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Coopersmith (1967) and adapted to suit the purpose of this study. It contains both favourable and unfavourable statements about the self, which learners respond to by selecting appropriate options from Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), Strongly Disagree (SD). SEQ consists of two sections A and B. Section A consists of demographic data such as name, sex, school, class and local government area. Section B consists of twenty five (25) items. Positively worded items in the questionnaire attract a score of 4, 3, 2, 1 for SA, A, D, SD respectively. The reverse is the case for negatively worded items. Those who scored below 40 are classified as having low self-esteem while those who scored between 40 and 60 are classified as having average level of self esteem.
Those who scored above 60 are classified as having high self esteem.
Validity and Reliability of SEQ
The validity of the instrument was determined using the peer review. It was also given to the project supervisor for scrutiny. The reliability of the instrument was determined using the Cronbach Alpha statistics and a reliability coefficient of 0.84 was obtained.
3.5.6 Evaluation Sheet for Assessing Teachers’ Performance during Training (ESATPDT)
The evaluation sheet was designed to assess teachers‟ level of performance during training. It contains eight items which attracts a maximum of five marks each. The total mark obtainable is 40. Any teacher who scores below 30 was not considered for the study.
Validity and Reliability of ESATPDT
The validity of the instrument was determined through peer review. It was also given to the project supervisor and two other lecturers in the language unit of the Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan. Its reliability was determined by trial testing it using the inter rater technique and the Scott Pie Analysis gave a reliability coefficient of 0.81.
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iv. Posttest administration.
The work schedule for the period of data collection is summarised below:
Selection and training of teachers 2 weeks
Pretest administration 1 week
Treatment 8 weeks
Post Test administration 1 week
Total 12 weeks
3.6.1 Selection and Training of Research Assistants
English language teachers from the selected secondary schools were contacted to obtain their consent to participate in the study. The researcher then embarked on two weeks training of teachers in the use of appropriate teaching strategies using the already prepared teachers‟ guides. The training was done in three stages. First, the teachers were briefed on the strategies and modalities of the instructional methods, and then the researcher gave demonstration lessons using some students not involved in the main study. Lastly the participating teachers were asked to teach using other students apart from the ones used by the researcher, which were also not part of the main study. The performance of the teachers was determined using the evaluation sheet prepared by the researcher.
3.6.2 Pre-test
The pre-test was conducted during the third week (that is, immediately after the two weeks‟ training). This involves exposing students in the experimental groups and the control group to the achievement test in essay writing. Attitude to essay writing questionnaire and self-esteem questionnaire were also administered to students in all the groups.
3.6.3 Treatment Stage
During this stage, students in the Experimental Group 1 were taught using the explicit manageable reactive focus-on-form strategy, while students in the Experimental Group 2 were taught using the implicit manageable reactive focus-on-form strategy.
Teaching in experimental and control groups was done simultaneously by the research assistants for eight week. The researcher visited the schools on regular basis to monitor the teaching and testing sessions. The researcher was directly involved with the
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administration of both pretest and posttest to ensure that norms associated with examination exercise are strictly maintained. In all, the study lasted for twelve weeks.
Experimental Group 1: Three intact classes from three schools made up the first Experimental Group. One of the classes had a large class size; the second had a medium class size, while the third had a small class size. Students in the three classes were exposed to the explicit manageable reactive focus-on-form strategy. The procedure for implementing this strategy is as follows
Stage 1
The teacher gives an overview of the principles underlying the writing of an essay using the lecture method. At the end of this stage, the teacher asks the students to write a two-paragraph essay.
Stage 2
The teacher distributes the scripts of the previous essay on which explicit corrective feedback had been given. That is, the teacher identifies errors on students‟ scripts and also provides the correct forms of the errors.
Stage 3
The teacher discusses the nature of errors identified in students‟ essays with them and carries out a remedial teaching of the identified errors. The teacher asks the students to rewrite the essay and submit as an assignment.
Stage 4
A new topic is presented to the students. The teacher and the students discuss the outline of the new topic.
Stage 5
Students write an essay of not more than 200words on the new topic.
Experimental Group 2: Three intact classes from three schools also made up the second experimental group. One of the classes had a large class size; the second had a medium class size, while the third had a small class size. Students in the three classes were exposed to the implicit manageable reactive focus-on-form strategy. The procedure for implementing this strategy is as follows
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Stage 1
The teacher gives an overview of the principles underlying the writing of an essay using the lecture method. At the end of this stage, the teacher asks the students to write a two-paragraph essay.
Stage 2
The teacher distributes the scripts of the previous essay on which implicit corrective feedback had been given. That is, the teacher indicates where errors occurred on students‟
scripts but does not provide the correct forms thereby leaving the students to diagnose and correct the errors by themselves.
Stage 3
Students are guided to discuss the nature of errors identified in their essays. During the discussion, students make necessary jottings that will assist them in rewriting the essay.
The teacher asks the student to rewrite the essay and submit as an assignment Stage 4
A new topic is presented to the students. Students are guided to generate ideas that could be used in writing the new essay.
Stage 5
Students write an essay of not more than 200words on the new topic.
Control Group: Like the two experimental groups, the control group was made up of three intact classes from three schools. The three classes also had large, medium, and small class sizes. Students in the three classes were exposed to the conventional method of teaching and marking essay writing. The procedure for implementation is as follows Stage 1
The teacher gives an overview of the principles underlying the writing of an essay using the lecture method. At the end of this stage, the teacher asks the students to write an essay which should not be less than 450 words.
Stage 2
The teacher returns the scripts of the previous essay to the students.
Stage 3
The teacher presents a new topic to the students. The teacher discusses the outline of the new topic with the students.
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Stage 4
Students write an essay of not less than 450words on the new topic.