The Competence of the Learners of Rural Vernacular Medium Government Schools and Urban English Medium Private Schools in Acquiring Paragraph Writing Skill in English in the Select Schools of Tiruchirappalli District: An Action Research

Dr. S. Joseph Arul Jayraj
2014 IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education (IOSRJRME)  
This paper is written based on an action research conducted to test the competence of the learners of Vernacular Medium Schools and the learners of English Medium Schools in acquiring paragraph writing skill. The objectives of the paper are enlisted, 'action research' is defined, and the need for the study is mentioned and the hypothesis is framed. 'Diagnostic test' is defined, the need to conduct it, the importance of framing objectives to conduct it, the objectives and logic behind devising
more » ... d administering it are presented. The demographics of Manikandam and Andanallur Blocks, selection of the learner sample, time spent to select the schools to administer the Diagnostic test, the procedure adopted in evaluating the Diagnostic test, the components of evaluation and the efforts taken to ensure the quality of the Diagnostic test and assessment are explained. The procedure adopted to escape from the experimenter's bias and testing bias is described. The analysis and interpretation of the data collected, comments of the evaluators and verification of the hypothesis and the discussion of the findings are rendered. The paper is logically concluded with the sources of references. The Need to Frame Objectives Framing objectives is the most important step before conducting any test. Each objective displays its own general and specific characteristic behaviour and therefore it clearly communicates the aims and objectives of conducting the Diagnostic test. An investigator is supposed to know exactly what and how he/she is going to test and what the learners have to do. Besides the broad and general aims, the investigator should have specific or particular objectives for testing the writing skills of the learners in English as a second language. If the investigator can visualize it clearly, then testing the writing skills of the learners in English becomes easy and fruitful. It solves the problems of the investigator such as what skill he/she should test in the learners, which method or approach he/she should adopt etc. Without the knowledge of the aims and objectives, one will be groping about in darkness. These problems can be solved only when the aims and objectives of testing the writing skills of the learners have been fixed in the beginning. Therefore, it is highly desirable to have very specific objectives because they give focus, concentration and progress to the work undertaken. Objectives of this Paper a. To make the readers understand and aware of the status of ELT in rural Vernacular medium government schools and in urban English medium private schools. b. To make the readers think aloud in this area chosen for research. c. To enable the readers to raise certain questions and to exhort the readers to carry out an in-depth research in this area, so that they would be able to find solutions or propose strategy to rectify the prevailing scenario and to teach English effectively in rural Vernacular medium government schools.
doi:10.9790/7388-04455662 fatcat:c6esbgiy5nfzbg224odsm4v5ui