A Comparative Study of Grades 10 and 11 Students’ Beliefs Towards Teacher-Centered and Learner-Centered Approaches in English as a Foreign Language Class at Mai Ja Yang High School in Kachin State, Myanmar

Authors

  • Seng Mai Assumption University of Thailand
  • Suwattana Eamoraphan Ph.D. Associate Professor, Dean, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Assumption University, Thailand.

Keywords:

Beliefs, Teacher-Centered Approach, Learner-Centered Approach, English as a Foreign Language, Mai Ja Yang High School

Abstract

The purpose of conducting this study was firstly, to determine Grades 10 and 11 students’ beliefs towards English as a foreign language class at Mai Ja Yang High School in Kachin State, Myanmar. Secondly, to determine whether there were significant differences in Grade 10, Grade 11, and Grades 10 and 11 students’ beliefs towards teacher-centered and learnercentered approaches in English as a foreign language at Mai Ja Yang High School in Kachin State, Myanmar. The respondents were 120 Grade 10 students and 145 Grade 11 students (totaling 265 students) in Mai Ja Yang High School during the academic year 2018-2019. The data obtained were analyzed by descriptive statistics, mean and standard deviation and by dependent samples t-test. The findings of this study indicated that in Mai Ja Yang High School Grade 10 students, on average, held neutral beliefs on teacher-centered approach in English as a foreign language class when the Grade 11 students’ beliefs towards teacher-centered approach in English as a foreign language class was positive.

Meanwhile, Grades 10 and 11 students in Mai Ja Yang High School had the same positive beliefs towards learner-centered approach in English as a foreign language class. A dependent samples t-test revealed that there was a significant difference between Grades 10 and 11 students’ beliefs towards teacher-centered and learner-centered approaches in English as a foreign language class at Mai Ja Yang High School in Kachin State, Myanmar.

References

Aaronsohn, E. (1996). Going against the grain: Supporting the student- centered teacher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.

Acat, B. and Dönmez, İ. (2009). To Compare Student Centered Education and Teacher Centered Education in Primary Science and Technology Lesson in Terms of Learning Environments. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1).

Baeten, M., Struyven, K., & Dochy, F. (2013). Student-centered teaching methods: Can they optimize students’ approaches to learning in professional higher education? Studies in Education Evalution, 39(1), 14-22.

Bai, X. (2016). A comparative study of teachers ‘and students’ beliefs towards teacher-centered and learner-centered approaches in Grade 12 English as a foreign language class at one governmental senior secondary school in Shaanxi province, china (Unpublished master's thesis). Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Brown, H.D. (2014). Principles of language learning and teaching (6th ed.). New York: Pearson Education Press.

Dollard, N., & Christensen, L., (1996). Constructive classroom management. Focus on Exceptional children, 29(2), 1-24.

Freiberg, H. J. (Ed.). (1999). Beyond behaviorism: Changing the classroom management paradigm. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (1997). An introduction to classical (respondent) conditioning. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/behavior/classcnd.html

Hymes, D. H. (1972). On communicative competence in: Pride & J. Holmes Eds. Sociolinguistics. Selected Readings pp. 269- 293. Harmondsworth: Penguin. Retrieved from http://wwwhomes.uni-bielefeld.de/sgramley/Hymes-1.pdf

Leonard, D. C. (2002). Learning theories, A to Z. Westport, CT: Oryx Press.

McCombs, B. L. & Whisler, J. S. (1997). The learner-centered classroom and school: Strategies for increasing student motivation and achievement. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.

Moffett, J., & Wagner, B. J. (1992). Student-centered language arts, K-12. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers Heinemann.

Nagaraju, Ch., Madhavaiah, G. & Peter, S. (2013) Teacher-Centered Learning and Student-Centered Learning in English Classroom: the Teaching Method Realizing the Dreams of Language Learners. International Journal of Scientific Research and Reviews 2(3), 125-131.

Nunan, D. (1995). Closing the gap between learning and instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 29(1), 133-158.

Ormrod, J. E. (2012). Human learning (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Paw, J. (2015). Current English language policy in Myanmar. English for ASEAN Integration: Policies and practices in the Region, 103- 109.

Schunk, D. S. (2012). Learning theories and educational perspective (6th ed). The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Zohrabi, M., Torabi, M. A., & Baybourdiani, P. (2012). Teacher-centered and/or student-centered learning: English Language in Iran. English Language and Literature Studies, 2(3), 18.

Downloads

Published

2020-06-16

How to Cite

Mai, S., & Eamoraphan, S. (2020). A Comparative Study of Grades 10 and 11 Students’ Beliefs Towards Teacher-Centered and Learner-Centered Approaches in English as a Foreign Language Class at Mai Ja Yang High School in Kachin State, Myanmar. Scholar: Human Sciences, 12(1), 49. Retrieved from http://www.assumptionjournal.au.edu/index.php/Scholar/article/view/3585

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 4 > >>