The Action Research of the The Action Research of the Teaching Effectiveness of Teaching Effectiveness of Native English Teacher in Native English Teacher in

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BackgroundBackground NET Scheme was first put up by the NET Scheme was first put up by the

Education Department in 1987Education Department in 1987

A similar scheme for primary schools in A similar scheme for primary schools in 20022002

Two primary schools share a native English-Two primary schools share a native English-speaking teacherspeaking teacher

Our school recruits two NETs through Our school recruits two NETs through Caritas Adult and Higher Education ServicesCaritas Adult and Higher Education Services

General assumptionGeneral assumption

There is a general consensus that teaching There is a general consensus that teaching English by NETs is more effective in the English by NETs is more effective in the perspectives of:perspectives of:

• Their direct understanding of the syntax, the Their direct understanding of the syntax, the cultural background and usage of the English cultural background and usage of the English languagelanguage

• Their proper pronunciation and articulation Their proper pronunciation and articulation of Englishof English

• Their thorough understanding of the norms Their thorough understanding of the norms and appropriate usage of English in different and appropriate usage of English in different situationssituations

Objectives of the NET SchemeObjectives of the NET Scheme

Improvement of the English standards of Improvement of the English standards of Hong Kong studentsHong Kong students

More opportunities for students to use More opportunities for students to use English inside the classroomEnglish inside the classroom

Arousing students’ interest to use English in Arousing students’ interest to use English in their daily lifetheir daily life

Support the setting up of teaching Support the setting up of teaching curriculum and materialscurriculum and materials

Co-planning and organization of extra-Co-planning and organization of extra-curricular activitiescurricular activities

Act as a language advisor for the principalAct as a language advisor for the principal

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

Are the current lesson arrangements for NETs Are the current lesson arrangements for NETs adequate?adequate?

What are the feelings of the students?What are the feelings of the students?

Is the programme effective in upgrading the Is the programme effective in upgrading the English standard of the students and the English standard of the students and the professional standard of the teachers?professional standard of the teachers?

What are the suggestions from the students, What are the suggestions from the students, the local teachers, the school principal and the the local teachers, the school principal and the NETs?NETs?

DesignDesign

Quantitative techniquesQuantitative techniques Qualitative techniquesQualitative techniques

Quantitative techniqueQuantitative technique

• Performance of the Lessons taught by NET

and Local Teacherfrom live lesson recorded in video

• Statistics of the answers from the questionnaires returned from students

Qualitative techniquesQualitative techniques

In-depth interview with 9 studentsIn-depth interview with 9 students

In-depth interview with 5 local teachersIn-depth interview with 5 local teachers

In-depth interview with the school principalIn-depth interview with the school principal

In-depth interview with 2 NETsIn-depth interview with 2 NETs

Enquires on studentsEnquires on students

Basically focus on:Basically focus on: Whether they enjoy or do not enjoy the class Whether they enjoy or do not enjoy the class

taught by NETstaught by NETs

The areas (such as pronunciation, speaking, The areas (such as pronunciation, speaking, grammar, writing) they feel have changed or grammar, writing) they feel have changed or not changed after taking the lessonsnot changed after taking the lessons

Their confidence and willingness to use English Their confidence and willingness to use English outside classroomoutside classroom

Their feelings about the difference between the Their feelings about the difference between the lessons taught by NETs and local teacherslessons taught by NETs and local teachers

Their opinions if the number of lessons taught Their opinions if the number of lessons taught by NETs is adequateby NETs is adequate

Their suggestions for improvementTheir suggestions for improvement

Enquires on local teachersEnquires on local teachers

Basically focus on:Basically focus on: Whether NETs can assist them in the teaching of Whether NETs can assist them in the teaching of

EnglishEnglish

Whether the current arrangements are Whether the current arrangements are adequateadequate

Their feelings about the improvements of Their feelings about the improvements of studentsstudents

Their opinions on the NETs’ influenceTheir opinions on the NETs’ influence

Their feelings about the difference taught by Their feelings about the difference taught by NETs and themselvesNETs and themselves

Their feelings on the changes in the teaching Their feelings on the changes in the teaching practice of the schoolpractice of the school

Their suggestions for improvementTheir suggestions for improvement

Enquiries on school principalEnquiries on school principalBasically focus on:Basically focus on: Her choice to employ NETs to teach EnglishHer choice to employ NETs to teach English Her opinion on the current arrangementsHer opinion on the current arrangements Her feelings whether the NETs can assist the LETsHer feelings whether the NETs can assist the LETs Her feelings about the changes in the students’ Her feelings about the changes in the students’

performanceperformance Her feelings and opinions on the performance of Her feelings and opinions on the performance of

NETsNETs Her feelings about the difference between NETs and Her feelings about the difference between NETs and

LETsLETs Her feelings on the programme from the feedbacks Her feelings on the programme from the feedbacks

from students and parentsfrom students and parents Her opinions on the roles of NETsHer opinions on the roles of NETs Her visions on the programmeHer visions on the programme Her suggestions for improvementHer suggestions for improvement

