Action Research Report on Improving Students Presentation Skill: The Case of Social Anthropology Second Year Section Two

Students

By: Siraw Megibaru Sisay Tigabu Belete Gelanew Kibrom Fekadu

Submitted to: HDP office, University of Gondar

Gondar, Ethiopia April, 2012

Contents

Page

Introduction................................................................................................................. 3 Background of the Study.........................................................................................3 Statement of the Problem........................................................................................5 Objectives of the Study ...........................................................................................5 General Objective ................................................................................................5 Specific objectives ............................................................................................... 6 Collecting and Analyzing the Data ...........................................................................6 Action Implementation ............................................................................................8 Action Evaluation .................................................................................................... 9 Recommendations ...............................................................................................10

Acknowledgement

It gives us a great pleasure to express our heartfelt thanks for Social anthropology section two students and professionals who provide necessary information in improving the presentation skills of students.

Introduction
Background of the Study

Public presentation involves talking in front of a group of people, usually with some preparation. An effective presentation makes the best use of the relationship between the presenter and the audience. It takes full consideration of the audiences needs in order to capture their interest, develop their understanding, inspire their confidence and achieve the presenters objectives. Most people, at some point in their life, will need to stand up and speak in front of a group of people. Teaching students the necessary skills for doing this will therefore help them to do this more successfully. As a result of the practice, students often report an increase in general confidence as well as a marked sense of achievement. Many students get incredibly nervous the first time they have to do a speech in front of their classmates but with practice the nerves subside and they usually begin to enjoy the whole process. Students in the Faculty of Social Sciences in which the researchers have been working as an instructor have faced variety of problems that directly or indirectly affects the teachinglearning process in the University and the overall activities in the country. The teaching exposure enables practitioners to assess the overall teaching-learning process in general. In doing so, there are various problems that impede the application of active learning methods especially presenting ones own feelings, perspectives and reflecting the discussion outcomes of the group in the front stage of the class. Presentation skills of students affected by associated factors such as availability of adequate reference materials, lack of motivation, less utilization of presentation as an active learning methods in the educational system, lack of preparation on the topics of presentation, lack of awareness for guiding principles of public presentation, unnecessary responses of instructors for failures in presentation, lack of preparation for activities other than sit exam including group assignment and presentation etc All previously mentioned factors are pertinent that students of Social Anthropology mentioned in the pre assessment stages of this action research. Therefore, the purpose of this action research is to investigate the reason behind the existing less willingness, participation and performance for presentation of individual perspectives, group discussion outcomes and other public discussions.

Statement of the Problem

For many people, standing up in public and doing a speech is one of their greatest fears. For students in particular, this is the ultimate challenge. Though presentation is of the major active learning methods, in enhancing the involvement of students in the teachinglearning process, it is less utilized by university instructors and less preferable learning approach by majority of students adapted to lecture methods that considered as traditional teaching approach which did not give chance for the involvement of students. Being presentation is one of the assessment methods/techniques/ that we have been using frequently especially after starting HDP training given by University of Gondar. In the courses that have offered, the practitioners have been confronting many problems in the successful accomplishment of students duties related with presentations. Some students are not willing to stand up in front of their colleagues and express themselves. Others simply read what they wrote to present. They also try to convinced instructors to change the presentation task to other means of assessment like quiz and final exam. Students mention couple of reasons, which are futile and baseless. They perceive as they are expected to be perfect, to accomplished activities without limitations. Less experience with this teaching and/or assessment methods in their lower class career is also another factor that affects the development of presentation skill among students. Thus, by taking in to account the severity of the problem, practitioners have been assessing the way that enables to mitigate the problem.

Objectives of the Study

General Objective

The overall aim of this action research is to improve the presentation skills of section two second year Social Anthropology Students by revealing and mitigating associated factors.

Specific objectives

To uncover major problems that hinders students to present a given task effectively. To aware students about the necessary requirements of good presentation.
To introduce the relevance of presentation in creating interactive teaching-learning process. To introduce a feasible and proper intervention that would serve as remedial for students

performance on presentation.

Collecting and Analyzing the Data

The valuable and necessary data were collected from students, psychologists and language professionals. To mitigate this intrinsic problem of students that affect their overall performance within and after leaving the university while serving as practitioners in different sectors, different methods and sources of data would be employed in having comprehensive information, on factors affecting the development of presentation skills among students. Additionally, using variety of methods and data sources enables to have information that would reduce the problem. In this action research, observation, semi-structured interview and key
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informant interview have been employed. Being working for more than three years in this university as an instructor, practitioners have used their own experience. Most of the respondents in the data collection process mentioned that their experience of presentation is encircled by various problems. The reasons they raised include- deep-rooted frustrations during presentations, lack of understanding and knowledge to the subject matter, less communication skills with the medium of instruction in the university, English, lack of confidence in ones own ability, considering as perfectness expected while presenting issues to colleagues or advisors, lack of experience to presentation as a teaching and assessment methodology, lack of motivation, carelessness on presentation and other related tasks beyond sit exam, lack of appropriate reference materials that give detail insight about the issues assigned for presentation were associated factors affecting effective presentation. Additionally, as some interviewees mentioned, if the assignment given in group, the task is only done by some members among the group, the contribution, knowledge for the subject matter for those who were less participant in the group work would frustrate if they are forced to present the assignment done by other members. Furthermore as some interviewees, in group work most instructors simply gave similar values for members without assessing their contribution. This in turn leads those passive members to be less knowledgably to the subject matter and frustrate while assigned to present in the front.

1.1.

