An EFL classroom management strategy to manage student behavior and foster engagement
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(2) Dollase (1992) and Gordon (1991) posit that the biggest challenge confronting student teachers is how to establish and maintain order in the learning environment. Observation undertaken throughout a year long teaching practice period, leads me to concur with this view. This article will show that it also represents a challenge for practicing teachers. Observing that student misbehavior was a substantial obstacle to effective learning prompted the choice of topic for this action research article. Throughout this period it was observed that EFL students from 7th grade through to 12th grade spent most of the lesson time misbehaving rather than engaging in the lesson, paying attention or working on task. Students expressed a “couldn’t care less” attitude during EFL lessons. This attitude manifested itself in a range of observable behaviors including; students working on assignments from other subjects during EFL classes, ignoring the teacher, chatting, eating, drinking, putting on makeup, personal grooming, using cell phones, arriving late to class, and not having the required course material. Equally important to note for the purposes of this article, is that the class teacher’s management of student misbehavior was ineffective. Teaching content did not follow any particular order. The physical environment of the classrooms also contributed to an overall sense of disorder and carelessness. Student seating arrangements were in no particular order; desk workspace was piled high with books, food and drink. Litter, personal belongings and student cell phones plugged into every available power socket were a trip hazard, making it difficult to circulate around the classroom. Clearly meaningful teaching and learning are compromised given such unfavorable conditions. Constructing, implementing and reflecting on the level of success of a classroom management strategy devised to address the problem of disorder, student conduct and disengagement is the central focus of this work. In the first instance, a number of classroom management theories, frameworks, systems and models are strategically drawn upon to inform the construction of a classroom management strategy fit for purpose. This is followed by an analysis of the educational institution and the 11th grade class who are the focus of this intervention. This analysis provides a context for this pedagogical intervention. Devising and teaching a thematic unit informed by context, and findings from a student survey provide the setting for implementing and thereafter evaluating the classroom management strategy. The conclusion of this article includes recommendations to improve future professional practice in light of reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of the intervention strategy. Theoretical framework. Classroom management According to an article entitled “Hidden Curriculum” (2014) “Traditional interpretation of effective classroom management may focus largely on “compliance” (that is) rules and strategies that teachers may use to make sure students are sitting in their seats, following directions, listening attentively, etc. A more encompassing or updated view of classroom management extends to describing it as “everything that teachers may do to facilitate or improve student learning” (p.3). This definition seeks to dispel a common assumption which equates classroom management solely with controlling student discipline to provoke compliance or cooperation rather than engagement. Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 2.
(3) However, as Doyle (1986) points out, "'cooperation' rather than 'engagement' (in the sense of involvement with content) is the minimum requirement for student behavior" (p. 396). Clearly, reducing the concept of classroom management simply to a question of discipline fails to take into account the range and complexity of activities, strategies, skills and methods employed by teachers to facilitate student learning. Nonetheless, one cannot ignore the fact that in practice, teachers concerned with classroom management typically need help with two issues: “preventing discipline problems and dealing with current discipline problems.” (Kratochwill,2014;p.1). Consequently classroom management has become synonymous with discipline. The Hidden Curriculum (2014) article offers a further definition of classroom management, written in terms of accomplishing objectives and directing group behavior and activities it states that: “Classroom management refers to the wide variety of skills and techniques that teachers use to keep students organized, orderly, focused, attentive, on task, and academically productive during a class. When classroom management strategies are executed effectively, teachers minimize the behaviors that impede learning for both individual students and groups of students, while maximizing the behaviors that facilitate or enhance learning.” (P.3) Classroom management then is concerned with creating an orderly learning environment to enhance students learning. This is achieved through applying a range of skills and strategies to manage both student behavior and the teaching learning process. Constructing a classroom management strategy that is fit for purpose. Given the purpose of this intervention is to address the issues of disorder, student conduct and student disengagement, this section will identify strategies to establish order, manage student conduct, and foster student engagement with the ultimate aim of enhancing student learning and social development. Doyle (1986) contends that, "Classroom teaching has two major task structures organized around the problems of (a) learning and (b) order." According to Doyle, “Order in a classroom simply means that within acceptable limits the students are following the program of action necessary for a particular classroom event to be realized in the situation" (p. 396). Classroom order then, creates the conditions for engagement and learning. The range of strategies that teachers use to promote order and student engagement is what Doyle labels “classroom management” (1986). Concurring with Doyle’s (1986) position in terms of establishing an orderly environment, Everston and Weinstein (2006) develop this theme and posit that classroom management has two distinct purposes: “It not only seeks to establish and sustain an orderly environment so students can engage in meaningful academic learning, it also aims to enhance student social and moral growth” (p. 4). Establishing order: Managing student behavior. Information concerning the 11th grade student’s attitudes towards misbehavior, their understanding of rules responsibility and consequences and what motivates them to behave well in class was seen as key in considering the construction of an intervention strategy to manage student behavior. Consequently, an anonymous student survey1 (with the questions written in L1) 1. Appendix 1: Student survey.. Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 3.
