A Study of the Content and Utilization of Instructional Television (ITV) Programs in Teaching English to Grade 9 Students
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2003-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to explore to what extent instructional television (ITV)
programs were utilized by classroom teachers when teaching English language to Grade 9
students.
The required data were collected using content analysis, questionnaires and classroom
observation. The contents of all the 20 ITV programs provided in the Teacher’s Guide for ITV
were analysed. The purpose of analysing the ITV program contents was to give background
information to the major concern of the study. Fifteen Grade 9 English teachers from Addis
Ketema, Black Lion, Cathedral and Miskayehazunan Senior Secondary Schools completed the
questionnaire. In order to increase the reliability of the information obtained from the
teachers, a similar questionnaire was administered to 105 randomly selected students from the
above schools out of which 90 students fully responded to the items. Among the 15 teachers 5
teachers were picked randomly and were observed (each 4 times) to see how they utilize ITV
programs in the classrooms.
In order to analyse the responses given to each item in both questionnaires and the results of
the classroom observation, descriptive analysis using frequency and percentage was employed.
The results of the analysis revealed that Grade 9 English teachers have been reluctant to
synchronize ITV programs with their regular teaching of English language. They were not
found utilizing the ITV programs in line with the suggested procedures stated in the Teacher’s
Guide for ITV. Though the teachers claimed that they have been implementing the Before,
During and After ITV programs activities, the students’ responses and the results of the
classroom observation showed a mis-match between what actually happened in the classroom
and the suggested procedures teachers were supposed to follow.
Moreover, lack of awareness raising trainings or orientation, absence of encouragement on the
part of school directors, providing support materials appeared to be the major reasons for the
low utilization of ITV programs.
Finally, it has been recommended that teachers should be provided with ITV utilization
trainings as required, since ITV programs are relatively new to our secondary schools.
Besides, school directors should set weekly-time-tables and see how teachers exploit them.
Inspectors and experts at EMA must also visit schools and supervise whether or not ITV
programs are successfully implemented. The Ministry of Education is also responsible for the
practicality of ITV programs because a large amount of money, skilled manpower, time etc.
have been spent in the preparation and broadcasting of ITV programs.
Description
Keywords
Instructional Television, ITV Lesson Content, Utilization