Abstract
This action research study investigates the introduction, implementation and evaluation of a training course—Meaningful Communication in English (MCE)—designed for English teachers at Saudi public schools. The course aims to promote the teachers’ confidence and competence to use alternatives in classroom practices and develop an English communicative and interactive syllabus. Saudi public schools aim to educate students to use English in real-life communication. However, the current classroom practices do not meet these expectations. Despite having been taught English from Grade 4, most Saudi high school students graduate with low levels of understanding and competence when communicating in English. Saudi teachers and students are afraid of change because they are confused and suspicious about the functions and effectiveness of interactive classroom activities. This situation in schools demands the development of a training course based on communicative and interactive pedagogies and topics related to real life situations. The study is conducted in two cycles to investigate the training strategies and acquisition associated with MCE over 180 hours of training. Each cycle of MCE is based on the themes of the first three stages of research: theme 1- ‘identifying the problem’, theme 2- ‘reviewing literature’ and theme 3- ‘developing a plan’. Upon the completion of MCE in each cycle, participant teachers were encouraged to conduct the following two stages ‘implement the plan’ and ‘evaluate the outcomes’ at their classrooms while providing remote supervision and support. The MCE training course differs from the traditional trainer-directed approach to introducing a learner-centered approach. Two hundred and forty-three English teachers contributed to this study and participated in observations, directed group discussions and surveys. The study found that MCE contributes positively to teachers’ professional confidence and competence. The outcomes from this study will inform current practice and policy in the teaching and learning of English in Saudi Arabian training rooms as well as classrooms, and will contribute to creating an engaging, interactive and learner-centered training courses for the future.
Highlights
Saudi teachers and students are afraid of change because they are confused and suspicious about the functions and effectiveness of interactive classroom activities. This situation in schools demands the development of a training course based on communicative and interactive pedagogies and topics related to real life situations
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is a major transformation plan built around three themes: “a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation” (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, 2016)
Considering the Saudi vision of development 2030 and the growth of English as the global language, it is increasingly important for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to be fully engaged in the international community and for its young people to have an effective command of English
Summary
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is a major transformation plan built around three themes: “a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation” (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, 2016). A new approach that emphasizes a two-way interaction between supervisors and teachers is adopted This course introduces practical solutions to assist hesitant teachers to overcome their reluctance to use alternatives in classroom practices taking into consideration the constraints of Saudi classroom such as the lack of the qualitative curricula, flexible schedule, qualified teachers, the motivated educational environment, the society’s positive attitudes towards the educational profession, large classes and fear of change. It is anticipated that generating a rich description of a range of activities that can be used in the Saudi context to encourage confidence and competence in communication will provide a useful resource for stakeholders, supervisors and teachers of English This will contribute to improving Saudi students’ learning of English in public schools, and confidence in speaking English
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