(4) was undertaken prior to the commencement of the teaching unit. It is worth noting, that the survey questions were geared to reflect the observed 11th grade student behavior. What does misbehavior mean? Findings in the student survey show that students have a clear understanding of the concept of what constitutes behavior and misbehavior, and rules in terms of regulation of behavior. Despite this, results show that a significant majority (although they know that this behavior is contrary to school rules), do not consider arriving late to class (65%) or eating and drinking in class (59%) as misbehavior. How can one explain this attitude? On one level student responses may suggest that they just do not agree with these particular school rules and made a “protest vote” on the survey. On another level, and based on the observed behavior of 11th grade students, arriving late to class and eating during class was the established norm, and consequently, students did not consider this as misbehavior. However considering students response to the question “Why do students misbehave?” would strongly suggest that students misbehave because there are no adverse consequences for misbehaving (82%), nor is there any motivation to behave (94%) (given that there are no negative consequences for misbehavior). Established wisdom recognizes the fact that if rules are not enforced, consistently and fairly, this will have an adverse effect on student behavior and attitude. In advice to teachers, Kratochwill (2014) states: “Do not use vague rules; do not have rules that you are unwilling to enforce; do not ignore student behaviors that violate school or classroom rules (they will not go away); do not engage in ambiguous or inconsistent treatment of misbehavior. (P.1) Reflecting on rules in terms of teaching practice, Harmer (2007) cautions; “students need to be clear about what action we will take if and when problem behavior occurs. They then need to see such action being carried out when it happens. They will be confused if we react to the behavior on some occasions but not others.” (p.181). Why do students misbehave in class? The survey responses to question 5 (c & f) indicated a lack of a sense of responsibility for personal behavior and self regulation. The role of the teacher is seen as central to students, 94% of the respondents placed the responsibility for student misbehavior with the teacher. 82% of students in the survey cited disliking the teacher as a reason for misbehaving. The attitude the 11th grade students expressed towards the key role the relationship with the teacher plays in terms of classroom management, is consistent with literature on the subject. Scrivener (2005) for example while writing about successful classroom management states that teachers should keep in mind that “an important part of this is to do with your attitude, intentions and personality and your relationship with learners.” (p.79). Students perception of what the teacher thinks of them and how they are treated is identified by Harmer (2007) as a significant feature in provoking intrinsic motivation in students. The author points to the important role establishing rapport plays in provoking such motivation: “Rapport means, in essence, the relationship that the students have with the teacher, and vice versa. In the best lessons we will always see a positive, enjoyable and respectful relationship. Rapport is established in part when students become aware of our professionalism, but it also occurs as a result of the way we listen to and treat the students in our classrooms.” (p.25). Establishing order: Implementation strategy; managing student behavior. Kratochwill (2014) outlines a range of systems researchers have established to address classroom management Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 4.
(5) concerns which typically consist of dealing with current discipline problems, and preventing future discipline problems. (p.1) For the purpose of this intervention, a number of the key elements associated with a positive behavior support system (PBS) (Crone & Horner, 2003; Crone, Horner, & Hawken, 2004) will be applied. These elements are: create classroom lessons and materials that interest students; ensure that there is a match between student’s skills and classroom instructional level; teach students the skills they need to meet classroom expectations (self-regulatory skills like time management and study skills) ; develop a statement explaining the purpose of classroom management; clarify expectations for student behavior; establish procedures for teaching expected (positive) behaviors; establish procedures for discouraging problem behaviors; establish a system for monitoring student progress and keeping records. (p.2) The first step to implement this intervention strategy will be to establish class rules guided by the three basic principles identified by Brophy (2006) namely: “Emphasize student expectations for behavior and learning rather than focusing only on problematic behavior and discipline problems; support the learning environment by promoting active learning and student involvement and not just compliance with rules; identify to your students the behaviors that are an integral part of the instructional agenda.” (pp. 39-40). Harmer (2007) recommends that, to ensure students “buy into” class rules, there should be an active negotiation between students and teacher over what should go onto the list of rules. (p.156) Whereas it is recognized that rules are more effective if they are agreed by negotiation, and seen not to be imposed from the top down, the fact of the matter is that the 11th grade students are obliged to adhere to the established school rules. It would be disingenuous to suggest otherwise. Consequently in order to avoid the process of drawing up the class rules being written off by the 11 grade students as fake or tokenistic, students will be advised which rules are negotiable and which rules are not. The school rules for example, are not negotiable and will be enforced. Adopting a similar method outlined by Epperson & Rossman (2013; p.47-55), students will be asked to work in groups to draw up a set of five class rules with their suggested consequences for breach of these rules. The purpose of this exercise is not only to draw up rules, but also to plant the idea of taking personal responsibility for behavior and learning. It is envisioned that this group exercise will serve to open a way to a discussion with and amongst students on the theme of what constitutes “misbehavior” and introduce the notion of self regulation. Such a discussion will be facilitated to ensure reaching agreement on what is fair in terms of expectations around behavior, and the use of rules and consequences to reflect those expectations and consequences for failure to meet agreed standards of behavior. Group work: Turning groups into teams. According to Epperson & Rossman, (2013) forming student groups into teams, facilitates motivation, structure, trust, achieving objectives, collaboration, fosters a sense of belonging, focus, camaraderie and classroom management. The authors identify three steps for turning groups into teams namely “1. Build rapport, 2. Create a team name, 3. Choose a captain and vice captain.” Rapport, according to the author is defined as a friendly relationship, and serves to build a greater sense of trust, belonging and camaraderie; consequently students are more likely to take risks. According to the author, students taking risks constitutes “a huge part of learning another language.” (p49). According to Harmer (2007) pair Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 5.
(6) work and group work maximize student participation, and serves to foster student learning autonomy. The author also points to the possible difficulties this approach may provoke in practice, (for example the tendency for “difficult” groups of students to become more boisterous in group settings; or the possibility for “social loafing” i.e. one student dominating while others stay silent) (p.45). However, it is envisaged that such behavior will be counteracted by a number of measures proposed in this intervention including; structuring the task so that everyone’s participation is required to complete the task, measures to ensure students are motivated and enabled to participate, and consistent and fair enforcement of class rules and or behavior norms. On balance the advantages to group work outweigh the disadvantages given that little evidence of rapport or teamwork amongst the whole student group was observed throughout the placement period. What is more, It was observed that a “clique” of five students dominated classroom proceedings. They chatted loudly, engaged in disruptive behavior, and did not even make a pretence of working. It is anticipated that, the proposed class grouping structure, which has students sitting in small groups at individual tables will contribute towards challenging this current behavior norm. In a move organized to manage negative behavior and dismantle the “powerbase” this “clique” represents, students will be divided into four separate groups. This intervention is in line with the Harmer (2001) observation about teenage students when he notes; “they may push teachers to the limit, but they are much happier if that challenge is met, if the teacher actually manages to control them, and if this is done in a supportive and constructive way so that he or she helps rather than shouts.” (p.39). Motivation: Engaging student interest. Considering motivation in the context of classroom management, Ur (2012) posits; “If the class is motivated to learn, it is more likely to be easy to manage” (p.246). According to Harmer (1991) motivation is a “drive that encourages somebody to pursue a course of action. If we perceive a goal (that is, something we wish to achieve) and if that goal is sufficiently attractive, we will be strongly motivated to do whatever is necessary to reach that goal.” (p.3). Scrivener (2005) elaborates this view as he notes; “…the strength of their motivation will be a factor in determining how seriously they approach work, how much time they set aside for it, how hard they push themselves etc.” (p.63). Considering motivation in the context of this class of 11 grade students, the results of the student survey suggests that in terms of learning English, students expressed what Harman described as “instrumental” motivation. That is, students believe that mastering English, will, in the future, be instrumental in getting them a better job, position or status. (p.16). In general, Harman notes, “strongly motivated students with long-term goals are probably easier to teach than those who have no such goals (and therefore no real drive). For such students short-term goals will often provide the only motivation they feel.” (p.15). Content: Pointing to the key role content plays in classroom management Harman (2007) states, “Students are far more likely to be engaged with what is going on, (and are therefore unlikely to be disruptive) if they have something interesting to do.” (p. 154). The author elaborates on the theme highlighting the need to select appropriate content and calibrate challenge to meet student needs and abilities; “The activities we ask students to take part in will, if they involve the students or excite their curiosity - and provoke their participation help them to stay interested in the subject; we need as well, to select an appropriate level of challenge so that things are neither too difficult nor too easy” (p.20). The author notes that over or Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 6.
