Abstract
The current study explored graduate student end-of-term satisfaction with group learning, compared with traditional instructor-led instruction in EFL (English as a foreign language) classroom. Participants were 74 graduate students, including 33 males and 41 females from a normal university in southern China. The study was carried out with two classes by different teaching methodologies respectively, one was group-based (n/35) with nine groups, and the other was instructor-led class (n/39). Students were assigned randomly to the two types of classes ahead of the formal lessons and taught by the same instructor during the period of an academic term. At the end of the term, a questionnaire survey was administered to all the students of the two classes to measure their satisfaction with English class learning. The results showed students with group-based instruction were more satisfied than those who took the course under the instructor-led format. Also, no significant differences existed between groups with respect to satisfaction. The results of the analysis were discussed and directions for further study were suggested. The significance of the present study lies in the fact that it was able to explore the difference in student satisfaction between group-learning and instructor-led settings in EFL class, and both instructor(s) and students should shift their focus “from what is being taught to what is being learned” in EFL classroom.
Highlights
1.1 Context of the StudySince China opened its doors to the world in the early 1980s, English has been the dominant foreign language and is required to take as a compulsory course in primary schools, secondary schools and higher education institutions
The Kruskal–Wallis H test showed that there were no significant differences in student satisfaction among the learning groups, H (8) = 9.48, p =
T-test results showed there was a significant difference in student satisfaction based on the teaching methodology
Summary
Since China opened its doors to the world in the early 1980s, English has been the dominant foreign language and is required to take as a compulsory course in primary schools, secondary schools and higher education institutions. Vol 7, No 8; 2014 say nor can they express themselves freely; So in spite of the years of formal language instruction, Chinese university students’ English proficiency in listening and speaking is far from satisfactory (Chen & Goh, 2010; Liu & Dai, 2003; Wen, 1999). This kind of situation is reflected in one of the co-authors’ teaching practice, too. We choose satisfaction as outcome measure, because satisfaction may not be the ultimate goal for all instructors in all courses, considerable research indicates that global measures of satisfaction are significantly related to objective assessments of student learning and teaching behaviors (Foster & Hermann, 2011)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
