Introduction and Improvement of Team-Based Learning in an English Language Education Class:Effects of Assigning Roles in Group-Work

Abstract

This paper presents the author's attempt to improve learners' conceptual understanding and motivation in Second Language Acquisition Research classes, a university-level subject. Although the introduction of team-based learning (TBL) was found to be effective, the presence of an “uncooperative other” in group-work remained an issue. To resolve this issue, each member in the group-work was assigned roles, such as a moderator, first-presenter, and second-presenter. A quantitative analysis (Analysis 1) revealed that learners become more motivated and understand concepts better when a certain role is assigned in group-work. A qualitative analysis (Analysis 2) suggested that if a learner accepts his/her given role, he/she acts with a higher awareness of a contributor to group-work, resulting in inhibiting the emergence of an “uncooperative other.” A new version of the paradigm model was proposed to explain the process of how learners' conceptual understanding and motivation are fostered.