IMPEDIMENTS FACED BY TEACHERS IN APPLYING ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES IN LANGUAGE CLASSES IN ENHANCING LISTENING SKILLS

Abstract

Purpose: The study analyses how active learning strategies can improve the learners’ language skills especially the listening skills with the use of various active learning strategies and blended teaching. It also shed light on the aim and purpose of certain strategies that will make the class more student-centered and engages the learners actively. It supports the constructivist approach a theory that underlies active learning. The study involves a survey conducted in some private, semi-urban, CBSE, middle schools in Chennai on the English teachers in understanding their opinion on using active learning strategies in class to enhance the learners’ language skills in a day-to-day classroom. The data collected from the survey form and details from one-on-one interaction with teachers will help the researcher learn the impediments faced by the teachers in implementing these strategies in the classroom.
 Methodology: The survey sheet is a questionnaire that focuses on the teacher’s classroom practices. It involves certain aspects such as Teaching methodology, teaching strategies, assessments, Feedback and its efficacy and Teacher attitude towards students. The questionnaire besides MCQs also had some one-line questions to which teachers had to answer. The survey was conducted on 50 teachers from 6 different schools teaching English in Middle schools of the semi-urban area of Chennai.
 Main Findings: The various barriers faced by the teachers in implementing active learning strategies are found in the survey conducted. It was also observed that there was some dearth of knowledge among teachers in the contemporary theories that lead to the resistance of the teachers in conducting the activities.
 Application: The methods mentioned in the paper can be adopted by teachers who also feel that the major reasons for their resistance in using active learning strategies in their day-to-day class are categorically similar to the reasons mentioned in the paper.
 Novelty: The methods suggested in the paper are a combination of active learning which is a theory predominantly based on constructivism and blended teaching. Although the reasons mentioned by the teachers in the survey are major limitations in planning an active learning class, these can be controlled to an extent by planning these strategies with resources suitable to one’s learner group and using certain active learning strategies in class with the students.