Mohammad Reza Atai; Mohammad Gheitanchian
Abstract
Recently, interest in research on EFL teaching, CLT-based methodology and materials, and post-method pedagogy has gain momentum in the Iranian mainstream education. This study was conducted; 1) to explore EFL teachers’ attitudes towards the present EFL methodologies and content of high school textbooks; ...
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Recently, interest in research on EFL teaching, CLT-based methodology and materials, and post-method pedagogy has gain momentum in the Iranian mainstream education. This study was conducted; 1) to explore EFL teachers’ attitudes towards the present EFL methodologies and content of high school textbooks; 2) to examine any probable relationship between teachers’ attitudes towards post method pedagogy and their students’ achievement; and 3) to probe any correlation between the teachers’ instructional experience and their attitudes towards the present teaching methods and materials. To this end, a questionnaire was designed to elicit EFL teachers’ beliefs. The subjects were 594 Iranian EFL teachers selected from different cities all over Iran. After the administration of the questionnaire, the data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistical procedures. The results indicated that: a) the Iranian EFL teachers hold different patterns of attitudes towards the dominant teaching methods and content of high school English textbooks, b) there is no relationship between the teachers’ positive or negative attitudes towards post method and their students’ achievement, and c) more experienced teachers’ attitudes are different from the attitudes held by less-experienced ones
H. Sepasi
Abstract
This study was conducted to find out how fifth grade elementary school teachers’ knowledge and understanding correspond with theoretical principles. In addition, the difficulties they think exist in teaching math to their students as well as the students weaknesses in learning basic skills to solve ...
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This study was conducted to find out how fifth grade elementary school teachers’ knowledge and understanding correspond with theoretical principles. In addition, the difficulties they think exist in teaching math to their students as well as the students weaknesses in learning basic skills to solve math problems were also investigated. 731 fifth grade elementary schools teachers, were selected as subjects in this study, 389 men and 372 women. To survey their attitudes, a preliminary questionnaire conainting five factors was constructed and its validity was ascertained. As a result of a factor analysis, the five factors were reduced to four. This was the final instrument to be used to test the hyphotheses of this study. The results showed that teachers’ attitudes toward the factors were in accordance with theoretical bases found in the literature. Moreover, a significant difference was found between men and women regarding the difficulties they face in teaching math to their students. Women showed better attitudes toward this factor than men. But, there was no significant difference -bctween men and women regarding the use of teaching strategies and students math skills. Both groups believed that in order to be able to teach math effectively, the student must first show mastery of basic skills. The results also indicated that in order to improve the students weaknesses to learn math, the current teaching strategies must be reexamined. Teachers believed that the textbook in terms of its volume is reasonable, but the variety of subjects they must teach are too numerous.