Proposal for Action

The problems that we have been frequently observed in the course of our teaching were lack of motivation, poor knowledge to the subject matter and sever frustration during presentation. This is partly because students were less experienced with this learning method. Most often students are not clear with how to go through presentation and what events should be considered while public presentation going on. Additionally, their expectation towards perfection on the contents of presentation is another factor for their frustration. Thus, orienting the students about the essence of an effective learning in general and well-grounded habit of presentation in particular is indispensable. Creating awareness on the existing unnecessary
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over-expectation of perfection by convincing as it would develop through lifelong learning process is another mechanism in improving the confidence of students in presentation. Since improving the students participation performance is not an overnight activity, continous evaluation accompanied by timely follow-up by giving feedbacks (comments) to periodic progress is also inevitable to realize that the students are practically and exhaustively capable of and engaged in the task i.e. presentation. In addition, the following strategies are also important for the intervention process: creating awareness about the relevance of presentation as an active learning method on teaching-learning process, teaching elements of effective presentation, the way they would develop effective presentation, allocating proper and desirable value for presentation, supplying necessary reference materials for the assigned presentation task, providing enough time of preparation and continuous encouragement also has its own undeniable contribution for the success of the desired goal- improving the ability of students presentation. Therefore, we strongly believe that the aforementioned proposed strategies would serve to reduce the associated factors attributed for the existing poor presentation of students and then after presentation can be profitably used as an active learning method in the teaching- learning process.

Action Implementation

The teachinglearning process that we have spent after the HDP training begins is better in implementing active learning methods and evaluation techniques including presentation that improves the participation of students in the teaching learning process. In our teaching experience we were egger to assess and reduce factors affecting the implementation of presentation, being interactive teaching methods. In improving the interest and presentation ability of students, we have tried to reduce the effects of those aforementioned problems affecting the implementation of this active learning method in the class room.

At the very beginning, we tried to teach the major elements that would be considered while conducting public presentation. Awareness also created on how presentation skill developed on students and on the expected activities, values and behaviors from students and instructors. Next, we identified potential topics for presentation which have relevance for the course Anthropological Research Method II. Another action taken by the HDP candidates were giving enough reference material that enables to have detail and clear insight about the topics of presentation. The topic for each group has been assigned with sufficient preparation time. Furthermore, to motivate students with the assignment, the relevance of presentation in introducing interactive teaching in the class has been announced in addition to its values in the evaluation systems of the course. Students were given topics based on their area of interest. We also seriously advised the students to have frequent practice even out of the class room setting. We have also arranged extra make up classes to accomplish the students presentation in a successful manner. Every student had got a chance to present. Feed backs and constructive suggestions were given. Unfortunately, due to time constraint we cant go more for assessment on the progress of students ability on the task.

Action Evaluation
In evaluating the intervention that we made, we have observed the pre and post presentation performance, motivation/interest in using presentation as an active learning methods, their knowledge to the subject matter, their confidence, self-esteem in presenting issues in front of their colleagues, and considering necessary activities, behaviors and rules of presentation. Additionally we have interviewed the attitudes of students of using presentation as active learning methods, they were interested in practicing the necessary key activities to develop their presentation skill which is indispensable to have practical knowledge, skill in their educational career and after graduation in their overall activities being practitioners in the society. Being activities and necessary requirement has been fulfilled timely; there was improvement in having effective presentation among students. Additionally, the immediate feed backing system
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among between students and with subject instructor enables to reduce problems that affect effective presentations of students. Generally, the intervention was successful due to the following grounds: Students were interested to use presentation as an active learning methods,

At the end students were happy and remain fascinated, no frustration was observed around their face during presentation. Students were confident enough.

Through time, students reduce unnecessary feelings such as frustrations and shy acts

during presentation. Students also tried to incorporate and respect necessary requirements, behaviors, rules and activities and dressing styles that considered as a feature of effective presentation.
During presentation the ability of students to handle questions from the audience was

much better than it was before.

Controlling the environment in the class room by which the presenters were also

improved in responding questions and respecting and contextualizing activities in lined with the interest of the audiences.

Recommendations
The instructors need to have a continuous follow up in improving the presentation ability of

students.
Instructors should be positive thinker and encourage students with well accepted immediate

feed backing system through sandwiched feed backing system. Proper time should be allocated during presentation to give feedback and correct the students mistakes. Instructors should design appropriate evaluation system in encouraging students performance, Instructors and the university also supply sufficient reference materials,
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 Likewise, educators

should give a clear orientation to the students how to perform the

presentation in different aspects. Instructors should also announce students on the necessary requirements of effective presentation,
Students should not be reluctant on group and individual assignment like presentation

being an interactive and practical learning approach. They should be well prepared on the topics of presentation. Students and instructors should avoid the over expectations of perfectness, being developed through long experience,
Finally, we would like to call for all instructors to conduct action researches on different

problems so as to create a harmonious teaching-learning atmosphere.

Appendices
1. Do you like presentation as an active learning method? 2. Are you willing to reflect, present your feeling to your colleagues? If yes how often in a

semester? If your answer is no why done you hit presentation in the front? 3. What do you suggest as a factor attributed for not willing to present your work in front of your colleagues and instructors or any public places? 4. How much instructors gave chance to present, reflect your ideas and feelings?
5. What is the response of your instructors while presenting your work at the front?

6. Have you learnt guiding principles considered in the times of presentation or any public speech?
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7. What do you suggest to improve the presentation skills of students and their overall

participation in the teaching learning process? (For students themselves and instructors in psychology and Language professionals)? 8. What do you think as a factor for having poor presentation skills among students? (For instructors in psychology and Language professionals)?
9. What do you suggest as possible remedial actions in inculcating/implant good presentation

skills among students? (For students themselves and instructors in psychology and Language professionals)?
10. How do you think as possible solutions in having acceptance of presentation as an

interactive teaching and assessment among students? 11. Observing or examining their understanding of the subject matter? 12. Evaluating necessary prerequisites that should consider in public presentation?

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