Theme-Based Research and Reciprocal Teaching: Design and Evaluation of Interest-Driven and Cross-Classes Theme-Based Research Model( I )(2/3)

A considerable part of formal education in Asia remains examination-driven, with the downsides of distorting the learning and teaching processes, diminishing students’ interest in learning, and failing to nurture twenty-first century competencies among students. The development of Interest-Driven Creator Theory (IDC Theory), initiated by Tak-Wai Chan, is a 5-year collective endeavor of a group of Asian researchers. The theory intends to pave an avenue for Asian researchers and practitioners to design learning activities that may transform the examination-driven education to one that continuously engages students in interest-driven creation activities, hence forming habit and ultimately enabling students to become lifelong interest-driven creators. In other words, IDC-based education is a form of education better preparing our young generation of Taiwanese and Asians as well for the future. This project intends to build a prototype so that it may become a compelling example of IDC-based education. There are two parts in this project. The first part is to design a three-tiered IDC-based curriculum structure: modeled sustained silent reading (MSSR), theme-based in-depth reading, and theme-based research. The fundamental tier is MSSR that enables students to build rich background knowledge by reading self-chosen books voluminously. Theme-based in-depth reading is the middle tier. Led by the teacher, theme-based in-depth reading enables students to learn thoroughly a set of articles related to a particular theme by reading, writing, and group discussion. Finally, theme-based research, the top tier, is a sustained learning activity such as project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, STEAM or Maker. The second part of this project is to design and evaluate and activity that we call theme-based research and reciprocal teaching. To carry out this activity, there are five steps. First, a class of students undertake theme-based in-depth reading. Second, the class forms several groups, with each group searching and defining a theme that extends the theme they have read but interested to them for further investigation. Third, each group conducts research they have defined. Forth, every student in each group composes an article based on what they have investigated. Finally, the class will teach another class theme-based in-depth reading using articles they have composed as theme-based reading material. Similarly, the other class will do the same for the class.