Introduction

Filipino students are well exposed to studying the English language during their first ten years of education (Alieto, 2018). By the time they enter college, they are expected to have not only a familiarity with the language, but also confidence in applying it in real-life communication settings. However, when asked to do performance-based tasks such as oral presentations in class, the students still find it difficult and uncomfortable to speak in English. To address their learning needs, their perception of their own communication skills still needs to be measured and analysed (Separa et al., 2015).

Oral communication skills, generally defined as the ability to engage in verbal discussions and exchange of information through presentations, are one of the skills necessary for effective teaching (Jaca & Javines, 2020). Especially in the field of second language acquisition, the job involves a verbal process in which teachers are expected to meet the needs of the students in terms of comprehension, information retention, and practical application (Andrew et al., 2005). Pre-service English teachers need to exhibit competence in delivery of instruction especially because the Filipino education system is gearing towards globalization. However, teacher education students who have chosen English as their field of specialization are falling short on the performance tasks assigned in their major subjects, and this can be attributed to personal factors that hinder them to talk confidently. According to Lestari (2018), these aspects include affective factors such as support from the people around the learning environment.

The danger is that the students’ low motivation and poor perception of the idea of mastering the core skills of English can develop an inability to communicate effectively altogether (Separa et al., 2015). Consequently, teachers of future teachers are expected to come up with innovative strategies to cater to the various learning styles of the students and give credit to their special skills and talents so that they are inspired to deliver more. The influential factors to the analysis of the academic performance of limited English proficient students are teacher aspects too—their teaching strategies, assessment practices and linguistic demands (Martirosyan et al., 2015). Moreover, these demands involve the ability of the students to adapt to varying learning environments—those that utilize traditional teaching methods, and those that utilize relatively newer methods such as online learning. However, because online learning alters face-to-face classes, the students tend to feel on edge and alone because of the decreased social interaction (Widjaja and Chen, 2017). The adaptability to a big change, such as a worldwide pandemic, is now factored in. According to a study by Meeter et al. (2020), college student’s motivation after stay-at-home orders, deteriorated together with the rising number of COVID-19 cases. College students rated their motivation as having decreased as they found online education less satisfactory than campus-based education (Meeter et al., 2020). The students found it difficult to find inspiration with everyone cramped up with the changes, danger, and uncertainties outside their homes. Because the world was not prepared to tackle the new normal, both physical and psychological well-being were tested and questioned. According to a recent study by Armstrong et al. (2020), “our sense of self, mastery, competence, meaning, survival and connections” (p.1) were being fed by all these uncertainties.

The 4D-model of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a specialized framework that is designed to highlight the strengths-based approach as a means for creating positive change. In this model, giving constructive feedback and elaborating everyone’s competencies are put first. The first stage is Discovery which focuses on the best of what is. This includes recognizing the strengths that the individual has already shown or is showing—the positive core (Whitney & Cooperrider, 2011). The second stage is called Dream which focuses on what might be. On this stage, everyone involved seeks for the possibilities of improvement in the foreseeable future and plans about it. The third stage is called Design, where the actual steps that have been formulated in the Dream stage are taken. Last is the Destiny stage where the actualization of the desired state is made to happen (Herbert, 2012).

According to Cooperrider and Whitney (2005), AI in education is used as a teaching and learning approach to counter negative self-talk that can damage students’ beliefs in their ability to do well in school. This is not only to encourage the students to have a positive outlook in learning, but to be accountable of their own advancement. In this approach, students are asked to build on their strengths to address a special need, instead of just identifying their problems. Exercises that involve opening to peers, discovering oneself and sharing personalized feedback are given primary concern, instead of merely assessing the glitches already present (Cooperrider et al., 2008).

For instance, according to the lecturers who have given English courses in the participating local college, Filipino students who are not that fluent and comfortable speaking the language can be easily deemed as academically poor and can be deprived of the opportunity to communicate effectively. There is a need to implement a series of strength-based intervention sessions to empower students who have varied learning styles and pace in mastering English language communication. According to Helens-Hart (2018), the AI approach is seen as an effective tool to help teacher education students empower themselves and their oral communication skills amidst the difficulties they face in terms of self-confidence and capacity-building. When the teaching-learning process became challenging for both teachers and students due to a sudden shift from residential or classroom teaching to online and remote learning, this was seen as an opportunity to aid the local college teachers so they could keep their communication lines with the students open during the pandemic.

This research sought to explore the connection between the current oral communication skills of teacher education students at a local college in Laguna and the instructional approach and strategies applied to improve their speech preparation and delivery practices. The effects of the use of the AI approach in a series of skills enhancement workshops and assessment of the possibility of integrating it in the teaching-learning plans for the English courses has been described. It was carried out in response to the institution’s goal of developing the necessary life skills for the students by providing a more holistic learning environment.

This study sought to answer the following questions:

1. What are the qualities of the oral communication skills level of teacher education students in Laguna, Philippines?
2. What are the effects of the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) workshop sessions on the oral communication skills of the teacher education students?

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of AI approach to the oral communication skills of teacher education students at a local college in Laguna, Philippines. Specifically, it: (i) described the level of oral communication skills of the students; (ii) implemented the AI workshop sessions using an online interaction scheme; and (iii) analysed the effects of the AI workshop series on the oral communication skills of the students.