Enquires on NETsEnquires on NETs

Basically focus on:Basically focus on: Opinions on the current collaborations between Opinions on the current collaborations between

NETs and LETsNETs and LETs

Their feelings about the adequacy of the Their feelings about the adequacy of the arrangementsarrangements

Their feelings about the responses and Their feelings about the responses and performance of the studentsperformance of the students

Their feelings about the difference between the Their feelings about the difference between the lessons taught by NETs and LETslessons taught by NETs and LETs

Their feelings on the programmeTheir feelings on the programme

Their suggestions for improvementTheir suggestions for improvement

Research FindingsResearch Findings

Results from the video recordingResults from the video recording

Generalized and averaged percentages of the performance of the students in the class

in terms of:

•CA - % of students participating in Classroom Activities

•AQ - % of students participating in Answering Questions

•DC - % of students participating in Discussions among Classmates

Class : Primary 4C

No. of Students : 37

NET : Miss Julie Constant (JC)

Local Teacher : Miss Wai Ka Yi, Jenny (WKY)

Duration of Lesson : 40 minutes

0102030405060708090

100

CA AQ DC

JC

WKY

The percentages demonstrate big variation in the responses of the students in those two different lessons.

Participation of the students in the classroom activities and answering questions (including raising hands to get selected)

WKY’s class - about 90% (on average)

JC’s class - about 13% (on average)

Students’ discussions among themselves

WKY’s class - about 75% (on average)

JC’s class - about 25% (on average)

Big variation in the responses of the students in the two different lessons.

Basic reasons for the big difference:

Different lesson structure of the two classes

JC’s class focused on activities on each individual group

WKY’s class focused on whole class participation

Different nature of the activities

JC’s class requested a student within a group to answer question

WKY’s class requested the whole class to participate in answering questions

Different focus of the teaching contents

JC’s class focused on practice of the contents the students had learnt in the previous lessons

WKY’s class focused on teaching and drilling of new vocabulary items, proper pronunciation and expressions

Other reasons for the big difference:Other reasons for the big difference:

Materials taught and practiced in JC’s class was a bit difficult than WKY’s class

More precise explanations in WKY’s class than in JC’s class

WKY’s class focused on teaching the students how to say and express correctly, whilst JC’s class requested students to give the correct answers

Different training background of the two teachers

JC was trained outside Hong Kong, targeted to teach foreign students

WKY was locally trained, targeted to teach local students, thus knowing better the local teaching/learning environment

Difference in the students’ discussions among themselves, indicated the features that

Students of JC’s class tended to seek for correct answers among themselves

Students of WKY’s class tended to show their interest to participate

Results of the in-depth interviews Results of the in-depth interviews with local teacherswith local teachers

Limited assistance from NETsLimited assistance from NETs

Current arrangements basically adequateCurrent arrangements basically adequate

Students attain improvements in oral Students attain improvements in oral EnglishEnglish

Few areas to be changed to accommodate Few areas to be changed to accommodate the innovations in English teaching methodsthe innovations in English teaching methods

Set up formal guidelinesSet up formal guidelines

Results of the in-depth interview Results of the in-depth interview with the school principalwith the school principal

More opportunities for students and More opportunities for students and teachers to use Englishteachers to use English

Limitations to the NETs serving two schools Limitations to the NETs serving two schools in one timein one time

A liberal and encouraging teaching A liberal and encouraging teaching approach in classapproach in class

Local teachers cannot enjoy the flexibilityLocal teachers cannot enjoy the flexibility

Support from parentsSupport from parents

Results of the in-depth interviews Results of the in-depth interviews with the NETswith the NETs

Limited collaborationLimited collaboration

Current arrangements basically adequateCurrent arrangements basically adequate

Cannot speak ChineseCannot speak Chinese

ConclusionConclusion

Overall evaluation on the Overall evaluation on the programmeprogramme

Certain degree of achievement in:Certain degree of achievement in:

Provision of more opportunities to learn and Provision of more opportunities to learn and use Englishuse English

Improvement in oral EnglishImprovement in oral English

Learning English outside classLearning English outside class

Non-conventional approach in teachingNon-conventional approach in teaching

Limitations of the researchLimitations of the research

Only students of P.4, 5, 6 were enquiredOnly students of P.4, 5, 6 were enquired

No quantitative test to measure the No quantitative test to measure the degree of improvementdegree of improvement

Judgement could be biasedJudgement could be biased

Insights from the research on the Insights from the research on the NET English Teaching ProgrammeNET English Teaching Programme

Limited knowledge of the students in Limited knowledge of the students in vocabulariesvocabularies

Limited mastery of students in Limited mastery of students in pronunciationpronunciation

Too much weighting on oral EnglishToo much weighting on oral English

No time for co-planningNo time for co-planning

Heavy workloads of local teachersHeavy workloads of local teachers

Suggestions for improvementsSuggestions for improvements

More extra-curricular activities such as More extra-curricular activities such as Games Day and English CampGames Day and English Camp

More formal guidelines on More formal guidelines on

co-planningco-planning

Set down long-term planSet down long-term plan

More encouragements and suggestion on More encouragements and suggestion on readingreading

Thank Thank you!you!