DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLISH FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES CURRICULUM USING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING WITH E-LEARNING TO ENHANCE PARAGRAPH WRITING ABILITY, ANALYTICAL THINKING ABILITY AND MORAL AWARENESS OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Abstract

The purposes of this research are to develop the English for Social Sciences curriculum using Experiential learning with e-learning to enhance students’ paragraph writing ability, analytical thinking ability and moral awareness. The target group comprised 88 undergraduate students majoring in Political Science who enrolled in the English for Social Science course in the second semester of the 2013 academic year at Maejo University–Phrae campus. The research instruments were classified into 3 groups: 1) curriculum development instruments consisted of needs analysis and proto syllabus; 2) experiential instruments consisted of lesson plans, a curriculum evaluation form for the experts, and a curriculum evaluation form for students; 3) data collecting instruments consist of the paragraph writing ability tests, the analytical thinking ability tests that included essay writing tasks and group project assignments, and students’ moral awareness assessment form that included reflective writing assignments and moral behaviors observation. The data obtained were analyzed by using content analysis and descriptive statistics that included frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation.

The results of this research are the following: 1. The English for Social Science curriculum using experiential learning with e-learning which is evaluated by the experts is very effective. From students’ opinions, the curriculum is very appropriate. 2. Students’ paragraph writing ability after learning through the English for Social Sciences curriculum is at the competent level. Students’ ability in writing a problem – solution paragraph and a persuasive paragraph is at the competent level. Students’ ability in writing a cause and effect paragraph is at the developing level. Students received the highest score in a conflict – resolution paragraph writing. All of students meet the set criterion at 50 percent. 3. Students’ analytical thinking ability after learning through the English for Social Sciences curriculum is at the high level. 4. Students’ moral awareness after learning through the English for Social Sciences curriculum is at the high level.