Luận văn teachers' and inspectors' perceptions of an effective english lesson

Class management Class management is one of the important aspects that determine the success of teaching, What is meant by effective classroom management is that teachers are aware of t

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF POST GRADUATE STUIHNES:

BY: LỄ THANH CƯỜNG

TEACHERS’ AND INSPECTORS? PERCEPTIONS OF

AN EFFECTIVE ENGLISH LESSON

NHAN THUC CUA GIÁO VIÊN VÀ THANH TRA VỀ MỘT

GIO DAY TIENG ANII IIỆU QUÁ

Minor Prugramme Thesis

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF POST GRADUATE STUINES:

BY: LỄ THANH CƯỜNG

TEACHERS’ AND INSPECTORS? PERCEPTIONS OF

AN EFFECTIVE ENGLISH LESSON

NHAN THUC CUA GIÁO VIÊN VÀ THANH TRA VE MOT

GIO DAY TIENG ANITINEU QUA

Minor Programme Thesis

Language Tcaching Mcthodology

01410 Supervisor: Lé Vin Canh, MA

HA NOI— 2010

2, Research questions caesessveseene sentatives

3 Methods of the study

4 Scope of the study

5 The design of the thesis

PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 Effective tsaching

1.2 Teaching evaluation coi series

1.3 Observation as a tool to evaluate teaching

1.4 Criteria for evaluating lesson offectivencss

3 Method of the study

‘The qualitative research method was adopted for this study to explore the upper-

secondary schoot (cuchers’ and inspeclors’ poroptions of an effective losson, Specifically, semi-structured interviews with teachers and inspectors were mdartaken to collect data for analysis and discussion

4 Scope of the study

The study focuscs on discovering teachers’ and inspectors’ perecptions of an cfitetive English lesson in Hai Duong provineial upper-secondary school context Aspects explored cenler on the evalualion crileria for an effective lesson mandated by MORT,

5 The design pf the thesis

‘The study is divided into 3 parts Part A is an introduction to the research, in which

mallets such as rationale, method of study and research questions are presented Part B is the development of the study in which there are 2 chapters, chapter 1 and chapter 2 Chapter 1 reviews the relevant literature on the matters of effctive teaching, teaching, evaluation, observation and criteria for lesson effectiveness ideas from the researchers in the fictd have beon discussed to creale a theoretical framework for the study Chapter 2 presents the context of the study, the participants and data collection method This is followed by the analysis of the data collected and discussion of the findings Part C provides conclusions of the study findings and the implications for language teaching, and teaching evaluation in upper-secondary school context Also, in this part, the limitations and suggestions for furlher research are inchaded

materials to suite their leamers According to him, teachers need to add, for example, extra

requires Ioachers to have good instructional skills to make

target language knowledge as well as to develop their language skills Pellino (2009) identifies four loads as barriers to meaningfal instructions, namely cognitive load, culture

zasy for students lo alain the

load, langungs load and learning load, and that il is the job of the teacher lo Towar these barriers, helping students to overcome them Approptiate techniques need to be devised to construct understanding, and reinforce their interest in their learning process Obviously, to

tach effectively, toachors ncod ta be flexible in their delivery of the

their teaching practice is not only the body of theoretical knowledge in the field of language teaching but also the reality of their classroom According to Rivers (2003) teachers should develop and strengthen their own way of proceeding in relation to the needs and individual strengths of their students in their own context It is teachers who have control over their decision making process, which vary with changing circumstances

som, What guides

Ina similar vein, Martin (2005) emphasizes the need to make changes to the lesson plan because leamars vary in learning, backgrounds and language proficieney, Teachers should modify activities and the tasks if they realize that they are far from being appropriate in the class In other words, teachers should be sensitive to their particular students, This is echoed by Sizer (2009) when he states that good teaching does not mean fixed teaching and that teachers should be flexible with changing circumstances According to him,

successful teaching does not mean all matters in the lesson are fiully covered In some particular toaching situations, the lesson delivered is still considered effective cven Ihough the teacher cannot go through all the tasks and activities intended to be dealt with

A single best method may not exist in modem language teaching environment Effective teachers know how to combine different incthods in their teaching in order to

yield good learning outcome According to Ganguly (2003), effective teachers use

techniques thai bast serve the learning styles of their sludents, Stndsnts nol only lear by being exposed to learning opportunities but they also need to be explicitly taught what important for them to know What can be inferred is that direct or indirect explanation is

not effective on its own In fact, the combination of the two is a fair solution Rivers (2003)

is also in favour of the combination of methods in teaching According to him, no method claims to stand on its own in modem language learning and leaching crvironmortt

Researchers also focus on the importance of moving from simple tasks to complex ones in class Students will feel learning more rewarding if they have the opportunity to master the simple concepts first, then complex ones Towever, the final goal of every language couse is that students know how to use language they have learnt for different

purposes in communication (Martin, 2005) ‘Che practice of grammar structures with

isolated momings dows nol propars the learners for moaningfit use of language Tstead, language practice should be close to real communication, According to Rivers (2003), teachers should provide students with opportunity to apply thair knowledge and skills to now situations, Similarly, Marlin (2005) puts an emphasis on the nocd to yroceed from more controlled activities to less controlled ones in the class

