley: ( 2.25
points in total)
Reporter: ”How old are you?“
Ginny: ”I’m almost twelve.“
Reporter: ”How did you come upon the diary?“
Test Results for the Experimental Group

The Synthetic Table
Mark 6 7 8 9 10
No. of Students 1 3 1 2 4
Percentage 10% 20% 10% 20% 40%
The Analytical Table

No. Name Mark
1. B.A. 7
2. F.C. 6
3. G.M. 10
4. H.R. 8
5. I.D. 7
6. I.R. 9
7. L.O. 9
8. O.I. 10
9. R.A. 10
20
Rowling J. K.: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Scholastic Paperbacks, 2000, p. 149
10. T.V. 10
Based on both the synthetic and the analytical table I devised the histogram, the
frequency polygon and the pie chart displaying the results students in the experimental group
achieved in the placement test.
The histogram
The frequency polygon
The pie chart

”Snapshot Pre-Intermediate“: A Circus with a Difference – Placement Test
«If you mention the circus to most people, they think of animals which are made to do
tricks and are kept in cages. The ”Cirque du Soleil“ is very different. The performers are not
animals. They are all human.
Audiences everywhere are enthralled by the performers at ”Cirque du Soleil.“ These
amazing acrobats do more than just swing on trapezes: they bungee jump; they swing up, down
and around Chinese poles and they contort their bodies in amazing ways. People come from far
and wide to see the show.
”Cirque du Soleil“ began in 1984 when two French-Canadian street-performers, Gilles
Ste-Croix, a stilt-walker, and Guy Laliberte, a fire-eater, decided to form a circus without
animals. They made up a troupe with people from all over the world. Tight-wire artist Wang
Jing-min is Chinese, Rene Bazinet is a clown from Germany and the Lorador brothers, who do a
brilliant hand-balancing act, are from Portugal. During the performance of the current show, nine
different languages are spoken backstage.
For the show’s young performers the circus is their life. Lauren Racine, a seventeen-year-
old French girl, is a contortionist who has been in the circus since the age of eleven. Her mother
used to travel with the circus as a wardrobe assistant when Laurence first started, but now
Laurence is on her own. Laurence misses her family, but she has made many friends in the
circus. ”We are like a big friendly family because we grew up together. We train together,
perform together, even eat together and share rooms. It’s all very intense.“
Laurence performs an amazing acrobatic act with three other girls. ”It may look simple,“
says Laurence, ”but we have practised for six years to get it absolutely right. In the circus you
won’t succeed unless you are both physically and mentally strong.“
Laurence, who looks younger than her seventeen years, is not excluded from education or
exams. In fact she has school lessons for six hours a day. ”But I feel that I have grown up very
fast in the circus. Friends at home who are the same age as me are waiting for their lives to
begin, but I feel that I have already done a lot with my life. I’ve travelled all over the world and
I’m doing something I really enjoy. I wouldn’t want to do anything else, even if I had the chance.
My life may not appear normal to other teenagers but it’s normal to me and I love it.“»21
Students in the control group had to solve four exercises, each one marked 2.25 points.
1. Find synonyms for the following words and expressions in the text: ”tricks“, ”poles“,
”from far and wide“, ”performer“, ”the show.“ ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
2. Correct the sentences about the text: ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) ”Cirque du Soleil“ was founded in 1986.
b) The tight-wire artist is French.
c) Rene Bazinet is a fire-eater.
d) Guy Laliberte does a hand-balancing act.
e ) Laurence has been with the circus for twenty years.
3. A n s w e r t h e the following questions: ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) Who were the founders of ”Cirque du Soleil“?
b) Where do they come from?
c) What is the unique feature of the circus?
d) What does Laurence Racine do?
e ) Who with?
4. Write a letter to a friend describing Laurence Racine’s life with the circus: ( 2.25 points
in total)
Dear Joanne,
I have just met a very interesting person. She’s a circus star. At the moment she....
21
Abbs B., Freebairn I., Barker C.: Snapshot Pre-Intermediate – 7th grade – Students’ Book, Longman, London,
2001, p. 88
Test Results for the Control Group
No. Name Mark
1. B.S. 7
2. B.R. 4
3. C.C. 7
4. G.V. 4
5. G.D. 5
6. H.S. 6
7. K.I. 9
8. L.A. 10
9. R.I. 8
10. R.M. 6
The Synthetic Table

Mark 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No. of Students 2 1 2 2 1 1 1
Percentage 20% 10% 20% 20% 10% 10% 10%
frequency polygon and the pie chart displaying the results students in the control group achieved
in the placement test.
The histogram
The pie chart