Materials and Methods

Research design

This study utilized a case study design with a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative method involved a semi-structured interview and a thematic analysis, in which meanings were identified in patterns. More specifically, reflexive thematic analysis was adapted as it aims to analyze experiential and critical data, those that are contextualized and relative, and to interpret them based on identified patterns of shared meaning (Braun & Clarke, 2021). A one-shot case study is a pre-experimental design where a single group is observed after a treatment that is presumed to cause change has been made (Research Connections, 2021). In this study, the sample population was the group of teacher education students who had the means to connect to the internet and were available to join the intervention sessions. The design was used to assess a single group of 11 students after a series of AI workshop sessions was conducted. The researcher chose this method with the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic in mind.

To enrich the discussion of findings, the study also incorporated a qualitative method such as a semi-structured in-depth interview that used a list of questions following the AI approach. The interviews help get a deeper understanding of student participants about their perception on their and their school’s strengths and, later, about the effects of AI as an intervention strategy.

Participants of the study

Considering that the research was conducted through a video conferencing software, the informed consent was obtained through a verbal agreement via the virtual platform Zoom Meetings. Purposive sampling is a non-probability method used to produce a sample that is logically assumed to represent a certain population (Lavrakas, 2008). This method was used in this study based on the following criteria: the students’ year level and major, their ability to access the internet, and their availability given the modular distance learning set up adopted by the local college. For instance, in one section of 30 third-year students majoring in English Language Education, only students #3 and #5 said they had a stable internet connection and agreed to devote the weekends to the workshop sessions. Due to these limitations, only a total of 11 students participated.

Instrumentation

Pre-intervention Assessment Instrument: The NCA Competent Speaker Holistic Speech Evaluation Form (2018)

To describe the English oral communication skills level of the student participants of this study and to reiterate the necessity for an intervention, a needs assessment was conducted prior to the AI intervention. The skills presented were scored based on the eight competencies under two key areas of the evaluation form: speech preparation and speech delivery (See Appendix A).

The Competent Speaker Holistic Speech Evaluation Form formulated by the National Communication Association is a statistically valid and reliable tool for evaluating oral communication competencies for higher education levels. This in-class evaluation tool measures public speaking skills, both the verbal and non-verbal, and not only the knowledge and motivation of the speaker. There are eight competencies measured in this rubric—four for speech preparation and four for speech delivery. These competencies are as follows:

Table 1. The Competent Speaker Holistic Speech Evaluation Form Competencies

For each of the criteria given in the competencies, three levels of performance are provided: excellent, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory (See Appendix 1).

Guidelines for proper use and the descriptors for each level of assessment of The Competent Speaker rubric are provided in the manual used. However, because the manual allows the evaluator to use a scale system that is deemed appropriate for the context of the performance, the researcher chose not to assign numerical values, but simply checked off the level of performance applicable per competency instead. The use of the assessment results was guaranteed to be solely for the purpose of diagnosing the student participants’ strengths and weaknesses in oral communication prior to the intervention. The results of the evaluation led to the description of the oral communication skills of the student participants based on the level of performance (unsatisfactory, satisfactory, or excellent) where the greatest number of checks were given.

From the number of checks given, the students were divided into three groups: low-performing, average-performing, and high-performing. The students who got most of their checks under unsatisfactory were recorded under low-performing; those who got most under satisfactory were recorded under average-performing; and those who got most under excellent were recorded under high-performing. This grouping system was formulated based on the levels of performance categories under the instructional functions performance standards (Hansche, 1998) and the Student Performance Level Descriptors for Oral Communication used for non-native English speakers (Grognet, 1997). According to Hansche (1994), to identify various levels of student attainment, categories such as below standard, at standard, and above standard are being used. The elements of performance standards are based on the collection of the performance tasks done by the students which include those that measure proficiency. These standards are later used to improve teaching strategies used in the classroom. Meanwhile, the Student Performance Level (SPL) descriptors were designed for teachers so that they can communicate their adult learners’ English skills effectively. There are ten SPLs in total. But because only three levels are indicated in the scoring rubric to evaluate the teaching demo, the researcher used the lowest, the middle and the highest levels as a basis.

The SPL’s used as a basis are as follows:

Table 2. Student performance level

It should be noted that these were only used as guide in the categorization of the students and were not the exact scoring criteria used to evaluate their demo.

Semi-structured interview

A semi-structured interview was conducted with the participants during the post-intervention or evaluation phase, to further probe their thoughts on their AI intervention experience. The highlights among the participants’ answers were used to describe the effects of the AI approach as stated in the research objectives. The semi-structured questionnaire was given to the students via real-time chat through Facebook messenger. (See Appendix 6)

Needs assessment analysis summary   

The assessment was targeted on the ability to employ the basics of public speaking in English of teacher education students majoring in English Language Education. The students were asked to deliver a teaching demo spiel that they formulated based on a topic in Education Technology. The following criteria indicated in the speech preparation section of the Competent Speaker Holistic Evaluation Form was measured: the ability to communicate the purpose of the speech, the use of appropriate supporting materials, and the effective organizational pattern of ideas. Meanwhile, for the speech delivery section of the form, the following were measured: vocal production in rate, pitch, and intensity; pronunciation, grammar, articulation; and non-verbal behaviours.

