An Exploratory Practice Study on the Impact of the Problem-Based Learning Approach in a TEYL Course on Pre-Service Primary School Teachers

This exploratory practice study explores the impact of problem-based learning (PBL) in a teaching English to young learners (TEYL) course on pre-service primary school teachers at the Higher Institute of Arts and Crafts of Tataouine, Tunisia. A survey was used to collect information about pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards PBL. The findings suggest that the pre-service teachers found PBL to be effective and engaging as an instructional approach in that it helped them develop their critical thinking, team-building skills, and self-directed learning.


INTRODUCTION
To graduate from the Higher Institute of Arts and Crafts of Tataouine with an Applied License in Education and Teaching, students have to study teaching-related subjects for three years.One course they have to take in Semesters 4, 5 and 6 is Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) course in English.The Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research issued a four-page general document titled Didactics of English (2016) for teachers of pre-service primary school teachers (see Appendix A).Though the document offers the name of the TEYL course title, "How to Improve the Teaching of English to Young Language Learners," no further guidelines or syllabus with respect to TEYL have been provided to the teachers since the accreditation of this license in 2016.
However, a project was put in place whereby two cohorts from different Departments of Education and Teaching across the country participated in a year-long training .The overall purpose of this project can be deduced from its title, TC-Tunisia Foreign Language Teacher Education Project: Capacity Building for Foreign Educators of Young Learners in Tunisia (see Appendix B for the project program).Given the fact that there is no syllabus for the TEYL course, English teachers at the Higher Institute of Arts and Crafts of Tataouine (ISAMT) designed a TEYL course outline for second-and third-year students (see Appendix C).The outline drew on the TC-Tunisia Project.Only after the training finished did the teachers come to have a better understanding of how the TEYL course should be designed.In particular, a major outcome of the TC-Tunisia Project is an understanding of teaching as a science-namely, teaching as an evidence-based practice.It is this new understanding of teaching that helped me find ways to address some latent teaching and learning issues: low-level engagement and poor results on summative assessment.I decided to investigate the impact of the problem-based learning approach on my pre-service primary school teachers through an exploratory practice study so as to resolve those issues or, at best, mitigate their negative effect on the teaching/learning process.

THE PUZZLE
Given the fact that it taps into many fields of knowledge, a TEYL course draws on diverse approaches and theories, rendering it a daunting course for the pre-service primary school teachers.It should come as no surprise then that this course should initiate a great deal of discussion, interaction, collaborative learning, critical thinking, self-directed research, problem-solving, peer teaching, and full engagement.However, after reflecting on my students' degree of engagement in class and on their performance on their summative exams in the TEYL course as well as on my instructional approach, it became clear that the skills that the TEYL course was designed to promote among students were not fully developed and that students' engagement was often poor.
The low level of engagement demonstrated by students in TEYL courses had a significant impact on the pedagogical approaches I employed in the classroom.I typically used a lecture-style method of instruction, albeit reluctantly.In an attempt to create a more stimulating learning environment, the delivery of the course material was enhanced with the incorporation of short videos followed by interactive activities such as pair and group work.Unfortunately, initial student interest was short-lived, and the overall productivity of the lessons often slowed to a crawl.
As for their exam performance, I have observed over the course of the last three years that the majority of students scored poorly on the summative exams.Though the exams were designed to simulate classroom situations that they might encounter in their future career, the majority of the students struggled to understand the scenario problems.There was also substantial evidence that most students were not able to connect the case studies under focus in the tasks with the course materials and classroom discussions when they were asked to elaborate on their answers.
It was clear that immediate intervention was needed if my students and I were to make the best of the TEYL course.A joint effort was put in place to explore in depth this puzzle and its subsequent negative effect.To solve the puzzle, or at least mitigate its negative effect, students and I agreed to implement the problem-based learning (PBL) approach.This exploratory practice study, therefore, sought to investigate the effectiveness of PBL in the TEYL course delivered to second-year prospective primary school teachers.

