scholarly journals Learner Autonomy in University English Classrooms: Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiew Yen Dwee ◽  
Elizabeth M. Anthony
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Teacher Perception ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
English Classrooms ◽  
Depth Data ◽  
The University ◽  
University Setting

While much has been written on the concept and development of learner autonomy, limited studies have investigated the perceptions and classroom practices of teachers in fostering learner autonomy. This paper sets out to examine what teachers think about learner autonomy as well as the strategies they use to develop autonomous learners in a university setting using a qualitative approach. Five English teachers were selected using purposive sampling and a semi-structured interview was conducted with each of them to obtain in-depth data on their perceptions and teaching practices revolving around autonomous learning. The findings revealed that although university teachers possessed a fair understanding of what learner autonomy involves, there was a lack of focus in terms of developing learner autonomy in the classroom due to a number of challenges such as lack of teacher readiness, passive student attitude as well as the relevance and timing of English courses within the university curriculum.Keywords: Learner autonomy, Teacher perception, Teaching practices, English classrooms

scholarly journals ENGLISH TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENT EVALUATION OF TEACHING IN AN INDONESIAN UNIVERSITY

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 316
Author(s):  
Rentauli Maria Silalahi
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Student Evaluation ◽  
Private University ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Student Evaluation Of Teaching ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Evaluation Of Teaching ◽  
The University

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) has been proven to improve teachers’ teaching practices and students’ learning experiences despite being used commonly for accountability purposes. Indonesian teachers’ perceptions of SET, however, remain largely unexplored. This qualitative study therefore investigated how four Indonesian university teachers perceived SET, how SET impacted their teaching practices and what roles they believed the university should play in implementing SET properly. The participants taught English to undergraduate students in an Indonesian private university. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using qualitative methods. The teachers perceived SET positively, had made conscious changes to improve their teaching practices and students’ learning, and believed the institution had facilitated teachers in meeting students’ needs, especially during the campus closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a transition to online learning. The institution where the participants taught implemented SET only for formative or improvement purposes. Using SET for such purposes is important as it is more likely to cause teachers less pressure and anxiety. Hence, teachers are willing to act upon the student feedback. Meanwhile, using SET for accountability purposes may create extra work for teachers and make them feel manipulated and untrusted.

scholarly journals LEARNER AUTONOMY IN EFL/ESL CLASSROOMS IN BANGLADESH: TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Jahanara Begum
Keyword(s):  
Classroom Practices ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Traditional Classroom ◽  
Classroom Teaching ◽  
Teaching Mode ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Learner Centered ◽  
Traditional Classroom Teaching ◽  
University Setting

Abstract: In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of language teaching being more and more communication oriented. The traditional classroom teaching is facing a big challenge and is gradually being replaced by learner-centered approaches putting learner as individual into the core of learning process. This means learner autonomy gets to be enhanced to meet the need of the new teaching mode. While a great deal of researches have been done on the concept and development of learner autonomy , limited studies have investigated the ways and means of classroom practices of teachers in fostering learner autonomy in tertiary level EFL/ESL classrooms in Bangladesh. This paper examines what teachers think about learner autonomy as well as the strategies they use to develop learners autonomy in a university setting using a qualitative approach. The findings revealed that although university teachers are acquainted with what learner autonomy means, there are some challenges of developing learner autonomy in the classroom due to a number of lacking, such as teacher’s preparation, students’ reluctant attitude, suitability for different disciplined students and class timing.

scholarly journals The Significance of Theoretical Foundations in Enhancing Teaching Practices: Teachers’ Perceptions and Use of Learner-centered Approach in EFL Classrooms

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustapha BOUDJELAL
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Metacognitive Skills ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Learner Centered ◽  
Active Research ◽  
The University ◽  
Current Paradigm ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

Undeniably, the realm of teaching English as a foreign language still embraces active research that continuously looks for approaches and methods which may contribute to a more efficient instruction of the target language. These theoretical foundations enable the instructor to appropriately implement the outlined approach along its salient features to achieve the desired outcomes. Despite this tight rapport, teachers of English at the University of Mostaganem tend to rely on their common-sense teaching practices that are mainly informed by their experience of teaching EFL. The gap between the two extremes theory and practice, the premise of this paper, may be widened as teachers do not develop accurate and scientific understandings of certain pedagogical concepts, in this case, learner-centeredness as agreed on by professional academics, let alone to apply it along its proper standards. The pedagogical sequel of such misunderstanding mainly relate to random references to both teacher and learner-centered approaches in classroom teaching practices. The study via a detailed teachers’ questionnaire revealed that teachers of English, in addition to the cursory understandings they develop in relation to the very meaning of a learner-centered approach, tend to eschew developing learners’ metacognitive skills in their teaching practices. Most importantly, they are likely to rely on traditional ways of assessment instead of authentic frameworks, a cardinal feature within the current paradigm.

