Teachers' Beliefs about Teaching English to Elementary School Children
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Date
2007-03-??
Authors
廖柏森
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
國立台灣師範大學英語學系
Department of English, NTNU
Department of English, NTNU
Abstract
一般而言，教師的教學行為皆深受其教學信念所影響，而教師通常需先釐清其教學信念，才能反思其教學行為，進而增進其教學成效。過內目前有關英語教師對於兒 童英語教學所具信念的研究尚在起步階段，為增進對此議題之理解，以及比較在職和職前教師在教學信念上的異同，本文調查並比較這兩組英語教師對於國小英語教 學所具備之信念。共有99位教師參與此次研究，為有系統調查這些教師的想法，研究者設計一份國小英語教師之教學信念調查表(The Questionnaire of Elementary School English Teachers' Teaching Beliefs)作為蒐集資料的工具。該調查表要求受測教師自我評估教學信念的三大面向：（1）兒童英語發展的特質，（2）英語教學方法和技巧，（3）英 語教師的自我效能概念；受測教師並回答一開放性問題：「一位成功的國小英語教師需具備何種條件？」資料分析的方法主要使用描述性統計、獨立t檢定、和內容 分析。期望此研究之結果能有助國內國小英語教師了解自己的教學信念。
It is generally agreed that teaching is greatly affected by the belief systems of its practitioners. However, teachers' beliefs need to be probed before teachers can critically reflect on their teaching practices, and in turn facilitate changes to teach more effectively. In Taiwan, research is still at an early stage in terms of evaluating teachers' beliefs about teaching children English. In order to deepen our understanding of teachers' beliefs regarding teaching English to children, and discover what similar and different beliefs might be held by in-service and pre-service teachers, this study elicited teachers' beliefs and also compared the belief systems of in-service teachers with those of their pre-service peers. A total of 99 teachers participated in this study. In an attempt to identify these teachers' explicit beliefs in a more systematic way, a research instrument, The questionnaire of Elementary School English Teachers' Teaching Beliefs, was developed. The questionnaire asked participants to assess their beliefs about teaching children English in three major areas: (1) the nature of children's English development, (2) teaching methods and techniques, and (3) self-efficacy as an English teacher. Moreover, one open-ended question about "qualifications of a successful elementary school English teacher" was added to the end of the questionnaire to elicit additional beliefs. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, independent t test analyses, and content analysis. It is hoped that teachers in Taiwan can raise their own beliefs about teaching children English to a level of conscious awareness, and then further improve their classroom practices.
It is generally agreed that teaching is greatly affected by the belief systems of its practitioners. However, teachers' beliefs need to be probed before teachers can critically reflect on their teaching practices, and in turn facilitate changes to teach more effectively. In Taiwan, research is still at an early stage in terms of evaluating teachers' beliefs about teaching children English. In order to deepen our understanding of teachers' beliefs regarding teaching English to children, and discover what similar and different beliefs might be held by in-service and pre-service teachers, this study elicited teachers' beliefs and also compared the belief systems of in-service teachers with those of their pre-service peers. A total of 99 teachers participated in this study. In an attempt to identify these teachers' explicit beliefs in a more systematic way, a research instrument, The questionnaire of Elementary School English Teachers' Teaching Beliefs, was developed. The questionnaire asked participants to assess their beliefs about teaching children English in three major areas: (1) the nature of children's English development, (2) teaching methods and techniques, and (3) self-efficacy as an English teacher. Moreover, one open-ended question about "qualifications of a successful elementary school English teacher" was added to the end of the questionnaire to elicit additional beliefs. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, independent t test analyses, and content analysis. It is hoped that teachers in Taiwan can raise their own beliefs about teaching children English to a level of conscious awareness, and then further improve their classroom practices.