ENHANCING CHINESE GRADUATE STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT THROUGH VISIBLE THINKING ROUTINES
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Abstract
This research aimed to: 1) Investigate the effect of using Visible Thinking Routines (VTRs) on enhancing Chinese graduate students’ engagement across three dimensions: behavioral, emotional, and cognitive; 2) Analyze the unique characteristics and strengths of the VTRs including See/ Think/ Wonder, Think/ Pair/ Share, and I Used to Think…/ Now I Think…; and 3) Explore Chinese graduate students’ experiences and perceptions of using VTRs in the learning process. This qualitative research involved a population of 56 Chinese graduate students enrolled in the first semester of the 2024 academic year at a higher education institution in Thailand. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 12 purposively selected students, along with classroom attendance records, and performance assessments. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that VTRs significantly enhanced engagement across all three dimensions: 1) Behavioral dimensions, classroom attendance increased from 87.5% to 94.3%, and on-time assignment submission increased from 78.6% to 92.9%; 2) Emotional dimension, 94.6% of students perceived their thoughts as valued, and 91.1% felt a sense of belonging to the learning community; and 3) Cognitive dimension, writing quality improved from 2.8 to 4.2 (out of 5). Based on the data analysis, the researcher proposed the Scaffold-Culture-Engagement (SCE) Framework to explain the operational mechanisms through which VTRs enhance learner engagement. These findings carry both theoretical and practical implications for instructional design for international students in graduate education contexts.
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