ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The composing process of this dissertation is the most precious journey I have
ever had. Without this journey, I would not have realized how much treasure,
fortune, and love God had endowed me.
He gave me two remarkable advisors that really opened my eyes and warmed my
heart academically and personally. Dr. Yu-hwei Shih, one of the most distinguished
superstars in EFL teaching in Taiwan, devoted her time, effort, love, and support to
teach me how to be a serious scholar and thought-provoking writer by being one
herself. Dr. Shih, with her unparalleled vision and foresight, is the one who
coordinated all the help that I needed to complete such a gigantic task.
I am also obliged to my other advisor, Dr. Chiou-lan Chern, who attended to
every minute detail in her proofreading of this dissertation and gave me valuable
corrections and suggestions. I was often amazed at Dr. Chern’s efficiency in
problem solving. From the interactions with Dr. Chern, I witnessed the power of
human brains that can focus on the overall research design globally, and at the same
time, attend to the fine points in the study.
I would like to acknowledge the support and assistance of one of the committee
members, Dr. Chin-lung Wei, and his wife, Dr. Yuh-mei Chen. Dr. Wei
demonstrated keen interest in my project by asking probing questions, assisting in the
refinement of the draft, and making himself available to me throughout the final stage
of completion. Dr. Yuh-mei Chen, not on the committee though, still supported me
with her invaluable encouragement.
I am particularly indebted to the other committee members, Dr. Hsiu-chieh Chen
and Dr. Yuh-show Cheng. They painstakingly went over the original draft- page by
ii
page and line by line--- making numerous valuable suggestions and feedback that had
a significant impact on the final form of this dissertation.
I owe thousands of thanks to Dr. Yuh-huey Lin for her professional help and
personal friendship that I learned and enjoyed during the years of my doctoral study.
Dr. Lin, who took care of almost all of the statistical analyses in this study for me,
instantly upon my request, deserves my undying affection and gratitude. Without
her support and devotion, I would not have completed the last stage of the revising
process.
Dr. Cheyong-shun Chen, one of my best friends at National Changhua University
of Education, initiated my interest and passion in promoting cooperative learning at
junior high schools when he was the director of the Office of Secondary Education in
1995. Without his enthusiasm, this study would never have been possible.
I am also grateful to Dr. Pi-ju Wu for her generosity of sharing with me her
profound professional knowledge in the qualitative and quantitative research
methodology. This dissertation might be crippled without her escort.
Last but not least, I want to thank my family for their understanding and untiring
love. My husband, Yungchi Lin, my sons, Alex and Michael, and my precious
daughter, Helen, have been my cheerleaders through the long and sometimes difficult
academic path I have followed.
Many other people contributed valuable help and support. It is impossible to
cite them all. Though their names do not appear in this acknowledgement, they shall
always be cherished and remembered in my heart. The dissertation writing is indeed
a delightful journey, through which I discovered that I am the richest person in the
world