Traversing an Academic Writing Task: Pygmalion in the Classroom

Dr. Nil Farakh Sulaiman (nil.sulaiman@gmail.com) Language Department IPGK Pendidikan Teknik Bandar Enstek, Negeri Sembilan
Presented at; Seminar Penyelidikan Pendidikan Zon Timur, 23-25 April 2013 Hotel Tanjung Vista, Kuala Trengganu

The background of my study

LS1351K (R) Learning Support III This course is to develop the necessary skills for success in the academic aspects. It focuses on the skills that will help learners complete their course work with excellence. The learning outcomes are to:
1) plan and organise academic writing; and 2) produce academic writing

The class: 17 student teachers; 14 females and 3 males (8 Malays, 7 Chinese and 2 Indians). Characteristics:
not well-versed and conversant with English especially the males; the females do not differ much either well-behaved, obedient, and hardworking occasionally, the male students showed some disinterest in learning. #

What is my concern?
Would the students able to produce an academic writing of my standards?
10-page writing inclusive of tables, diagrams and references, single spacing, using formal academic language and APA style, as if writing an article to be published in an international journal.

Personally, I had doubt in their capabilities. Their facial expression showed signs of worry, confused, weary, and the so-called self-introspection, is this suitable for us? I painted a comforting picture of an academic writing by briefly explained that this type of writing is just
a little more than your high school free essay and a little less than an undergraduate thesis.

What did I want to know?

During my undergraduate level, one of my lecturers repeatedly stressed that teachers exude a certain unique aura that miraculously detected by students in no time at all lets us make that aura a positive one. - the concept of Pygmalion in the classroom. If a student can be made to bloom just because his or her teacher believes so, how should a teacher behave and if a teacher behaves in such appropriate manner, how much will they bloom?
1. What should I do to ensure my students are able to fulfill my expectations? 2. What happens to my students when I behave in such a way?

How did I carry out my study?

1. I merged and rearranged all the 8 topics in the pro forma into 5 successive topics merging these topics gave more room for me to concentrate on my students learning, not on my teaching, as well as to give face-to-face guidance to my student teachers. 2. I delineated steps to go about doing the writing. The student teachers were requested to:
form a group of three and think of a topic of interest; explore materials for their selected topic especially online materials; construct and organise content outline logically; divide work (based on the subtopics in the content outline) accordingly among group members.

3. I explored deeper the notion of teacher expectations and student achievements via literature.

How should I collect my data?

Data were collected via six means: 1. Sarachos (1991) 15 characteristics were tabulated and made into a 15-week grid, which I named as Positive Behavioural Checklist for Pygmalion Effect (PBCfPE); 2. self-reflect journal 3. classroom observation a complete observer 4. while-lesson or post-lesson informal unstructured interview (untaped) on a few random selected students 5. in-progress submission 6. student teachers written reflection of their writing process a part of the requirement of the overall assignment.

What do the experts say, theoretically?

What are the theories that stand behind my beliefs? 1. Banduras self-efficacy theory - ones belief system influences behaviour choice, effort invested, persistence, and task success in a learning process 2. Vygotskys sociocultural theory - developmental processes take place through participation in cultural, linguistic and historically formed settings, such as schooling and peer group interactions 3. Rosenthal and Jacobsons pygmalion effect - if a teacher holds high expectations for students and challenges students to live up to high expectations by engaging them in meaningful learning activities, students tend to work harder, put more effort, and be more persistent in completing a learning task or project

How did I bridge theory and practice?

Personally, I strongly believe in the power of expectations. This may be due to: my role as a teacher now, my own experiences and beliefs about the potential of high expectations to influence student achievement, my professional reading in this area, my knowledge of the aforementioned theories might have influenced my behaviour in a classroom. Thus, by positioning myself simultaneously as the

researcher and the prime participant of this study enables

me to bridge the theory and practice successfully.

What did I find out?

What should I do to ensure my students are able to fulfill my expectations? Based on PBCfPE, I portrayed 5 major behaviours (above 95%) during the 15-week meetings. They were:
1. elaborate on their responses student-teacher face-to-face discussion 2. treat them with warmth creating low-anxiety filter ambience; lessons in the air-conditioned library 3. give them freedom to express their feelings - I never thought that I can always add on new topics to my content outline. I never do content outline before writing. I just write what I want. 4. assign students with assignments which require them to use their analytical and comprehensive skills - This assignment teach me how to get good articles in the Internet. I also understand more how to use APA format. 5. give them more autonomy such as selecting assignments and hardly interrupt them - I am happy doing this assignment because #
I can write with my close friends things that we like.

What did I find out?

What happens to my students when I behave in such a way?

Beginning writing stage. I was shocked when you asked

us to write a 10-page essay . but I have learned how to distribute the task among us we can write the essay faster when we divide the task among us and it can make sure the progress of the work is going on. I learn how to organize my time wisely.

While writing stage. I become more understanding about

the process to produce an academic writing. For example, we have to prepare body outline before we draft the essay. I also learn some useful tips to write a good essay, example .umm the usage of transition words.

What did I find out?

What happens to my students when I behave in such a way?

Final writing stage Everything is possible if you work with

the right person and have the same focus. Also writing can be fun when you are interested with the topic, you dont have to write about something big and heavy to show your potential. With a simple topic but a concrete content you can write a good article with a happy face.

Problems faced while completing an academic writing.

The main problems were our language and grammar . We cannot link out points together . Fortunately, after our discussion and tolerate, we deal it successfully. I took too long analysing an article probably my analysing level has not reached there yet.

What have I learnt from this study?

1. Teacher positive expectations and attitude towards students are contagious and pervasive pygmalion is a symbiosis relationship. 2. By giving chance for each group to decide on their own topic and content outline with minimal guidance raises student teachers accountability and their self-belief. 3. By helping them to be accountable since the beginning of the writing made them accountable for what they did and all the decision they made. 4. Data collected portray that student teachers perception, thoughts and attitude towards their ability in producing academic writing have changed significantly from negative to positive as they traversed through their task.

What have I learnt from this study?

5. Student teachers also began to realise new things while in the process of doing this task: a. projected themselves as effective future teacher and had in mind what should be done when they later become a teacher. b. became aware that having focus while writing is important and it could be achieved by having a good content outline; c. realised that having the right group members is pertinent in completing a daunting task for a good support kept them going; d. appreciated the comments given by peers during peers evaluation stage. Comments here were seen as constructive, not destructive. They had become positive in accepting comments.

What have I learnt from this study?

This change of perception and attitute as well as realising new things in self while completing a task is known as selfknowledge.
Self-knowledge is having a better understanding our own self, goals and abilities. Unconsciously, being

aware of self-knowledge is the byproduct of this task.

6. This research has contributed to the field of knowledge by proving that teacher high expectations able to make students produce high quality academic writing a discipline specific study that fills the gaps in previous research.

 Eliza Doolittle expressed it very well when she said,

You see, really and truly, the dierence between a lady and a ower girl is not how she behaves, but how shes treated.
Pygmalion George Bernard Shaw, 1912

T h a n k Y o u 
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