During the demonstration, an observation guide was designed and utilized to account for the student participants’ verbal and non-verbal cues (See Appendix 5) The cues mentioned in the guide consist of content, delivery, language, posture, movements, eye contact, and facial expressions. For each of the cues, a list of specific behaviours to be observed is indicated in the form of questions. The cues identified were based on the expected outcomes of the teaching demo and on the eight competencies of the same scoring rubric used in the assessment proper.

Data analysis

The student participants’ answers were collected from the semi-structured interview. The data was grouped into two phases— the responses made during the intervention phase (the AI workshop sessions), and the responses made during the post-intervention phase. The grouping was intended to clearly identify the real-time effects of the AI session based on the observation and discussion notes, and the student participants’ over-all notion of the whole experience after the sessions.

Data analysis was done in reference to the research questions that tackled the measurement of the students’ oral communication skills and their perception thereof, and the application of AI approach in response to the need to improve such skills.

Qualitative descriptive analysis methods such as the semi-structured interview and the reflexive thematic analysis were utilized to explain the students’ responses in relation to the research questions and objectives. Mainly, thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data by identifying patterns in the meanings of the data. More specifically, reflexive thematic analysis was adapted as it aims to analyze experiential and critical data, those that are contextualized and relative, and to interpret them based on identified patterns of shared meaning (Braun & Clarke 2021). Considering the high volume of response and reactions from the student participants, the researcher used the deductive way of reflexive thematic analysis to develop themes that are directed by existing ideas and concepts. In this study, these ideas and concepts include: the student’s feeling towards using a new approach, the lessons gained from the AI approach, the plausibility of AI as a tool to improve oral communication skills, and the rooms for improvement of the workshop series. These ideas were chosen as these were the highlighted responses that came about during the post-intervention interview.

Results and Discussion

Students’ oral communication skills: Results of the pre-intervention needs assessment

Based on the observation, the following was identified: 1) The students had poor eye contact; 2) There were no variations in facial expressions; 3) The hand gestures were either very limited or repetitive; 4) Their pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary need improvement for better content delivery; 5) The students looked under-rehearsed and were evidently nervous; 6) They showed very few signs of self-confidence and self-esteem as shown in their low scores in the speech evaluation rubric and the researcher’s observation. In this study, self-confidence and self-esteem are characterized as having the ability to demonstrate verbal cues without hesitation and without much nervousness being apparent, as indicated in the Delivery criterion in the observation guide (Appendix 5); 7) Stage fright was very apparent; and 8) A unique communication and presentation style of each student was not observed.

Upon using the observation guide and The Competent Speaker Holistic Evaluation Form in the pre-intervention assessment, the researcher concluded that ten of the eleven students exhibited low performance in the oral English communication skills evaluation. Based on the rubric, the ten students scored unsatisfactory in five of the eight competencies and satisfactory in three out of eight competencies. Meanwhile, only one student exhibited average performance by scoring satisfactory in all eight competencies. This is displayed in the Table below.

Table 3. Summary of Needs Assessment Test results

Following these results, a strong need to further improve the students’ English oral communication skills was identified, especially in the areas of pronunciation, articulation, grammar, and vocal variety. This need was supported by the fact that pre-service teachers are expected to employ good communication skills to effectively transmit information and provide motivation to their future students, especially in terms of the concepts in an application of the English language. An English teacher must be able to communicate in a clear and understandable manner (Khan et al., 2017). Moreover, the resources in responding to the needs must include measures to improve their self-confidence and motivation as well.

The students’ self-assessment on their oral communication skills

In Separa et al’s. study (2015) on Filipino college students’ self-assessment in English oral communication, they noted that students show zero positivity towards learning and using the second language. This was attributed to several factors including the students’ low exposure to an English-speaking environment and their general reluctance to use the language in fear of committing grammar and pronunciation errors. Consequently, they were uncomfortable when the need to speak in English arose.

In this study, the students’ perception of their own performance during the pre-intervention needs assessment was also considered. This was reflected during brief interviews where they were asked how they felt about their presentation skills.

Based on the self-assessment of the students, the themes identified were a) The students were not confident about their English pronunciation and grammar, b) They were afraid to make mistakes in translating Filipino to English, c) They worried about not getting their thoughts and message across, d) They wanted to master speaking in English fluently but did not know where to start, e) The motivation to communicate well was present, but the students felt they were not good enough to begin with, f) They students thought it is time for new classroom approaches to improve methods in teaching and learning oral communication.