Class management

Class management is one of the important aspects that determine the success of

teaching, What is meant by effective classroom management is that teachers are aware of their different roles in class, They should take a suitable role at each stage of the lesson and should be Nexible in what they do fo keep class activilies nol only in discipline bul also in relaxed atmosphere, According to Yan (2006), the good language teacher should realize that the language teaching does not merely go in hand with the mastery of grammar rules and expansion of vocabulary but there are also many important tools thal affect or even promote language teaching, For example, some knowledge of psychology brings about not only behaviour suecess at mastering language, but also cognitive success and increased

confidence Knsuma & Powell (2004) make the same point when stating that what teachers

arc orwouraged Lo do is 1a scl up a pasilive classroom envirommnent thal will support future interaction and collaboration bebween teacher and students and between students themselves It is for sure that the positive classroom environment is one of the decisive factors that contribute to satisfactory lcaming outcome Martin (2005) postulates that students will lean more easily in the environments in which anxiety is lessened and self: confidence and selGesteem can be developed Similarly, Kusuma & Powell (2004) state that students town best if thay arc in a classroom where they feel safe and confident to

attempt new tasks

Effective teaching is the topic that concems lots of researchers, educational administrators and teachers, What discussed below is the matter of effective teaching in terms of teaching malcrials, Leaching methods, class managen

mt and studont learning

outcome

Teaching materials

Teaching materials ate among the components that constitute effective teaching

Teachers nocd matcrials to carry out their instructional practiec Efftetive teaching necds good materials, Researchers are curently putting a great emphasis on the use of meaningfil materials in a kmguage class According to Siser (2008), mreaningfil talerials are the ones that are relevant to students, reflecting real life issues and problems The more meaningful materials are to students, the quicker and easier they will be teamed, In addlition lo this, the content emiberided in materials should be varied, ralural and authentic,

so that students tet they are working on tasks in seal lifs (Kusuma & Powell, 2004) Rivers (2003) also voices his favour of the use of materials that focus on the use of natural

language Lle states that it is goad to provide students with practice in using the language

for everyday tife communication, This is opposed to the imnalural types of drills and practice exercises which are still widely used in many teaching contexts

Leamers in different contexts vary in their leaming styles, language proficiency or Icarning needs, Rivers (2003) says that Icaming and tcaching arc shaped by student needs and objectives in particular circumstances ‘[herefore, materials should be designed to care aboul learners? particntarities They shoul! nol, be too challenging lo students in terns of linguistic knowledge bul should be inforesting cnongh to molivate tham in their learning Similarly, Martin (2005) encourages teachers to take the responsibilities of adapting

by Bailey (2002) when he states that teachers have sometimes felt ike objects whose

behaviour and key decisions wa 3 ĐỀ 0bsc

shaped by dominant vi aware of the daily practice of a particular language classroom, Leshem and Bar-Hama (2008) also mention the same problem when they point out that observations tend to be

1s who may nol be

subjective and are based on the observers’ own teaching approach, which can create biased results,

In upper-secondary schools in Vietnam, the evaluation of teachers” teaching is carried oul on a regular basis The most imporlant sowres of information used lo the evaluation is collected by means of classroom observation which has received increased concern fom educational administrators, inspectors and teachers themselves ‘This is because criteria for svslualiơn are nol specific, and evaluation is, therefore, mare subjective and based on the evaluators’ intuition, Also, teaching evaluation in uppet-secondary school context is facing challenges on account of considerable changes in language teaching ‘The new textbooks with new guidelines on teaching have heen introduced into this educational environment in replacement of the old-fashioned ones The evaluation of tcachcrs’ performance in class, however, has not yet responded well to the change What guides inspectors’ evaluation of teachers’ performance is a sel of generat criteria for lesson evalualion regulated by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) These criteria for teaching evaluation have been administered for all subjects, so they potentially lack subject sensitivity element It should be noted that sensible Leaching evahialion with constructive comments front the observers can exert positive impact on teachers’ teaching skills The quality of teaching, evaluation, to a large extent, depends on teachers’ and inspectors” perceptions of what constitute effective teaching, ‘his matter has been researched in the field of language toaching, For example, Griffils (2004) considers teacher pereeptions very important as Ihey potentially influence the effectiveness of teaching process

From the reasons mentioned above, it is urgent and necessary to explore the viewpoints that teachers and inspectors hold about c1itcria for an cffective language lesson Up to now, there has been little research into this thought process in upper-secondary school context This study is intended to move toward thal goal TL is hoped thal the findings of the study will ake # positive contribution lo the improvernent in leaching cvaluation practice in high school context, which is of great significance to teacher professional growth

by Bailey (2002) when he states that teachers have sometimes felt ike objects whose

behaviour and key decisions wa 3 ĐỀ 0bsc

shaped by dominant vi aware of the daily practice of a particular language classroom, Leshem and Bar-Hama (2008) also mention the same problem when they point out that observations tend to be

1s who may nol be

subjective and are based on the observers’ own teaching approach, which can create biased results,

In upper-secondary schools in Vietnam, the evaluation of teachers” teaching is carried oul on a regular basis The most imporlant sowres of information used lo the evaluation is collected by means of classroom observation which has received increased concern fom educational administrators, inspectors and teachers themselves ‘This is because criteria for svslualiơn are nol specific, and evaluation is, therefore, mare subjective and based on the evaluators’ intuition, Also, teaching evaluation in uppet-secondary school context is facing challenges on account of considerable changes in language teaching ‘The new textbooks with new guidelines on teaching have heen introduced into this educational environment in replacement of the old-fashioned ones The evaluation of tcachcrs’ performance in class, however, has not yet responded well to the change What guides inspectors’ evaluation of teachers’ performance is a sel of generat criteria for lesson evalualion regulated by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) These criteria for teaching evaluation have been administered for all subjects, so they potentially lack subject sensitivity element It should be noted that sensible Leaching evahialion with constructive comments front the observers can exert positive impact on teachers’ teaching skills The quality of teaching, evaluation, to a large extent, depends on teachers’ and inspectors” perceptions of what constitute effective teaching, ‘his matter has been researched in the field of language toaching, For example, Griffils (2004) considers teacher pereeptions very important as Ihey potentially influence the effectiveness of teaching process

