INTRODUCTION
Contextual Background and Research Rationale
Consequently, the teachers are considered as the important professionals who play a serious role in developing their teaching approach to improve students' English performance and motivate their English learning process in the supportive environment. The results may reveal appropriate teaching approaches in the current context to develop teachers' English teaching and students' English learning.
Statement of the Problems
Consequently, the present study was designed to examine teachers' beliefs about CLT and teaching practices in the classroom, difficulties in integrating CLT, and how teachers apply this approach to develop Thai EFL students. Based on their previous experiences, teachers' beliefs and values in learning and teaching form a vital part of knowledge and support as a basis for teaching (S. Kim, 2011).
Research Gap
The researcher wanted to explore teachers' beliefs in GE classrooms because she assumed that teachers have the opportunity to apply the CLT approach in Thai EFL classrooms in GE subjects. In short, exploring teachers' beliefs about CLT and teaching practices can help them reflect their teaching approaches in the classroom.
Research Objectives
It can also develop teachers' teaching performance, pedagogical skills, lesson plans and planning syllabus. This research can reflect teachers' beliefs and whether they are consistent with teaching practices in their classrooms.
Research Questions
Assumption
Scope of the Study
The researcher was particularly concerned about teachers who specifically teach GE subjects which are compulsory for all students in the university. All participants graduating with a Master's degree have at least three years of experience teaching English and at least two years teaching GE.
Significance of the Study
In addition, the study has the advantage of investigating teachers' difficulties in teaching English using the CLT approach. A review of previous research on language teaching and learning suggests that more research is needed to identify teachers' teaching beliefs and practices about how to adapt a language-Language approach to developing students' communication skills.
Definitions of Key Terms
In addition, there is a growing body of research on teachers' beliefs and their teaching practices in various overseas contexts; however, few studies on the CLT approach have been conducted in Thailand. Teacher beliefs mean "...teachers' pedagogical beliefs or those beliefs that are relevant to an individual's teaching" (M. Borg, 2001, p. 187).
Outline of the Dissertation
The teachers' . characteristic was one of the factors that encouraged the students to learn English. Regarding the role of teachers, the teachers should act as facilitators who support the language learning process of the students.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The Education System and English Language Teaching in Thailand
- The Education System in Thailand
- English as a Foreign Language Teaching in Thailand
- English as a Foreign Language Teaching in the Context of the Study
- English Language Learning and Teaching in Tertiary Level
- Problems in English Language Teaching in Thailand
The teachers responsible for the GE teaching are from the two departments of English and English for Communication at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (interview of a teacher, July 2019). Furthermore, Thai schools still face another major obstacle that needs to be addressed; the inadequacy of teachers and "the use of teachers outside the field".
Language Teacher Beliefs
- The Definitions of Teachers’ Beliefs
- Types of Teachers’ Beliefs
- Beliefs about English Language Teaching and Their Importance
- Beliefs about English Language Learning and Their Importance
- Teachers’ Beliefs about CLT
- Teachers’ Beliefs and Teaching Practices
- Relationships among Teachers’ Beliefs, Learning Practices, and Learning
More specifically, it is interesting to investigate whether teachers' beliefs reflect what teachers do in the classroom. In students' learning processes, teachers' beliefs also play a crucial role, because teachers use different teaching strategies in their classroom teaching.
Traditional Teaching Approaches
- Audiolingual Method
- Grammar-Translation Method
- Direct Method
- Situational Language Teaching
It focuses on the grammar and vocabulary that students need to translate from target language text into their mother tongue. In short, the Direct Method is considered to be one that aims to show students how to use the target language to communicate.
Communicative Teaching Approach
- Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
Teachers can design their activities based on their beliefs to promote interaction and student learning outcomes. In CLT classes, teachers can focus more on fluency rather than accuracy if they intend to improve students' communicative competence. In this way, students can gradually learn to use the language in authentic contexts.
Theoretical Framework
These CLT principles were developed as criteria to explore teachers' beliefs and teaching practices about integrating CLT into GE classrooms; form the basis of this study and were used as central concepts to guide the semi-structured interviews and the classroom observation form. Items relating to difficulties in integrating the CLT approach into the classroom were adapted from the concepts of Li (1998) and Chang (2009). In other words, teachers' beliefs will guide their teaching practice in implementing the CLT approach in GE classrooms.
Previous Studies on Teachers’ Beliefs, Teaching Practices, and CLT
- Research on Teachers’ Beliefs about English Language Learning and
- Research on Teachers’ Beliefs about English Language Learning and
- Research on Teachers’ Beliefs about CLT and Teaching Practices
- Research on CLT
However, the CLT approach was not suitable in the Hong Kong context because it caused the students'. To put it more simply, the use of CLT is appropriate based on the teachers' belief that the CLT approach can help improve students' communicative competence from communicative practice activities. The studies confirm the importance of the CLT approach and the need to consider teachers' understanding of the approach and their use of CLT in the classroom.
