Browsing by Author "Assefa Zeru"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    An Investigation into Teachers’ Talk and Students’ Involvement in EFL Classes in Higher Education Institutions in Ethiopia: the Case of Wolkite University Students
    (Addis Ababa University, 2018-10) Esubalew Getne; Assefa Zeru
    The objective of this study was to investigate teachers‟ talk and students‟ involvement in EFL classes in Higher Education Institutions at Wolkite University in Ethiopia. The study was a descriptive case study with a mixed methods approach, but mainly qualitative. Data were collected through classroom observations, interviews and questionnaires. The participants of the study were English language teachers and first-year students of Wolkite University. A simple random sampling technique was used to select and observe seven teachers. Each class was observed twice. A purposive sampling technique was also employed to select the seven sample teachers for interviews. Besides, 31 EFL teachers, who were selected purposefully, filled in the questionnaire. Furthermore, 230 students were taken from the target classes through a stratified sampling technique. Of these, fourteen students (i.e., two students from each observed class) who were randomly chosen were interviewed face-to-face. The findings were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. The qualitative data were analysed using open Code 4.02 and corpus analysis toolkit (AntConc) software programs, and for the quantitative data, percentages were used. Hence, the findings indicated that EFL teachers created inadequate learning opportunities in the EFL classes. They controlled every learner‟s involvement. The classroom interactions were led and controlled by the teachers. As a result, students‟ contribution to classroom talk was limited. Students did not show their curiosity to participate in the lessons and/or group discussions. It was observed that a few students chose to actively participate in the classroom interactions and thus teachers were found frequently interacting with the few active participants. In spite of the discontent with the classroom interactions, both teachers and students had positive perception and cognizance about ways that construct and obstruct students‟ oral performance. The result of the study also showed that EFL teachers largely utilised close-ended/display types of questions in the classes. Furthermore, the findings showed that learners‟ outputs were related to the types of questions that teachers utilised. The finding further indicated that when learners were asked open-ended and/or referential questions, their utterances were longer and more complex for they strived to clarify their outputs and negotiate the meanings with their interlocutors. Moreover, it was found that when teachers opted for closed-ended/display questions, learners‟ oral contributions were so simple, short and restricted and often comprising one or two words. Regarding the feedback provision behaviour, teachers recast frequently in the form of implicit corrective feedback, and learners were not able to comprehend that errors were committed and then repaired by their teachers. In addition, the result further showed that the wait-time I that teachers were pausing after they asked questions and the wait-time II that teachers‟ take turns after students‟ responses to questions were inadequate and often less than a second. Lastly, it was found that teachers dominated students‟ talk time. Therefore, findings of the study suggest that curriculum designers, language experts, researchers and teacher training programs should give due emphasis to teachers‟ talk and learners‟ involvement in EFL class alongside the pedagogic activities of students‟ oral practise. Moreover, teachers should be sensitive enough to know when to intervene and provide scaffolding. The findings also suggest that formulation of questions should be given emphasis in the English language methodology courses. With regard to wait-time, teachers should deliberately and constantly wait for 3-5 seconds or longer at particular times, and they are recommended not to dominate their students‟ talk time. Finally, it would be useful if such research undertakings are conducted at different levels of the educational system of the country. More importantly, teacher training institutes would benefit if some research on teachers questioning behaviour is carried out.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    An Investigation into Teachers’ Talk and Students’ Involvement in EFL Classes: The Case of Wolkite University Students.
