4.7 Data Analysis
4.7.4 How the principles of teaching FAL were used to analyse the classroom data . 95
this section. This empirical data reduction and analysis started simultaneously with the data collection at the end of 2014. A detailed account of the actual coding, analysis and findings is offered in Chapter six section 6.2.
As the first step, I organised and generated a description of each of the 12 video transcripts (4 video recorded lessons x 3 teachers) organised in episodes. (Samples of the transcribed lessons have been used to present findings in Chapters 6 and 7.) I then summarised the major principles of teaching English as a FAL from Module 6 (LG, pp 1-24). Nine principles of teaching English as FAL were generated, which were used deductively to analyse the video transcripts. Table 4.4 provides the nine principles used for coding.
Table 4.3 : Principles of teaching English as a first additional languages (FAL) from Module 6 Principles of
teaching EFAL
Definition Implications for practice
1.0 Bilingualism 1A. Develop both HL and FAL
Teachers use code-switching to enhance meaningful communication to foster bilingualism. Learners are encouraged to use code switching.
1B.Receptivity to acquiring a language
Pleasure - learning the language should be enjoyable and pleasant. Practice - repeated use of new knowledge so that it becomes part of a child’s working memory and meaningful (not chant of a word over and over). Performance - Using the language for authentic (reliable, accurate) communication. Praise – given to the children whenever they communicate in English.
2.0 Theories of additional language that influence teaching
2A.Formal (traditional) approaches to learning FAL
Grammar-translation model – teaching of grammatically correct structures of English and isiZulu in a conscious and formal manner for learners to learn the FAL
2B.Krashen’s natural approaches to acquiring FAL based on the 5 hypotheses
- Teacher to provide opportunities which are context based, informal and loosely organised for the learners to acquire FAL unconsciously.
- Children acquire FAL in a natural and a gradually orderly manner.
- Monitoring - learners (self) to use FAL structure to correct their own errors.
- Meaningful communication when correcting errors is vital for learners to acquire English language structure e.g. during reading and storytelling.
- Input - comprehensible input from the teacher, where learning is to be interesting, relevant and increases reading competence e.g. start from what they know going to new knowledge, level of challenge must be right, ensure that learners are happy, confident and fluent.
- The affective filter - moods, feeling and attitudes seriously affect the acquisition of FAL. Does the teacher smile or get irritated with the class feedback?
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3.0. Developing vocabulary and oral sentences fluency
3A.Develop listening and speaking skills
Enhance purposeful listening and authentic speaking through verbal and non-verbal communication e.g. reading stories, use body language, imaginative role play, pictures, puppets etc.
3B.Building vocabulary in FAL
Formal learning of vocabulary through labelling of classroom objects, direct instruction through actions and theme teaching. Encourage learners to read for pleasure and use the vocabulary acquired from the environment and media. Repetition, vocabulary games and wide reading to support vocabulary building.
4.0 Balanced strategies that support the three approaches to literacy teaching
4A.Strategies and routines that support
meaningful word study and reading
Word study – provide children with opportunities and routines to manipulate words in a meaningful way, e.g. use of multiple assessment tools and sight words (word wall, word cards), fun activities and games (to look for patterns, rhymes).
Word identification - provide opportunities (sight words) to practice and identify words.
Use bottom-up (synthetic) and top-down (meaning-based) approaches to literacy to teach phonics. Games, songs or exercises to strengthen the letter- sound relationship (vocabulary building).
4B.Strategies and routines that support meaningful writing
Model good handwriting to the children, pay attention to children’s scribbles and drawing, teach handwriting according to CAPS policies and provide opportunities where they can write words and letters from direct instructions (to enable sentence building).
5.0 Learning environment
5.0.Print-rich learning environment.
Create a friendly environment which uses time productively. Use different and authentic prints to meet learners’ specific needs. Print-rich environment with a range of children’s literature or book collection accessible to the learners. Classroom posters made by the teacher and learners’ creative work displays, word walls and other sight words (to support sentence building), phonic charts, posters of themes. Reading and discussion corner or a classroom library which is accessible
To analyse the video transcripts, the second step was to develop a framework and criteria to
‘speak’ to the classroom data devised from the principles of teaching English as a FAL. A strong presentation of the any of the aspects of teaching FAL in the lesson was code 4 and code 1 demonstrated a very weak presentation of the principle. The indicators of the aspects of the principles of teaching English as FAL were numbered from 1A to 5.0. An exemplar of principle of bilingualism (aspects 1A and 1B) is presented on a sample of the framework and criteria in Table 4.4 on page 98.
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Table 4.4: A sample of criterion or rubric used for coding 1.0. To what extent does the lesson portray the principle of bilingualism?
Criteria used to code the concepts during the lesson 1.0 Bilingualism
(see Table 4.3)
4.Strong presentation
3.Moderate presentation
2.Weak presentation 1.Very weak presentation
1A.Both HL and FAL must be fully developed and used during the lesson
A balanced and appropriate use of HL and FAL.
Learners were often
encouraged to code switch.
The teacher code switched accurately and appropriately most of the time.
Learners were generally
encouraged to code switch.
Use of HL and FAL was not in balance.
Little code switching was evidenced by both the teacher and the learners.
Used HL or FAL only. No code switching was presented.
1B.Receptive- ness to acquiring FAL
Children enjoyed and were praised for almost all tasks.
Meaningful repetition and use of new knowledge was applied objectively.
Children enjoyed and were regularly praised for completed class tasks. Adequate repetition and the use of new knowledge was applied contextually.
Children reasonably enjoyed, and
sometimes praised for completed class tasks.
Chants of sentences, words and sounds were common with little contextual application of the new knowledge.
Children did not enjoy the lesson and were not praised for the class tasks.
Chants of sentences, words and sounds was common.
The third step of this analysis involved the careful reading of each episode of the 12 lesson descriptions several times, searching for statements which correlated with the principles of teaching English as FAL. For instance, using Table 4.4 a lesson episode was coded either 1 to indicate a very weak presentation and 4, for a strong presentation of the principles of bilingualism (1.0) in both sub-categories 1A or 1B. The sub categories (or aspects) of the principles of teaching English as a FAL was vital to increase the accuracy level as much as possible. A more detailed account of how the coding was conducted is provided in Chapter Six, section 6.3. Lastly, I created a table for each of the six lessons per teacher and developed a rich summative description of the classroom data analysis, for each to illustrate how the teachers’ literacy pedagogies changed within the 18 months of learning from the ACT programme. This kind of data analysis creates a rich to in-depth description of specific aspects of the classrooms where the teacher, learners, resources, tasks, incidences and the subject knowledge are clearly understood (Ensor & Hoadley, 2004; Ensor et al., 2009).
98 4.7.5 Analysis of the interviews data
The third question of this study was to establish the extent to which the knowledge acquired by the three teachers reflected either a core or a peripheral change. In order to answer this question, the teachers’ interviews transcripts were inductively analysed to generate descriptive stories. These stories then provided a framework for deductive analysis, which explicitly answered the third question. The teachers’ interview data were validated by the classroom data and the field notes to generate an in-depth description and insights into the extent to which teachers’ knowledge and practice reflected a core or a peripheral change during the 18 months of learning. Detailed analysis procedures and findings are provided in Chapter Seven.
Next is a brief account on how the teachers’ interviews were analysed inductively.