(7) under challenging students provoke the same result – student disengagement. Harmer’s position reflects the orientation provided by the PBS system mentioned previously. That is; “create classroom lessons and materials that interest students; ensure that there is a match between student’s skills and classroom instructional level.” (Kratochwill,2014;p.3). This is also in line with the National Research Council literature (2000), which states that content should be “relevant to students varied experiences and lives, including gender, culture, economic status.” (Cited in Tomlinson,2005;p.161). Focusing on the quality of content alone is not sufficient as Tomlinson (2005) notes, (ensuring that) “challenge calibrated to the particular needs of a learner at a particular time is one of the most essential roles of the teacher and appears nonnegotiable for student growth.” (p.163). In an article by Dornyei (1998) titled “Motivation in second and foreign language learning” the author set out the “ten commandments” for motivating language learners. Based on empirical data concerning the beliefs and practices of language teachers, they serve to give a global orientation to teaching practice for the didactic unit. 1. Set a personal example with your own behavior 2. Create a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere in the classroom 3. Present the tasks properly 4. Develop a good relationship with the learners 5. Increase the learner´s linguistic self-confidence 6. Make the language classes interesting 7. Promote learner autonomy 8. Personalize the learning process 9. Increase the earner´s goal-orientation. 10. Familiarize learners with the target language culture (Dornyei,1998; p.131) Teaching engaging content: One of the strategies that will be employed to teach content related to student interest is to incorporate a method recommended by Epperson & Rossman (2013) that is - VAK (visual, auditory and kinesthetic). This method can be fun, facilitate interest and “not only addresses student motivation, but also the most common learning styles.” (p.83). In order to foster and maximize student on task engagement with the content, the proposal is to adopt behaviors identified in the work of Jacob Kounin (1970). Kounin observed various kinds of teacher behavior that seemed to be positively related to fostering positive student engagement and behavior, and invented a number of phrases to describe this behavior, namely: Withitness: Having ”eyes in the back of your head” which allows for picking up misbehavior early: Overlapping: that is - multi tasking, Smoothness: Keeping students on task by not (a) intruding suddenly when they are busy (thrusts); (b) starting one activity and then leaving it abruptly to engage in another one (dangles); (c) ending an activity and then coming back to it unexpectedly (flip-flops): Overdwelling: Avoiding staying on an issue for longer than necessary: Momentum: Concerned with maintaining an appropriate pace in the lesson (p.53) Brophy and Evertson’s correlation study (1976), found that Kounin’s categories of withitness, overlapping and smoothness were not only related to good behavior, but also to greater pupil learning. They concluded that that the amount of time the pupil was engaged in the task was ‘the key to successful classroom management’. (p. 54). Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 7.
(8) Diagnostic analysis of the Educational Institute and the 11th Grade class. This is a private (fee paying) school for girls, located in a middle class neighborhood, in the center of Santiago Chile. It is managed by a charitable foundation. The school motto is: “Forming women leaders in light of the Gospel”. The School’s official documents (PEI) set out the school’s mission, values and principles in terms of four distinct “vision” headings: God; the person; society & culture; and Education. These visions are rooted within the Roman Catholic faith, and thus, the school’s vision of the world and its role, policy and practice is elaborated within the parameters of traditional Catholic doctrine. Educational (philosophical/theoretical) orientation: The school states it believes that students learn through experience and emphasis the importance of creating opportunities to be exposed to a range of experiences and point out the importance of adult role models within the school environment. This would suggest that the educational (philosophical/theoretical) orientation of the school is towards the constructionist school of thought which argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. During the period of teaching practice, no evidence could be found to suggest that in terms of teaching, constructionist based practice methodologies were being used. In particular and in practice in the English lessons, a traditional (grammar translation based) methodology was being used. It was observed that students did not speak English during lessons. This is hardly surprising given the traditional approach does not provide students with the means nor the opportunity to speak English. As Harmer (2007) notes “a total concentration on grammar translation stops students from getting the kind of natural language input that will help them acquire language (since they are always looking at LI equivalents), and it fails to give them opportunities to activate their language knowledge (p.49). The teaching content used was from a North American textbook, which it was observed, bore little relationship with student culture, gender, or experience. School Rules: There is a comprehensive set of rules, and consequences for breeching rules are sequential. Consequences for rule braking are based on a notion of prompting student reflection and making reparation for failure to comply. For example; working in the library after school hours; teaching a particular item to students from a lower grade. Whereas approach to rule breaking is consistent with the schools declared education and Christian philosophical position, in practice consequences described in school literature were observed not to be implemented. In particular, and in practice in English lessons, it was observed that student misbehavior was not sufficiently challenged, and school rules pertaining to timekeeping or classroom norms etc. were not enforced. Evaluation: Practice and procedure is set out in the schools PEI. It was observed that no formative evaluations were undertaken during English lessons. Students have five summative evaluations per semester. These were written tests. Listening and speaking skills were not evaluated. Student profile: There are a total of 374 students in the school. 142 students are at secondary level, the remainder at pre-school and primary level. The average class size is 25. The total number of hours dedicated to teaching English at secondary level is 24. This amounts to each Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 8.