These themes show that the students had inhibitions while presenting themselves in front of a group regardless of their ability to communicate. They were hindered by their pre-conceived notion that they are not good at English and by being intimidated by the difficulty of the language. According to Separa et al. (2015), students’ lack of confidence in speaking can be attributed to Leon Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance Theory which states that a person tends to be dissonant when there is forced compliant behaviour. This means that when individuals are forced to do a task they do not want to do, their attitude towards the activity and all other similar activities may change because of the mental discomfort they have experienced (Festinger, 1962). If the students are compelled to do speaking exercises in a language that they are not comfortable speaking and are afraid of using, they are deprived of the most humanizing activity of engaging in a conversation (Separa et al., 2015). Likewise, they are not confident about their technical knowledge in English grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary and they worry about their audience identifying their weaknesses while they are exposed in front of the class. These responses can be attributed to the oral communication problems concerning the linguistic approach and the interactional approach in learning a foreign language (Kavanoz & Yuksel, 2017). The motivation of the students towards speaking in English decreases when their desire and attitude to practice the language is low (Ihsan, 2016). Likewise, the following are also considered as contributory to the high level of anxiety that the students experience in class: fear of committing mistakes, fear of the teachers, negative self-perception of language competence, and the teachers’ negative demeanour in class. This means that the teacher might be a key factor in building motivation support for the students (Dincer & Yensilyurt, 2017).

Because good oral communication skills depend on the ability to use language properly in social contexts, it becomes problematic when students hesitate or pause while expressing their thoughts on account of their fears. Effective techniques must then be developed to improve such skills (Hussein et al., 2019). If the students are not given any variation in their English communication activities, they are not given the opportunity to use the language in expressing their ideas. So, there is a need to create a more favourable environment for them in class (Dincer & Yensilyurt, 2017). In this study, the favourable environment identified is a classroom that welcomes an exchange of positive feedback and reinforcement among all students.

However, measuring an individual’s language competence based on a communicative task such as a teaching demo or an oral performance task alone can be insufficient. This is because a pre-service language teacher’s motivation and understanding of their teacher identity is formed through a dynamic process that must be integrated throughout the Teacher Education program they are taking, and programs vary from one educational institution to another (Kavanoz & Yuksel, 2017). This is where the implementation for new teaching strategies come in.

AI workshop session

With the learning objectives and outcomes in place, a workshop session guide was designed to put the AI into practice in an educational setting. (See Appendix 4) The first session was devoted to the needs assessment or the teaching demonstration and a brief orientation to AI and its purpose. The second session was devoted to the Discovery and Dream stages of the AI workshop. In the Discovery stage, the students were asked to share an experience, preferably an oral presentation or performance, where they felt most alive, most excited, and most competent. A strength-building exercise was also done, where they were asked to share the aspects of oral communication that they are good at and the positive values they think they have that made them good at such aspects. In the Dream stage, the students were asked to envision what they would be doing within the year to improve their oral communication skills more and what positive results they believed would come out of the experience by the end of 2021.

The third session was devoted for the Design stage where the students were asked to fill out an AI Action Plan. This is where they detailed specific goals that they want to attain oral communication-wise and their strongest skills that could be used to ensure the achievement of these goals.

Lastly, the fourth and fifth sessions were devoted for the Destiny stage which was done over two weeks after the third session. This was when the students’ progress was monitored based on the AI action plan they devised. They were asked to re-perform the teaching demonstration they had presented during the first session. The researcher recorded the improvements shown by the students. Following this, all eleven students underwent the post-intervention interview where they were asked to answer a structured set of questions.

During the strength building exercise in Session 1, the student participants were asked to describe an event in their student life when they felt most involved and excited to present something orally in class. The students’ responses to the exercise consisted of the following themes: 1) The students felt stronger when they were given a group task; 2) Their unforgettable moment in a performance had something to do with leading a group; 3) When they felt more alive on being given responsibilities that they were passionate in fulfilling; 4) When they felt more involved when they worked on a creative output; 5) When they felt more confident on having prepared for and mastered every detail of their presentation. 

During the exercise, some of the student participants mentioned their weaknesses and the problems they have encountered in their story. One participant ended up saying he was disappointed about how the whole event turned out even when he was so excited in the beginning. However, following the nature of AI, the researchers chose not to follow up on this negative self-talk and instead focused on the participant’s sense of self-fulfilment despite what happened. A resolve approach was used, so that all student participants felt that the session was a safe place for sharing only the best of what is. The students were led to the idea of appreciating the best of themselves and the environment they were in on the events they mentioned—that instead of focusing on the mishaps along the way, it would be better to capitalize on the talents they already possess, the things they already know, the skills they have already acquired, and how they will be able to share all these in a participatory learning set up.   

Meanwhile, the following ideas were reiterated upon hearing the responses: 1) Students must learn how to set their weaknesses aside by focusing on what they are good at; 2) They must treat their problems as opportunities to be stronger than they already are; 3) They should see themselves differently in a positive way. This feedback exchange was the jumping-off point for introducing another strength-building exercise that allowed the students to dig deeper into their character and abilities. The researcher asked them to list what they thought was their best quality and the things that they strongly believed they were good at both in terms of speech and oral communication and in their personal life.

The students’ responses to this exercise consisted of the following themes in terms of the academics (oral communication): 1) Some of the students believed they were good at written communication including planning and organizing report outlines, visual aids, and other instructional materials; 2) Some expressed their strength in posture, eye contact and other non-verbal communication skills during speech delivery; 3) Some said they were good at pronunciation and diction; 4) Others mentioned they are good at creating impactful introductions and impromptu speeches. Meanwhile, for the non-academics, the themes of the responses were as follows: 1) The students’ strengths were inclined to their ability to keep and maintain healthy relationships; 2) The students were good at facing daily adversities.