THE DATA
To conduct this exploratory practice study, data were collected from my students, who were majoring in Education and Teaching at the Higher Institute of Arts and Crafts of Tataouine, Tunisia.The total number of participants was 29 students: 25 females and 4 males.Their age ranged between 20 and 22.
I opted for an electronic survey using Google Forms to collect data for the present study.The questionnaire involved 22 questions, collecting information on the attitudes of the participants about the implementation of the PBL approach in the TEYL course.The questions were built on the main characteristics of PBL.For instance, the participants were asked whether they worked on problems or projects in their English language class; the degree to which they felt they were actively engaged in the learning process through PBL; whether they felt PBL fostered teamwork and collaboration among themselves; the degree to which they felt PBL improved their critical thinking and problem-solving skills; whether PBL facilitated their learning of TEYL concepts, and the degree to which they thought PBL would prepare them for real-world situations.I adopted the Exploratory Practice strategy recommended by Allwright (2000Allwright ( , 2003)), and followed a seven-step process.First, I set the scene by having an open discussion with my students.I invited my students to identify the "puzzle" behind their ongoing lack of motivation and their underperformance on the summative exams.We then elaborated on the issues to understand them better by tracing their possible causes and negative effects on the teaching/learning process in the TEYL course.The collective discussion we had in class helped generate relevant data for the next step: interpreting the collected data.We then analyzed the data, which led us to decide to a) change the mode of course delivery, b) adopt a new strategy that would enhance class engagement, c) make sure that the new teaching/ learning strategy creates a learner-centered environment by implementing problem-based learning approach.
Because of time constraint and the length of the course outline that we had to cover for the rest of the year, we agreed that each "problem" would take one week (see Appendix D, E, F and G).At the first meeting in class, they were expected to cover Steps 1 and 2. Steps 3 and 4 were to be covered outside the class, while Steps 5 and 6 would be covered at the next class meeting.

ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
This section analyzes and presents the main results that have a direct bearing on the main research question: What was the impact of PBL in a TEYL course on pre-service primary school teachers?
Two questions that would reveal an overall, or at least an incremental, change in the attitudes of the respondents toward the implementation of PBL in the TEYL course have to do with the mode of instruction and level of engagement.As shown in Figure 1, the majority of participants' opinions peaked at very much with regard to their (a) satisfaction with learning through PBL over the lecture-style mode of instruction and (b) active engagement in the learning process.The substantial number of responses ranged between somewhat and very much.

FIGURE 1 Respondents' Attitudes About the Instruction Mode and Their Level of Engagement in
the Learning Process Through PBL However, while the mode of instruction reveals a rising trendline as to the possible direction of the participants' opinions, their level of engagement abated as there is a sharp drop at the end of the scale.The falling trendline of the attitude might be explained by the level of difficulty the respondents reported to have faced while working on the PBL activities.The data in Figure 2 corroborate this explanation, revealing that seven out of 29 respondents found the activities difficult and three selected very difficult on the scale.This is not surprising since the implementation of PBL was not a regular practice during their secondary education.Five out of 29 reported that they had never worked on problems or projects in their English language classes.Eight out of the same population selected rarely, while 15 ticked sometimes on scale.The moderate involvement and participation of the students while taking the TEYL course was related to their skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, collaboration and self-directed learning.These are major skills that the PBL approach rests on and they take time to be developed for a learner who rarely activates these skills.Figure 3 reveals the impact of these skills on the participant's learning process.Questions D and E show a considerable number of responses of very much on the point scale, reaching 10 participants for each out of 29.

FIGURE 2 Level of Difficulty the Respondents Faced While Working on the PBL Activities
As questions A and C reveal, the respondents reported to have benefited from learning through PBL since it made TEYL lessons more relevant and meaningful.Though 10 participants out of 29 checked somewhat, eight found the new method of learning extremely rewarding.Question C responses were most frequently somewhat and very much, with a total of 24 students, indicating that the PBL approach facilitated their learning of TEYL.Generally, the mean reached 9.67 for very much, followed by 8.67 for somewhat, while the rest of the points ranged between 2.67 and 4.33.