From the reasons mentioned above, it is urgent and necessary to explore the viewpoints that teachers and inspectors hold about c1itcria for an cffective language lesson Up to now, there has been little research into this thought process in upper-secondary school context This study is intended to move toward thal goal TL is hoped thal the findings of the study will ake # positive contribution lo the improvernent in leaching cvaluation practice in high school context, which is of great significance to teacher professional growth

by Bailey (2002) when he states that teachers have sometimes felt ike objects whose

behaviour and key decisions wa 3 ĐỀ 0bsc

shaped by dominant vi aware of the daily practice of a particular language classroom, Leshem and Bar-Hama (2008) also mention the same problem when they point out that observations tend to be

1s who may nol be

subjective and are based on the observers’ own teaching approach, which can create biased results,

In upper-secondary schools in Vietnam, the evaluation of teachers” teaching is carried oul on a regular basis The most imporlant sowres of information used lo the evaluation is collected by means of classroom observation which has received increased concern fom educational administrators, inspectors and teachers themselves ‘This is because criteria for svslualiơn are nol specific, and evaluation is, therefore, mare subjective and based on the evaluators’ intuition, Also, teaching evaluation in uppet-secondary school context is facing challenges on account of considerable changes in language teaching ‘The new textbooks with new guidelines on teaching have heen introduced into this educational environment in replacement of the old-fashioned ones The evaluation of tcachcrs’ performance in class, however, has not yet responded well to the change What guides inspectors’ evaluation of teachers’ performance is a sel of generat criteria for lesson evalualion regulated by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) These criteria for teaching evaluation have been administered for all subjects, so they potentially lack subject sensitivity element It should be noted that sensible Leaching evahialion with constructive comments front the observers can exert positive impact on teachers’ teaching skills The quality of teaching, evaluation, to a large extent, depends on teachers’ and inspectors” perceptions of what constitute effective teaching, ‘his matter has been researched in the field of language toaching, For example, Griffils (2004) considers teacher pereeptions very important as Ihey potentially influence the effectiveness of teaching process

From the reasons mentioned above, it is urgent and necessary to explore the viewpoints that teachers and inspectors hold about c1itcria for an cffective language lesson Up to now, there has been little research into this thought process in upper-secondary school context This study is intended to move toward thal goal TL is hoped thal the findings of the study will ake # positive contribution lo the improvernent in leaching cvaluation practice in high school context, which is of great significance to teacher professional growth

PART A: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

We are living in a changing, world in which new developments are affecting every aspect of life Now is the era of global integration with “new social movements that requires special considerations” (Canagarajah, 2006, p.24) In this context English has occupied its unrivalled position of a language used as a medium of intemational

communication English becomes “one of the most important means for acquiring access

to the world intclicelual and (echnical resources” and it “enables tearnors to aes

more advanced and up-to-date resources than they can in their native Janguage” (Canh, 2003, p.36) The important role of English language in the moder life highlights the need for cuikancing the quality of English Tanguage loaring and toaching More and more researchers, scholars, educational administrators and teachers are taking interest in the matter of effective Linglish teaching ‘The factors that help to promote effective teaching then have received increased attention

Classroom observation is a common practice in every school, It captures information about how teachers deliver their lessons and it is considered as the most commonly used toot not only for evaluating Leachers but also for fostering [heir profession development (Minhis, as cited in Office of Institutitional Analysis & Planning [OIAP], 2007)

According io O° Leary (as cited m Leshem 4 Bar-Hama, 2008), “classroom observation

has occupied a prominent, role in ierms of ils use as a lool by which to jugde and subsequently promote good practice” (p.261), However, it is becoming more of'a challenge

to teaching evaluation through classroom observation in the present picture of language learning and teaching ‘I'he picture now is very complicated as contextual factors such as different chjcctives, resources, support for professional development, student motivation, ete .are influential in teaching process (OLAP, 2007}, This should be taken into account when teaching evaluation is carried out

It should be noted that a number of problems arising in the practice of cvaluating teachers’ teaching have been identified by lots of researchers According to Bath (as cited

in Sawa, 1995), conventional (caching evaluation afen manifests itself as “a meaningless

rilual, or oven worse, il becomes a racwring occasion to heighten amsicly and discorforl among teachers involved” (p.2) This may emerge trom the fact that observers tend to use themselves as a standard and they observe impressionistically (Shaal, 1989) ‘this is echoed

by Bailey (2002) when he states that teachers have sometimes felt ike objects whose

behaviour and key decisions wa 3 ĐỀ 0bsc

shaped by dominant vi aware of the daily practice of a particular language classroom, Leshem and Bar-Hama (2008) also mention the same problem when they point out that observations tend to be

1s who may nol be

subjective and are based on the observers’ own teaching approach, which can create biased results,

