EFL Teachers’ Perceptions of the Implementation of Active Learning in Reading Classroom
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54855/ijli.22117Keywords:
active learning, , active learning techniques, reading comprehensionAbstract
In recent years, scholars and educators of the English language have shown a lot of interest in the active learning approach. Although a few studies have been conducted on teachers' perceptions and practices of active learning in classrooms, few studies have been conducted in Vietnamese contexts on teachers' perceptions and practices of the function of active learning in reading classrooms. Due to that gap, the current study was conducted to investigate teachers' perceptions regarding active learning techniques used in reading classrooms and the role active learning plays in reading instructions. The paper conducted a descriptive study in order to identify the active learning approaches employed by EFL teachers in reading classrooms at private language centers and investigates their perspectives on the role of active learning in reading instruction. The questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from two sources. The participants were twenty-six teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) from the province of Vinh Long. The result reveals that the participants had a favorable view of the role of active learning. In particular, they felt that active learning allows students to improve their critical thinking and reading comprehension, as well as teamwork, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving abilities. These findings have a number of educational implications.References
A-Rahmane, S., & Rubaii, M. A. (2018). Omani teachers' perception of active learning-impact on classroom practices. International Journal of Business and Applied Social Science (IJBASS), 4(10), 20–49.
Adeboju, B. H. (2018). Conflicts in Language Adoption as Instruction Medium or Teaching in Primary schools in Nigeria. Journal of Educational Thought, 6(1).
Adler, M. J. (1999). The paideia proposal: An educational manifesto. New York, NY: Macmillan.
Ahmadi, M. R., Ismail, H. N., & Abdullah, M. K. K. (2013). The relationship between students’ reading motivation and reading comprehension. Journal of Education and Practice, 4(18), 1–28.
Ajideh, P. (2003). Schema theory-based pre-reading tasks: A neglected essential in the ESL reading class. The Reading Matrix, 3(1), 1–14.
Al-Faki, I. M., & Siddiek, A. G. (2013). The role of background knowledge in enhancing reading comprehension. World Journal of English Language, 3(4). https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v3n4p42
Amelia, K. R. (2016). Using think- pair- share strategy to improve vocabulary and reading comprehension achievements of eighth grade. Journal of English Literacy Education, 3(2). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.36706/jele.v3i2.3618
Angelo, T. A., & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bensoussan, M. (1998). Schema effects in EFL reading comprehension. Journal of Research in Reading, 21(3), 213–227. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.00058
Berry, W. (2008). Surviving lecture: A pedagogical alternative. College Teaching, 56(3), 149–153. https://doi.org/10.3200/ctch.56.3.149-153
Bonwell, C. C., & Eison, J. A. (1991). Active learning: Creating excitement in the classroom. George Washington University, ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education.
Carrell, P. L. (1984). Evidence of a formal schema in second language comprehension. Language Learning, 34(2), 87–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1984.tb01005.x
Cherney, I. D. (2008). The effects of active learning on students' memories for course content. Active Learning in Higher Education, 9(2), 152–171. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787408090841
Clarke, J. (1994). Pieces of the puzzle: The jigsaw method. In S. Sharan (Ed.), Handbook of cooperative learning methods (pp. 34-50). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2001). Business research methods. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. SAGE.
Cross, K. P. (1987). Teaching for learning. AAHE Bulletin, 39(8), 3–7.
Dennis, D. V. (2008). Are assessment data really driving middle school reading instruction? what we can learn from one student's experience. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(7), 578–587. https://doi.org/10.1598/jaal.51.7.5
Engle, S. H., & Ochoa, A. (1988). Education for democratic citizenship: Decision making in the social studies. New York: Teachers College Press.
Faust, J. L., & Paulson, D. R. (1998). Active learning in the college classroom. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 9(2), 3–24.
Fitriasari (2016). Classroom techniques used by the teacher to develop students' English reading skills at SMP Muhammadiyah 10 Surakarta in 2015/2016: A naturalistic study [Doctoral dissertation]. https://core.ac.uk/reader/148611254
Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2012). How to design and evaluate research in education. McGraw Hill LLC.
Gall, M. D. (1985). Discussion methods of teaching. In T. Husen & T.N. Postlethwaite (Eds.), International encyclopedia of education (pp. 1423-1427). Oxford: Pergamon Press.
