A Study On The Effectiveness Of Peer-assisted Learning In Junior High School English Reading Teaching

The English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education(2022 Edition)specifies the objectives of Grade 7-9: students should have a positive attitude towards learning and strong self-confidence;they should be able to cooperate actively with others in learning activities and work together to complete learning tasks.Peer-assisted learning meets the requirements of the new curriculum and can develop students’ self-confidence and promote cooperation among students.Compared to traditional teaching,peer-assisted learning focuses directly on the learning process and on students’ academic and emotional development.In the process of English teaching in junior high school,reading teaching is particularly important,and Grade 7 is a critical period for students to build up their foundation and reserve their English learning methods and skills,so the author applies peer-assisted learning to English reading teaching of Grade 7 for further research.This study uses the constructivist learning theory and the zone of proximal developmental theory as the theoretical framework,and uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis to investigate the following three questions:(1)What are the effects of peer-assisted learning on students’ reading performance of Grade 7?(2)What are the attitudes of students to peer-assisted learning?(3)How can peer-assisted learning be better implemented in reading teaching?In this study,two parallel classes of 110 students were used as the subjects in Grade7 of a general junior high school in X city.The Class 13 as the experimental class,which used peer-assisted learning combined with regular reading teaching,and Class 14 as the control class,which used regular reading teaching.The experiment was conducted three times a week for 17 weeks.The effect of peer-assisted learning on students’ reading performance was analyzed through tests.Students’ attitudes towards peer-assisted learning were understood through questionnaires and interviews,and ways to improve peer-assisted learning were proposed based on teachers’ observations and students’ personal experiences.The study found that:(1)peer-assisted learning is an effective method in English reading teaching that not only improves students’ reading performance,but is also costeffective and enjoyable for students,demonstrating the effectiveness of peer-assisted learning;(2)students have positive attitudes towards peer-assisted learning and are more satisfied with the effects,content and reading skills of peer-assisted learning;(3)it is suggested that teachers should enhance their subject knowledge,improve their control of the classroom,deepen their understanding of peer-assisted learning through school-based teaching and research,and that students should maintain good peer relationships in order to improve peer-assisted learning.This study provides some reference value for refining the application of peer-assisted learning in English reading teaching in junior high school.