Since 1970, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has developed as a predominant trend in the world of second language teaching. CLT has had an enormous influence on theoretical aspects of second language teaching, but there has not been much evidence of change in its practical application. In the academic area of English language education research, the major focus has been on methods of instruction, teaching content, and political aspects. However, little attention has been paid to how English language education is carried out in an organized manner among the personnel of English language departments (EL departments) in Japanese schools. In order to understand the organizational characteristics appropriate to CLT practices, this study investigates (1) the realities of EL department members' commitment to CLT in public upper secondary schools in Japan, (2) the organizational characteristics of EL departments, and (3) the relation between organizational characteristics and the commitment to CLT.
The framework to analyze organizational characteristics of the EL departments was constructed based on the theory of organizational science and research of effective schools. The framework consists of four criteria: adaptability, goal-rationality, collegiality, and orientation. Adaptability is a criterion to assess the flexibility of EL departments in adapting to their external environments and their creativity in the face of a changing world. Goal-rationality is a criterion to assess levels of goal-attainment through the PDS cycle; setting department objectives and plans to attain them (Plan), carrying them out (Do), and evaluating them (See). Collegiality refers to the assessment of the efficiency of the management, and collaboration among the members of EL departments. Orientation refers to the assessment of the maintenance of the value patterns shared among the members, levels of morale, and commitment to develop the quality of their English language education. The framework for CLT is based on Kumaravadivelu's (1994) macrostrategies.
To collect data about the realities of organizational characteristics of EL departments and CLT practices, a questionnaire was administered at 128 upper secondary schools in the Chugoku area. The data of 82 schools were selected for analysis.
The following conclusions were reached:
CLT can be divided into two types: activity-based CLT and form-based CLT. In most schools, both types are considered to ideal ways of teaching the language, but thinking of the relatively small proportion of schools where CLT is put into practice, it seems to be difficult to apply them under the present organizational conditions of EL departments.
The organizational characteristics of EL departments can be grasped from the four criteria: adaptability, goal-rationality, collegiality, and orientation, and they are different from school to school.
The four organizational characteristics were confirmed as promoting CLT practices. Orientation and goal-rationality are especially crucial to realize CLT. In terms of CLT types, form-based CLT can be rationally put into practice through the PDS management cycle, but to realize activity-based CLT, which has been recently called for in the Japanese Course of Study, it is not enough to introduce such a rational approach. It also requires collaboration in which teachers exchange and share their trials and errors in these practices and conceptualize their own CLT.
高等学校の英語科組織の経営特性と、英語科教員のCommunicative Language Teaching(CLT)へのコミットメントの現状を質問紙調査を通して把握し、CLTの実現を促す英語科組織の経営のあり方を追求することを目的としている。調査票は教育経営学や組織研究などの知見をもとに作成され、英語科組織の4つの経営特性(適応性、目標合理性、連帯性、志向性)とその成員のCLTへのコミットメントに関する質問項目から構成された。分析の結果、1)CLTの実現には英語科教員の意識レベルのコミットメントを促すような職場環境が必要であること、2)4つの経営特性はCLTの実現に有効に働きかけること、3)特に活動重視型CLTの実現は合理的な運営方式のみでは不十分であり、英語科組織成員がお互いの経験や問題意識を共有することを通じて状況に応じたCLTを創っていくことが必要であること、などが明らかにされた。
Research Methods in Foreign/Second Language Didactics