In upper-secondary schools in Vietnam, the evaluation of teachers” teaching is carried oul on a regular basis The most imporlant sowres of information used lo the evaluation is collected by means of classroom observation which has received increased concern fom educational administrators, inspectors and teachers themselves ‘This is because criteria for svslualiơn are nol specific, and evaluation is, therefore, mare subjective and based on the evaluators’ intuition, Also, teaching evaluation in uppet-secondary school context is facing challenges on account of considerable changes in language teaching ‘The new textbooks with new guidelines on teaching have heen introduced into this educational environment in replacement of the old-fashioned ones The evaluation of tcachcrs’ performance in class, however, has not yet responded well to the change What guides inspectors’ evaluation of teachers’ performance is a sel of generat criteria for lesson evalualion regulated by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) These criteria for teaching evaluation have been administered for all subjects, so they potentially lack subject sensitivity element It should be noted that sensible Leaching evahialion with constructive comments front the observers can exert positive impact on teachers’ teaching skills The quality of teaching, evaluation, to a large extent, depends on teachers’ and inspectors” perceptions of what constitute effective teaching, ‘his matter has been researched in the field of language toaching, For example, Griffils (2004) considers teacher pereeptions very important as Ihey potentially influence the effectiveness of teaching process

From the reasons mentioned above, it is urgent and necessary to explore the viewpoints that teachers and inspectors hold about c1itcria for an cffective language lesson Up to now, there has been little research into this thought process in upper-secondary school context This study is intended to move toward thal goal TL is hoped thal the findings of the study will ake # positive contribution lo the improvernent in leaching cvaluation practice in high school context, which is of great significance to teacher professional growth

3 Method of the study

‘The qualitative research method was adopted for this study to explore the upper-

secondary schoot (cuchers’ and inspeclors’ poroptions of an effective losson, Specifically, semi-structured interviews with teachers and inspectors were mdartaken to collect data for analysis and discussion

4 Scope of the study

The study focuscs on discovering teachers’ and inspectors’ perecptions of an cfitetive English lesson in Hai Duong provineial upper-secondary school context Aspects explored cenler on the evalualion crileria for an effective lesson mandated by MORT,

5 The design pf the thesis

‘The study is divided into 3 parts Part A is an introduction to the research, in which

mallets such as rationale, method of study and research questions are presented Part B is the development of the study in which there are 2 chapters, chapter 1 and chapter 2 Chapter 1 reviews the relevant literature on the matters of effctive teaching, teaching, evaluation, observation and criteria for lesson effectiveness ideas from the researchers in the fictd have beon discussed to creale a theoretical framework for the study Chapter 2 presents the context of the study, the participants and data collection method This is followed by the analysis of the data collected and discussion of the findings Part C provides conclusions of the study findings and the implications for language teaching, and teaching evaluation in upper-secondary school context Also, in this part, the limitations and suggestions for furlher research are inchaded

2.4.1.1 Teachers’ general perceptions of MORT’s evaluation criteria 18

3.4.2.2 Inspectors” inlerpretations of MOET”s evaluation criteria 26

2.4.3, Convergences and divergences between teachers’ and inspectors’ perczptions

1, Conelusios ces senene "-

2 Irnpliealiens seo eee)

3 Limitations of the study and suggestions for fimther research 40

APPENDICES

materials to suite their leamers According to him, teachers need to add, for example, extra

requires Ioachers to have good instructional skills to make

target language knowledge as well as to develop their language skills Pellino (2009) identifies four loads as barriers to meaningfal instructions, namely cognitive load, culture

zasy for students lo alain the

load, langungs load and learning load, and that il is the job of the teacher lo Towar these barriers, helping students to overcome them Approptiate techniques need to be devised to construct understanding, and reinforce their interest in their learning process Obviously, to

tach effectively, toachors ncod ta be flexible in their delivery of the

their teaching practice is not only the body of theoretical knowledge in the field of language teaching but also the reality of their classroom According to Rivers (2003) teachers should develop and strengthen their own way of proceeding in relation to the needs and individual strengths of their students in their own context It is teachers who have control over their decision making process, which vary with changing circumstances

som, What guides

Ina similar vein, Martin (2005) emphasizes the need to make changes to the lesson plan because leamars vary in learning, backgrounds and language proficieney, Teachers should modify activities and the tasks if they realize that they are far from being appropriate in the class In other words, teachers should be sensitive to their particular students, This is echoed by Sizer (2009) when he states that good teaching does not mean fixed teaching and that teachers should be flexible with changing circumstances According to him,

successful teaching does not mean all matters in the lesson are fiully covered In some particular toaching situations, the lesson delivered is still considered effective cven Ihough the teacher cannot go through all the tasks and activities intended to be dealt with

A single best method may not exist in modem language teaching environment Effective teachers know how to combine different incthods in their teaching in order to

yield good learning outcome According to Ganguly (2003), effective teachers use

techniques thai bast serve the learning styles of their sludents, Stndsnts nol only lear by being exposed to learning opportunities but they also need to be explicitly taught what important for them to know What can be inferred is that direct or indirect explanation is

not effective on its own In fact, the combination of the two is a fair solution Rivers (2003)

materials to suite their leamers According to him, teachers need to add, for example, extra

requires Ioachers to have good instructional skills to make

target language knowledge as well as to develop their language skills Pellino (2009) identifies four loads as barriers to meaningfal instructions, namely cognitive load, culture

zasy for students lo alain the

load, langungs load and learning load, and that il is the job of the teacher lo Towar these barriers, helping students to overcome them Approptiate techniques need to be devised to construct understanding, and reinforce their interest in their learning process Obviously, to

tach effectively, toachors ncod ta be flexible in their delivery of the

their teaching practice is not only the body of theoretical knowledge in the field of language teaching but also the reality of their classroom According to Rivers (2003) teachers should develop and strengthen their own way of proceeding in relation to the needs and individual strengths of their students in their own context It is teachers who have control over their decision making process, which vary with changing circumstances

som, What guides

Ina similar vein, Martin (2005) emphasizes the need to make changes to the lesson plan because leamars vary in learning, backgrounds and language proficieney, Teachers should modify activities and the tasks if they realize that they are far from being appropriate in the class In other words, teachers should be sensitive to their particular students, This is echoed by Sizer (2009) when he states that good teaching does not mean fixed teaching and that teachers should be flexible with changing circumstances According to him,

successful teaching does not mean all matters in the lesson are fiully covered In some particular toaching situations, the lesson delivered is still considered effective cven Ihough the teacher cannot go through all the tasks and activities intended to be dealt with

