An exploration of project-based learning, gender, strategy and student interests for making Chinese learnable : a teacher action research project

As Chinese teaching is increasingly popular in Australia, there is a growing demand for Chinese language teachers. However, increasing numbers of students from diverse backgrounds in Australia with different learning needs and habits are learning Chinese and they need to be catered for with their distinctive learning needs. This thesis is designed as action research. In Chinese class at High School A in the Western Sydney Region, students have been observed having different learning strategies, interests, and motivations. The focus of this study is that they could benefit from Project-Based Learning (PBL). The study involved surveying 49 Y7 students at High School A; interviewing the Chinese teacher; and conducting a focus group in order to identify appropriate methods to make Chinese learnable for Y7 students. The study identified students’ different learning interests and strategies, while showing that gender-based differences were not significant to their different learning interests and strategies. The study also illustrated how PBL could be utilized as an effective activity involving students’ different learning interests and strategies. As the new 2017 Chinese Syllabus has been put forward and will be implemented officially at High School A in 2019, activities and tasks such as PBL will be encouraged to increase students’ engagement in Chinese learning