Examining Teachers' Beliefs and Instructional Practices in Secondary Foreign Language Classes on Honors and Non Honors Tracks: The Role of Teaching for Communication

Autor/in	Morris, Michael
Titel	Examining Teachers' Beliefs and Instructional Practices in Secondary Foreign Language Classes on Honors and Non Honors Tracks: The Role of Teaching for Communication
Quelle	In: Teachers College Record, 110 (2008) 5, S.1065-1087 (23 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1467-9620
Schlagwörter	Second Language Instruction; Secondary School Teachers; Teacher Attitudes; Teaching Methods; Influences; Honors Curriculum; French; Spanish; High School Students; Content Analysis; Questionnaires; Interviews; Observation + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Fremdsprachenunterricht; Lehrerverhalten; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Influence; Einfluss; Einflussfaktor; Französisch; Spanisch; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Inhaltsanalyse; Fragebogen; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Beobachtung
Abstract	Background/Context: Little research to date has examined the honors foreign language classroom or how it differs from its non-honors counterpart. This study examines possible differences between the two kinds of classrooms and what factors may affect these differences. Purpose/objective/research question/focus on study: The researcher observed a total of 54 honors and non-honors French and Spanish classes at all levels at a high school in a Midwestern state to ascertain the instructional practices used therein. He also administered questionnaires to and interviewed the seven teachers of these classes regarding the classroom practices he observed and the factors that may have influenced these practices, focusing particularly on any differences between the high- and low-tier classes. Setting: A high school of 1,900 students in a small town in a Midwestern state. Subjects: Seven high school teachers of French and Spanish. Research Design: This study incorporates analysis of the lesson content of the two kinds of classes using the chi-square technique and qualitative techniques to analyze the data yielded by questionnaires and open-ended interviews with each teacher. Findings: A highly significant statistical relationship exists between the tier of class (honors v. non-honors) and the type of language activity (form-focused v. communicative). Analysis of teachers' narratives also reveals several factors that enter into play in shaping their instructional practices. These include: (1) students' preferences for specific teaching styles and instructional emphases; (2) honors students' desire for the prestige that comes from enrollment in high-tier classes; (3) students' level of motivation for language learning; and (4) students' level of engagement in their language learning. Conclusions: The researcher concludes that foreign language educators must address the issue of reserving communicative teaching for elite students for the profession's future viability. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Teachers College, Columbia University. P.O. Box 103, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027. Tel: 212-678-3774; Fax: 212-678-6619; e-mail: tcr@tc.edu; Web site: http://www.tcrecord.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10