The Synthetic Table Containing the Results Achieved by Students in Both Groups in the
Placement Test
Placement Test Marks 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No. of Students in the Experimental Group 0 0 1 2 1 2 4
Percentage of Students in the Experimental Group 0% 0% 10% 20% 10% 20% 40%
No. of Students in the Control Group 2 1 2 2 1 1 1
Percentage of Students in the Control Group 20% 10% 20% 20% 10% 10% 10%
The Diagram Containing the Results Achieved by Students in Both Groups in the
Placement Test
Analyzing the results included in the tables I found out that the data reflected in the tables
horizontally gives clear information about the performance of each student, about his knowledge,
but also his weaknesses, while the data reflected in the tables vertically presents the percentage
out of the total number of students who have obtained the same mark on the test.
In the placement test two students from the control group failed to solve the test and got a
four. With these students I worked differently than with the rest of the group, applying a
recovery program for their level.
I permanently supervised the students’ intense self-training by using the textbook,
collections of exercises and additional literature reading the seven novels in the ”Harry Potter“
series by J.K. Rowling in the teaching process. The effects of the actions I took following the
analysis of the results my pupils achieved in the placement tests led to better results in the
progress tests. The use of progress tests has some advantages: they are a fast self-evaluation tool,
superficiality can be avoided if they are constantly used because the rigor, the brevity and the
concrete nature of thought processes result in a more serious mobilisation of mental processes:
attention, will and logical thinking. I further supervised the development of my students’ reading
skills from placement to progress and finally to achievement tests, paying more attention to
pupils who achieved poorer results in these tests. They were helped by applying recovery plans
and were evaluated using several methods and evaluation techniques. If students are stimulated,
their motivation to learn English will increase. This growth is illustrated by further increasing in
school performance.
7.4.2. Analysing and Interpreting the Results of Progress Tests

During the progress stage which spanned the period October 1st 2010 May the 13th
22
2011, I applied two progress tests . The results my pupils achieved in these tests gave me the
opportunity to adopt differentiated teaching strategies, both with students who showed very good
results and with students who were diagnosed with knowledge gaps, in order to improve my
pupils’ future results. I have sought to improve the students’ reading skills, by stimulating
learning motivation, which constituted a progress factor in the experiment. I asked my students
to solve a vast selection of reading exercises on various literary and non-literary texts, following
the curriculum.
The first progress test I devised for the experimental group, was centered on the reading-
comprehension of a literary text taken from the fourth novel of the ”Harry Potter“ series by J.K.
Rowling: ”Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire“, while the first progress test I devised for the
seven-grade textbook ”Snapshot“: ”Smuggling in Cornwall.“
”Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire“ by J. K. Rowling:
Harry Witnesses the Resurrection of the Dark Lord – Progress Test 1
«”Did anyone tell you the cup was a Portkey?“ Cedric asked.
”No,“ said Harry. He was looking around the graveyard. It was completely silent and
slightly eerie. ”Is this supposed to be part of the task? Someone’s coming,“ he said suddenly.
Squinting tensely through the darkness, they watched the figure drawing nearer, walking
steadily toward them between the graves. Harry saw that the thing in the person’s arms looked
like a baby... And then, without warning, Harry’s scar exploded with pain. His wand slipped
from his fingers as he put his hands over his face; his knees buckled; he was on the ground and
he could see nothing at all; his head was about to split open.
From far away, above his head, he heard a high, cold voice say, ”Kill the spare.“
A second voice screeched the words to the night: ”Avada Kedavra!“
A blast of green light blazed through Harry’s eyelids, and he heard something heavy fall
to the ground beside him; terrified of what he was about to see, he opened his stinging eyes.
Cedric was lying spread-eagled on the ground beside him. He was dead.
The short man in the cloak had put down his bundle, lit his wand, and was dragging
Harry towards the marble headstone. Harry saw the name upon it before he was forced around
and slammed against it: Tom Riddle. The cloaked man was now conjuring tight cords around
Harry, tying him from neck to ankles to the headstone. Wormtail pulled open the robes on the
ground, revealing what was inside them, and Harry let out a yell. The thing had the shape of a
crouched human child, except that Harry had never seen anything less like a child. It was hairless
and scaly-looking, dark, raw, reddish, black. Its arms and legs were thin and feeble, and its face
was flat and snakelike, with gleaming red eyes. And then Wormtail lowered the creature into the
cauldron; there was a hiss, and it vanished below the surface. Wormtail was speaking. He raised
his wand, closed his eyes, and spoke to the night.
”Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son! Flesh of the servant,
willingly given, you will revive your master. Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will
resurrect your foe.“
22
Harry could do nothing to prevent it, he was tied too tightly. He saw the shining silver
dagger shaking in Wormtail’s remaining hand. He felt its point penetrate the crook of his right
arm and blood seeping down the sleeve of his torn robes. And then, suddenly, the sparks
emanating from the cauldron were extinguished. A surge of white steam billowed thickly from
the cauldron instead, obliterating everything in front of Harry, so that he couldn’t see Wormtail
or Cedric or anything but vapor hanging in the air... But then, through the mist in front of him, he
saw, with an icy surge of terror, the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin, rising slowly
from inside the cauldron.
”Robe me,“ said the high, cold voice from behind the steam, and Wormtail, sobbing and
moaning, still cradling his mutilated arm, scrambled to pick up the black robes from the ground,
got to his feet, reached up, and pulled them over his master’s head.
The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, staring at Harry... and Harry stared back into
the face that had haunted his nightmares for three years: whiter than a skull, with wide, livid
scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snake’s with slits for nostrils. Lord Voldemort had risen
again.»23
points.
1. Find synonyms for the following words in the text: ”silent“, ”eerie“, ”figure“, ”to
buckle“, ”to kill.“ ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
2. Choose the correct variant: ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) ………………………. told Harry and Cedric that the cup was a Portkey.
Professor Dumbledore Professor McGonagall nobody
b) The killing curse is ……………………….:
Avada Kedavra! Imperio! Crucio!
c) The killing curse emits a ………………………. light.
red yellow green
d) Harry was bound to a ……………………….
chair headstone pole
e) Wormtail cut out his own ……………………….
hand leg ear
3. Write questions for these answers: ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) A figure was walking steadily towards them between the graves.
b) Kill the spare!
c) Wormtail took blood from Harry’s arm.
d) Steam was rising from the cauldron.
e) Lord Voldemort had risen again.
4. Prepare questions for an interview between a journalist and Harry Potter: ( 2.25 points
in total)
Reporter: ”You’re the famous Harry Potter, aren’t you? “
Ginny: ”Yes, I am.“
Reporter: ” When did you notice that something was wrong in the tournament?“