(9) course, receiving 4 hours English instruction per week. There is one English teacher for secondary school students and one for primary school students. The “American Inspiration” series of English teaching books (published by Macmillian press), provides content for, and is relied upon for teaching English. This is a fee paying school, and judging by the level of school fees, students would have to come from a middle (income) class background in order to afford fee payment. A senior member of staff at the school described students as “friendly, docile, living in a protective bubble and in need of motivation to pursue academic achievement.” The 11th Grade Class: This is a small class with 19 students. In the student survey undertaken, 88% of students stated that English was easy to learn, and only 4% stated that they felt that the lesson standard was too high. As mentioned previously, students are instructed using a traditional grammar-translation method. Although the text book material, relied upon for lesson content, was calibrated for Intermediate students, a formative evaluation undertaken prior to this intervention indicated that students listening, speaking, reading and writing skills were well below Intermediate standard. Students evaluating English as being easy to learn may be explained by the fact that during lessons, students were only required to produce the target language through completing easy grammatical exercises or simple gap fill exercises. These activities focused on student ability to apply grammar forms and/or structure and vocabulary. Consequently, the exercises did not challenge or evaluate student comprehension of meaning, nor require students to produce language autonomously. The meaning of language, as Harman (2007) puts it, “depends on where it occurs within a larger stretch of discourse, and thus the relationship that the different language elements have with what comes before and after them.” (p.57) In short, just words and grammar are not sufficient to speak and write English, students need to be able to make, and string sentences together in order to communicate. By their nature, L2 communications skills are both complex and challenging to learn. Reflecting on Harman’s observation therefore, goes some way towards explaining why students think that learning English is easy. It is judged that students find English easy because their instruction and learning has more to do with the (relatively straight forward) learning of grammar rules and vocabulary rather than being academically stretched or instructed (therefore enabled) to learn integrated (reading, writing, listening and speaking) L2 communication skills. Students were unwilling to speak in English during lessons. However, this is understandable given the fact of their learning circumstances and experience. Teaching practice: The traditional grammar-translation method was employed. This method depends on contrasts between the mother tongue and the language being learnt. (Harmer,2007; p.57). Although it serves to teach students about language, this method does not really help students to communicate effectively with it. (ibid;p.49). This goes some way to explaining the observed student reticence to speaking English. It was observed that there was no structure to lessons. In particular, there was no lesson planning; nor was there a logical sequence to the lessons. There was no observable coherence between the lesson being taught and previous lessons. The content, and student activities, relied on the course text book. It was noted that more than 50% of students did not have the required course book. Activities were confined to the exercises taken directly from the course text book. The North American textbook employed, did not reflect the students gender, culture or experience. Lessons were delivered in Spanish (L1), and Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 9.
(10) translated into English. Students spoke Spanish to interact with the teacher and with each other throughout lessons. It is generally agreed that best practice would dictate that classes are conducted in English with a judicious use of L1 if and when it supports the desired learning outcome. Class grouping: It was observed that there were three distinct “clique” groups in the class. One group in particular dominated classroom proceedings because of their noisy and “do as you please” attitude and behavior. This behavior was not effectively challenged by the teacher, and It was seen to provoked annoyance and anger from other students. Students arranged their desks into three and sometimes four distinct groupings. These groupings reflected friendship alliances rather than any institution/teacher lead seating plan. Classroom norms & student conduct: During lessons it was common to see students doing anything but work to learn English. They were disengaged and showed little signs of being motivated to apply themselves to learning English. Instead, they would wander around the class if and when they pleased, play with cell phones, sing, laugh, eat, drink, paint their nails, chat, play cards, shout and call out across the classroom to one another. Students would frequently leave the classroom for a bathroom break during lesson time. In the student survey, 82% of students expressed the opinion that it was easy to behave badly and “do other things” (besides English) during English lessons. As noted previously, misbehavior was not challenged effectively by the teacher, nor school rules enforced. At the beginning of class, students tended to ignore the teachers greeting, and carried on doing what they were doing prior to the teacher’s arrival. The teacher called students to order insofar as getting them to sit at desks. It was usual to see students move their desk so as to position themselves to sit beside their group of friends. Instruction took place while students chatted, ate, drank etc. Groups of students often spent lessons sitting with their back turned to the teacher. Garbage and students personal belongings were piled on student desks and littered the classroom. The classroom was a disorderly mess, literally and metaphorically. By no stretch of the imagination could it be described as an environment conductive to teaching or learning. Description of the unit. The unit comprises of eight two hour (ninety minute) lessons delivered over a four week period. A communicative approach was used for instruction. The Presentation, Practice, Produce (PPP) methodology was used to give overall structure to lessons. Specific methodologies were used to teach specific skills namely: A modeling method to teach speaking & writing skills and a Pre, While and Post method to teach listening and reading skills. Comprehension checking questioning was used throughout lessons, and in particular, to ensure students understood activity instructions. Accommodating common learning styles that is visual, audio and kinesthetic (VAK), and creating activities which generated engagement were the criteria used for deciding on the choice of resource materials. This translated into using audio visual aids such as PowerPoint presentations; film clips; and film musical clips. The kinesthetic learning preference was accommodated by use of a “magic board” (a small mobile board which allows students to write, display and erase material); eliciting answers to questions through corporal language and rhythmic (hand clapping) chants. Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 10.
(11) -. The name of the unit is “Lights, camera, action!” which reflects the theme of the lesson; films. Contents included Chilean soap operas, student’s favorite films, film characters & actors and a range of film types to reflect student likes, culture and interests. Content was compiled from a range of sources, and formed into reference guides, and activity handouts for students. The unit was compiled giving due reference to and incorporating the following: The Chilean National Curriculum (2009): The teaching unit conformed to the content requirement and recommended teaching approach (communicative). The results of a student survey: Results showed that students would like to develop their speaking and reading skills. Lesson outcomes therefore, were focused to give priority to developing these skills. Motivational factors. To facilitate motivation, content and materials were chosen to reflect student interest, experience and culture. Content was calibrated through a formative evaluation undertaken prior to the intervention. Findings suggested that the course content that was currently used by students was too high. It was calibrated at a CEFR2 A2-B1 level of English. Consequently, content was calibrated at a pre-intermediate level of CEFR A1-A2. Lessons were goal oriented: A classroom routine was established where the lesson objective (goal) was set out and reflection on that objective was undertaken at the end of lessons. “Lead in” exercises at the beginning of class were used to motivate interest and engagement; motivation during lessons was maintained by constructing engaging learning activities and exercises which provided concrete achievable goals for students. Positive feedback was also used to maintain motivation. Classroom layout: Students sat in groups of 4/5 around desks which were arranged to facilitate physical order and the establishment of rapport. The classroom layout was arranged to allow interaction between students and teacher, circulation and teacher proximity to students Evaluation: One of the identified learning outcomes for this intervention is to foster student responsibility and self regulation. The 11th grade diagnostic analysis pointed to the fact negative behaviors was not linked with negative consequences. Students cited this in the student survey as a motivation not to behave. Thinking this into account, a measure to link consequences with behavior was incorporated into the unit. Student teams and individual students were awarded a 7.0 grade at the beginning of the teaching unit. These points were linked, (on a sliding scale) to behavior and work in class. Students and teams would lose points if they broke class rules. Group and individual performance points were recorded during each lesson. Student reflection and feedback at the end of each class contributed towards informing formative evaluation assessments. Assessment was undertaken throughout lessons. A summative evaluation was undertaken at the end of the unit. This took the form of a written test, using a comparable question format to one used during lessons. A summary of the teaching unit lessons is set out in Table 1 below.. 2. Common European Framework of References for Languages.. Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 11.