scholarly journals PROMOTING LEARNER AUTONOMY IN AN ESL CONTEXT IN PAKISTANI UNIVERSITIES: A TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVE

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 1048-1055
Author(s):  
Asma Kashif Shahzad ◽  
Akifa Imtiaz ◽  
Tahira Asgher
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Classroom Teaching ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
University Level ◽  
Teachers Perspectives ◽  
The University

Purpose of the study: The present research aims to study the effectiveness of using learner autonomy in English language classrooms at the university level from teachers' perspectives. The study seeks to determine what roles can be performed by the language teachers while fostering learner autonomy at the university level. Methodology: The study is descriptive and qualitative. The data has been collected with the help of a structured interview. The researchers prepared a list of questions to collect data from the interviews with 19 ESL teachers. The respondents are from the five universities of South Punjab. The interviews are recorded and transcribed and further analysed in terms of thematic categories discussed with the teachers. Main findings: The research explores a great deal of awareness of the concept of learner autonomy among university teachers, which they use indirectly or directly in their classroom teaching. The teachers discuss many roles they can perform to develop and use autonomy in the English language classroom. They express that practising autonomous learning in an ESL context could result in learning the English language more naturally and effectively. Application of this study: The present study contributes to using and developing learner autonomy in an ESL context. It would be an inspiration to research and explore more avenues of systematic inquiry in the field it deals with. The pedagogical implication of the study is that it would help ESL teachers practice the concept in their classroom teaching effectively. Novelty/Originality of this study: Most of the studies found in the field of learner autonomy are learner-centered. our research explores the phenomenon from the viewpoint of language teachers. The study focuses on the effectiveness of learner autonomy perceived by the teachers. It further records the teachers' opinions about what role(s) they can perform to practice it in the classroom.

scholarly journals Science starts early: A literature review examining the influence of early childhood teachers’ perceptions of gender on teaching practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-286
Author(s):  
Erin E. Hamel
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Teacher Perception ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Gender Influence ◽  
Science Teaching Practices ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Science Interests

Women are underrepresented in science fields as compared to men and although much research has been dedicated to understanding this disparity, most has been conducted on older aged children. However, this excludes the youngest and arguably most impressionable group of students: preschoolers. This study reviewed the literature to investigate how early childhood teachers’ perceptions of gender influence their teaching practices. Qualitative analysis and coding of 31 articles resulted in five main categories: Teacher Perception, Curriculum, Teacher Interactions, Gender Identity, and Social Standing. Results are discussed in the context of early childhood science teaching practices to better understand the role of the teacher and gender bias in young children’s preschool science experiences and how it may impact their future science interests.

scholarly journals TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF WORK ENVIRONMENT AND THEIR SENSE OF SELF-EFFICACY IN TEACHING EFL AT A UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (05) ◽  
Author(s):  
PHAN THI TUYET NGA
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Professional Programs ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Sources Of Efficacy ◽  
The University

The paper looked at environmental factors that influenced the self-efficacy in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) of a group of university teachers in Vietnam. Very little empirical research on teachers‘ self-efficacy in EFL contexts has been done and self-efficacy quantitative studies heavily outnumber qualitative studies. The present research took the form of a qualitative case study. Data collection tools included focus group discussions, individual interviews, journaling, and observations. Findings suggest that there were certain features of work context, e.g. the teaching support and teaching recognition, which may have affected what constituted sources of efficacy information and how they operated. The study proposes that institutional support with regard to providing clearer policies, giving teachers more freedom in the classroom and more opportunities to get involved in the decision-making process might help teachers overcome feelings of doubt about how competent they were in their teaching. Moreover, it would be helpful to improve teaching conditions at the university, including providing enough textbooks and reducing class size. The development of professional programs or courses at the home institution that meet the teachers‘ knowledge needs may enable them to overcome doubt about their teaching abilities and engender in them a positive sense of self-efficacy.

