Date of Award

3-26-2026

Thesis Type

PhD

Document Type

Thesis

Divisions

Faculty of Education

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instructional Technology

Institution

Universiti Malaya

Abstract

The 2017 National English Curriculum Standards for Senior High Schools in China position “Big Ideas” as a central organizing principle for thematic unit design. The absence of Big-Ideas oriented instruction is often linked to fragmented learning, rote memorization, weak knowledge transfer, and limited higher-order thinking, which collectively hinder the attainment of national core competency goals. Existing studies and teacher survey data suggest that students lacking exposure to Big-Idea pedagogy underperform in cross-text reasoning, critical thinking, and cultural awareness. Teachers also face multiple challenges: a superficial understanding of Big Ideas, a lack of structured instructional tools, and constraints posed by exam-driven environments and limited professional development support. To address these issues, this study develops and evaluates a Big-Ideas Guided Thematic Unit Module (BIG-TUM) as a design-based instructional response to these challenges. Adopting a Design and Development Research approach, the study proceeded through three phases: (1) needs analysis through teacher questionnaires and document review, (2) module development and expert revision via the Fuzzy Delphi Method, and (3) classroom implementation followed by observation and interviews. The BIG-TUM module introduces a structured yet adaptable design that reconfigures abstract curriculum principles into operational teaching components, including unit templates, model lessons, and sequenced task chains. Its implementation was associated with improved instructional coherence, greater planning efficiency, and increased student engagement. This study contributes to the literature by articulating a design-mediated pathway through which concept-driven curriculum reforms are translated into classroom practice. It further provides an empirically grounded instructional model that is both reusable and context-responsive. The findings also highlight the importance of aligning professional development, resource allocation, and assessment systems to sustain the enactment of Big-Ideas oriented pedagogy. While situated in the Chinese EFL context, the study offers broader implications for advancing competency-based language education in comparable reform settings.

Initial

khm

Additional Information

Thesis (PhD) – Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya, 2026.

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