The Synthetic Table
Mark 7 8 9 10
No. of Students 1 3 3 3
Percentage 10% 30% 30% 30%
23
Rowling J. K.: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Scholastic Paperbacks, 2002, p. 282
No. Name Mark
1. B.A. 8
2. F.C. 7
3. G.M. 9
4. H.R. 8
5. I.D. 8
6. I.R. 9
7. L.O. 10
8. O.I. 10
9. R.A. 9
10. T.V. 10
achieved in the first progress test.
The histogram
The pie chart

”Snapshot Pre-Intermediate“: Smuggling in Cornwall – Progress Test 1
«Smuggling is not a new crime. People have been smuggling goods for hundreds of
years. Between 1700 and 1850 smuggling was particularly common in the south-west of England
round the rocky coasts of Devon and Cornwall because that part of the country was such a good
place for smugglers to hide and avoid capture. In those days the contraband goods used to be
things like tea, tobacco, wine and brandy, silk and lace and even playing cards. The goods were
smuggled into the country to avoid paying customs duty on them.
There are many stories about the different ways in which contraband goods were
disguised to trick the customs officers. For example, balls of tobacco were covered with dirt to
look like potatoes, which smugglers could hide in different places on the boat. Tobacco was also
brought ashore by bootleggers inside their sea boots. Brandy was put into small barrels and
hidden in top hats. On one occasion customs officers found fifty pairs of silk stockings and nine
silk scarves carefully hidden in twelve toy horses.
As soon as they were on the beach, smuggled goods used to disappear like magic. They
were either hidden in caves for transport later, or taken inland immediately by horse and cart.
The smugglers trained the horses to obey the opposite command if they were stopped by the
customs officers. So, when an officer said, ”Stop!“ to the horse, it galloped away as fast as
possible. What’s more, the horses were sometimes covered with grease and were so slippery that
the customs officers couldn’t catch them.
Smuggling was thought to be such a serious crime that, when smugglers were arrested,
they were often transported by ship to prisons on the other side of the world in Australia.»24
1. Guess the meaning of these words: ”goods“, ”to capture“, ”to disguise“, ”to
command“, ”to transport.“ ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) The rocky coast of south-west England was ideal for smuggling.
b) Smuggling declined in England after 1850.
c) People only smuggled tobacco and brandy.
d) Smugglers made balls of tobacco which looked like potatoes.
e) Smugglers used specially trained horses to trick the customs officers.
3. Continue the sentences using bits of information from the text: ( 0.45 points per item,
2.25 points in total)
a) People have been smuggling goods for ……………………….
b) The goods were smuggled into the country to ……………………….
c) Tobacco was brought ashore by bootleggers ……………………….
d) Brandy was put into small barrels and ……………………….
24
2001, p. 92
e) Smuggled goods were either hidden in caves or ……………………….
4. Write a paragraph on ”Smuggling Today.“ Use the following guidelines: ( 2.25 points in
total)
How common is smuggling today?
What sort of things do people smuggle?
Is it a serious crime?
What are the problems involved in catching smugglers today?

No. Name Mark
1. B.S. 8
2. B.R. 5
3. C.C. 9
4. G.V. 6
5. G.D. 6
6. H.S. 7
7. K.I. 7
8. L.A. 10
9. R.I. 8
10. R.M. 7
The Synthetic Table

Mark 5 6 7 8 9 10
No. of Students 1 2 3 2 1 1
Percentage 10% 20% 30% 20% 10% 10%
in the first progress test.
The histogram