Ghaedrahmat, M., Entezari, J., & Abedi, A. (2014). Impact of demotivating factors on the reading comprehension achievement of Iranian EFL learners. International Journal of Language Learning and Applied Linguistics World, 5(1), 250–263.
Goodman, K. (1988). Interactive approaches to second language reading. Cambridge: Cambridge University.
Guillén, M. F. (2001). Is globalization civilizing, destructive or feeble? A critique of five key debates in the social science literature. Annual Review of Sociology, 27(1), 235–260. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.27.1.235
Guthrie, J. T., & Wigfield, A. (1998). Reading engagement: Motivating readers through integrated instruction. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Hermosa, N. (2002). The psychology of reading. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Open University.
Jackson, D., Sibson, R., & Riebe, L. (2014). Undergraduate perceptions of the development of team-working skills. Education + Training, 56(1), 7–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/et-01-2013-0002
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1994). Structuring academic controversy. In S. Sharan (Ed.), Handbook of cooperative learning methods (pp. 66-81). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Johnson, P. A. (2011). Actively pursuing knowledge in the college classroom. Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC), 8(6), 17. doi:10.19030/TLC.v8i6.4279
Kember, D., & Leung, D. Y. (2005). The influence of active learning experiences on the development of graduate capabilities. Studies in Higher Education, 30(2), 155–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070500043127
Kim, K. N. (2009). Exploring undergraduate students' active learning for enhancing their critical thinking and learning in large classes (thesis). ProQuest, Pennsylvania.
Lee, W., Chiang, C.-H., Liao, I.-C., Lee, M.-L., Chen, S.-L., & Liang, T. (2013). The longitudinal effect of concept map teaching on critical thinking of nursing students. Nurse Education Today, 33(10), 1219–1223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2012.06.010
Martínez, R. S., Aricak, O. T., & Jewell, J. (2008). Influence of reading attitude on reading achievement: A test of the temporal-interaction model. Psychology in the Schools, 45(10), 1010–1023. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20348
Mulatu, M., & Bezabih, W. (2018). Perceptions and practices of EFL teachers in implementing active learning in English classes: The case of three selected secondary schools in Dawro Zone, SNNPRS, Ethiopia. International Journal of Education, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.17509/ije.v10i2.8461
Nilson, L. B. (2016). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors. Jossey-Bass, a Wiley imprint.
Ningrum, S., & Matondang, S. A. (2017). The correlation between students’ motivation and achievement in reading comprehension. The International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention, 5(7). https://doi.org/10.18535/ijsshi/v4i7.10
Nguyen, T. L. P. (2022). Teachers’ Strategies in Teaching Reading Comprehension. International Journal of Language Instruction, 1(1), 19–28. Retrieved from http://i-jli.org/index.php/journal/article/view/13
Nguyen, T. T. N. (2022). The effects of task-based instruction on reading comprehension of non-English major students at a university in the Mekong Delta. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 2(4), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijte.22241
Nozen, S. Z., Rezvani Kalajahi, S. A., Nadzimah Abdullah, A., & Jabbarzadeh, H. (2017). An investigation of the impacts of teaching writing skills through extensive short story reading. Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS), 2(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol2iss1pp53-70
Nunan, D. (2005). Practical English language teaching: Grammar. McGraw Hill / ESL / ELT.
Nuttal, C. (1996). Teaching reading skills in a foreign language. Macmillan Heineman.
Oppenheim, A. N. (2005). Questionnaire design, interviewing and Attitude Measurement. Continuum.
Pamuji, A. (2015). The correlation among attitude, reading comprehension, and writing achievement of English education study program students of Sriwijaya university. Jurnal Adminika, 1(1), 17–28.