(12) Table 1: Summary of the Lessons. Didactic Unit: “Lights, Camera, Action!” Week Class.. Learning Lesson. &. Target Language Skill(s). Assess.. Process. Outcome(s). Nº. Week 1 Class 1&2 3 Hours. Week 2. Class 3. Group/pair work Self regulation. .. Establishment of classroom routine. Students are formed into teams. Rules established. Learning & conduct expectations are explicit. Students are able to speak about different types of film in terms of likes and dislikes. Resource materials. .Formative. Able to work as part of team.. Film: Vocabulary + Adjectives Phrases to describe likes & dislikes. Formative. Presentation: Establish classroom routine: Write date, objective, last lesson & wrap up on class board explain routine to students. Practice/Production: Students formed into groups, desks and classroom ordered & tidied. Student groups given instruction & task: to compile class rules & consequences – put into poster form. Feedback: teams present: Teacher presents a model of 5 positive behavior attitudes / rules; prompts initial discussion “what does “be prepared” look like in the reality of the classroom”. (10) Task: Students match their rules with model rules. Teacher circulates prompts group discussion. Feedback: Questions & opinions. Wrap up: Teacher elicits synthesis of discussion & feedback. Behavior contract agreed. (30min) Class routine: Objectives etc. & Teacher records if class has met start in time goal. Lead in: PPP illustration of films by type - group activity –competition; identify films & use magic board to answer. Presentation: Vocabulary film types & phrases to describe likes & dislikes; PPP & 2 x film clips: modelling & CCQ. Practice: Handout / matching / gap fill / group work / pair work. Teacher monitor/assist/feedback correction.. 2 hours Speaking Writing. Production: Individual work: Students produce a short monologue about a film they really liked and a film they hated. Pair work: Tell partner and agree or disagree with choice Group work: Group choose top 3 films & explain choice Wrap up: Teacher elicits reflection: What have we learn? What can we do now?. Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 12. PowerPoint; Guide: Activity handout: Poster paper: Magic boards & markers. Group/pair. PowerPoint: Film Clips x 2; Magic board Individual/group & pair work..
(13) Week 2. Class 4. To be able to compose sentences using comparative & superlative adjectives. Students are able to orally express answers to comparative/superlat ive questions. Reading. Use comparatives & superlatives in the negative & question form; as/as. Produce a short dialogue about actors, films and film types.. Grammar. Understand an article about stunts.. Reading & comprehension reading strategies.. Formative. Classroom routine: Objectives etc. & Teacher records if class has met start in time goal. Lead in: PPP illustration of film actors – group activitycompetition: identify actors & use magic board to record answers. Presentation: (Pre) Refer students to Handout 1; text and elicit if they know who the actor is. Teach new vocabulary: Practice: Tasks: scan for- cognates; new vocabulary; answer questions on text. Underline comparative & superlative adjectives to complete exercises.: Teacher monitors, assists, feedback, corrects. Production: Students write sentences comparing two films from a chart. Wrap up: Teacher elicits reflection “what have we learnt? What can we do?”. Handout with: Table for gap fill divides comparative & superlative into short long and irregular .Chart with star rating to compare: Pair and group work.. Formative. Class routine: Objectives etc. & Teacher records if class has met start on time goal. Lead in: PPP illustration of films actors- group activity –competition; rank actors by age & use magic board to answer. Presentation: as & as - negative & question form (superlative & comparative) Practice: Complete activities. Negative & question form; ; Gap fill – dialogue. Teacher monitors & assists. Production: Students compose dialogue using gap fill exercise to model (pair/w). Wrap up: Teacher elicits reflection “what have we learnt? What can we do?” What was most difficult? What was the easiest thing to do?. Activity hand outs; PPP/Magic Boards. Group and pair work.. .Formative. Class routine: Objectives etc. & Teacher records if class has met start on time goal. Lead in: PPP illustrating 4 stunts: Elicit the meaning of stunt. Group: uses adjectives to express which stunt they consider the most dangerous. Presentation: Refer students to ppp new vocabulary; search text for cognates; then new vocabulary. Practice/Production: Task: By text A/B/C/D; 2 specific question & match headline: True or false then: multiple choice. (Pair / Group Work) Wrap up: Teacher elicits reflection “what have we learnt? What can we do?” What was difficult? What was not so difficult? Class routine; Presentation: Elicit recap of class 6. Practice; apply reading strategies for text C & D; Produce: CCQ’s from handout. Complete selection of questions from material covered in unit.. Handout with 4 texts about stunts.. Written test with questions in a comparable form to those used in unit.. Test papers.. Grammar.. Speaking. 2 hours. Week 3 Class 5 2 hours. Week 3 Class. Writing Speaking.. 6 2 hours. Week 4 Class 7 2 Hours.. To finish material from cls. 6 Revise material from unit. .As in class 6. . Formative. Class 8.. To evaluate. To demo/ learning.. Summative. Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 13. individual/pairs/ group. Work in groups.