The pie chart
During the progress stage, which spanned the period October 1st 2010 May the 13th
2011, I measured and assessed students’ reading achievement. My actions helped them to
progress and improve their training. During the teaching of English classes I used methods that
were appropriate for training and developing students’ intellectual skills, so as to obtain
performance and remove knowledge gaps.
The marks the students in the experimental group achieved in the placement test were
average: one student got a six, two students got a seven, one student got an eight, two students
got a nine and four students got a ten. Academic progress was evident when analysing the results
students in the experimental group achieved in the first progress test: the lowest mark was seven,
not six as in the previous test. One student got a seven, three students got an eight, three students
got a nine and three students got a ten. The situation of students in the control group was similar
to the situation of students in the experimental group. In the placement tests two students in the
control group failed the test and got a four, one student got a five, two students got a six, two
students got a seven, one student got an eight, one student got a nine and one student got a ten.
They performed better in the first progress test, which demonstrates the fact that increasing
student learning motivation brings about improved results. Everybody was able to solve the first
progress test successfully, which means that the lowest mark in the control group was five, not
four as in the previous test: one student got a five, two students got a six, three students got a
seven, two students got an eight, one student got a nine and one student got a ten.
The second progress test I devised for the experimental group, was centered on the
reading-comprehension of a literary text taken from the seventh novel of the ”Harry Potter“
series by J.K. Rowling: ”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows “, while the second progress test I
devised for the control group, was centered on the reading-comprehension of a non-literary text
taken from the seven-grade textbook ”Snapshot“: ”Stowaway.“
”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows“ by J. K. Rowling:
Harry Dies – Progress Test 2
«Voldemort had raised his wand. Harry looked back into the red eyes, and wanted it to
happen now, quickly, while he could still stand, before he lost control, before he betrayed fear.
He saw the mouth move and a flash of green light, and everything was gone.
Harry lay face down, listening to the silence. He stood up, looking around. Albus
Dumbledore was walking towards him, sprightly and upright.
”Harry.“ He spread his arms wide. ”You wonderful boy. You brave, brave man.“
”But you’re dead,“ said Harry.
”Oh yes,“ said Dumbledore matter-of-factly.
”Then… I’m dead, too?“
”That is the question, isn’t it? On the whole, dear boy, I think not.“
”Not?“ repeated Harry.
”Not,“ said Dumbledore.
”But I should have died I didn’t defend myself! I meant to let him kill me!“
”And that,“ said Dumbledore, ”will, I think, have made all the difference.“
”Explain,“ said Harry.
”But you already know,“ said Dumbledore.
”I let him kill me,“ said Harry. ”So the part of his soul that was in me… has it gone?“
”Oh yes!“ said Dumbledore. ”Yes, he destroyed it. Your soul is whole, and completely
your own, Harry.“
”But if Voldemort used the Killing Curse,“ Harry started again, ”and nobody died for me
this time, how can I be alive?“
”I think you know,“ said Dumbledore. ”Think back. Remember what he did.“
”He took my blood,“ said Harry.
”Precisely!“ said Dumbledore. ”He took your blood and rebuilt his living body with it!
Your blood in his veins, Harry, Lily’s protection inside both of you! You were the seventh
Horcrux, Harry, the Horcrux he never meant to make. He had rendered his soul so unstable that
it broke apart when he committed those acts of unspeakable evil, the murder of your parents, the
attempted killing of a child. He left part of himself latched to you, the would-be victim who had
survived. He took your blood believing it would strengthen him. He took into his body a tiny part
of the enchantment your mother laid upon you when she died for you. His body keeps her
sacrifice alive, and while that enchantment survives, so do you and so does Voldemort’s one last
hope for himself.“
”Tell me one last thing,“ said Harry, ”Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my
head?“
”Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it
is not real?“
He was lying face down on the ground again. Every inch of him ached, and the place
where Killing Curse had hit him felt like the bruise of an iron-clad punch. He did not stir, but he
remained exactly where he had fallen, with his left arm bent out at an awkward angle and his
mouth gaping. He had expected to hear cheers of triumph and jubilation at his death, but instead
hurried footsteps, whispers, and solicitous murmurs filled the air.»25
points.
1. Find synonyms for the following words in the text: ”quickly“, ”fear“, ”silence“,
”brave“, ”soul.“ ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
2. Correct the sentences about the text: ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) Voldemort had lowered his wand.
b) He saw the mouth move and a flash of red light, and everything was gone.
c) Harry lay face down, listening to the noise.
25
Rowling J. K.: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Scholastic Paperbacks, 2009, p. 234
d) I didn’t let him kill me.
e) He took into his body a large part of the enchantment your mother laid upon you when
she died for you.
3. Match the questions and the answers: ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) Are you dead?
b) Then, am I dead, too?
c) So, the part of his soul that was in me is gone?
d) But if Voldemort used the Killing Curse, how can I be alive?
e) Has this been happening inside my head?
A) I think not.
B) Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry.
C) I think you know.
D) Oh, yes.
E) Yes, he destroyed it.
4. Write a letter, as Harry, to a friend describing your near death experience: ( 2.25 points
in total)
Dear Hermione,
I have just had the strangest experience of my life. I was dead. I was surely dead and then…

No. Name Mark
1. B.A. 9
2. F.C. 8
3. G.M. 10
4. H.R. 9
5. I.D. 9
6. I.R. 10
7. L.O. 9
8. O.I. 10
9. R.A. 10
10. T.V. 10
The Synthetic Table

Mark 8 9 10
No. of Students 1 4 5
Percentage 10% 40% 50%
achieved in the second progress test
The histogram
The pie chart
”Snapshot Pre-Intermediate“: Stowaway – Progress Test 2

