DEVELOPMENT OF CONTEXT INTEGRATED E-CONTENT FOR ENHANCING ACHIEVEMENT IN ENGLISH OF TRIBAL SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN WAYANAD DISTRICT

Abstract

Objectives Major Objective The major objective was to develop a tribal context integrated e-content based on the prescribed English coursebook (SCERT Kerala) for standard IX. Minor Objectives The minor objectives were: to identify objectives related to micro skills of English language learning in Standard IX to explore the socio-cultural and environmental background of tribal students in Wayanad. to find the opinion of tribe students of standard IX who belong to Kattunyakan tribe in Wayanad, on the effect of the e-content. to find out the effect of teaching with the e-content on achievement in English to validate the developed Tribal Context Integrated e-Content through student opinionnaire, achievement score comparison and expert evaluation schedule. Methodology Method Mixed method research was the method used in the present study. The methodology followed Content Analysis, Participatory Approach, e-Content Development and Case Study. Content Analysis The investigator analyzed the documents like course book and source book for standard IX in order to realize the objective of finding the micro skills of English language: pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, based on the selected units from the prescribed English course book (SCERT, Kerala) for standard IX. Participatory Approach Investigator participated in the actual life situations of the tribes in order to explore their life and culture and made observations. e-Content Development The researcher developed a Tribal Context Integrated e-Content using the resources collected from the socio-cultural and environmental contexts of Kattunayakan tribe, based on the linguistic objectives set in Unit III and Unit IV of English Coursebook for Standard IX, SCERT, Kerala. The researcher used eXe Learning, a free/libre software tool under GPL-2, to create the e-content. (iv) Case Study The developed ‘Tribal Context Integrated e-Content’ was implemented among 30 students of Standard IX who belonged to Kattunayakan tribe at Rajiv Gandhi Model Residential School inWayanad district. Using the eight e-modules the researcher conducted classes for 20 hours. The study was confined to six cases, who attended the sessions regularly. Sample Six cases of students belonging to Kattunayakan tribe, studying in Rajiv Gandhi Model Residential Higher Secondary School at Wayanad were identified to find out the effect of Tribal Context Integrated e-Content. Data on opinion on the usefulness of the e-content developed were also collected from the six cases.Achievement Test in English Language was conducted among the same six cases. The sample identified for the validation of the e-content prepared constituted fifteen experts from the field. Tools and Techniques used The tools and techniques employed for collecting data relevant for the study were: Coursebook for Std. IX, SCERT, Kerala and Sourcebook for teachers 2. Observation schedule on socio-cultural and environmental contexts of the tribe. 3. Student Opinionnaire on Usefulness of e-Content 4 Expert Evaluation Schedule on e-Content 5. School Examination Score Sheet 6. Achievement Test in English Language based on two units Development of e-content Based on the observations done on the socio-cultural and environmental contexts of the Kattunayakan tribal people, the investigator developed a tribal context integrated e-content on micro skills of English Language for tribal students of standard IX. The e-content, based on the linguistic objectives formulated in the SCERT, Kerala English curriculum for Standard IX, was designed for teaching English in the tribe classrooms. Techniques Used for Analysis of Data Percentage analysis, Qualitative interpretations and Content Validity Ratio were the techniques used for the analysis of the collected data. Major Findings An analysis of the course book and source book prescribed for standard IX showed that tribe context integration is completely lacking in the prescribed teaching-learning materials. The socio-cultural environmental and religious backgrounds of the tribe could serve as a repertoire of scaffold resources for English as second language teaching. Academic and psychological effect in the process of teaching-learning, using developed e-content was established by the target cases. The skills and sketches proved to be appropriate from the point of view of the students. The types of context integrated resources like videos, audio, dialect, myth, improvised texts and life events were also meaningful and facilitating. There was improvement in the achievement grade in English of the six cases considered as an effect of teaching using the e-content developed. The validity of ‘Tribal Context Integrated e-Content’ was established by the experts. . Educational Implications of the Study The study recommends: Amassing and documentation of the cultural resources by the government agencies and giving proper training to teachers to make use of the resources to enhance the learning experiences of the tribal learners. Restructuring of tribal education in tune with the socio-cultural milieu of the tribal students. Appointing a trained mentor or facilitator for every or a group of students in the tribe schools can help towards creating interest in the language, resulting in improved achievement. Great changes can be brought if the tribal department organizes workshops and training programmes for the development of parallel texts, teacher texts and other e-resources following the principle of contextualization in tribe schooling. Making elementary and secondary level teacher education curricula of English language feasible and futuristic with the theoretical content on tribe pedagogy and giving opportunity to prospective teachers for internship in tribe schools to experiment with their own resources.