(14) Learning results. Given that student behavior was seen as a substantial obstacle to effective learning, the first step to achieve identified learning outcomes was to establish class rules and a code of conduct. The student feedback at the end of this task speaks of them learning about; the positive benefits associated with engaging in lessons and working on task; the parameters of acceptable behavior during lessons; the personal and corporate consequences associated with misbehavior. Whereas student understanding is evidenced through this exercise and feedback, students applying this understanding into practice would be the measure used to calculate success. Although at the initial stages of this intervention, students strongly resisted adhering to class rules, resistance reduced notably over the period. Inappropriate and distracting behavior; the use of cell phones; personal grooming; eating and drinking; shouting and throwing things across the class was reduced from being the accepted class norm to it being an exceptional, or an illicit activity. The amount of students arriving late to class was reduced to three incidents per week during the first two weeks, and one per week for the remaining two weeks. Target time for goals for students to be at their desk with materials etc. at the start of class were met by 100% of the students 80% of the time. These outcomes compare favorably with pre intervention levels when arriving late for class and spending an inordinate amount of time “settling down” was the accepted norm. This is a positive outcome when one also takes into account that due to class scheduling, lessons were divided into 45 minute slots with recreational breaks either side of lessons. It shows that students learnt to take responsibility for managing their time to meet commitments. By the end of the teaching unit, problem behavior was significantly minimized and no longer represented a significant obstacle to learning. This indicates that students learnt to exercise a level self regulation. Grades for student performance (behavior & work in class evaluation) show that groups finished the units with the following grades: Group A: 6.9. Group B: 6.3. Group C: 6.4. Group D: 6.8. Individual student grade worked out at an average of 6.5. Nonetheless, it should be noted that whereas class rules facilitated modifying behavior, and ensured students completed work in class, deficiencies in the team work arrangements and difficulties calibrating challenge to facilitate mixed abilities (discussed later in this article), periodically allowed students to avoid working. Notwithstanding this, as discipline problems reduced, student engagement time increased. In particular and for example: Students were able to relate their personal experiences to content and in doing so learnt to apply L2 learning to real and meaningful situations. An example of this was when students had to express their opinion about film types and defend their choice of favorite and least favorite films. Students learnt skills to help them to read and understand a text in English. They learnt how to skim and scan a text for specific and non specific information. They learnt about cognates and how to use them to aid understanding. In total and most significantly given their learning history, students learnt that they needed to employ different skills whilst reading a text in L2 to those they employ whilst reading in L1. By working on task to complete designated activities students learnt to persevere, and thus made progression towards autonomous learning. Formative assessments indicated the need to reduce the pace of lessons, and recalibrate material in line with student ability levels. Consequently material planned for lesson 7 was dropped to facilitate students achieving planned outcomes for lesson 6. Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 14.
(15) Students showed particular difficulty in applying their previously learnt grammar to construct sentences or dialogues. Priority was therefore given to increasing student communication abilities. Although students learnt how to use models to produce an original dialogue, and manifested a notable increase in confidence while “role playing” their dialogue, they continued to manifest reticence towards using L2 to communicate with the teacher. Although it is acknowledged that graded tests do not always serve to indicate the level of student engagement, nonetheless they are a useful indicator of learning outcomes. At the end of the unit, average grade for the summative assessment worked out at 5.9. This is considered a positive outcome. Reflection on the intervention. The aim of this intervention was to create an ordered classroom environment where learning could take place. Student misbehavior was seen as presenting a significant obstacle to effective learning. Students were observed to be disengaged. A two line approach was undertaken to address the presenting problem; measures to manage student behavior and measures to motivate student engagement. These then, serve as the criteria to evaluate the strengths and weakness of the intervention undertaken. Managing student behavior. Expected learning outcome: Students will self regulate behavior in line with classroom norms; assume personal responsibility and learn to negotiate working as part of a team. Although incidents of disruptive behavior were reduced over the period of the intervention, this did not signify that students did not chat when they should have been working, and / or attempt to use cell phones or eat during class. However attempts to deviate reduced over time as rules were consistently enforced and students learnt to self regulate. Students found it difficult to accept responsibility for breaking rules. However the fact of having negotiated the rules which were displayed on the classroom wall, served to allow for rules to be enforced, and be seen to be enforced objectively and fairly. Rule setting and displaying rules proved to be a very useful instrument in the strategy. Setting up teams reduced but did not prevent students from “social loafing” insofar as it appeared some students were periodically copying answers from team colleagues. Team members were observed to use a number of subtle and not to subtle tactics to encourage their peers to fall into line with behavior expectations. Although students were not always successful in their attempts, such behavior was encouraging to witness for a number of reasons. In the first instance it spoke of students attempts to assume responsibility and link behavior with consequences; it framed personal choices in terms of the possible negative impact it had on others, it put the “greater good” (of the team in this instance) ahead of personal gratification. Groups had been formed to socially engineer the class so that the dominating student cliques were separated. This represented a weakness in the strategy as it served to create a notable ability differences amongst teams. Half the teams consistently finished tasks within allotted time, the other half did not. This situation was addressed by giving extra material to fast learners, this aimed to free up teacher time to give the necessary attention to other students. This solution was not entirely satisfactory, as the fast learners soon picked up on the fact that they would be given extra activities should they finish ahead of time. They did not want this so students stretched out the time to finish activities to avoid the “extra” activities. However, Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 15.