«A seventeen-year-old deaf-and-dumb schoolboy has become a household name in his
home country of Russia. Roman Venkov, who can only communicate by sign language, claims
that for two years he travelled to seventeen countries without a passport or money.
One night two years ago, Roman quietly left his home in St Petersburg. He didn’t tell
his mother that he was going, and he had no money. He wanted to see the world. First he
travelled south across Russia to the Black Sea and stowed away on a boat to Turkey. Then he
travelled to Greece and from there through Europe to the Belgian coast, from where he stowed
away on a ferry across the Channel to Dover in England.
When the British police arrested him, Roman told them in sign language that his name
was Michael and that he was English. ”They sent me to a family in Liverpool,“ says Roman.
”The mother could speak sign language because her parents were both deaf and dumb. She
looked after me and I was very happy.“
However, at the age of sixteen, the British social services sent him to a special school for
orphans. He hated this school and hitchhiked back to Dover. Here he secretly got on a train
which took him through the Channel Tunnel to France. In France he begged for money on the
streets to survive. In Spain he persuaded the Brazilian consul that he was Brazilian and was
called Jose Rio Branco! The consul gave Roman a passport and paid his air fare to Rio de
Janeiro. ”But Brazil did not feel like home so I moved on.“ This time he went by boat to
Colombia, then to Panama and, finally, to his seventeenth country, Venezuela.
By now Roman was feeling homesick. Some Russian people told their consul about him.
The consul discovered that he came from St Petersburg and agreed to pay for his flight to
Moscow. Two years after leaving St Petersburg, Roman was safely home. Since his return, he
has appeared on TV and given newspaper interviews about his remarkable journey.
The Russian authorities have been discussing whether they should punish him but they
probably won’t. ”He hasn’t actually been on a luxury cruise, has he? In fact his life has been
quite hard,“ said one official. Roman says, ”I know I’ve done wrong and I’m not going to run
away again. I have to settle down now and do some school work. But at least I’ve seen what life
is like abroad. There are no great surprises.“»26
1. Explain the meaning of these words and expressions: ”deaf-and-dumb“, ”a household
name“, ”to travel“, ”to stow away“, ”ferry.“ ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
2. A n s w e r t h e f o l l o w i n g q u e s t i o n s : ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
a) Why was Roman’s journey extraordinary?
b) Why did he like Liverpool?
c) How did he live in France?
d) What has been doing since he returned home?
e) What have the Russian authorities decided to do about him?
3. Fill-in a chart containing the personal information about the main character in the text,
Roman Venkov: ( 0.45 points per item, 2.25 points in total)
Name:
Age:
Country of origin:
Mother tongue:
Visited countries:
4. Imagine Roman has just arrived back home in Russia. Write a short
i n t e r v i e w w i t h h i m i n t h e f o r m o f a d i a l o g u e : ( 2.25 points in total)
Reporter: ” You’ve just returned from Venezuela, haven’t you?“
Roman: ” That’s right.“
Reporter: ” Tell me about your trip. When did you leave Russia?“

No. Name Mark
1. B.S. 9
2. B.R. 6
3. C.C. 10
4. G.V. 7
5. G.D. 7
6. H.S. 8
7. K.I. 9
8. L.A. 10
26
2001, p. 60, p. 61
9. R.I. 9
10. R.M. 8
The Synthetic Table

Mark 6 7 8 9 10
No. of Students 1 2 2 3 2
Percentage 10% 20% 20% 30% 20%
in the second progress test.
The histogram
The pie chart
Progress Tests
Progress Test Marks 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No. of Students in the Experimental Group – 1st 0 0 0 1 3 3 3
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Control Group – 1st 0 1 2 3 2 1 1
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Experimental Group – 2nd 0 0 0 0 1 4 5
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Control Group – 2nd 0 0 1 2 2 3 2
Progress Test
Progress Tests
I noticed a marked improvement in my students’ results when I compared their marks in

the first and the second progress test. As it can be seen from the table above, after persistent use
of communicative teaching methods in the English classes, pupils in both the experimental and
the control group achieved better results in their second progress test than in the first one or in
the placement test. The marks of students in the experimental group were higher for the second
progress test than for the first one. The lowest mark for the second progress test was eight, not
seven as in the previous test. One student from the experimental group got an eight in the second
progress test, four students got a nine and five students got a ten. The situation of students in the
control group was similar to the situation of students in the experimental group: the lowest mark
for the second progress test was six, not five as in the previous test. One student from the control
group got a six in the second progress test, two students got a seven, two students got an eight,
three students got a nine and two students got a ten. This demonstrates that the students’
motivation for learning increased and so did their reading skills. I believe that this progress is
due to the use of active methods in teaching English and to the fact that the ameliorative
measures I took in the progress stage were effective.
7.4.3. Analysing and Interpreting the Results of Achievement Tests

