EFL TEACHERS' AWARENESS, PRACTICE AND CHALLENGES OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE INTEGRATED SKILLS TEACHING: FOUR SELECTED ALETA WONDO CLUSTER SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN FOCUS

Abstract

The main objective of this research was to investigate EFL teachers’ awareness, practice and challenges of English language integrated skills teaching in Aleta Wondo Cluster four selected secondary schools, Sidama Regional State. The researcher employed descriptive survey design involving both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The participants of the study were secondary schools EFL teachers. Multi-stage sampling technique that moves from a broad to a narrow sample using a step by step process was employed to select the four secondary schools and their all teachers who have been teaching English. Cluster sampling technique used to cluster the secondary schools in to three geographical districts. Simple random sampling technique used to choose Hula District of these districts. Comprehensive sampling technique used to select 42 EFL teachers. The researcher gathered the data through questionnaire, interviews and classroom observations. The researcher utilized descriptive statics SPSS V20, frequency, percentage, mean, grand mean and standard deviation for the quantitative data. The qualitative data analyzed qualitatively. The result of analysis revealed that the sample schools English teachers had moderate awareness about English language integrated skills teaching. In addition, the result showed that teachers rarely taught two language skills: reading and writing, listening and speaking, and listening and writing in integration lessons; but they hardly taught any three or four language skills in integration. Moreover, the result of the study showed that there were challenges related to students, to teachers, to schools, and to the national exam. The researcher recommended that awareness creation training should be given to teachers.