Pardo, L. S. (2004). What every teacher needs to know about comprehension. The Reading Teacher, 58(3), 272–280. https://doi.org/10.1598/rt.58.3.5
Pearson, P. D., Hansen, J., & Gordon, C. (1979). The effect of background knowledge on young children's comprehension of explicit and implicit information. Journal of Reading Behavior, 11(3), 201–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/10862967909547324
Phan, T. T. (2017). The effects of concept mapping on EFL students' reading comprehension. European Journal of English Language Teaching, 2(2), 178–203. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.581801
Phuong, H. Y., & Tran, T. T. T. (2018). The impact of questioning and semantic map in pre-reading stage on students’ reading comprehension: A comparative study. European Journal of Education Studies, 4(6), 279–294. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1245772
Ramezani, R., Modaberi, A., & Moonesan, F. (2016). The relationship between critical thinking and Iranian EFL learners' reading comprehension ability. Journal of Advances in English Language Teaching, 4(1), 12–18.
Seech, Z. (1984). Philosophical chairs. Teaching Philosophy, 7(1), 37–41. https://doi.org/10.5840/teachphil1984713
Seidlhofer, B. (2005). English as a lingua franca. ELT Journal, 59(4), 339–341. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/cci064
Sibarani, B. L. (2020). Teaching reading comprehension using jigsaw technique. ETERNAL (English Teaching Journal).
Silberman, M. (1996). Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Skinner, D. (2010). Effective learning and teaching in practice. London: Continuum.
Slavin, R. W. (1996). Research on cooperative learning and achievement: What we know, what we need to know. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 21, 43-69.
Stead, D. R. (2005). A review of the one-minute paper. Active Learning in Higher Education, 6(2), 118–131. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787405054237
Stephen, W., Doughty, P., Gray, P. J., Hopcroft, J. E., & Silvera, I. F. (2006). Observations on undergraduate education in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and physics at Select Universities in Vietnam: A report presented to the Vietnam Education Foundation. Vietnam Education Foundation.
Stevens, K. C. (1980). The effect of background knowledge on the reading comprehension of ninth graders. Journal of Reading Behavior, 12(2), 151–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/10862968009547365
Stevens, R. (2015). Role-play and student engagement: Reflections from the classroom. Teaching in Higher Education, 20(5), 481–492. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2015.1020778
Takač Pavičić Višnja. (2008). Vocabulary learning strategies and foreign language acquisition. Multilingual Matters.
Teshome, A. (2013). Teachers’ perceptions and practices of active learning in Haramaya University, Eastern Ethiopia: The case of faculty of education. Science, Technology and Arts Research Journal, 1(4), 74. https://doi.org/10.4314/star.v1i4.98828
Tran, Q. H. (2021). An Investigation into Non-English Major Students’ Problems in Taking Aptis Listening and Reading. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 1(3), 176–191. Retrieved from https://i-jte.org/index.php/journal/article/view/95
Tran, T. T. D. (2015). Trying K-W-L strategy on teaching reading comprehension to passive students in Vietnam. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 3(6), 481. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20150306.33
Tran, T. T. (2013). The causes of passive learning of Vietnamese students. VNU Journal of Education Research, 29(2), 72–84.
Vacca, R. T. (2002). Making a Difference in Adolescents’ School Lives: Visible and Invisible Aspects of Content Area Reading. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Watters, N. (2014). An exploration of the concept and practice of active learning in higher education (thesis). University of Glasgow, Glasgow.
Yazedjian, A., & Kolkhorst, B. B. (2007). Implementing small-group activities in large lecture classes. College Teaching, 55(4), 164–169. https://doi.org/10.3200/ctch.55.4.164-169
Zare, M., & Biria, R. (2018). Contributory role of critical thinking in enhancing reading comprehension ability of Iranian ESP students. International Journal of Research in English Education, 3(3), 21–28. https://doi.org/10.29252/ijree.3.3.21
Zhang, C. (2010). The teaching of reading comprehension under the psychology schemata theory. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 1(4). https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.1.4.457-459
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Phan Minh Nhat Vinh
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The copyright of all articles published in the International Journal of Language Instruction (ijli) remains with the Authors, i.e. Authors retain full ownership of their article. Permitted third-party reuse of the open access articles is defined by the applicable Creative Commons (CC) end-user license which is accepted by the Authors upon submission of their paper. All articles in the ijli are published under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license, meaning that end users can freely share an article (i.e. copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt it (i.e. remix, transform and build upon the material) on the condition that proper attribution is given (i.e. appropriate credit, a link to the applicable license and an indication if any changes were made; all in such a way that does not suggest that the licensor endorses the user or the use) and the material is only used for non-commercial purposes.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository, in a journal or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
