The Development of Task-Based Learning (TBL) and Communication Strategies (CSs) Instructional Model to Enhance English Speaking Skill for Public Health Students

Abstract

The purposes of this study were: 1) to develop an instructional design model based on Task-Based Learning (TBL) and Communication Strategies (CSs) to enhance English speaking skill for public health students (PDSA Model, 2) to investigate an effectiveness of the newly developed PDSA Model, 3) to compare students’ English speaking skill before and after the treatment using PDSA Model, 4) to explore students’ satisfaction toward the PDSA Model. The research participants consisted of 40 second-year students majoring in Public Health at Mahidol University (Nakhonsawan Campus) who enrolled in English for Specific Purposes for a semester. The instruments were a learning exercise plan, the English speaking test, learning log, think-aloud protocols and forms for evaluating the instructional model. The collected data were quantitatively analysed by using mean, percentage, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and Paired T-Tests. Qualitative data was collected for their individual communication strategies by observing and recording. The results revealed that the newly developed PDSA Model consisted of 4 components including planning task (P), doing task (D), speaking analysis (S), and assessing speaking activities (A). The effectiveness of the newly developed PDSA Model (E1/E2) was at a high level (81.44/84.13). After using PDSA model, post-test mean score of the students’ English speaking skill was significantly higher than the pre-test mean score. Overall satisfaction toward PDSA Model was at a high level. The five experts agreed that the PDSA model was appropriate at an excellent level.