The final assessment stage, which spanned the period May the 13th 2011 June the 17th
2011, was meant to be a review of the whole teaching process and was designed to situate
students in relation to the hypothesis, in order to certify that the objectives have been achieved.
The achievement test27 I devised for the experimental group was centered on the reading-
comprehension of a literary text taken from the last novel of the ”Harry Potter“ series by J.K.
Rowling: ” Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows“, while the achievement test I devised for the
seven-grade textbook ”Snapshot“: ” The Boy Who Was Taught to Talk by Dolphins.“
” Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows “ by J. K. Rowling:
Harry and his Family Nineteen Years Later Achievement Test
«Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first of September was
crisp as an apple, and as the little family bobbed across the rumbling road toward the great sooty
station, the fumes of car exhausts and the breath of pedestrians sparkled like cobwebs in the cold
air. Two large cages tattled on top of the laden trolleys the parents were pushing; the owls inside
them hooted indignantly, and the redheaded girl trailed fearfully behind her brothers, clutching
her father’s arm.
”It won’t be long, and you’ll be going too,“ Harry told her.
”Two years,“ sniffed Lily. ”I want to go now!“
”I won’t! I won’t be a Slytherin!“, cried Albus.
”James, give it a rest!“, said Ginny.
”I only said he might be,“ said James, grinning at his younger brother. ”There’s nothing
wrong with that. He might be in Slytherin.“
”You’ll write to me, won’t you?“ Albus asked his parents.
”Every day, if you want us to“, said Ginny.
”Not every day,“ said Albus quickly, ”James says most people only get letters from home
about once a month.“
”We wrote to James three times a week last year,“ said Ginny.
”And you don’t want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts,“ Harry put in.
”He likes a laugh, your brother.“
”See you at Christmas.“
”Bye, Al,“ said Harry as his son hugged him. ”Don’t forget Hagrid’s invited you to tea
next Friday. Don’t mess with Peeves. Don’t duel anyone till you’ve learned how. And don’t let
James wind you up.“
”What if I’m in Slytherin?“
The whisper was for his father alone, and Harry knew that only the moment of departure
could have forced Albus to reveal how great and sincere that fear was. Harry crouched down so
that Albus’s face was slightly above his own. Alone of Harry’s three children, Albus had
inherited Lily’s green eyes.
”Ablus Severus,“ Harry said quietly, so that nobody but Ginny could hear, and she was
tactful enough to pretend to be waving to Rose, who was now on the train, ”you were named for
two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man
I ever knew.“
”But just say “
” then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won’t it? It doesn’t matter
to us, Al. But if it matters to you, you’ll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting
Hat takes your choice into account.“
”Really?“
”It did for me,“ said Harry.
He had never told any of his children that before, and he saw the wonder in Albus’s face
when he said it. Albus jumped into the carriage and Ginny closed the door behind him. The train
began to move and Harry walked alongside it, watching his son’s thin face, already ablaze with
excitement. Harry kept smiling and waving, even though it was like a little bereavement,
watching his son glide away from him…
27
”He’ll be alright,“ murmured Ginny.
As Harry looked at her, he lowered his hand absentmindedly and touched the lightning
scar on his forehead. ”I know he will.“
The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.»28
Students in the experimental group had to solve six exercises, each one marked 1.5
points.
1. Find synonyms for the following words in the text: ”autumn“, ”suddenly“, ”crisp“,
”road“, ”to grin.“ ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5 points in total)
a) Albus and James’s pets are cats.
b) Lily isn’t old enough to go to Hogwarts yet.
c) Albus doesn’t want to be sorted into Slytherin House.
d) Albus has blue eyes.
e) The scar had not pained Harry for twenty years.
3. Continue the sentences using bits of information from the text: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5
points in total)
a) You’ll write to me, ……………………….
b) James says most people only get letters from home ……………………….
c) Harry knew that only the moment of departure could have forced Albus to reveal
……………………….
d) Alone of Harry’s three children, Albus had inherited ……………………….
e) The scar had not pained Harry ……………………….
4. Match the quotation to the character: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5 points in total)
a) ”Two years … I want to go now!“
b) ”I won’t! I won’t be a Slytherin!“
c) ”We wrote to James three times a week last year. “
d) ”Don’t duel anyone till you’ve learned how.“
e) ”The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account.“
5. Fill in the gaps with the missing information about the text: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5
points in total)
The weather was ………………………. that September morning when Harry and his
wife ………………………. took their ………………………. children to the
………………………. They were preparing to leave for school and the ……………………….
were full of luggage.
6. Write a letter home from school, as Albus Severus, describing how you’ve settled in at
Hogwarts: (1.5 points in total)
Dear mum and dad,
I have just arrived at Hogwarts and I have already made some friends on the train ride. Guess
what? You were right, dad. I was sorted into Gryffindor House. When the Sorting Hat was put
on my head…

No. Name Mark
1. B.A. 9
2. F.C. 9
3. G.M. 10
4. H.R. 9
28
Rowling J. K.: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Scholastic Paperbacks, 2009, p. 605
5. I.D. 9
6. I.R. 10
7. L.O. 10
8. O.I. 10
9. R.A. 10
10. T.V. 10
The Synthetic Table

Mark 9 10
No. of Students 4 6
Percentage 40% 60%
achieved in the achievement test.
The histogram
The pie chart

