English Skill Development of First Year Nursing Students, Boromarajajonnani College of Nursing, Ratchaburi through Cooperative Learning in an English Preparation Project

Abstract

Abstract

              This study aims to 1) compare the English scores of pretest and posttest of the first year nursing students of Boromajonnani College of Nursing, Ratchaburi before and after participating in the English Preparation Project 2) study levels of students’ satisfactions of   Boromajonnani College of Nursing, Ratchaburi, on cooperative English learning activities in the English preparation Project. 3) study opinions of Boromajonnani College of Nursing, Ratchaburi on cooperative English learning activities in the English preparation Project.  The population of this study was 110 first year nursing students of Boromajonnani College of Nursing, Ratchaburi in the first academic year of 2019. The research instruments consisted of 1) 50 items of English pretest and posttest 2) a survey of satisfaction on cooperative English learning activities in the English preparation Project.  For data analysis, the researchers employed the statistics of t-test, percentage, mean (X) and standard deviation (SD) and descriptive analysis of students’ opinions.

                  The results of the study indicated the following. 1) the posttest scores of the students were higher the posttest. The pretest score was 35 and the posttest score was 36. The average of posttest was 20.15 and the standard deviation was 5.646. 2) The students in overall satisfied with the project with the mean of 4.0 and SD  of 0.89. The students had the highest level of satisfaction on the topic that “ All members see the progress of the group more than focusing on oneself” with the highest mean of 4.0 and the SD of 0.95. 3) Most of the students impressed with  the project and  the cooperative learning activities provided.  They reflected that the activities were good and helped improve their English skills well. They had a chance to learn together and helped each other. They also reflected that they had a chance to perform their roles differently. This study suggests that there should be the concerned activities continuously and frequently which will help improve students’ English communicative competence and there should be the pretest and posttest which focusing on more English communication which are concurrent to cooperative learning activities.

Keywords: English Skill Development, Cooperative Learning, Nursing Students, Boromarajonnani College of Nursing, Ratchaburi