A single best method may not exist in modem language teaching environment Effective teachers know how to combine different incthods in their teaching in order to

yield good learning outcome According to Ganguly (2003), effective teachers use

techniques thai bast serve the learning styles of their sludents, Stndsnts nol only lear by being exposed to learning opportunities but they also need to be explicitly taught what important for them to know What can be inferred is that direct or indirect explanation is

not effective on its own In fact, the combination of the two is a fair solution Rivers (2003)

materials to suite their leamers According to him, teachers need to add, for example, extra

requires Ioachers to have good instructional skills to make

target language knowledge as well as to develop their language skills Pellino (2009) identifies four loads as barriers to meaningfal instructions, namely cognitive load, culture

zasy for students lo alain the

load, langungs load and learning load, and that il is the job of the teacher lo Towar these barriers, helping students to overcome them Approptiate techniques need to be devised to construct understanding, and reinforce their interest in their learning process Obviously, to

tach effectively, toachors ncod ta be flexible in their delivery of the

their teaching practice is not only the body of theoretical knowledge in the field of language teaching but also the reality of their classroom According to Rivers (2003) teachers should develop and strengthen their own way of proceeding in relation to the needs and individual strengths of their students in their own context It is teachers who have control over their decision making process, which vary with changing circumstances

som, What guides

Ina similar vein, Martin (2005) emphasizes the need to make changes to the lesson plan because leamars vary in learning, backgrounds and language proficieney, Teachers should modify activities and the tasks if they realize that they are far from being appropriate in the class In other words, teachers should be sensitive to their particular students, This is echoed by Sizer (2009) when he states that good teaching does not mean fixed teaching and that teachers should be flexible with changing circumstances According to him,

successful teaching does not mean all matters in the lesson are fiully covered In some particular toaching situations, the lesson delivered is still considered effective cven Ihough the teacher cannot go through all the tasks and activities intended to be dealt with

A single best method may not exist in modem language teaching environment Effective teachers know how to combine different incthods in their teaching in order to

yield good learning outcome According to Ganguly (2003), effective teachers use

techniques thai bast serve the learning styles of their sludents, Stndsnts nol only lear by being exposed to learning opportunities but they also need to be explicitly taught what important for them to know What can be inferred is that direct or indirect explanation is

not effective on its own In fact, the combination of the two is a fair solution Rivers (2003)

3 Method of the study

‘The qualitative research method was adopted for this study to explore the upper-

secondary schoot (cuchers’ and inspeclors’ poroptions of an effective losson, Specifically, semi-structured interviews with teachers and inspectors were mdartaken to collect data for analysis and discussion

4 Scope of the study

The study focuscs on discovering teachers’ and inspectors’ perecptions of an cfitetive English lesson in Hai Duong provineial upper-secondary school context Aspects explored cenler on the evalualion crileria for an effective lesson mandated by MORT,

5 The design pf the thesis

‘The study is divided into 3 parts Part A is an introduction to the research, in which

mallets such as rationale, method of study and research questions are presented Part B is the development of the study in which there are 2 chapters, chapter 1 and chapter 2 Chapter 1 reviews the relevant literature on the matters of effctive teaching, teaching, evaluation, observation and criteria for lesson effectiveness ideas from the researchers in the fictd have beon discussed to creale a theoretical framework for the study Chapter 2 presents the context of the study, the participants and data collection method This is followed by the analysis of the data collected and discussion of the findings Part C provides conclusions of the study findings and the implications for language teaching, and teaching evaluation in upper-secondary school context Also, in this part, the limitations and suggestions for furlher research are inchaded

2.4.1.1 Teachers’ general perceptions of MORT’s evaluation criteria 18

3.4.2.2 Inspectors” inlerpretations of MOET”s evaluation criteria 26

2.4.3, Convergences and divergences between teachers’ and inspectors’ perczptions

1, Conelusios ces senene "-

2 Irnpliealiens seo eee)

3 Limitations of the study and suggestions for fimther research 40

APPENDICES

is also in favour of the combination of methods in teaching According to him, no method claims to stand on its own in modem language learning and leaching crvironmortt

Researchers also focus on the importance of moving from simple tasks to complex ones in class Students will feel learning more rewarding if they have the opportunity to master the simple concepts first, then complex ones Towever, the final goal of every language couse is that students know how to use language they have learnt for different

purposes in communication (Martin, 2005) ‘Che practice of grammar structures with

isolated momings dows nol propars the learners for moaningfit use of language Tstead, language practice should be close to real communication, According to Rivers (2003), teachers should provide students with opportunity to apply thair knowledge and skills to now situations, Similarly, Marlin (2005) puts an emphasis on the nocd to yroceed from more controlled activities to less controlled ones in the class

