Application Of Anchored Instruction Model To College English Writing Teaching

Based on Constructivism as well as Situated Cognition and Learning Theory, Anchored Instruction Model(AIM) advocates the creation of the problem situation by using the real examples to complete the meaning construction of knowledge for students in autonomous learning, and cooperative learning. Previously related researches have confirmed that Anchored Instruction Model can effectively help students to solve mathematical problems, social science dilemma, and some other language context difficulties. Researchers in China have also done a lot of work to apply Anchored Instruction Model to math teaching or high school language teaching, but few of them have turned to college English writing teaching, thus it is worthy of attention.In this thesis, the effects of the application of Anchored Instruction Model to college English writing class on non-English majors are explored, and three questions are probed by conducting a writing teaching experiment. 1) What is the influence of the application of Anchored Instruction Model to college English writing teaching on students’ total score? 2) What is the influence of the application of Anchored Instruction Model to college English writing teaching on students’ writing achievements in terms of content and language? 3) What is the attitude of students towards Anchored Instruction Model after the teaching experiment?Aiming to investigate whether the Anchored Instruction Model helps to improve the non-English major students’ English writing achievements, 66 freshmen of non-English majors of two natural classes participated in the experimental writing teaching for a semester. The Anchored Instruction Model was adopted in the experimental group, while Genre Approach in the control group. Two writing tests were conducted respectively at the beginning and the end of the semester among students who have participated in the experiment; a questionnaire and a personal interview were conducted among students of experimental group after the experiment. Followed by data collection, the results of two tests were analyzed by SPSS 17.0 statistical software.Through data analysis, it is concluded that after the application of Anchored Instruction Model to college English writing instruction, the subjects’ total score as well as writing achievements in terms of content has been improved. Most of the Experimental group students held a positive attitude towards Anchored Instruction Model.Six chapters are included in the thesis.Chapter one presents the research background, purpose, significance, and organization.Chapter two introduces previous studies of English writing teaching approaches, studies of Anchored Instruction Model, and a look-back on the researches abroad and domestic.Chapter three is theoretical basis, which refers to Constructivism as well as Situated Cognition and Learning Theory.Chapter four is methodologies including the research questions, subjects, instruments, design of the experiments, and data collection.Chapter five analyses the results and discusses the data.Chapter six concludes the findings, implications, limitations of the research, and suggestions for the future research.