Each of the eleven students was given a chance to speak up and share their best asset, and all these responses were supported and agreed upon by the researcher and their co-student participants. However, it was observed that there was lack of confidence, even when they were talking about their specialties, which was supposedly a moment of glory for them. They felt more awkward than self-assured even when they were certain of their answers. This was noted as a natural-occurring behaviour for students who are used to being scrutinized for their speech performance (Aquino et al., 2016). As treatment, the researcher discussed the importance of acknowledging one’s self-worth in dealing with communication skills. Pointers were given to teach the students how to capitalize on the strengths they have already identified in the Discover stage and how they can use them to turn their fears and inhibitions into strengths.

In the Dream stage of the intervention, the students were asked to reflect on the strengths they had identified and to use it to co-construct what should be. Part of the Dream stage of AI is looking into the community where an individual belongs to and the community’s worth to his or her well-being. In this study, we refer to this environment or community as the school. Following this, the students were asked to name their and their school’s core life-giving values, which involve the factors that keep them motivated to continue majoring in English. Also, the researcher asked what the students valued deeply about themselves, their friends, and their families and what made their school a great place to work in. The themes identified from the analysis were: 1) The students considered their school a safe space for honing their communication skills because it provided an avenue for interactive and performance-based lessons; 2) The people in their community—their teachers and classmates—made their stay in school worthwhile; 3) Their school gave them a sense of purpose that their dream of becoming an English teacher would be realized because the school was able to provide a space for it.

In this stage, a shift in the student participants’ tone was observed—from being meek and lacking confidence to being more open and enthusiastic. It was notable that when the session started, the students were ready to open up since they had already grown accustomed to sharing. Excitement was apparent in their facial reactions and gestures. Because their strengths were built and maintained in the last two stages, their sense of self-worth had started to bloom when they talked about their core life-giving values. They were happy talking about their student life and how they rose to the challenges along the way. What was even more prominent in the discussion was their notion of challenge. When they mentioned their struggles, they no longer regarded those as hindrances but as success stories that inspired them to become better. As compared to the negative self-talk where two of the respondents uttered, “Kaya lang po, hindi ko kaya (I really cannot do it),” and “Wala po talaga akong lakas ng loob (I’m not brave enough),” they have now moved to, “Yung kakayahan ko po hindi ko lang na-realize (I just didn’t realize I had these skills),” and “Hindi pala ‘yun parusa. Kaya pala namin ‘yun i-overcome (I realized it was not a punishment and that I can overcome it).”

A change was also seen in the comments they gave each other throughout the session. They were lighter, more uplifting, and more validating. Comments such as, “Oo nga! That’s your strength. Naiinsipire mo kami maging kagaya mo (I agree! That’s your strength. You inspire us to become more like you),” and “Idol ka nga namin. Hindi mo lang napapansin (We do admire you. You just don’t notice),” were exchanged.  

After identifying their core life-giving values, the students underwent an imagination exercise called, “A Journey to the Future”. Their creative minds were tapped by allowing them to envision themselves and their school in the next three to five years, supposing that their dreams for themselves and their school have already been realized. From this exercise, responses that only circled on positive reinforcement were elicited and encouraged. The themes identified from the analysis were: 1) The students were inspired to be better with the intricacies of the English language; 2) In three more years, they were hopeful that their oral communication skills would have already improved; 3) They saw themselves going back to their school and winning their teachers’ approval.

Based on the observation, this exercise and the entire Dream stage ignited a fire in the students. They repeatedly mentioned the words "motivated,” “inspired,” and “abilities” when asked how they felt when they were exchanging stories. The facilitator watched for any remaining negative self-talk that could have stirred them away from the appreciation method, but none was found notable. The end of the Dream stage initiated the students’ goal setting. They were given an assignment—to list a set of goals they wanted to achieve to improve their oral communication skills by the end of the year.

In the Design stage, the students were asked to draft an action plan that could guide them in realizing the goals they had set. This involved listing the SMART goals, identifying the actions to be performed, writing the materials and resources needed, and recognizing the capacity and skills needed to achieve such goals. Afterwards, the students were asked to share parts of their action plan to the workshop group, where everyone was encouraged to give constructive feedback and positive reinforcement to one another. (See Appendix 7)

The themes identified from the analysis were: 1) The students saw themselves improving in the areas of grammar and vocabulary by the end of the year; 2) The students’ goals included increasing their English fluency level and enriching their English vocabulary; 3) They wanted to proceed by taking refresher courses in English grammar; 4) Their strategy included reading more books in English and making this a habit; 5) They planned to keep track of their progress using the action plans they created.

In the duration of the Design session, the researcher observed that the students were eager to see through the end of their goals instead of holding back. This was notably different from the image they portrayed at the beginning of the AI intervention where they talked about their fears a lot more than they talked about their strengths.