Class management

Class management is one of the important aspects that determine the success of

teaching, What is meant by effective classroom management is that teachers are aware of their different roles in class, They should take a suitable role at each stage of the lesson and should be Nexible in what they do fo keep class activilies nol only in discipline bul also in relaxed atmosphere, According to Yan (2006), the good language teacher should realize that the language teaching does not merely go in hand with the mastery of grammar rules and expansion of vocabulary but there are also many important tools thal affect or even promote language teaching, For example, some knowledge of psychology brings about not only behaviour suecess at mastering language, but also cognitive success and increased

confidence Knsuma & Powell (2004) make the same point when stating that what teachers

arc orwouraged Lo do is 1a scl up a pasilive classroom envirommnent thal will support future interaction and collaboration bebween teacher and students and between students themselves It is for sure that the positive classroom environment is one of the decisive factors that contribute to satisfactory lcaming outcome Martin (2005) postulates that students will lean more easily in the environments in which anxiety is lessened and self: confidence and selGesteem can be developed Similarly, Kusuma & Powell (2004) state that students town best if thay arc in a classroom where they feel safe and confident to

attempt new tasks

is also in favour of the combination of methods in teaching According to him, no method claims to stand on its own in modem language learning and leaching crvironmortt

Researchers also focus on the importance of moving from simple tasks to complex ones in class Students will feel learning more rewarding if they have the opportunity to master the simple concepts first, then complex ones Towever, the final goal of every language couse is that students know how to use language they have learnt for different

purposes in communication (Martin, 2005) ‘Che practice of grammar structures with

isolated momings dows nol propars the learners for moaningfit use of language Tstead, language practice should be close to real communication, According to Rivers (2003), teachers should provide students with opportunity to apply thair knowledge and skills to now situations, Similarly, Marlin (2005) puts an emphasis on the nocd to yroceed from more controlled activities to less controlled ones in the class

Class management

Class management is one of the important aspects that determine the success of

teaching, What is meant by effective classroom management is that teachers are aware of their different roles in class, They should take a suitable role at each stage of the lesson and should be Nexible in what they do fo keep class activilies nol only in discipline bul also in relaxed atmosphere, According to Yan (2006), the good language teacher should realize that the language teaching does not merely go in hand with the mastery of grammar rules and expansion of vocabulary but there are also many important tools thal affect or even promote language teaching, For example, some knowledge of psychology brings about not only behaviour suecess at mastering language, but also cognitive success and increased

confidence Knsuma & Powell (2004) make the same point when stating that what teachers

arc orwouraged Lo do is 1a scl up a pasilive classroom envirommnent thal will support future interaction and collaboration bebween teacher and students and between students themselves It is for sure that the positive classroom environment is one of the decisive factors that contribute to satisfactory lcaming outcome Martin (2005) postulates that students will lean more easily in the environments in which anxiety is lessened and self: confidence and selGesteem can be developed Similarly, Kusuma & Powell (2004) state that students town best if thay arc in a classroom where they feel safe and confident to

attempt new tasks

is also in favour of the combination of methods in teaching According to him, no method claims to stand on its own in modem language learning and leaching crvironmortt

Researchers also focus on the importance of moving from simple tasks to complex ones in class Students will feel learning more rewarding if they have the opportunity to master the simple concepts first, then complex ones Towever, the final goal of every language couse is that students know how to use language they have learnt for different

purposes in communication (Martin, 2005) ‘Che practice of grammar structures with

isolated momings dows nol propars the learners for moaningfit use of language Tstead, language practice should be close to real communication, According to Rivers (2003), teachers should provide students with opportunity to apply thair knowledge and skills to now situations, Similarly, Marlin (2005) puts an emphasis on the nocd to yroceed from more controlled activities to less controlled ones in the class

Class management

Class management is one of the important aspects that determine the success of

teaching, What is meant by effective classroom management is that teachers are aware of their different roles in class, They should take a suitable role at each stage of the lesson and should be Nexible in what they do fo keep class activilies nol only in discipline bul also in relaxed atmosphere, According to Yan (2006), the good language teacher should realize that the language teaching does not merely go in hand with the mastery of grammar rules and expansion of vocabulary but there are also many important tools thal affect or even promote language teaching, For example, some knowledge of psychology brings about not only behaviour suecess at mastering language, but also cognitive success and increased

confidence Knsuma & Powell (2004) make the same point when stating that what teachers

arc orwouraged Lo do is 1a scl up a pasilive classroom envirommnent thal will support future interaction and collaboration bebween teacher and students and between students themselves It is for sure that the positive classroom environment is one of the decisive factors that contribute to satisfactory lcaming outcome Martin (2005) postulates that students will lean more easily in the environments in which anxiety is lessened and self: confidence and selGesteem can be developed Similarly, Kusuma & Powell (2004) state that students town best if thay arc in a classroom where they feel safe and confident to

attempt new tasks

by Bailey (2002) when he states that teachers have sometimes felt ike objects whose

behaviour and key decisions wa 3 ĐỀ 0bsc

shaped by dominant vi aware of the daily practice of a particular language classroom, Leshem and Bar-Hama (2008) also mention the same problem when they point out that observations tend to be

1s who may nol be

subjective and are based on the observers’ own teaching approach, which can create biased results,

In upper-secondary schools in Vietnam, the evaluation of teachers” teaching is carried oul on a regular basis The most imporlant sowres of information used lo the evaluation is collected by means of classroom observation which has received increased concern fom educational administrators, inspectors and teachers themselves ‘This is because criteria for svslualiơn are nol specific, and evaluation is, therefore, mare subjective and based on the evaluators’ intuition, Also, teaching evaluation in uppet-secondary school context is facing challenges on account of considerable changes in language teaching ‘The new textbooks with new guidelines on teaching have heen introduced into this educational environment in replacement of the old-fashioned ones The evaluation of tcachcrs’ performance in class, however, has not yet responded well to the change What guides inspectors’ evaluation of teachers’ performance is a sel of generat criteria for lesson evalualion regulated by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) These criteria for teaching evaluation have been administered for all subjects, so they potentially lack subject sensitivity element It should be noted that sensible Leaching evahialion with constructive comments front the observers can exert positive impact on teachers’ teaching skills The quality of teaching, evaluation, to a large extent, depends on teachers’ and inspectors” perceptions of what constitute effective teaching, ‘his matter has been researched in the field of language toaching, For example, Griffils (2004) considers teacher pereeptions very important as Ihey potentially influence the effectiveness of teaching process

