Browsing by Author "Zeru, Assefa (PhD)"

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    An Exploration of Views of Students and Teachers Towards Competence of Speaking Skills of Students in two Selected Government Preparatory Schools in Gurage Zone: Grade Eleven in Focus by
    (Addis Ababa University, 2009-06) Nida, Shumgaze; Zeru, Assefa (PhD)
    This study was intended to explore the view of students and teachers towards competence of speaking skills of students in related to Plasma TV lesson. The study was conducted on two government preparatory high schools in Gurage Zone, in Emdibir and Agena. 200 Grade 11 students and 8 English teachers from these schools were involved in the study. The required data for the study was collected using questionnaire, interview and classroom observation. The responses were analyzed through descriptive analysis using frequency and percentage .The result revealed that there are problems related to the students' background, classroom interaction, role implementation, and shortage of time. Students have developed negative attitude towards learning speaking skill though Plasma TV because of shortage of time to perform the given task, and the televised teacher's language. On the other hand, classroom teachers have developed positive attitude towards teaching speaking skill through Plasma TV Inaccessibility of materials such as text book, different authentic materials and audio- visual aids were also the mentioned problems. The Speaking activities in the text were inappropriate to the students to learn speaking skills. Besides, lack of frequent motivation from the classroom teacher, classroom practice and large class size aggravated the problems encountered in teaching and learning speaking skills through Plasma TV Based on these findings, conclusions were drawn and recommendations were suggested.
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    The Interactions between Spoken Classroom Discourse and Teacher Questioning
    (Addis Ababa University, 2015-06) Yilma, Zinabu; Zeru, Assefa (PhD)
    The main purpose of this study was to investigate the interaction between spoken classroom discourse and teacher questioning in Glory secondary schools in particular grade ten students. The researcher focused mainly on speaking strategies used by the teacher and students, activities, an classroom discourse structure and teacher’s questioning. To achieve the objective, five English teachers and 23 students were used as a participant and various instruments were used. These are: classroom observation, students’ and teachers’ interview, students’ questionnaire, and audio recording. The data were categorized and descriptively analyzed. Then, the collected data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis. The findings depicted that students didn’t use learning speaking strategies rather than teachers used and they wanted everything comes from their teacher Although the classroom was available for interaction and the teacher used more referential question than display questions, the students didn’t show any effort to practicing the language. With regards to the dominant types of classroom discourse structures, IRF and other structure are equally used. There exist an equal relationship and teacher talk not in predominance. There has been little or no time given for the modern speaking skills teaching activities such as group and pair discussions, oral report, drama, panel discussions and interviews and other except practicing traditional method teaching and learning methods. The consequences of inappropriate speaking practices used has resulted in the weak interaction of the students in speaking the language . To that end, this research paper provides recommendations that could bring about a change in the practice of teaching and learning speaking in the classroom.
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    Teaching Speaking Skills in Secondery Schools: Attitudes, Perceptions and Practices
    (Addis Ababa University, 2009-01) Samson, Zerihun; Zeru, Assefa (PhD)
    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.