The final stage in the 4D Appreciative Inquiry model is the most crucial part of the study as it determines whether the students show any significant changes with the consistent use of the AI approach. This is where the students’ progress was closely monitored. It was one thing to set the goals, but it was entirely different to keep their motivation intact and help them not get lost along the way, with all limitations considered. It took weeks to monitor the students’ progress. Their daily habits were tracked down via virtual consultations with the facilitator, and it was found that most of them stayed true to the list of actions to be taken indicated on their action plan—reading at least one to three chapters of an English book a day, listing newly discovered English words, practicing their demonstrations at least twice a week, doing self-practice in front of a mirror, watching videos on improving self-confidence and public speaking, and reviewing grammar lessons at least twice a week.

Effects of the AI Workshop on the oral communication skills of the students

Before completely evaluating the effects of the AI intervention, the students were asked to repeat the teaching demonstration they presented at the beginning of the study. The observation guide used during the pre-intervention assessment was re-used for the post-intervention assessment to check for progress and improvements in the students’ oral communication skills.     

To check whether there was a significant difference between the pre-intervention teaching demonstration and the post-intervention teaching demonstration, the Competent Speaker Holistic Evaluation Form in the pre-intervention assessment was re-used to re-assess the students. It was then concluded that nine of the eleven respondents exhibited low performance in the oral English communication skills evaluation. Based on the rubric, the nine students scored unsatisfactory in five of the eight competencies and satisfactory in three out of eight competencies. Meanwhile, two students exhibited average performance – one scored satisfactory in seven out of eight competencies, and the other scored satisfactory in six out of eight competencies. This is displayed in Table 4.

Table 4. Summary of post intervention test results

Compared to the pre-intervention results, the data above shows that there was a difference in the performance of one out of eleven students. The specific improvement noted on this student was the improvement in self-confidence which had evidently changed from the first session. Nevertheless, the student participants showed improvements during the second demonstration. Generally, the following were observed: 1) The students showed significant improvements in eye contact, facial expression, and hand gestures, which were all noted with the basis of the observation guide (See Appendix 5); 2) There was still much more to improve in their pronunciation and grammar; 3) They all showed improvement in the speech preparation because they looked well-rehearsed. This was measured when the observations from the initial n and the final demonstration were compared and analysed and when the findings from the initial one were no longer repeated in the final one; 4) The most significant improvement was evidently in the aspect of self-confidence—that despite mispronunciation, grammar errors, and incorrect word usage, the students showed fewer signs of presentation fright.

More specifically, the following were noted as the effects of AI on the eight speaking competencies that were measured using the evaluation rubric:

Competencies One and Two – On narrowing down the topic and communicating the thesis/specific purpose

Based on the observation notes and the scores, 80% of the students were evidently more comfortable during their demo introduction in the post-intervention than in their first teaching demo. They introduced their topics more clearly, discussed the purpose of their demo more effectively and explained the supporting details with more ease. During the interview, the student participants attributed this improvement to the AI intervention, specifically referring to the idea that AI has opened a venue for them to speak their minds; because they were encouraged to share multiple times to their peers, they grew more and more comfortable of public speaking. They referred to this as one of the positive effects of AI.

Competencies Three and Four – Supporting materials and organizational pattern      

It was evident that the students were more prepared in the second demo in terms of the materials they used. More than the visual appeal of their presentations, the supplemental topics that 50% of them provided were notable. These students provided videos and additional readings that could be used by the audience to enrich their knowledge and awareness of the topics discussed. It was observed that these students were able to organize and break down their ideas more clearly. Although 50% is not majority, this was still noted as one of the positive effects of AI as this led the students to say that they were more eager to prepare for the second demo after being able to speak up multiple times during the intervention sessions.

Competencies Five to Seven - On appropriate language and vocal variety

During the observation in the first demonstration, the poor choice of words or word usage was one of the recurring comments noted in the verbal cues. During the second demonstration, there was no significant difference noted. Moreover, the appropriateness of the language in terms of how it sparked the audience’s enthusiasm had significant changes not on the speaker’s delivery, but on the audience’s overall mood. The students were evidently more attentive during the second demonstration, and this could be related to the intervention in terms of how they perceived the experience of validating their peers’ strengths and shared ideas.

The students’ delivery did not have any notable difference in vocal variety and grammar. Particularly, their grammar and inflections still need work. The pronunciation had noticeable differences which reflected on how much they had prepared for the demo the second time. They were more careful and slower when they pronounced the tricky sounds. The students also mentioned during the interview that they had devoted more time to rehearsing their demo the second time around.   

Competency Eight – Physical behaviour

The notable differences in the non-verbal cues of the students in the second demo included improvements in eye contact, posture, and the use of their hands. Eighty percent of the students looked more confident because they stood straight, without being too stiff, with their eyes focused on the camera more than on their notes. With the limited space of their video frames, their movements appeared to be more controlled both in the first and second demo, but during the second demo, they looked more relaxed, and they were able to move their hands more freely as they gave explanations.

These improvements in the communication skills of students could be attributed to the Appreciative Inquiry intervention conducted in terms of how the students perceived the change in approach. Bentkowski and Yamaga (cited by Lessard-Clouston, 2020) in a similar study where it was concluded that students who were asked Appreciative Inquiry questions rated their own English oral communication skills 25% higher than the students who were asked problem-focused questions. Their observation also included the students’ shift to a more positive mode of learning where they are excited and looking forward to the next sessions.     