From the reasons mentioned above, it is urgent and necessary to explore the viewpoints that teachers and inspectors hold about c1itcria for an cffective language lesson Up to now, there has been little research into this thought process in upper-secondary school context This study is intended to move toward thal goal TL is hoped thal the findings of the study will ake # positive contribution lo the improvernent in leaching cvaluation practice in high school context, which is of great significance to teacher professional growth

is also in favour of the combination of methods in teaching According to him, no method claims to stand on its own in modem language learning and leaching crvironmortt

Researchers also focus on the importance of moving from simple tasks to complex ones in class Students will feel learning more rewarding if they have the opportunity to master the simple concepts first, then complex ones Towever, the final goal of every language couse is that students know how to use language they have learnt for different

purposes in communication (Martin, 2005) ‘Che practice of grammar structures with

isolated momings dows nol propars the learners for moaningfit use of language Tstead, language practice should be close to real communication, According to Rivers (2003), teachers should provide students with opportunity to apply thair knowledge and skills to now situations, Similarly, Marlin (2005) puts an emphasis on the nocd to yroceed from more controlled activities to less controlled ones in the class

Class management

Class management is one of the important aspects that determine the success of

teaching, What is meant by effective classroom management is that teachers are aware of their different roles in class, They should take a suitable role at each stage of the lesson and should be Nexible in what they do fo keep class activilies nol only in discipline bul also in relaxed atmosphere, According to Yan (2006), the good language teacher should realize that the language teaching does not merely go in hand with the mastery of grammar rules and expansion of vocabulary but there are also many important tools thal affect or even promote language teaching, For example, some knowledge of psychology brings about not only behaviour suecess at mastering language, but also cognitive success and increased

confidence Knsuma & Powell (2004) make the same point when stating that what teachers

arc orwouraged Lo do is 1a scl up a pasilive classroom envirommnent thal will support future interaction and collaboration bebween teacher and students and between students themselves It is for sure that the positive classroom environment is one of the decisive factors that contribute to satisfactory lcaming outcome Martin (2005) postulates that students will lean more easily in the environments in which anxiety is lessened and self: confidence and selGesteem can be developed Similarly, Kusuma & Powell (2004) state that students town best if thay arc in a classroom where they feel safe and confident to

attempt new tasks

Effective teaching is the topic that concems lots of researchers, educational administrators and teachers, What discussed below is the matter of effective teaching in terms of teaching malcrials, Leaching methods, class managen

mt and studont learning

outcome

Teaching materials

Teaching materials ate among the components that constitute effective teaching

Teachers nocd matcrials to carry out their instructional practiec Efftetive teaching necds good materials, Researchers are curently putting a great emphasis on the use of meaningfil materials in a kmguage class According to Siser (2008), mreaningfil talerials are the ones that are relevant to students, reflecting real life issues and problems The more meaningful materials are to students, the quicker and easier they will be teamed, In addlition lo this, the content emiberided in materials should be varied, ralural and authentic,

so that students tet they are working on tasks in seal lifs (Kusuma & Powell, 2004) Rivers (2003) also voices his favour of the use of materials that focus on the use of natural

language Lle states that it is goad to provide students with practice in using the language

for everyday tife communication, This is opposed to the imnalural types of drills and practice exercises which are still widely used in many teaching contexts

Leamers in different contexts vary in their leaming styles, language proficiency or Icarning needs, Rivers (2003) says that Icaming and tcaching arc shaped by student needs and objectives in particular circumstances ‘[herefore, materials should be designed to care aboul learners? particntarities They shoul! nol, be too challenging lo students in terns of linguistic knowledge bul should be inforesting cnongh to molivate tham in their learning Similarly, Martin (2005) encourages teachers to take the responsibilities of adapting

materials to suite their leamers According to him, teachers need to add, for example, extra

requires Ioachers to have good instructional skills to make

target language knowledge as well as to develop their language skills Pellino (2009) identifies four loads as barriers to meaningfal instructions, namely cognitive load, culture

zasy for students lo alain the

load, langungs load and learning load, and that il is the job of the teacher lo Towar these barriers, helping students to overcome them Approptiate techniques need to be devised to construct understanding, and reinforce their interest in their learning process Obviously, to

tach effectively, toachors ncod ta be flexible in their delivery of the

their teaching practice is not only the body of theoretical knowledge in the field of language teaching but also the reality of their classroom According to Rivers (2003) teachers should develop and strengthen their own way of proceeding in relation to the needs and individual strengths of their students in their own context It is teachers who have control over their decision making process, which vary with changing circumstances

som, What guides

Ina similar vein, Martin (2005) emphasizes the need to make changes to the lesson plan because leamars vary in learning, backgrounds and language proficieney, Teachers should modify activities and the tasks if they realize that they are far from being appropriate in the class In other words, teachers should be sensitive to their particular students, This is echoed by Sizer (2009) when he states that good teaching does not mean fixed teaching and that teachers should be flexible with changing circumstances According to him,

successful teaching does not mean all matters in the lesson are fiully covered In some particular toaching situations, the lesson delivered is still considered effective cven Ihough the teacher cannot go through all the tasks and activities intended to be dealt with

