Dissertations for English Language Teaching (ELT)

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Browsing Dissertations for English Language Teaching (ELT) by Subject "classroom practices"

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    Grammar Teaching in Sharjah Preparatory (Cycle 2) Schools Teachers' Beliefs and Classroom Practices
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2011-05) Shatat, Ziad Younes Mousa
    Purpose - The main purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate teachers’ stated beliefs towards grammar teaching and their practices when teaching grammar in EFL classrooms. It aimed to collect evidence of their instructional practices and examine the relationships between their thoughts and actions. Furthermore, it attempted to stand on the probable contextual factors that influence the transformation of beliefs into practice. Methodology - All the teachers involved in this study were Arabs, teaching English language in eight government preparatory schools in Sharjah. In the first stage of the study, 46 in-service teachers were invited to fill in a self-report questionnaire to elicit their beliefs and classroom practice regarding grammar teaching. In the second stage, two semi structured interviews were conducted with eight of these teachers to gain deeper understanding of their personal opinions, beliefs and perspectives. Findings - The findings revealed that teachers undeniably have a set of multifaceted beliefs regarding the eight beliefs dimensions under study including the grammar role in learning, grammar approaches, grammar practising, error treatment, the use of grammatical terminology and students' first language. The quantitative data revealed that teachers' stated beliefs are to a large extent consistent with their classroom practices. These findings thus add support to previous research findings that teachers’ beliefs are powerful and can greatly shape and guide their professional practices and influence the way that students learn. However, the qualitative data showed a different picture; the beliefs and practices were different in some domains, though. For example, although many participants reported that they believed in inductive, implicit, problem solving activities, and presentation through authentic texts, the findings revealed that formal instruction, the use of grammatical terminology, students' first language and explicit grammar teaching are still valued among teachers participated in the study. This inconsistency between beliefs and practices are related to various contextual factors, including class density, time constrains, length of text books, lack of teaching resources and examination format. In addition to students' needs, expectations and proficiency levels.
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    Students at risk of academic failure: Could differentiated instruction be a catalyst for school reform?
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2022-01) WILSON-GULSTON, DANIELLE
    One of the main motivations and intent for undertaking this line of research is due to the sustained concern around the continuously increasing rates of attrition among students in the Caribbean. A 2020 Joint Select Committee on Human Rights, Equality and Diversity aimed to investigate the impact of current curriculum delivery and other contributing factors on the increased dropout rates in males in Trinidad and Tobago. Upon examination of this report it became increasingly apparent the need to explore the linkages and relationships between students at risk of academic failure (not only males) and the understanding and implementation of instructional differentiation in the teacher population and the corollary this knowledge has to inform bottom up policy reform. The literature first centres on the definition of students at risk of academic failure from various perspectives and then narrows in on the Caribbean context. Tomlinson’s Model of Differentiation was a key theoretical framework on which the study was built as it was a critical connector between the adaptation of classroom practices to students with specific needs (such as students at risk of academic failure). The review then went on to find the possible linkages existing in current literature between classroom practice and how it can inform bottom up policy creation for the purposes of reform. Using a convergent parallel mixed methods approach the researcher was able to delve into teachers’ perspectives around the identification of students at risk of academic failure, their level of awareness and approaches to instructional differentiation, as well as, their beliefs on its ability to inform policy. This was done through a survey and qualitative interviews. The initial analysis of data within the pilot study indicates teachers hold critical insights to facilitate the reduction of student attrition specifically students at risk of academic failure. There is also evidence which suggests that through the implementation of instructional differentiation for students at risk of academic failure critical insight into general methodologies of retention are revealed and this in itself provides key information needed to inform policy and encourage reform from the bottom up.