”Snapshot Pre-Intermediate“: The Boy Who Was Taught to Talk by Dolphins
– Achievement Test
«For young Nikki Brice, the daily swimming sessions with the dolphins in a pool in
Florida, USA, were simply part of a fun holiday with his family. But the real purpose was to see
if swimming with dolphins could motivate him to talk.
When N i k k i w a s b o r n , h e w a s starved of o x y g e n . A l l h i s l i f e h e h a d
n e v e r s p o k e n a w o r d , e v e n t h o u g h h e had the physical a b i l i t y t o s p e a k . A l l t h e
t e c h n i q u e s w h i c h w e r e t r i e d i n B r i t a i n h a d failed, s o e v e n t u a l l y , i n
desperation, Tabitha, h i s m o t h e r , t o o k h i m t o the d o l p h i n p o o l i n F l o r i d a t o g e t
him to talk.
Tabitha Brice from Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, flew to Florida
with Nikki after raising £10,500 with the help of family, frie nds a nd
celeb rities. Nikki was give n a c omb ination of conventional speech thera py
and daily forty-minute swimming se ssions in a pool with a team of eight
dolphins. After just three days of the seve nteen-day treatment at the
Dolphin Human Therapy Centre in Miami, Nikki spoke his first magic
word.
It was one marvellous morning that the breakthrough came. Nikki’s
mother was taking him out of the pool when he firmly grabbed her hand,
pointed to the dolphins in the pool and said: ”In.“
”He was telling us that he wanted to get back in the water,“ said
Mrs. Brice. ”We just stood there in shock because it was so unexpected.“
Since that first word, Nikki has gone from strength to strength, and has
spoken other words like ”please“ and ”duck.“
Doctors at the Miami centre say they are very pleased that Nikki
HAS s p o k e n s o s o o n a f t e r s t a r t i n g h i s t r e a t m e n t . A s p e e c h t h e r a p i s t i n
London said that this kind of treatment would not repair any brain damage
but if a child was suffering from lack of confidence, swimming with
dolphins might help.
Before Nikki’s breakthrough, Mrs. Brice said that they had only
heard about, but not seen, children getting better. ”I had never expected
Nikki to make such good progress so quickly but now we are seeing it
before our e yes. I’m hoping that his next words will be «He llo Mum!»
There is something magical that happens between children and dolphins,
s o m e t h i n g I d o n ’ t t h i n k w e w i l l e v e r f u l l y u n d e r s t a n d . “ » 29
1. Find synonyms for the following words in the text: ”methods“, ”usual“, ”to seize“,
”surprising“, ”to mend“ ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5 points in total)
29
2001, p. 116
2. Choose the correct variant: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5 points in total)
a) When Nikki was born, he was starved of ……………………….
nutrients oxygen blood
b) His mother took him to ………………………. for therapy.
Florida California Texas
c ) Friends and ………………………. helped the Brice family r a i s e £ 1 0 , 5 0 0 f o r
Nikki’s treatment.
relatives neighbours celebrities
d) N i k k i s w i m s w i t h ………………………. as part of his therapy.
dolphins fish seals
e) Nikki’s first word was ……………………….
back in out
3. Answer the following questions: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5 points in total)
a) What was wrong with Nikki?
b) What had happened to him earlier in life?
c) Why did his parents decide to take him to Miami?
d) How did they raise the money for it?
e) How do medical experts explain the success of the treatment?
4. Match the headings and the paragraphs: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5 points in total)
a) Dolphin Therapy
b) An Unlucky Start in Life
c) A Miracle
d) Not a Complete Cure
e) Hopes for the Future
5. Put the sentences in the correct order to summarise the text: ( 0.3 points per item, 1.5
points in total)
a) His mother took him to Florida to attempt an unconventional therapy.
b) He was starved of oxygen when he was born.
c) This helped him start to speak.
d) Nikki Brice has never spoken a word.
e) Nikki was given a combination of conventional speech therapy and daily swimming
sessions with dolphins.
6. Interview the Brice family in Miami: ( 1.5 points in total)
Reporter: ”Can you tell us about Nikki?“
Mrs. Brice: ”He can’t speak. He hasn’t been able to speak since
he was born.“
Reporter: ”What happened? “

No. Name Mark
1. B.S. 10
2. B.R. 7
3. C.C. 10
4. G.V. 8
5. G.D. 8
6. H.S. 8
7. K.I. 9
8. L.A. 10
9. R.I. 9
10. R.M. 8
The Synthetic Table
Mark 7 8 9 10
No. of Students 1 4 2 3
Percentage 10% 40% 20% 30%
frequency polygon and the pie chart displaying the results the students in the control group
achieved in the achievement test.
The histogram
The pie chart