FIGURE 3 Students' Attitudes About The Impact of PBL on Their Learning Process of TEYL
Overall, I found the data in Figure 3 motivating, given the short period of time that the respondents spent working on PBL activities during the TEYL course.This positive spirit finds roots in Figure 4.The participants were requested to share their attitudes about the overall experience of learning in the TEYL course through a PBL approach.About half of them appreciated the experience, while five and two checked very good and excellent respectively.As I witnessed the progress of the learning process in class and reacted to the questions seeking clarification on how to proceed, the results of the students' negative C/ How well does the PBL approach facilitate the learning of TEYL concepts?
B/ How well do you feel that the PBL approach helps you retain information and knowledge related to TEYL?
A/ How well does the PBL approach make the TEYL lessons more relevant and meaningful to you?

Frequency of respondents
Not at all A little bit Somewhat Very much Extremely attitudes were expected.In fact, having more than half of the results tilting toward a positive trendline gave me momentum to co-work harder on increasing the level of engagement and learner-centered mode of instruction.

FIGURE 4 Respondents' Attitudes About the Overall Experience of Learning Through the PBL Approach
The last two questions of the survey project the experience of learning through PBL into the future (see Figure 5).On a three-point Likert scale, 12 of the 29 respondents expressed preference to learn the English language through PBL in the future, and the same number of respondents thought the PBL approach should be implemented more often in language classes in higher education.A similar number of respondents was less adamant on these issues, with 14 and 12 participants checking sometimes on the scale for these two questions respectively.I felt positive that these students could join the first group with enough hard and regular work.No Sometimes Yes A/ Would you prefer to learn the English language through PBL learning in the future?

FIGURE 5 Respondents' Attitudes on Learning English in Higher Education in the Future
B/ Do you think the PBL approach should be used more often in English language classes in higher education?
Overall, the general attitudes of the participants tilt toward a positive learning experience with respect to the implementation of the problem-based learning approach in the TEYL course.The exploratory practice research was rewarding for me and for my students.

PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS
A number of pedagogical implications can be emphasized in this exploratory study.One major implication is that the lecture style of instruction demotivated my students.Even some struggling students, while working with high-achievers through peer teaching and personalized learning, managed to learn through the learner-centered atmosphere that the PBL approach rests on.Though with a slow pace, the level of engagement in the learner process increased as the course progressed.This indicates that students and I managed to mitigate some parts of the puzzle and even solve a few others, namely collaboration and teamwork, critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, peer teaching, and self-directed learning.Most of the respondents came to the conclusion that learning through a PBL approach would prepare them better for their future job as fully-fledged primary school teachers.

Didactics of English
The TEYL course for second-year students in education is a semestrial course aimed at introducing students to the Teaching of English to Young Learners (TEYL).Its goal is to increase their knowledge of the didactics of English for young learners and continue their pre-service teacher training in view of preparing them for their role as primary school teachers with a special focus on the Tunisian context.

II. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the course are as follows: 1. Become acquainted with the different contexts where TEYL is implemented.
2. Develop knowledge of the specificities of young learners and the way they differ from adult learners 3. Develop knowledge of major learning theories underlying children (language) learning.4. Develop classroom management techniques applicable to TEYL.

III. APPROACH
The approach adopted in this course combines the delivery and discussion of theoretical knowledge supported by group discussions, practical activities, and case studies.Whilst content is mostly delivered by the course lecturer, students are expected not only to become in command of the theoretical knowledge imparted, but to critically evaluate and assess their suitability and feasibility, particularly in the Tunisian context.

