Giving instructions
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Authors
Ortegon, Rosa Flores
Issue Date
2021
Educational Level
ISCED Level 1 Primary education
Curriculum Area
Geographical Setting
Mexico
Abstract
Context: This study took place in a public primary school in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. The teacher focused on a sixth-grade class of 27 students aged 11-12 from mixed English proficiency levels. While students generally had a positive attitude toward learning, misunderstandings arose when the teacher gave instructions, leading to frustration and disrupted lessons.
Aims: The research aimed to explore and improve the process of giving instructions in English lessons. It sought to understand students'perceptions of instruction clarity, their feelings during instruction, their responses to unclear instructions, and the teacher's practices when misunderstandings occurred.
Methods: The teacher used a student questionnaire, reflective journaling, and peer observations to collect data. The questionnaire, designed in English and Spanish, gathered students' opinions on instruction clarity and their preferences for different instruction formats. Journaling captured the teacher's reflections on student reactions, and peer observations provided external insights into instruction delivery and its effectiveness.
Findings: Students generally rated the teacher's instructions as clear but reported feelings of confusion or frustration, often requiring clarifications from peers or the teacher. Written instructions on the board or on paper were found helpful by most students during the exploratory phase. However, after implementing changes, including oral instructions with instruction-checking questions (ICQs) and written aids, students reported a preference for oral instructions. This shift was attributed to the engaging nature of ICQs. The new strategies reduced misunderstandings, improved classroom engagement, and enabled students to complete tasks more efficiently.
Implications: The study highlights the value of combining oral and written instructions and incorporating ICQs to ensure clarity and foster interaction. Other teachers might learn from this example by tailoring instruction-giving methods to their students'preferences, monitoring outcomes, and using evidence-based approaches to refine teaching practices.
Aims: The research aimed to explore and improve the process of giving instructions in English lessons. It sought to understand students'perceptions of instruction clarity, their feelings during instruction, their responses to unclear instructions, and the teacher's practices when misunderstandings occurred.
Methods: The teacher used a student questionnaire, reflective journaling, and peer observations to collect data. The questionnaire, designed in English and Spanish, gathered students' opinions on instruction clarity and their preferences for different instruction formats. Journaling captured the teacher's reflections on student reactions, and peer observations provided external insights into instruction delivery and its effectiveness.
Findings: Students generally rated the teacher's instructions as clear but reported feelings of confusion or frustration, often requiring clarifications from peers or the teacher. Written instructions on the board or on paper were found helpful by most students during the exploratory phase. However, after implementing changes, including oral instructions with instruction-checking questions (ICQs) and written aids, students reported a preference for oral instructions. This shift was attributed to the engaging nature of ICQs. The new strategies reduced misunderstandings, improved classroom engagement, and enabled students to complete tasks more efficiently.
Implications: The study highlights the value of combining oral and written instructions and incorporating ICQs to ensure clarity and foster interaction. Other teachers might learn from this example by tailoring instruction-giving methods to their students'preferences, monitoring outcomes, and using evidence-based approaches to refine teaching practices.
Description
Keywords (free text)
english as a foreign language , classroom engagement , instruction-checking questions , student feedback , language teaching strategies , exploratory action research