    (Addis Ababa University, 2018-11) Esubalew Getnet; Assefa Zeru
    The objective of this study was to investigate teachers‟ talk and students‟ involvement in EFL classes in Higher Education Institutions at Wolkite University in Ethiopia. The study was a descriptive case study with a mixed methods approach, but mainly qualitative. Data were collected through classroom observations, interviews and questionnaires. The participants of the study were English language teachers and first-year students of Wolkite University. A simple random sampling technique was used to select and observe seven teachers. Each class was observed twice. A purposive sampling technique was also employed to select the seven sample teachers for interviews. Besides, 31 EFL teachers, who were selected purposefully, filled in the questionnaire. Furthermore, 230 students were taken from the target classes through a stratified sampling technique. Of these, fourteen students (i.e., two students from each observed class) who were randomly chosen were interviewed face-to-face. The findings were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. The qualitative data were analysed using open Code 4.02 and corpus analysis toolkit (AntConc) software programs, and for the quantitative data, percentages were used. Hence, the findings indicated that EFL teachers created inadequate learning opportunities in the EFL classes. They controlled every learner‟s involvement. The classroom interactions were led and controlled by the teachers. As a result, students‟ contribution to classroom talk was limited. Students did not show their curiosity to participate in the lessons and/or group discussions. It was observed that a few students chose to actively participate in the classroom interactions and thus teachers were found frequently interacting with the few active participants. In spite of the discontent with the classroom interactions, both teachers and students had positive perception and cognizance about ways that construct and obstruct students‟ oral performance. The result of the study also showed that EFL teachers largely utilised close-ended/display types of questions in the classes. Furthermore, the findings showed that learners‟ outputs were related to the types of questions that teachers utilised. The finding further indicated that when learners were asked open-ended and/or referential questions, their utterances were longer and more complex for they strived to clarify their outputs and negotiate the meanings with their interlocutors. Moreover, it was found that when teachers opted for closed-ended/display questions, learners‟ oral contributions were so simple, short and restricted and often comprising one or two words. Regarding the feedback provision behaviour, teachers recast frequently in the form of implicit corrective feedback, and learners were not able to comprehend that errors were committed and then repaired by their teachers. In addition, the result further showed that the wait-time I that teachers were pausing after they asked questions and the wait-time II that teachers‟ take turns after students‟ responses to questions were inadequate and often less than a second. Lastly, it was found that teachers dominated students‟ talk time. Therefore, findings of the study suggest that curriculum designers, language experts, researchers and teacher training programs should give due emphasis to teachers‟ talk and learners‟ involvement in EFL class alongside the pedagogic activities of students‟ oral practise. Moreover, teachers should be sensitive enough to know when to intervene and provide scaffolding. The findings also suggest that formulation of questions should be given emphasis in the English language methodology courses. With regard to wait-time, teachers should deliberately and constantly wait for 3-5 seconds or longer at particular times, and they are recommended not to dominate their students‟ talk time. Finally, it would be useful if such research undertakings are conducted at different levels of the educational system of the country. More importantly, teacher training institutes would benefit if some research on teachers questioning behaviour is carried out.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Clinical Supervision: an Exploration of its Role on in-Service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teachers Professional Development
    (Addis Ababa University, 2013-06) Hailu Wubshet ; Assefa Zeru
    In today‟s competitive world, the importance of English Language is unquestionable. So, the responsibility of English Language teachers is quite prominent in availing the new generation for this competition. Therefore, designing an on-going professional development schemes for practicing English Language teachers is necessary. In this respect, the current study intended to explore the role of clinical supervision processes on in-service EFL teachers‟ on-going professional development. The research design was qualitative case study. Classroom practices as well as conceptions on classroom observation and professional development of groups of grade 9 English language teachers and school administrators were explored (i.e. six English teachers and four school administrators). Structured interview, classroom observations, and participants‟ program evaluation were used as research instruments. Accordingly, audio recorder was used to collect interview data while video recorder and field notes were used in collecting classroom observation data. Although the interview questions were initially prepared in English, it was conducted in Amharic (the participants‟ lingua franca) to help participants speak freely without bothering about their language. Then, it was translated into English during the transcription. The transcribed data were coded and organized using the computer software program called open-code 3.6. Similarly, four successive classroom observations were conducted for each participant teacher. These classroom observations were carefully described and interpreted. Participants‟ project evaluation was also conducted to understand their feelings and comments on the clinical supervision intervention they passed through. Then, the data obtained from their evaluation was described and interpreted. Drawing largely on data from observation and interviews, the results showed that clinical supervision intervention can help the improvement of in-service EFL teachers‟ lesson presentation/methodological skills and classroom management skills. In addition to these, the results of the study depicted that the participant teachers‟ language learning experience has some influences on their language teaching practices. Some teachers tend to teach in the way they were taught. So, clinical supervision intervention can help teachers unlearn what they unwontedly learned from their previous teachers (their presentation as well as classroom iv management).The research also showed that participant teachers and school administrators held different conceptions on classroom observation and almost similar