本研究為一行動研究，旨在探討以圖像組織教學應用在國小五年級英語閱讀課之成效。本研究為期兩學期，參與的對象為一國小五年級班級，共十二人。研究者亦為參與學生的英語教師，在研究過程中觀察、設計進而調整課程，以滿足參與學生的學習需求。
    資料收集主要分為四個階段，包括準備階段、教學示範、獨立閱讀、及訪談。參與學生在最後兩階段的回應皆轉換為逐字稿，並進行資料分析。此外，參與學生完成的圖像組織以及研究者的反思筆記也納入做為補充資料。資料分析旨在於了解參與學生在獨立閱讀時使用圖像組織而產生的閱讀行為模式、參與學生最常使用圖像組織來協助閱讀的方式，以及參與學生對此種閱讀方式的看法與反思。
    研究結果顯示，在閱讀過程中使用圖像組織，參與學生能意識到文章結構的重要，並且注意與文章主題有關的訊息。此外，參與學生也會對文章內容與所完成的圖像組織進行相互檢視，來檢查自己對文章理解是否正確。在閱讀過程中使用圖像組織也幫助參與學生使用不同的方式組織文章訊息來協助理解，例如:組織重要句子、建立主題概念，及連結文章內已知部分。透過這些方式，參與學生能夠獲得對文章的基本的概念、詮釋自己對文章的理解，並也獲得更多在閱讀英語方面的信心。最後，參與學生意識到圖像組織所帶來的各種幫助，並且認為圖像組織為一種能協助英語閱讀理解的實用性工具，並且使英語閱讀更加有趣。

This study followed an action research model which aimed to investigate the effects of the use of graphic organizers in a grade fifth elementary school English reading class. The study was conducted with one fifth-grade class of twelve students for a period of two semesters. The researcher of the study was also the participant students’ English teacher who observed, designed and adjusted the instruction to fit the need of all the participant students. 
    There were four major stages for data collection in the study: warm-up, instruction, independent reading practice, and a final semi-structured interview. The utterances of the participant students when engaged in the latter two stages were transformed into verbatim transcripts for data analysis. In addition, the participant students’ completed graphic organizers and my reflective journals were also adopted to offer more insight into other sources of data. Data analysis aimed to understand the patterns of the participant students’ reading behaviors when they used graphic organizers to read independently, the most common ways they used graphic organizers to facilitate reading, and their responses to graphic organizers. 
    With the application of graphic organizers, the results showed that the participant students were aware of text structure and the information related to the topic of a text in the reading process. They would also examine their understating by cross-checking the text and the graphic organizers. Furthermore, drawing graphic organizers also helped the participant students arrange text information to facilitate comprehension, such as organizing key sentences, generating thematic ideas and connecting what they knew piece by piece. These helped them obtain key concept meanings, show their own interpretation of a given text, and get more confidence in English reading than before. Finally, the participant students expressed their recognition of various benefits of graphic organizers and regarded them as practical tools for English reading which facilitated reading comprehension and made reading interesting.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHINESE ABSTRACT………………………………………………………i
ENGLISH ABSTRACT………………………………………………………ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………iv
LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………vi
LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………vii
	
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION	
1.1 Research background………………………………………………1
1.2 Statement of the problem………………………………………3
1.3 Purpose of the study……………………………………………5
1.4 Research questions………………………………………………6
1.5 Significant of the study………………………………………6
1.6 Definition of terms………………………………………………7
1.7 Overview of the thesis…………………………………………9
	
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW	
2.1 Overview of graphic organizers………………………………11
2.2 Theoretical framework of graphic organizers……………14
2.2.1 Ausubel’s meaningful reception learning………………14
2.2.2 Dual coding theory……………………………………………16
2.3 The implementation and use of graphic organizers………18
2.4 Benefits and effectiveness of graphic organizers………21
2.4.1 The importance of graphic organizers for reading instruction…………21
2.4.2 Graphic organizer as a learning strategy……………23
	
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOTHY	
3.1 Research design…………………………………………………28
3.2 Participant students……………………………………………30
3.3 Reading materials………………………………………………31
3.3.1 Graphic organizers……………………………………………31
3.3.2 Reading texts…………………………………………………32
3.4 Data collection procedures……………………………………34
3.4.1 Warm-up…………………………………………………………37
3.4.2 Instruction……………………………………………………38
3.4.3 Independent reading practice………………………………41
3.4.4 Semi-structured interview…………………………………42
3.5 Trustworthiness…………………………………………………43
3.6 Data analysis procedures………………………………………44

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION	
4.1 The ways graphic organizers affect the participant students’English reading behaviors……………47
4.1.1 Awareness of text structure………………………………52
4.1.2 Focus on topic…………………………………………………58
4.1.3 Reviewing text…………………………………………………62
4.2 The extent the participant students use graphic organizers to help them read…………68
4.2.1 Through organizing key sentences of a given text……69
4.2.2 Through generating thematic ideas of a given text…81
4.2.3 Through taking advantage of the understandable information of a given text…………85
4.3 The participant students’perceptions of their use of graphic organizers ……………………91
4.3.1 Responses to the use of graphic organizers for English reading ………………………92
4.3.2 Various advantages of graphic organizers………………95
4.3.3 Perception on English reading ……………………………98
	
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 	
5.1 Summary of the study…………………………………………102
5.2 Pedagogical implications……………………………………107
5.3 Limitations of the study and suggestions for future study……………………………111
5.4 Reflection and conclusion……………………………………113
	
REFERENCES……………………………………………………………115
APPENDIX………………………………………………………………127

LIST OF TABLES
Table 3-1 Data collection procedures……………………………35
Table 3-2 Research questions and data sources………………44
Table 4-1 The classification of the participant students…51

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 3-1 Kemmis & McTaggart’s Action Research Spiral (1988) ………………………………29
Figure 3-2 Timeline of instruction of the action research……………………………39
Figure 4-1 Sean’s completed graphic organizer of Text 3……………………………………64
Figure 4-2 Angel’s completed graphic organizer of Text 3……………………………………67
Figure 4-3 The thinking process of the participant students when organizing a given text…69
Figure 4-4 Sean’s completed graphic organizer of Text 5……………………………………72
Figure 4-5 Jenny’s completed graphic organizer of Text 4……………………………………74
Figure 4-6 John’s completed graphic organizer of Text 4……………………………………76
Figure 4-7 Wilson’s completed graphic organizer of Text 4……………………………………79
Figure 4-8 Ariel’s completed graphic organizer of Text 4……………………………………89

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