On the Relationship between Iranian L2 Teachers’ Pedagogical Beliefs and L2 Learners’ Attitudes

Maryam Sharajabian,Mahmood Hashemian

doi:10.5539/elt.v8n11p56

Abstract

<p>The present study employed a descriptive survey design to investigate L2 learners’ attitudes towards language learning, and the possible effects of teachers’ beliefs on learners’ attitudes. Participants were chosen from among 2 groups: Twenty EFL teachers were asked to take part in this study and 80 from a pool of 213 learners at 2 language schools who were chosen to fill out the learners’ attitude questionnaire. The teachers were subsequently placed at/in 3 groups of high-opinion group (HOG), moderate group (MG), and low-opinion group (LG), and the attitudes of the learners of these 3 groups of teachers were compared to uncover the possible impact of teacher beliefs on learner attitudes. The relationship between the teachers’ beliefs and the learners’ attitudes was analyzed, and it that showed there was a statistically significant difference in the learners’ attitude scores for HOG, MG, and LOG. Analysis of the data showed that the learners of the HOG teachers gained significantly higher attitude scores than the learners of the MG teachers. Simply put, it was found that EFL teachers’ beliefs can influence their learners’ attitudes about language learning. Language teachers should learn about the effect of their beliefs and experience it and become more aware of practicing them.</p>

Highlights

Over the past 30 years, research has suggested that teachers’ beliefs heavily influence their pedagogical practice (e.g., Borg, 2003; Mangubhai et al, 2004; Ng & Farrell, 2003), their instructional decisions in the classroom (Tillema, 2000), and acceptance and uptake of new approaches, techniques and activities (Donaghue, 2003).Teachers’ beliefs are important concepts in understanding their thought processes, instructional practices, and change and learning to teach
The teachers were subsequently placed at/in 3 groups of high-opinion group (HOG), moderate group (MG), and low-opinion group (LG), and the attitudes of the learners of these 3 groups of teachers were compared to uncover the possible impact of teacher beliefs on learner attitudes
The second research question investigated: “What is the relationship between Iranian teachers’ beliefs and learners’ attitudes?” The teachers were first divided into three groups of HOG, MG, and Low-opinion group (LOG) based on their interviews

Summary

Introduction

Over the past 30 years, research has suggested that teachers’ beliefs heavily influence their pedagogical practice (e.g., Borg, 2003; Mangubhai et al, 2004; Ng & Farrell, 2003), their instructional decisions in the classroom (Tillema, 2000), and acceptance and uptake of new approaches, techniques and activities (Donaghue, 2003). Teachers’ beliefs are important concepts in understanding their thought processes, instructional practices, and change and learning to teach. As the research on teaching shifts its focus from products to processes, the research on teachers’ cognition, since the late 1970s has progressed through three distinct stages, each characterized by an emphasis on a particular domain of teachers’ cognitive life: teachers’ planning, teachers’ interactive thoughts and decisions, and teachers’ beliefs and implicit theories (Clark & Peterson, 1986). Negative beliefs may lead to class anxiety, low cognitive achievement, and negative attitudes (Victori & Lockhart, 1995)

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Discussion

Conclusion