conceptions on in-service EFL teachers‟ professional development. The participant teachers understand classroom observation as a means of professional development where as school administrators understand it as an instrument for teachers‟ performance evaluation. Both parties understand professional development programs as short-term trainings and workshops. From the result of the study, we can deduce that Egan‟s (1994) helping cycle model, which was taken as the model of the study, was effective for using clinical supervision intervention as a scheme of in-service EFL teachers‟ professional development. During pre-observation conferences, observers attended and listened to the teacher on what s/he intended to do. During observation, classroom observers related observed behaviors to what the observed teacher had set out to do. They listened attentively to the teacher‟s reflection on the observed lesson, guided the teacher to the new ways of lesson presentation and classroom management, and helped the teacher to plan on the next lesson during the post-observation conferences. Furthermore, the model helped the participant teachers feel free to reflect on their actions and develop positive attitude towards classroom observation. It also helped them unlearn their unwanted language learning experiences, and learn the new ones because helping, according to the research model, is an educative process. As helping is a cognitive behavioral process, clinical supervision help participant teachers to change the way they act through a new understanding of what they are doing. Similarly, since helping is a collaborative process, the aim of clinical supervision fosters collaboration between the clinical supervisor and the teacher. Based on the study, clinical supervision intervention would work best in the Ethiopian context if the clinical supervisor (experienced English teacher) is given further training in clinical supervision processes. This study suggested that schools and /or English departments can consider clinical supervision as in-service EFL teachers‟ professional development scheme
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Effects of Portfolio-Based Assessment on Efl Students’ Conceptions and Approaches To Writing and Their Writing Performance
    (Addis Ababa University, 2024-01-12) Habtamu Gebrekidan; Assefa Zeru
    ABSTRACT The main objective of this study was to examine the effects of Portfolio-Based Assessment (PBA) on EFL students’ conceptions and approaches to writing. To this end, a pre-test post-test control group quasi- experimental research design was adopted. The design embraced both quantitative and qualitative data in which the qualitative data were intended to play a complementing role within the broader quantitative design. The participants of this study were first year Natural Science Stream students at Wollo University, Dessie campus in 2022 academic year. Two sections were randomly chosen and assigned as control and experimental group by using simple lottery method. From the two groups, totally 60 students were chosen randomly to be the participants of this quasi experimental study,and four types of data collection instruments namely; conceptions of writing scale, essay writing tests, interviews and reflection sheets were designed and employed to collect pertinent data from students.Examining the context of teaching writing skills at Wollo University was also the focus of this study to confirm the relevance of the intervention from a broader perspective. Accordingly, teachers’ conceptions of teaching writing and their practices of assessment were thoroughly examined. Consequently, from 25 EFL teachers working at Dessie campus, 21 teachers having the experiences of teaching first year students were taken as sample to fill the questionnaire designed for teachers. However,16 teachers were chosen purposively forsemistructured interview.All the instruments were pilot tested, and the validity and reliability of the instruments were checkedbefore collecting data for the main study.During the intervention that stayed for 14 weeks, the students in experimental group were assessed by writing portfolios. The students in control group, however, were assessed using conventional assessment schemes, such as individual and group writing assignments, tests and in class writings. Both quantitative and qualitative data were meticulously collected and analyzed in accordance with stipulated schemes in the research methodology. Accordlngly, the quantitative data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, one sample t-test, independent samples t-test and paired samples t-test. On the other hand, the qualitative data collected from teachers and students were analyzed using phenomenography and thematic analysisrespectively. These analysis schemes were chosen on the basis of their importance to probe into participants conceptions.As the findings revealed, the context of teaching writing was found to foster surface conceptions of teaching writing. Accordingly, teachers conceptions of teaching writing and their practices of assessment in EFL writing classes was found to promote surface conceptins of teacing writing. Additionally, the preintervention measures confirmed the existence of a problem to foster deep conceptions of writing. After the PBA intervention, significant changes in students’ conceptions of writing andwriting performances were observed between participants in experimental and control groups. The findings suggest that PBA influences EFL students’ deep and meaningful conceptions of writing by way of supporting their independent and out-of class learning endeavor. Moreover, the findings hold implications for using PBA to boost EFL students’ writing self-efficacy beliefs and concern for reflection and revision.This study suggests implications to use PBA in EFL writing classes where students are grappled with unsupported learning environment
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Effects of Portfolio-Based Assessment on Efl Students’ Conceptions and Approaches to Writing and Their Writing Performance
    (Addis Ababa University, 2024-01-01) Habtamu Gebrekidan; Assefa Zeru
