Teachers' strategies in using teaching and learning resources to facilitate students' English language learning : a focus in West Sumatran primary schools, Indonesia

摘要

This study examined Indonesian teachers' strategies for using Englishudteaching and learning resources in the context of English as a foreign languageanudelective subject-as taught in West Sumatran primary schools. The strategiesudreflected the important role of teachers in facilitating young students' Englishudlanguage learning. This study was considered against a background of criticaludconcerns about teachers' competence, applicability of current teaching methods,udand appropriateness of materials used for teaching English, which were central touddebates in the context of the 1994 national curriculum system.ududTo identify teachers' strategies, teachers' views on issues of socio-culture,udcurriculum, and their teaching experience were examined in relation to the waysudin which they managed their classrooms. Their students' participation inudclassroom activities was also examined in relation to the effectiveness of theudteachers' strategies. Examining these resource-use strategies could suggest a moreudcomprehensive framework for understanding teachers' decision making, whichudincorporates contextual factors as well as traditional curriculum and teachingudpractices. It could also enhance primary school English programs.ududStudy data were based on a questionnaire, interviews and classroomudobservation sessions, collected over two school terms from March to Novemberud2001, in private and public primary schools in the city of Padang and surroundingudcities in West Sumatra province, Indonesia. Of the 147 teachers who responded toudthe questionnaire, 14 also participated in a number of interviews and classroomudobservations.ududThe study results indicated that teachers' strategies in teaching English andudtheir use of teaching and learning resources to facilitate students' English languageudlearning reflected the significance of particular aspects of socio-culture,udcurriculum, and teachers' teaching experiences. The importance of socio-cultureudwas indicated through the teachers' consideration of the students' backgrounds, theudcontextual background, and their own background. Several curriculumudcomponents were emphasised within their teaching. Teachers' teachingudexperiences were reflected in their application to their resource use of theirudknowledge of and familiarity with the aspects identified. These aspects wereudreflected in the ways in which teachers managed classroom teaching and learningudactivities, as indicated through certain types of teacher talk, classroom interaction,udand classroom organisation.ududThe influence of these aspects was also indicated in students' responses toudteachers' classroom management. Students' responses reflected their languageuddevelopment and acquisition process, their personalities in classroom interaction,udand their learning strategies; and provided insights into how classroom activitiesudand English teaching and learning resources were effectively managed.