Explaining, Cultural, Educational and Social Needs of Faculty Members of Farhangiyan University - According to the Predetermined Goals of Education’s Fundamental Transformation Document

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Batool Basiri ◽  
Ahmadreza Nasr ◽  
Seyedebrahim Mirshahjafari ◽  
Mahmood Mehrmohammadi
Keyword(s):  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Purposeful Sampling ◽  
Religious Teaching ◽  
The University

The present work is an applied and descriptive analysis survey method. Mixed techniques were applied. The Sample population in the qualitative section of the research consists of 19 thinkers; they were selected by purposeful sampling. The sample population was constituted by 181 faculty members of Farhangiyan Universities in six provinces. 150 of them were randomly selected. Research data was gathered by semi-structured interview and the researcher made the needed questionnaire. The most significant educational needs are:religious needs with emphasis on Islamic training and ethical, cultural and social needs which are discussed in four sub - categories:Cultural, Social, Ethical, Political. Quantitative results indicated that the need of such teachings is higher than intermediate level stated below. The most important need of faculty members in the cultural field is “being aware of the role of the university teachers about preserving, transferring, correcting and recreating culture”and their most important need as regards religious teaching is “the ability to use educational methods obtained from the Qoran and Nahjolbalaghe”( book of religious teachings).

scholarly journals Is there a mismatch between employers’ and university teachers’ perceptions on graduate employability in Croatia?

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-102
Author(s):  
Ljerka Sedlan König ◽  
Helga Maškarin Ribarić
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Economic Worth ◽  
The University

Employability in graduates is considered to be an outcome universities should seek to achieve. At the same time, scholars rarely differentiate between “graduateness as a state after the completion of a course, and employability as an assessment of the economic worth of a student at that time” (Glover, Law and Youngman, 2002:293). This paper aims to study employability in higher education from the employers’ and university teachers’ perspective. It highlights the most highly valued employability competencies and attributes, and paints an interesting picture of perceptions university teachers and employers have of employability characteristics. The empirical research incorporates 134 responses from employers from Croatian companies of all sizes, and 124 from University teachers from two Croatian universities: University of Rijeka and Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek. The results indicate that the university teachers and employers have similar views regarding employability characteristics, but view differently the knowledge, skills and attributes significant for employment and the contribution of higher education to the improvement of these attributes. The results point to the necessity of Croatian universities to cooperate and communicate more efficiently with employers and employer associations in developing courses, and delivering relevant subject content.

scholarly journals THE UNIVERSITY TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF PEER OBSERVATION

2021 ◽  
pp. 4-9
Author(s):  
F. Akhmedova ◽  
R. Rozikova
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Method ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Teaching Skills ◽  
Survey Questionnaire ◽  
Peer Observation ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
The University

Teachers’ belief, attitude and experience of peer observation considerably affect their willingness to observe their colleagues or be observed by other faculty members. Peer observation is regarded as a sensitive practice in many higher educational institutions due to its overshadowed values and teachers’ intimidation of being judged by their colleagues. This study reveals how peer observation is perceived and employed by university teachers examining their attitude towards the process. Data was collected based on a quantitative method; a survey questionnaire was distributed among 230 teachers of local and international universities in Uzbekistan. The findings show that most teachers treat peer observation as a compulsory part of the annual workload (appraisal). Based on the results, the researchers provide recommendations for educators to benefit from this vital tool to improve their teaching skills. 

scholarly journals IMPLEMENTATION OF CLIL AT TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY FOCUSING ON CLIL TEACHER PROFILE

2021 ◽  
pp. 89-102
Author(s):  
Jaroslava Štefková ◽  
Zuzana Danihelová ◽  
Elena Kováčiková
Keyword(s):  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Teacher Preparedness ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Current State ◽  
Language Knowledge ◽  
Technical University ◽  
The University ◽  
Everyday Communication

The submitted paper deals with the issue of CLIL implementation at the Technical University in Zvolen, Slovakia, specifically with the CLIL teacher profile and the preparedness of the university teachers to apply CLIL into their teaching practice. The topic was selected due to the ever-increasing importance of English in everyday communication and for professional, academic, and scientific purposes. The nature of the research is qualitative; therefore, the SWOT analysis was used for analyzing the current state of teacher preparedness for CLIL implementation. The study was conducted using a sample of 15 university teachers teaching disciplinary subjects via a structured interview. The interviews were subsequently analyzed, considering three aspects of CLIL teacher profile: professional background and expertise, methodological preparedness, and language preparedness. Individual strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of implementing CLIL were established in the analysis. The results indicated a general lack of language and methodological preparedness of teachers. On the other hand, all interviewed teachers were eager to improve in the specific areas to teach using the CLIL methodology since they all acknowledged the importance of language knowledge. Nevertheless, students' insufficient level of language preparedness could be a threat to implementing the CLIL methodology, which could eventually discourage them from attending lectures and seminars where CLIL elements are applied.  

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