Exploring the Forgotten and Reinvigorating the Neglected: A Design Research Study into the Enrichment of Upper Secondary English Education

Abstract

The lack of perceived interest in humanities subjects, of upper-secondary education students, is cause for concern at the Christelijk Lyceum Zeist. In-school research has shown that students do not recognize the humanities as academically approachable. As a result, a negligible number of students pursue a humanities-oriented university education. This study aims to develop a module informed by academic literature for the school’s Alfa Academie enrichment program so that interested students can engage with humanities-related subjects at a level higher than provided by their normal curriculum. Building on the framework of design research, it asks: What are the characteristics of an enrichment module that meets both requirements of the Alfa Academie and aids in the development of academically applicable skills of upper-secondary education students? In this context, academically applicable skills refer to critical thinking and academic writing proficiency. Based on the review of literature on enrichment, critical thinking, collaborative learning, and academic writing proficiency, this study developed a module that adhered to the Alfa Academie’s requirements and tested it with a group of participants representative of future users. Semi-structured interviews were used to assess the prototype’s expected practicality and expected effectiveness. Analysis of the responses showed appreciation for the implementation of enrichment, critical thinking, and collaborative learning. The results indicate that the module is expected to be effective in developing critical thinking and enriching the regular curriculum of upper-secondary education students. Based on this, future intervention studies, with a comparable focus, are recommended to take a similar approach when conducting design research.