(16) successful measures were undertaken to ensure that any group competitive activities were within the reach of the whole class to ensure motivation was maintained. One student within the class continued to manifest challenging behavior despite the intervention measures. Evaluating the situation, it was judged that this student needed a level of intervention that was beyond the scope of this strategy. Second tier intervention support (school support staff) was deemed necessary for this student. This case however, illustrates the need to have a school wide strategy such as the PBS (cited and used as a reference for this intervention) which has a staged (tier) intervention approach to deal with challenging behavior. The intervention as it was however, served to manage 11th grade student misbehavior to a level where it no longer represented an obstacle to learning. Motivating engagement: Expected learning outcome: Students will engage in lessons, remain on task and be productive. The instruction material chosen proved popular with the students, and in terms of motivation it proved to be fit for purpose. It was observed that at any one time an average of 80% to 90% of students engaged with the lesson and remained on task. This is considered a positive outcome. Calibrating the level of challenge was an ongoing process throughout the unit; formative evaluations were undertaken during lessons and student feedback time was structured into the end of each lesson. Whereas material had initially been calibrated to a pre intermediate level for reasons stated previously, it became clear during instruction, that there were fundamental gaps in student learning. In terms of teaching practice, this required flexibility, and at times, a modification of lesson objectives. The sum of which amounted to a decision being made to drop the content from lesson 7 to accommodate the pace of student learning. It also became apparent during this period, that students lacked the skills to manage content; for example strategies for reading text – skimming, scanning etc. Lessons therefore coupled teaching content with teaching the skills to manage that content. Although this had an impact on the pace of lessons this was not problematic as it did not have an adverse effect on student on task time and engagement. On the contrary, students showed surprising amounts of motivation whilst learning and applying the “how to manage content” skills. However in terms of future practice, this together with the reaction of the “fast learners” points to the need to: work different levels of challenge within the same material in the activity handout sheets; undertake a more thorough diagnosis of student abilities prior to commencing lessons. Nonetheless, in terms of managing transitions, pace and multitasking, from a practitioner perspective, Kuoni’s work proved most useful. That is, measures undertaken to ensure “withitness, overlapping and smoothness” proved to contribute significantly towards keeping students engaged, on task and productive. Measures implemented to foster rapport with and among students, including group work, boundary setting, fair and consistent enforcement of rules etc. showed a positive level of success. Success in this instance is measured in terms of generating a friendly mutually respectful attitude. Whereas this attitude did not exclude the occasional moaning and teenage posturing, (with the exception of one student) there was nothing in student behavior that indicated disrespect or hostility. Recommendations for improving teaching outcomes: Reflecting on the experience of teaching this unit, I would identify four key areas which I believe would improve learning outcomes namely: Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 16.
(17) 1. The introduction of a school wide Positive Behavior System (PBS) which would serve to focus on promoting a positive learning environment and facilitate students benefitting from a transparent and consistent approach to managing behavior. As we have seen from the institutional analysis, students are currently subject to mixed messages concerning expectations and interventions / support concerning matters of conduct. As noted previously, the parameters provided by class rules and team groupings enabled students to positively manage and negotiate their relationships with peers. Indeed, it facilitated students successfully negotiating their relationship with their teacher during the period of this intervention. Managing and negotiating relationships is an indispensable social skill and arguably a prerequisite to students attaining the objective stated in the schools declared motto “forming women leaders.” (PEI,2014;p.1) 2. Undertake a comprehensive analysis of student abilities and skills to facilitate calibrating material prior to commencing teaching the unit. Prepare exercise (handouts) which offer different levels of challenge for the same material. 3. Group work: A/ Facilitate students defining the role and responsibilities of team captains and scribes. This will foster a deeper sense of group ownership, as well as clarifying roles and responsibilities. It will also serve to open the way for a dialogue and discussion about leadership, responsibility and teamwork. The sum of the aforementioned, significantly contributes to students social development in terms of attributes and skills. B/ Incorporate cooperative learning techniques and peer evaluation to counter social loafing. 4. Schedule theme specific and regular feedback session time with students. This will facilitate student reflection on classroom management matters and learning. This in turn will pave the way for greater learner autonomy. Self Evaluation. Whereas I recognize that it is the sum of experience knowledge, skills, and abilities that dictate success or not in terms of teaching practice this section reflects on the professional strengths and areas for professional developed which teaching this unit served to bring to light for me. This reflection will form the basis for a professional development plan at the end of this section. Overall strength brought to this project: Ability to critically analyze and turn theory into practice. Failure to enforce standards of behavior in the school where I practiced fostered a culture of indiscipline and disorder. Understanding this context contributed substantially towards explaining why 11th grade students misbehavior in class had become normalized. This observation was significant as it told me that the school culture represented a significant obstacle to classroom management objectives. Consequently my intervention would have to be sufficiently robust to counter the effects of the negative classroom norms which were being reinforced by the prevailing school culture. It also told me that the school rules would not be enforced beyond my lessons. In any case, the student survey confirmed my view that rules did not represent a significant deterrent to misbehavior. Consequently I would have to put adequate counter measures into place. Coupling behavior and working in class with student grades proved to be a most useful counter measure, particularly at the initial stages of the intervention when there was substantial student resistance to change. Student misbehavior escalated as they “acted out” their resistance, and tested the limits of the new boundaries that were being put in place. This was a key stage of Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 17.
(18) the intervention because the relationship between myself and the students was being established. Consequently, particular attention had to be given to ensure a balance was struck between enforcing behavior boundaries and using motivational measures. Too little or too much of one or the other would be counterproductive to establishing rapport and thus undermine the aims of the intervention. Being able to objectively appraise classroom dynamics as they occurred allowed me to act purposefully to ensure teaching and learning objectives were achieved. Preparing for lessons by careful planning; visualizing the process and predicting learning/teaching difficulties provided me with the necessary confidence to manage student behavior while at the same time, maintain the necessary concentration and momentum to instruct students. This ability to multi task is a valuable strength given that teaching is a complex process. Being able to “think on my feet” allowed me to exercise flexibility and judgment to make decisions during lessons in response to the emerging learning needs of students. Flexibility needed to be balanced out by maintaining student focus on the overall learning objective in order to avoid incoherence in the delivery of teaching instruction. The ability to tailor instruction to meet the needs of students was both challenged and developed during this teaching period. So too, was my ability to pace instruction. However my understanding of classroom management, developed over this period, represents a significant professional and personal learning curb for me. The process of translating classroom management theory, techniques and systems into practice, was both immensely challenging and rewarding. On balance, the challenge was worth the reward. Continuously developing and improving practice is, in my view a must for teachers if we are to remain loyal to the principles of teaching and professional standards. In concrete terms this will see me working to a professional improvement plan which contains the following goals: Goal: Reduce TTT (teacher talking time) Ongoing Short term Research into methods to manage group work in order to devise a methodology to foster: maximum participation; accountability; teamwork Medium term Research a range of theories, methods and approaches to foster and maintain EFL student motivation. Long term Research into different models of classroom management (behavior management) systems. . Conclusion. Teenage student misbehavior during EFL lessons provoked the initial question; how can a teacher instruct under such conditions? This in turn provoked questions concerning why students were disengaged, and lead to consideration of whether constructing a classroom management strategy offered an effective intervention solution to the presenting problems. To address this question, research was undertaken and data was collected to inform and guide the construction of an intervention strategy. The strategy was designed to manage student behavior in parallel with measures to motivate students. The findings of the research show that improved classroom management measures served to successfully reduce levels of misbehavior, when implemented in parallel with measures to improve student motivation. This resulted in a notable increase in Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 18.
