An Empirical Research On Theme-based Instruction In Senior High School English Reading Based On Deeper Learning

Theme-based reading is an effective way to enhance high school students’ reading skills.The New English Curriculum Standards of Senior High School(Revised 2020,2017 Edition)(hereafter referred to as the standards)recognize the theme as a vital part of the curriculum materials and as a tool for language acquisition for language learning activities.Exploring the significance of thematic discourse is a vital part of language acquisition for senior high school students,as well as assessing the efficacy of thematic discourse comprehension and honing their English reading abilities.It is quite essential to promote deeper learning of thematic reading and to develop deeper learning reading skills among high school students.This study takes Deeper Learning as the core theory and constructs a theme-based reading instruction based on the English subject’s Acquired Learning Hypothesis and Narrow Reading Theory.Two parallel classes in a high school in H Province were selected for an twelve-week teaching experiment of this research.This study attempts to apply Deeper Learning Theory to the teaching of thematic reading in English in senior high schools through an empirical study,aiming to answer the following two research questions:1)What are the impacts of Theme-based Reading Instruction based on deeper learning on cognitive level of deeper learning and deeper learning thinking quality?2)What are the impacts of Theme-based Reading Instruction based on deeper learning on students’reading ability?In the experiment,the teachers used a theme-based reading instruction for high school English in the experimental class.Data were also collected through the application of questionnaires and reading tests,and data were analysed using SPSS.The results of the study showed that:1)the application of the theme-based reading instruction based on deeper learning is conducive to promoting students’ cognitive level of deeper learning and is effective.Students’thematic reading strategies as well as the depth of thematic reading changed significantly.2)the application of a theme-based reading instruction,based on deeper learning have a remarkable effect on the English reading skills of senior high school students.Not only did their scores improve,but also did their comprehension and thematic understanding.In conclusion,this study demonstrates the effectiveness and practicability of a theme-based reading instruction for senior high school English based on deeper learning.Teachers should pay more attention to the development of students’ learning strategies and the improvement of teaching strategies in the process of practice.However,there are certain limitations to this study,such as the lack of research time and the difficulty in adapting and integrating the learning content.Given the promise of deeper learning,this will also be a motivation for future research in this area.