Iranian EFL teachers' beliefs about how to Teach English Grammar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15448/2178-3640.2017.2.28633Keywords:
Iranian EFL high school teachers, beliefs, teaching grammar, classroom activities.Abstract
The main purpose of this study is to investigate Iranian English teachers' beliefs about how to teach English grammar. For this purpose,forty-three teachers, eighteen females and twenty-five maleteachers from Kermanshah, Iran, participated in this study. To gather data in the studies about teacher beliefs, MacDonald Badger & White, (2001) questionnaire was used (TBQ). The questionnaire used for this study contained close-ended sections that required teachers to respond to statements on a five point Likert scale- as well as open-ended questions that invited teachers to describe or comment on the issue in details. Findingsof the study indicated the extent to which some of these teachers’ beliefs became an influential factor in their teaching and actually their stated pedagogical decisions. Consistent with the findings from previous research studies, this study indicates that teachers do possess a vast array of complex beliefs about pedagogical issues (e.g. importance of grammar) including beliefs about students (e.g. their ability to understand grammar) and classroom practices (i.e. approaches to grammar teaching). It was clear from the teachers’ responses to thequestionnairethat their pedagogic beliefs represented an interconnected system in which some beliefs were central. These core beliefs were seen to influence other less strongly held beliefs. One strong core belief that almost all teachers shared was that grammar instruction was not only necessary but it should form a substantial part of the curriculum. Grammar was regarded by the teachers as a declarative set of facts to be learnt. Moreover, grammar instruction was seen to entail the explanation of grammar rules.
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