Chapter Summary
In summary, most of the teachers interviewed believed that students should have a good command of grammar. She further explained that teachers should help students learn English. Regarding the use of the CLT approach in the context of a Thai university, the findings from the questionnaires showed that the teacher participants used four students' English skills.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Paradigm
- Research Design
This can affect the scope of the decision-making, such as the choice of the method and the analysis of the data of the researcher. The focus is to understand the participants' thoughts and perspectives and their interpretation of the world around them. The mixed-method approach, compared to the quantitative approach and qualitative approach, is less well known because it only appeared in the last two decades as an isolated approach (Teddlie & . Tashakkori, 2009) and it is beneficial in this study because it can help to discover EFL teachers' beliefs about the implementation of the CLT approach in GE classrooms to develop ELT in Thailand through the use of a questionnaire.
Population and Sample Selection
- Teachers’ Demographic Background in Semi-Structured Interview
The researcher aimed to observe the teaching practices of teachers in GE classes because GE subjects, compulsory subjects for all undergraduate students in any university, are the basic courses that provide the basic English for students to be able to communicate in the career their future. When the classroom observations were conducted in the first semester of the academic year 2019, basically the researcher intended to observe two teachers in each university, so the observations were selected based on the teachers' convenience and time available to monitor their teaching practices in GE classes. Teachers' teaching practices and how they developed students' communicative competence were observed in GE classes individually.
Research Instruments
- Teacher Belief Questionnaire
- Semi-Structured Interview Questions
- Classroom Observation Protocols
- Conclusion of Research Instruments
The interview session was developed in six sections: 1) demographic information of the participants; 2) teachers' beliefs about the CLT principles; 3) teachers' current CLT practices;. Through the observation, the researcher observed the teachers' teaching practices and the non-verbal behavior of the participants in GE subjects, especially how they applied the CLT approach in their classrooms. The questionnaire was used to investigate teachers' beliefs about the GLT they used in the classroom.
Validity and Reliability Tests of Data Collection Instruments
- Validity Test
- Reliability Test
The transcriptions were given to the participants randomly to help improve the validity of the interview data. For the reliability of the questionnaires, the pilot study was first used to verify the internal consistency. To elaborate, reliability was also assessed by a pilot study prior to the main study to validate the comprehensibility of the wording that was used in the questionnaires and semi-structured interview questions.
Data Collection
- Data Collection Procedure
Seventh, the researcher transcribed and analyzed classroom observation data from video files and field notes. Descriptive data and observational analysis were verified by the researcher's advisor. The researcher then compared the analysis of findings from the questionnaires, interview sessions, classroom observations, and field notes to answer the research questions.
Data Analysis
The data analysis used in this study involved coding categories, relating themes, and interpreting the meaning of themes based on the predetermined themes and emergent themes (Creswell, 2014). The researcher compared the themes that emerged from the data analysis with the themes from the literature review. Instruments and Data Analysis Techniques Research Questions 1) What are Thai EFL teachers? views on communicative language teaching and the use of the CLT approach in a Thai university context?.
Ethical Issues in Conducting Research
Regarding the questionnaire findings, most teacher participants believed that the student-centered approach would encourage students to develop their own approaches. One teacher (T4) believed that the CLT approach helped students to learn and search for information on their own. For T4, she believed that the teachers should speak English because the students would copy from them how to speak.
FINDINGS
What are Thai EFL teachers’ beliefs about Communicative Language Teaching
- Findings from the Questionnaires
- Findings from the Interviews
- Conclusion
The teachers should organize the activities in which the students have a chance to participate without emphasizing grammar. T16 believed that the teachers were one of the motivators to motivate the students because they did not have much inspiration in learning English. Seven teacher interviews (T5, T7, T8, T10, T14, T15, T16) identified that the students must be self-autonomous learners who can take the initiative in learning English.
According to the previous section, which confirmed that the interviewed teachers believed that they were facilitators in CLT-based classrooms, teachers should provide guidance to students on how important English was for their future careers. Two teachers interviewed (T4, T15) believed that CLT-based teaching allowed teachers to use technological aids to train students to be independent learners.
What difficulties do Thai EFL teachers encounter in their teaching practices
- Difficulties in Implementing the CLT Approach in GE Classrooms
- Conclusion
The teachers' lack of spoken English proficiency was one of the problems with the application of the CLT approach. If the teachers were less confident in English speaking, the students would be the same. T2 explained that the students would feel familiar with English-speaking accents and pronunciations of the teachers.
How do they apply the CLT approach to students’ communicative skill
- General Atmosphere of Classroom Observations
- Teaching Practices in GE Classrooms
- Conclusion
DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS
Research Discussion
- Teachers’ Beliefs about CLT Principles
- Difficulties in Implementing the CLT Approach in Thai EFL
- The Application of the CLT Approach in Teachers’ Teaching
- The Relation between Teachers’ Beliefs and Teaching Practices
Conclusions
Research Implications
- Implications for Teachers in ELT
- Implications for Institute Administrators
- Implications for Materials/Course Developers or Curriculum Planners 277
- Implications for Research Methodologies
Research Limitations
Recommendations for Future Research
Teachers’ Beliefs toward the Possibility of the CLT Approach in a
