Exploring the role of teachers’ cognitions and practices of teaching English speaking skills in students’ learning (dis)engagement

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper examines four teachers’ cognitions and practices of teaching English speaking skills and explores how these influenced their students’ learning (dis)engagement. Semi-structured interviews, observations, and focus-group discussions were used to collect data from the teachers and their students, and reflexive thematic analysis was adopted to analyse the data. The teachers’ adapted ‘presentation-practice-production’ (PPP) method mainly encompassed overexplaining grammar rules and controlled language exercises, restricting opportunities for their students’ practical language use. The students perceived their teachers’ overexplaining, blaming, and controlling behaviours, along with the controlled language exercises and the limited opportunities for practical language use, as emotionally disengaging and ineffective. The students expressed their wishes to improve their English speaking skills through meaning-focused speaking activities centred around diverse topics. The students also highlighted the importance of explicit teaching of problematic language forms necessary for successfully completing the speaking activities. They experienced stages of diligence, self-doubt, and distrust in their teachers’ practices and behaviours. The created learning experiences did not effectively address the students’ needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. These findings contribute to our understanding of how teachers’ beliefs and practices can influence students’ (dis)engagement in language learning.