    The main objective of this study was to examine the effects of Portfolio-Based Assessment (PBA) on EFL students’ conceptions and approaches to writing. To this end, a pre-test post-test control group quasi- experimental research design was adopted. The design embraced both quantitative and qualitative data in which the qualitative data were intended to play a complementing role within the broader quantitative design. The participants of this study were first year Natural Science Stream students at Wollo University, Dessie campus in 2022 academic year. Two sections were randomly chosen and assigned as control and experimental group by using simple lottery method. From the two groups, totally 60 students were chosen randomly to be the participants of this quasi experimental study, and four types of data collection instruments namely; conceptions of writing scale, essay writing tests, interviews and reflection sheets were designed and employed to collect pertinent data from students. Examining the context of teaching writing skills at Wollo University was also the focus of this study to confirm the relevance of the intervention from a broader perspective. Accordingly, teachers’ conceptions of teaching writing and their practices of assessment were thoroughly examined. Consequently, from 25 EFL teachers working at Dessie campus, 21 teachers having the experiences of teaching first year students were taken as sample to fill the questionnaire designed for teachers. However,16 teachers were chosen purposively for semistructured interview. All the instruments were pilot tested, and the validity and reliability of the instruments were checked before collecting data for the main study. During the intervention that stayed for 14 weeks, the students in experimental group were assessed by writing portfolios. The students in control group, however, were assessed using conventional assessment schemes, such as individual and group writing assignments, tests and in class writings. Both quantitative and qualitative data were meticulously collected and analyzed in accordance with stipulated schemes in the research methodology. Accordlngly, the quantitative data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, one sample ttest, independent samples t-test and paired samples t-test. On the other hand, the qualitative data collected from teachers and students were analyzed using phenomenography and thematic analysis respectively. These analysis schemes were chosen on the basis of their importance to probe into participants conceptions. As the findings revealed, the context of teaching writing was found to foster surface conceptions of teaching writing. Accordingly, teachers conceptions of teaching writing and their practices of assessment in EFL writing classes was found to promote surface conceptins of teacing writing. Additionally, the preintervention measures confirmed the existence of a problem to foster deep conceptions of writing. After the PBA intervention, significant changes in students’ conceptions of writing and writing performances were observed between participants in experimental and control groups. The findings suggest that PBA influences EFL students’ deep and meaningful conceptions of writing by way of supporting their independent and out-of class learning endeavor. Moreover, the findings hold implications for using PBA to boost EFL students’ writing self-efficacy beliefs and concern for reflection andrevision.This study suggests implications to use PBA in EFL writing classes where students are grappled with unsupported learning environment
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Teaching Speaking Skills in Secondery Schools: Attitudes, Perceptions and Practices
    (Addis Ababa University, 2009-01) Zerihun Samson ; Assefa Zeru
    This study was mainly intended to assess the attitudes, perceptions and practices of teaching speaking skills at secondary schools in order to find out the classroom factors that may account on the quality and effectiveness of students' participation in speaking activities. Pertaining to the study, the attitudes and perceptions of students and teachers towards the relevance of the speaking skills' practices, the methodology used, the role of students' personality factors ,and the pertinence of the speaking activities were examined by the questionnaires and interviews, designed and employed for these purposes .Moreover, classroom observation checklist wa.f" used in observing the actual speaking classroom practices in the light of attentions given to purpose, supports, motivations and speaking inputs which allowed the researcher closely examined the classroom factors in relation with how they used (either in enhancing or inhibiting) to that of the quality and effectiveness of students' participauon. Textbook evaluation checklists were also employed as to evaluate the presence of the required elements and components in tile speaking tasks to determine the appropriateness of the tasks or activities for the intended students' participation. The findings of the study indicate that the importance of teaching speaking skills is undermined and teachers are not fully committed to teach. As seen in the results drawn from teachers' altitudes and perceptions towards the relevance of teaching speaking, using the method properly, and identifying and offering help for students with personality problems, the majority of them expressed as practising to speak in English is considered as the least important for their students, besides they think their students are not interested in any speaking lesson presented in pairs/group modes. Moreover, the results from the classroom practices affirm that teachers almost totally failed to provide purpose, relevant speaking inputs like for example, strategies, traine with basic skills needed by students to function as group/pair, support and motivate their students in most cases. The findings, therefore, suggest that by neglecting the relevance of teaching speaking and rendering their roles as sources of information, facilitators, participants ,councilors etc they not only undermine the importance of teaching speaking skills but IX also fail to meet the syllabus' intention in teaching speaking skills. By this the teachers' attitude towards the importance of tea' 'hing speaking as one part of the language as well as their perceptions towards the method and their communicative roles are not positive, seen in the light of literature. Similarly, the findings also indicate tha: practising to speak English is not prior to the majority students. Students view practising to speak in group/pair as well as the speaking activities they are supposed to work in group as they are irrelevant. The amount of motivation, support, assistances they have received in the class is also unsatisfactory. Moreover, the study shows that the inappropriateness of the speaking activities In eliciting students' oral participation is one of the major factors that hamper pair/grouo work in the classroom. Generally, th: findings suggested that factors related to teacher: attitudes, and perceptions towards the importance of teaching speaking as part of the language pedagogy, being communicative teacher and the relevance of implementing group modes, likely to attribute to students' lack of purposes, motivation, orcl communicative competences, cooperative skills, and positive awareness regarding oral participation, and group/pair works. Therefore, the study recommended that efforts should be made by teachers to provide their students with purpose, the required strategies, support , motivation as well as able to create awareness regarding the relevance of participation and cooperative learning a long with the necessary skill: s J that students' participation in the speaking activities would show encouraging change. Besides, the study also recommends the necessity of changing attitude ard perception on the part of the teachers.