The document summarizes a study on the effect of ability-grouping for English instruction at a university in Taichung City. The study examined 2,330 students who took English proficiency pre- and post-tests and questionnaires on the psychological impacts. The methodology involved analyzing test score data using t-tests and ANOVA and surveying randomly selected students in ability-grouped classes in May to understand their opinions on tracking. Previous literature found that ability grouping has small positive effects on achievement when instruction is appropriately differentiated for different groups.

1. The effect of English ability-
grouping teaching at a university
of technology in Taichung City
Presenter: Yang, Hao-Ting (Tim)
Instructor: Dr. Pi-Ying Teresa Hsu
Date:2013.01.07

2. • Introduction
• Literature Review
• Methodology
2

3. Introduction

4. Background
senior high school or
vocational school An university
student

5. Background
global and
internationalized
waves

6. Purpose of the study
To probe into the general universities which
apply the grouping teaching in English
instruction have the educational effects and
psychology effects.

7. Literature Review

8. Literature Review
Grouping ability coupled with appropriately-
differentiated instruction is beneficial not only to high-
ability students but also to average- and low-ability
students .
(Gamoran & Nystrand, 1990; Mills, Swain &
Weshler, 1996).

9. Literature Review
Not only the differential effects of ability grouping,
but also the other important question in the
literature: the overall mean effect of ability
grouping on achievement.
Ability grouping has a small positive net effect on
achievement.
( Argys, Rees and Brewer, 1996)

10. Literature Review
He finds evidence for the differential effects
theory: students in the high ability class do better
than the average student at an ungrouped school,
and students in a low ability class at a grouped
school do worse than the average student at an
ungrouped school.
( Kerckhoff ,1986)

11. Methodology

12. Methodology
Subjects 2330 students
English proficiency Pre-
test and Post-test
Instruments
Questionnaires survey on
psychological impact
t-test
Data Analysis one-way ANOVA
Questionnaires analysis

13. Procedure
The first exam will be held in September; the
last will be in May next year.
The survey of students’ opinions on tracking will
be conducted in May next year. One class from
each ability group of each grade year will be
randomly chosen to serve as the subjects. The
questionnaire will be administered and collected
during the class hour with the assistance of the
English teachers.

14. Thank you!