Browsing by Author "Bekele, Yirgalem"

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    An Exploration of Teachers ' Beliefs and Classroom Practices in Grammar Instruction
    (Addis Ababa University, 2009-06) Bekele, Yirgalem; Abate, Haregewoin (PhD)
    The purpose of this study was to explore English language teachers' beliefs about grammar instruction and classroom practices in government secondary schools in Addis Ababa. To attain this objective, based on survey method, four secondary schools were selected for the study. With this respect, English teachers of these schools were involved as subjects for data collection. The data gathering instruments employed in the study were questionnaire, classroom observation and interview. The data obtained through the questionnaire were analyzed and discussed quantitatively whereas the data obtained through the classroom observation and the interview were analyzed and described qualitatively. The results of the study revealed that most English teachers believed about the importance of grammar to language teaching, and they believed in paying greater attention to the pedagogical grammar teaching strategies proposed by research scholars. However, the result also showed that their perceived pedagogical beliefs were not practiced in the classrooms in most cases. The reason for this was time factors, problem of textbook syllabuses, bad classroom environment and lack of students' interest, lack of facilities and lacl<; of students' language competence. Finally, recommendations were made based on the results of the study. The points of the recommendation include: teacher education programmes should attempt to link teachers' p ersonal pedagogical knowledge with empirical knowledge by introducing a course on pedagogical grammar; schools need to ensure teaching related facilities by establishing col/abor'ative network with higher educations and non-governmental organizations (NGOS), and teachers and their colleagues should discuss each other to alleviate the challenges and worsening problems of English teachers.