Cómo se enseña inglés en un grupo de institutos donde se obtienen resultados destacables en la prueba de lengua inglesa en las PAU

Abstract

Based on results from the English test in the PAU (the university entry exam in Spain) in 2005, 2006 and 2007, six public high schools were selected in Catalonia whose students had obtained outstanding results. The objective of the study was to analyze how English instruction was organized and how classes were taught in these high schools, and identify common features that could explain the good results. The sample includes data from teachers (n=12), the heads of foreign language departments (n=6), and students (n=391), all of whom were interviewed and observed in class. Questionnaires were also distributed to both teachers and students, and the latter took a written test of English. The analysis of the data leads us to think that what makes these schools more effective mainly lies on the teachers’ being very demanding on students, their making an efficient use of time in class as well as a lack of discipline problems. In contrast, methodological aspects, characterized by a predominance of seatwork, written production and the use of the textbook, do not seem to be crucial factors. In fact these same features were also found in the results of a survey of a representative sample of high school teachers in Catalonia (CSd’A, 2005). In the discussion a number of factors that may explain this lack of distinctive methodological features are presented, such as having used the university entry exam in the selection of the target schools or the influence of the format of this exam (which does not evaluate speaking skills) on the teaching practices. In the conclusions, some external factors are mentioned that could also help explain the outstanding results obtained by the six secondary schools under analysis.