IV. CONTENT Unit 1: Introduction to TEYL
• What is and why TEYL?

V. ATTENDANCE AND EVALUATION
Attendance is obligatory and is counted as part of your grade along with your participation.The TEYL course follows the 'Régime mixte' and thus evaluation of students is conducted as follows: • 30% Attendance, participation, and an oral and/or written assignment.
• 70% Written exam in May (S2).Many learning strategies use problems, but a key and defining characteristic of problem-based learning is that students experience the problem at the start of the learning process before other curriculum inputs.This motivates them to gain new knowledge through independent study, constructing knowledge together in tutorials and learning from other curriculum inputs.The four key characteristics of PBL are: 1) The problem 2) The PBL tutorial 3) The PBL process 4) Learning (Barrett 2017, p. 2) "PBL is an educational strategy where learning is driven by a problem.The problem could be a challenge or a description of a difficulty, a curious outcome, or an unexpected happening.It could also be an incident where there are interesting elements, or an episode or occurrence that requires either a solution or some explanation."(Yew and O'Grady 2012 p. 4) Why does PBL start the learning process with a problem?Problem-based learning starts the learning process with a problem in order to:

APPENDIX D Class
• Engage students actively in their learning • Motivate them to learn more • Encourage them to see the relevance of the knowledge they will learn to their future career • Activate the prior learning of all the students • Develop their critical and creative thinking and • Give them opportunities to construct knowledge together from elaborating their knowledge from their independent study and working together in tutorials to resolve the problem.Study the following classroom situation within the problem-based learning procedures specified below: Mr. Garson should never have set foot in a classroom.Although he had a sound lesson plan and was deemed highly qualified, he was ineffective in terms of dispensing it to his students.
The problem was evident, at least for the teachers next door to his English class.They described hearing books slammed against a desk or on the floor.Also, they told administrators of hearing things crash and break.Most notably, they heard a lot of yelling.It was obvious who was doing all the yelling.Mr. Garson was screaming at the top of his lungs.In some cases, the verbal lashing would go on for nearly 20 to 30 minutes.
At first, many of his colleagues thought he had been dealt a bad hand; they believed he was given a group of rambunctious students.In fact, several would come over to help Mr. Garson whenever possible by trying to calm his class down or take a student out of the class.After a while, however, his colleagues, as well as the school security and administrators, stopped visiting.Students requestedand receivedtransfers, parents started complaining, and the process to non-rehire him was going before the district school board.
Faculty and staff (especially among the seasoned teachers) began to refer to him by a particular name.They labeled him a "yeller".It can be a "death nil" for any teacher who receives it.
Step 4: Share information, peer teaching and working on the problem.
Step 5: Present the solution to the problem to the whole class. Step

AN EYE ON THE CURRICULUM OF ENGLISH FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION/ TEYL in Tunisia
Study this excerpt from Curriculum of English for Primary Education: "Exposing young learners to various languages not only helps convey societal values such as openness to diversity and respect for others, but also raises the children's awareness of "universal cultures"and thus of their own (Curriculum Général Tunisien 2017, p. 6).Because English is an international and intercultural language, it should be introduced at an earlier stage of primary school to help develop what Kramsch and Sullivan (1993) call a "sphere of interculturality", one that promotes intelligibility by and of other speakers of the language.""Hence, this curriculum targets the development of the young learners' competence in English for communicative purposes via spoken and written interaction channels with a particular focus on the aural/oral medium.To focus on the development of speaking and listening first, and then on reading and writing, is to favour the activation of the same mechanisms occurring when learning one's native language" (2019, p. 4).

What you know
satisfied are you with the PBL approach compared to traditional lecture-style teaching?B/ How much do you feel that you are actively engaged in the learning process through the use of PBL much do you feel that the PBL approach fosters teamwork and collaboration among classmates?D/ How much do you feel that the PBL approach has improved your critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills?
Barrows defined  problem-based learning as: "the learning that results from the process of working towards the understanding of a resolution of a problem.The problem is encountered first in the learning process"(Barrows and Tamblyn 1980: 1 my emphases) (in Barrett 2017, p. 2).

Figure 1 :
Figure 1: Operational definition of PBL 1) First students are presented with a problem 2) Students discuss the problem in a small group PBL tutorial.They clarify the facts of the case.They define what the problem is.They brainstorm ideas based on the prior knowledge.They identify what they need to learn to work on the problem, what they do not know (learning issues).They reason through the problem.They specify an action plan for working on the problem

6 :
Review what you have learned from working on the problem.

1 :
State what the problem is with Mr. Garson's way of teaching.(TextAbove)