Afterwards, a semi-structured interview was conducted with the student participants during the post-intervention phase to further probe their thoughts on their AI intervention experience. The highlights among the student participants’ answers were used to describe the effects of the AI approach as stated in the research objectives.

The following coding categories were established based on the perception questions detailed in the semi-structured questionnaire used in the interview. These questions were identified as essential in addressing the research objectives:

The Effects of the AI Intervention

During the intervention phase, a great deal of improvement among all eleven students in terms of confidence and determination in enhancing their oral communication skills were observed. The second demonstration became the jumping-off point in the description of the effects of the Appreciative Inquiry workshop on the group. After the second demo, the students were asked to answer a series of questions during a semi-structured interview. The questions focused on how they felt about each exercise, how they felt talking about their strengths, how they perceived the idea of AI and how they perceived it after completing all intervention sessions. They were also asked how the intervention impacted them and whether they think AI is a plausible, attainable approach in honing a student’s English oral communication skills or not. Table 5 describes the coding categories

Table 5. Coding categories and emerging themes

Using reflexive thematic analysis, the following themes have come up in the following code categories:

The students’ feelings towards using a new approach

The students gained a sense of fulfilment after the intervention sessions and found the Appreciative Inquiry approach “interesting” and “enjoyable”. The student participants said they felt renewed and eager to improve their oral communication skills—something they did not feel in a long time especially when the COVID-19 pandemic happened. Bentkowski and Yamaga (2006) noted this as a positive experience where the students can celebrate good experiences which may motivate them to increase their confidence. The AI approach was interesting to them because it was very different from the usual problem-solving approach in which they had previously used to find out what was wrong and lacking. This new approach helped them rediscover themselves because it helped them see the talents that were hidden all along, and talents they did not realize they had. When the students were made to realize how wonderful they were as a person, expansive learning was opened together with positive change (Murphey et al., 2014).

In this sense, during the post-intervention interview, students asserted that:

It was very fulfilling po[1]. Getting to share your hobbies and strengths to your peers feels like letting them know you better. Being appreciated is very motivating din po[2] (Student #2, interview, 06.03.2021)

At first, nakakahiya. Pero knowing na someone will appreciate you nang walang judgment ay nakakapanatag lang po ng loob mag share. [At first it was embarrassing, but knowing someone will appreciate you without any judgement helps you feel more at ease to share.] (Student #3, interview, 06.03.2021)

The lessons gained from the AI approach

The students discovered that relying on their positive core works in a classroom setting. They also discovered that there was another method a teacher could adopt to interact with students, enabling them to feel better about doing better. When the students were encouraged to share part of who they were to their classmates, care and respect among them was nurtured as they shared common goals that they all accepted and honoured (Murphey et al., 2014). They learned that they each have their own hidden strengths that they can explore to be better at what they do. Giles and Kung (2010) refers to this as the best of the past that is put forward, noting how essential it is for people to revisit some humbling and revealing past experiences that remind them who they really are and what they are capable of.

The students realized that appreciating what they already have helps them stay motivated and grounded. They also learned that it is important to have a venue for sharing each other’s strengths without worrying about receiving negative judgments from their peers. For students who are disengaged and discouraged, AI serves as an opportunity for them to tap their sense of community with their peers (Davis, 2020). According to the students, the workshop sessions made them realize the importance of getting to know themselves and their classmates more. They found out that they were so focused on their weaknesses and problems it had already become a burden for them and hindered them from working more diligently. Giles and Kung (2010) identified that problem-centred realities often lead to a greater sense of hopelessness contrary to the inspiring discoveries and messages of positive change in a constructionist reality. This is the very heart of Appreciative Inquiry, which states that people have the power over our social realities by believing what we see to create it.

Participants stated that:

Learning new things from others’ strength made me realize things that I can do also. (Student# 3, interview, 06.03.2021)

Maappreciate nila lalo yung meron sila and magfofocus sila para mapalago yun. Para sakin po kase minsan po pag mali lang lagi yung napapansin parang di ka mag eenjoy na gumawa kase nasa utak mo na yung thinking na "baka may mali sa gawa ko, ano kayang malik dito" mga ganon po ma'am mas ma coconscious po sila. Basta ma perfect na lang kahit wala na po yung understanding ganon po. [They will be able to appreciate it if they practice it. For me, the habit of just identifying the problems and weaknesses disallows us to enjoy because we’re too worried of committing a mistake. We just become overly conscious of our actions, and we tend to strive for perfection without understanding the actual process.]

The plausibility of AI as a tool to improve oral communication skills.

The students recommended using the AI approach in classroom instruction, specifically in the Teacher Education program. It has been found that the pre-service teacher’s ability to identify their own cultural competencies and describe their own development as an educator allows them to unmask strengths and assets, eventually helping them realize how they can engage better in the teaching and learning process (He, 2013).