(19) student productivity and engagement levels. These results show that attempting to tackle either discipline problems or lack of motivation in isolation will not solve the problem. This is a multifaceted problem. The finding is consistent with the literature used to construct the theoretical framework for this research. Doyle’s work (1989;p.396) for example, cautioned against dealing with discipline in isolation, stating that it provoked student compliance rather than engagement. Likewise, Brophy (2006;p.39) advises shifting focus to active learning rather than just complying with rules. The finding serves to tell us that the lack of motivation can cause discipline problems. This is in keeping with Harman’s (2007) observation that motivated students “are far more likely to be engaged with what is going on, (and are therefore unlikely to be disruptive) if they have something interesting to do.” (p. 154). Likewise and reflecting on the same theme, Penny Ur puts it in terms of; “If the class is motivated to learn, it is more likely to be easy to manage” (p.246). The Implementing of this classroom management strategy has required the application of a variety of teaching methodologies and skills as well as the management of student behavior in order to keep students organized, orderly, engaged and productive. Teaching this didactic unit has proved professionally beneficial and has allowed me to develop and apply new teaching skills. Reflecting on this work leads me to conclude that just as discipline problems cannot be tackled in isolation from motivation; neither can they be tackled in isolation from the educational institution. Therefore it is recommended that educational institutions adopt a school wide system with measures that support and promote a positive learning environment.. Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 19.
(20) Bibliography. Brophy, J. (2006). History of research on classroom management. In C. M. Evertson & C. S. Weinstein (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues (pp. 17-43). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Brophy, J., & Evertson, C. (1976). In E.C. Wragg. (2005). The Art and Science of Teaching and Learning. The Selected works of Ted Wragg: (p.73). Routledge, Oxon OX14 4RN Crone & Horner, (2003) Crone, Horner, & Hawken, (2004). In Kratochwill, Tom. (2014). Classroom Management. Teachers Modules. American Psychological Association. Retrieved on 1st November 2014 from: http://www.apa.org/education/k12/classroom-mgmt.aspx Chilean National Curriculm: Curricular (2009) Idioma Extranjero: Ingles. Ministerio de Educación. Dornyei, Zoltan. 1998 Motivation in second and foreign language learning. Retrieved on 15th November from: http://upbo.org/servlet/file/store6/item2388890/version1/item_9780521790291_frontmatter.pd Dollase (1992) and Gordon (1991). In National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum (NCAC), st. Classroom Management. Retrieved on November 1 2014 http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/classroom_management#.VIZK0sn25ac. from:. Doyle, W. (1986). Classroom organization and management. In National Center on Accessing the st. General Curriculum (NCAC), Classroom Management. Retrieved on 1 November 2014 from http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/classroom_management#.VIZK0sn25ac. Epperson, M.K., & Rossman, M.S. (2013). Strategies for motivating and managing the Chilean classroom. Ministerio de Educación de Chile: Embajada de los Estados Unidos de América. Evertson, C. M., & Weinstein, C. S. (2006). Classroom management as a field of inquiry. In C. M. Evertson & C. S. Weinstein (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues (pp. 3-16). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Harmer, J. (1991). The Practice of English Language Teaching. Longman Group U.K. Harmer, J. (2001). The Practice of English Language Teaching. Cambridge, Longman Group Harmer, J. (2007). How to Teach English 2nd Edition. Pearson Education Ltd. Hidden Curriculum. (2014, August 26). In S. Abbott (Ed.). The Glossary of Education Reform. Retrieved from http://edglossary.org/hidden-curriculum Kounin, Jacob. (1970). In In E.C. Wragg. (2005). The Art and Science of Teaching and Learning. The Selected works of Ted Wragg: (p.72). Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 Kratochwill, Tom. (2014). Classroom Management. Teachers Modules. American Psychological Association. Retrieved on 1st November 2014 from: http://www.apa.org/education/k12/classroom-mgmt.aspx Scrivener, J. (2005) Learning Teaching. Macmillian Books for Teachers.. Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 20.
(21) Tomlinson, C. (2005). Quality curriculum and instruction for highly able students. Theory into Practice Volume 44 issue 2; pp 160-166. , Ur, P. (2012) A Course in English Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.. Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 21.
(22) Appendix 1. Student survey. Survey questions were written in L1 to assist student participation. Questions were divided into eight headings as illustrated by Figure 1 below. Questions were geared to reflect observed student behavior and the actual physical classroom environment. Using a closed questioning format, students had to agree or disagree with a series of statements under each question heading. Figure 2 and Figure 3 illustrate the results from question 4. “What does misbehavior mean?” and question 5. “Why do students misbehave in class is it because:” 17 of the 19 students completed the survey. Two students were absent on the day the survey was completed. It was decided that no useful purpose would be served if the two absent students complete the survey. It was judged that given that they had participated in the whole class discussion, (Lessons 1 & 2) this would unduly influence their answers and thus skew survey results. Figure 1: Student Survey: Summary of section headings. 1. The Physical Classroom Environment. 2. What makes a good teacher?. 3. What behavior(s) upset and/or make you feel uncomfortable in class?. 4. What does misbehavior mean?. 5. Why do students misbehave in class is it because:. 6. What do you think makes students behave well in class?. 7. What sort of rewards do you think students should get for good behavior?. 8. English Lessons. Figure 2.. 4. What does misbehavior mean? a. Arriving late to class. b. Eating and/or drinking during lessons c. Using cell phones in class d. Chatting & laughing during lessons e. Personal grooming e.g. applying makeup, nail varnish etc. during class f. Misbehavior is when you deliberately do something that you know you should not do. g. Misbehavior is when you break the school rules.. Figure 3.. 5. Why do students misbehave in class is it because: a. They don’t like the teacher. b. Problems at home c. They are annoyed about something. d. There is no motivation to behave well in class. e. Students are not reprimanded if they misbehave. f. It is the teacher’s job to ensure that students behave, if the teacher cannot control the students, obviously they are going to misbehave.. Do not agree. Agree. 11 10 5 4 4. 6 7 12 12 13. 1. 16 17. 3 2 1 1 3. 14 15 16 16 14. 1. 16. Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 22.
(23) Marion McGowan O’Toole. Programa De Pedagogía Para Profesionales. Universidad Alberto Hurtado.. Página 23.
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