Achievement Test
Achievement Test Marks 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No. of Students in the Experimental Group 0 0 0 0 0 4 6
Percentage of Students in the Experimental Group 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 40% 46%
No. of Students in the Control Group 0 0 0 1 4 2 3
Percentage of Students in the Control Group 0% 0% 0% 10% 40% 20% 30%
Achievement Test
I applied the achievement test to record the progress and the development of my students’
reading skills. The information I collected was processed, interpreted and used to organise,
conduct and optimize future educational activities.
I noticed a dramatic improvement in my students’ results when I compared their marks in
the achievement test with the first and the second progress tests and with the placement test. As
it can be seen from the tables and diagrams above, after using communicative teaching methods
in the English classes, the results of pupils in both the experimental and the control group
improved throughout the experiment. The marks of students in the experimental group were
higher for the achievement test than for the other ones. The lowest mark for the achievement test
was nine, not eight as in the previous test. Four students from the experimental group got a nine
in the achievement test and six students got a ten. The situation of students in the control group
was similar to the situation of students in the experimental group: the lowest mark for the
achievement test was seven, not six as in the previous test. One student from the control group
got a seven in the achievement test, four students got an eight, two students got a nine and three
students got a ten. This demonstrates that the students’ motivation for learning increased and so
did their reading skills. I believe that this progress is due to the use of active methods in teaching
English and to the fact that the ameliorative measures I took in the progress stage were effective.
7.4.4. Analysing and Interpreting the Results Students in Both the Experimental and the
Control Group Achieved in all the Tests
The Synthetic Table Containing the Results Achieved by Students in Both Groups in All the Tests
Test Marks 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No. of Students in the Experimental Group – 0 0 1 2 1 2 4
Placement Test
No. of Students in the Control Group –Placement 2 1 2 2 1 1 1
Test
Progress Test
Progress Test
Progress Test
Progress Test
Achievement Test
No. of Students in the Control Group – 0 0 0 1 4 2 3
Achievement Test
The Diagram Containing the Results Achieved by Students in Both Groups in All the Tests
When analysing the results my students in the experimental and in the control group
achieved in the placement tests, the first and second progress tests and the achievement tests, I
noticed that they had made significant progress. I believe that this positive outcome was brought
about by the use of communicative methods, so out of the two students of the control group who
failed the placement test and got a four, one was able to get a seven in the achievement test and
the other one got an eight. The student in the control group who got a five in the placement test
managed to get an eight in the achievement test, while all three students – two in the control
group and one in the experimental group – who got a six in the placement test achieved better
results in the final test: two of them got an eight and the other one got a nine. Research results
have confirmed the hypothesis, showing that students’ school progress can be influenced
decisively by using active teaching methods.
The Synthetic Table Containing the Results Achieved by Students in the Experimental Group in
All the Tests
Test Marks 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Placement Test
Progress Test
Progress Test
Achievement Test
The Diagram Containing the Results Achieved by Students in the Experimental Group in All the
Tests
The Synthetic Table Containing the Results Achieved by Students in the Control Group in All the
Tests
Test Marks 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No. of Students in the Control Group –Placement 2 1 2 2 1 1 1
Test
Progress Test
Progress Test
No. of Students in the Control Group – 0 0 0 1 4 2 3
Achievement Test
The Diagram Containing the Results Achieved by Students in the Control Group in All the Tests
As it can be seen from the tables and diagrams above, when analysing the results my
students in the experimental and in the control group achieved in the placement tests, the first
and second progress tests and the achievement tests, I noticed that, although students in both
groups made progress, there were marked differences between the results students in the
experimental group and the results students in the control group achieved. The results of students
in the experimental group, where I used literary texts taken from the ”Harry Potter“ series by
J.K. Rowling, were consistently better than the results achieved in all the tests by students in the
control group, where I used standard seven-grade textbook texts. A comparison of the results of
students in both groups in all tests is in order to highlight the difference the use of literary texts
to boost pupils’ reading skills made. The lowest mark in the placement tests was six for the
experimental group – one student – and four for the control group – two students –, while the
highest mark in the placement tests was ten for the experimental group – four students – and ten
for the control group – one student. The lowest mark in the first progress tests was seven for the
experimental group – one student – and five for the control group – one student –, while the
highest mark in the first progress tests was ten for the experimental group – three students – and
ten for the control group – one student. The lowest mark in the second progress tests was eight
for the experimental group – one student – and six for the control group – one student –, while
the highest mark in the second progress tests was ten for the experimental group – five students –
and ten for the control group – two students. The lowest mark in the achievement tests was nine
for the experimental group – four students – and seven for the control group – one student –,
while the highest mark in the achievement tests was ten for the experimental group – six students
– and ten for the control group – three students. I noticed that the study of literary texts was
enjoyed more and yielded better results, as far as my students’ reading skills were concerned,
than the study of non-literary texts.
It is very important to teach literature in English with commitment, dedication and a
sense of responsibility to ensure a sound basis on which to further support the variety of
knowledge students acquire both in English and in other school subjects. Reading is acquired by
pupils in the communication process itself and the use of reading exercises in English classes
aims at activating students intellectually by cultivating heuristic attitudes and by encouraging
team spirit. The exercises presented in this paper provide optimal content for students to practice
reading in order to achieve full intellectual development, as well as mental flexibility and
creativity which leads to the formation of algorithmic thinking. All types of exercises presented
in this paper, some taken from established practice books, others created by me, support the idea
that learning is accomplished through communicative practice, which leads to the correct
acquisition of English.

Pedagogical Experiment PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Pedagogical Experiment PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

7.

THE PEDAGOGICAL EXPERIMENT

7.1. Key Facts about the Pedagogical Experiment

7.2. Research Methods

7.3. The Procedure

7.4.1. Analysing and Interpreting the Results of Placement Tests

Test Results for the Experimental Group

The Analytical Table

The frequency polygon

The pie chart

The Synthetic Table

The frequency polygon

The pie chart

7.4.2. Analysing and Interpreting the Results of Progress Tests

Test Results for the Experimental Group

The frequency polygon

The pie chart

Test Results for the Control Group

The Synthetic Table

The frequency polygon

Test Results for the Experimental Group

The Synthetic Table

The pie chart

”Snapshot Pre-Intermediate“: Stowaway – Progress Test 2

Test Results for the Control Group

The Synthetic Table

The frequency polygon

The pie chart

I noticed a marked improvement in my students’ results when I compared their marks in

7.4.3. Analysing and Interpreting the Results of Achievement Tests

Test Results for the Experimental Group

The Synthetic Table

The frequency polygon

The pie chart

Test Results for the Control Group

The frequency polygon

The pie chart

You might also like