The students thought AI was a plausible approach to be used in a classroom setting to help students stay inspired in mastering English communication. Bentkowski and Yamaga (2006) found this to be true. stating that AI can be a helpful tool for students to realize and refocus on their language successes. Moreover, shifting questions about problems to questions about the strengths helps the learners change themselves so they can positively change their worlds (Murphey et al., 2014).

The students were convinced that AI could help students like themselves to use their strengths and make them work for them. The students said that this approach was worth trying because it veers away from the traditional approach and can empower more students to become better at the things they want to be better at. AI is an approach that lets teachers structure the students’ experiences by allowing them to ask and answer meaningful questions out who they are. This creates a trusting space where sincere relationships are built, and compassion is nurtured among the students and the teacher. The teachers are also given the chance to become role models by sharing their values and beliefs that are assigned to their own practice. This opens a vital discussion on the crucial concept of teachers teaching the future teachers (Giles & Kung, 2010).

In this regard, the participants mentioned that:

Makakatulong talaga yung AI sa pag improve ng oral communication skills ng mga estudyante kase po, natatackle po nung AI yung mg strengths ng mga estudyante na nakalimutan nila na meron po pala sila, mas na aappreciate po nila yun. Saka nagbibigay din po ng techniques or tips pano mas gagamitin or huhubugin yung kakayahan na meron tayo. [AI would really help in the improvement of students’ oral communication skills because it tackles the strengths that they almost forgot they had, and they are given the chance to appreciate it. AI also gives out strategies on how to further nurture our talents.] (Student #1, interview, 06.03.2021)

Malaki ang magiging contribution nito sa field of education especially sa communication dahil bibigyan nito ang mga estudyante upang magkaroon ng self-confidence when it comes to communicating to others [AI would hugely contribute to the field of education because it paves a way for students to gain self-confidence when it comes to communication with others.] (Student #6, interview, 06.03.2021)

Teachers should help student to enhance their skills. When I'll be [sic] the teacher I should reinforce positive statements rather than negative statements to students, it is for me to motivate them [sic] who feels [sic]discouraged. Also, for them to voice out their thoughts and not to be shy in front of their classmates. (Student #5, interview, 06.03.2021)

Rooms for improvement for the AI workshop

The students said it would be more effective to have the workshop series in a traditional face-to-face scheme. They wanted additional sessions that were not scheduled far apart, and they recommended having longer sessions so they could share about their strengths and feelings more as this gets them on track.

The students also recommended having more strength-building activities. In a study entitled “Learning to like learning” where Appreciative Inquiry was used to promote increased personal involvement in learning, it was noticed that giving out positive reinforcement allows for changes in the behaviour and cognition of students. This can result in the creation of a new and more positive learning principle to be incorporated in the school curriculum (Naude et al., 2014).

The participants mentioned that:

AI Approach po ay mas effective po kung ginawa sya ng face to face at mas nakakenjoy. [The AI Approach would be more effective and enjoyable if done face-to-face.] (Student#4, interview, 06.03.2021)

Dahil nga po yung AI is appreciative, more on appreciation ganan baka mo mag settle na lang yung mga students sa kung anong meron sila, like di na sila magtatry ng iba, di na po sila aalis sa comfort zone nila po [Because AI is concerned with appreciation, the students may choose to just settle with what they believe they are capable of and no longer step out of their comfort zones.] (Student #3, interview, 06.03.2021)

Conclusions 

In search for an approach to better hone the future English educators, the use of AI was hoped to contribute to the improvement of the students’ oral communication skills. Some of the results of this study seem to indicate that:

Students are more content when their strengths and abilities are recognized over their weaknesses. The students appreciate criticisms if these appeal to the notion that they are already good. When the students are recognized and rewarded with positive reinforcement, they are more motivated to set their goals and work on them concretely. By way of providing the students with the opportunity to share their experiences without receiving judgments and negative comments from their peers, teachers can help in boosting the students’ self-confidence in oral presentations.

When the teacher does not focus on the problems of the oral presentation, the student becomes eager to present. The students in the study believed that their chances for success in oral communication would be higher with the use of the AI. Furthermore, it seems that the integration of AI approach can positively impact a student’s oral communication skills.

However, as difficult as it may be, considering the need for additional workshop sessions that may interfere with the students’ regular academic workload, it is deemed worth trying AI as it apparently makes space for a more personal and interactive approach for students who are easily demotivated by struggles in the likes of fear of judgment, stage fright, and self-doubt.

It was recognized that although AI practices are helpful, it is an overstatement to say it can help sharpen the technical skills for oral use of English language as this takes hours of methodical training, review, and practical application. Nevertheless, AI could greatly help a student mastering English to stay motivated and determined to take small steps and make these steps part of their daily habits. It can be said that AI is a plausible approach that could aid in the fulfilment of the students’ goals because it serves as a starting place for later development. At the very least, it could help them begin something to later arrive at something better.

It can also be suggested that if AI were to be applied in the classroom setting across all courses and programs, and if it were implemented in the teaching-learning plans more consistently, the possibility of changing the landscape of traditional and formal classroom instruction could possibly increase. Moreover, it could also create a venue for developing new classroom approaches that have yet to be discovered.

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[1] In Filipino, po means “yes” and is used to show respect to someone older.

[2] In Filipino, din means “also” and po means “yes.”