A single best method may not exist in modem language teaching environment Effective teachers know how to combine different incthods in their teaching in order to

yield good learning outcome According to Ganguly (2003), effective teachers use

techniques thai bast serve the learning styles of their sludents, Stndsnts nol only lear by being exposed to learning opportunities but they also need to be explicitly taught what important for them to know What can be inferred is that direct or indirect explanation is

not effective on its own In fact, the combination of the two is a fair solution Rivers (2003)

PART A: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

We are living in a changing, world in which new developments are affecting every aspect of life Now is the era of global integration with “new social movements that requires special considerations” (Canagarajah, 2006, p.24) In this context English has occupied its unrivalled position of a language used as a medium of intemational

communication English becomes “one of the most important means for acquiring access

to the world intclicelual and (echnical resources” and it “enables tearnors to aes

more advanced and up-to-date resources than they can in their native Janguage” (Canh, 2003, p.36) The important role of English language in the moder life highlights the need for cuikancing the quality of English Tanguage loaring and toaching More and more researchers, scholars, educational administrators and teachers are taking interest in the matter of effective Linglish teaching ‘The factors that help to promote effective teaching then have received increased attention

Classroom observation is a common practice in every school, It captures information about how teachers deliver their lessons and it is considered as the most commonly used toot not only for evaluating Leachers but also for fostering [heir profession development (Minhis, as cited in Office of Institutitional Analysis & Planning [OIAP], 2007)

According io O° Leary (as cited m Leshem 4 Bar-Hama, 2008), “classroom observation

has occupied a prominent, role in ierms of ils use as a lool by which to jugde and subsequently promote good practice” (p.261), However, it is becoming more of'a challenge

to teaching evaluation through classroom observation in the present picture of language learning and teaching ‘I'he picture now is very complicated as contextual factors such as different chjcctives, resources, support for professional development, student motivation, ete .are influential in teaching process (OLAP, 2007}, This should be taken into account when teaching evaluation is carried out

It should be noted that a number of problems arising in the practice of cvaluating teachers’ teaching have been identified by lots of researchers According to Bath (as cited

in Sawa, 1995), conventional (caching evaluation afen manifests itself as “a meaningless

rilual, or oven worse, il becomes a racwring occasion to heighten amsicly and discorforl among teachers involved” (p.2) This may emerge trom the fact that observers tend to use themselves as a standard and they observe impressionistically (Shaal, 1989) ‘this is echoed

PART A: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

We are living in a changing, world in which new developments are affecting every aspect of life Now is the era of global integration with “new social movements that requires special considerations” (Canagarajah, 2006, p.24) In this context English has occupied its unrivalled position of a language used as a medium of intemational

communication English becomes “one of the most important means for acquiring access

to the world intclicelual and (echnical resources” and it “enables tearnors to aes

more advanced and up-to-date resources than they can in their native Janguage” (Canh, 2003, p.36) The important role of English language in the moder life highlights the need for cuikancing the quality of English Tanguage loaring and toaching More and more researchers, scholars, educational administrators and teachers are taking interest in the matter of effective Linglish teaching ‘The factors that help to promote effective teaching then have received increased attention

Classroom observation is a common practice in every school, It captures information about how teachers deliver their lessons and it is considered as the most commonly used toot not only for evaluating Leachers but also for fostering [heir profession development (Minhis, as cited in Office of Institutitional Analysis & Planning [OIAP], 2007)

According io O° Leary (as cited m Leshem 4 Bar-Hama, 2008), “classroom observation

has occupied a prominent, role in ierms of ils use as a lool by which to jugde and subsequently promote good practice” (p.261), However, it is becoming more of'a challenge

to teaching evaluation through classroom observation in the present picture of language learning and teaching ‘I'he picture now is very complicated as contextual factors such as different chjcctives, resources, support for professional development, student motivation, ete .are influential in teaching process (OLAP, 2007}, This should be taken into account when teaching evaluation is carried out

It should be noted that a number of problems arising in the practice of cvaluating teachers’ teaching have been identified by lots of researchers According to Bath (as cited

in Sawa, 1995), conventional (caching evaluation afen manifests itself as “a meaningless

rilual, or oven worse, il becomes a racwring occasion to heighten amsicly and discorforl among teachers involved” (p.2) This may emerge trom the fact that observers tend to use themselves as a standard and they observe impressionistically (Shaal, 1989) ‘this is echoed

is also in favour of the combination of methods in teaching According to him, no method claims to stand on its own in modem language learning and leaching crvironmortt

Researchers also focus on the importance of moving from simple tasks to complex ones in class Students will feel learning more rewarding if they have the opportunity to master the simple concepts first, then complex ones Towever, the final goal of every language couse is that students know how to use language they have learnt for different

purposes in communication (Martin, 2005) ‘Che practice of grammar structures with

isolated momings dows nol propars the learners for moaningfit use of language Tstead, language practice should be close to real communication, According to Rivers (2003), teachers should provide students with opportunity to apply thair knowledge and skills to now situations, Similarly, Marlin (2005) puts an emphasis on the nocd to yroceed from more controlled activities to less controlled ones in the class

Class management

Class management is one of the important aspects that determine the success of

teaching, What is meant by effective classroom management is that teachers are aware of their different roles in class, They should take a suitable role at each stage of the lesson and should be Nexible in what they do fo keep class activilies nol only in discipline bul also in relaxed atmosphere, According to Yan (2006), the good language teacher should realize that the language teaching does not merely go in hand with the mastery of grammar rules and expansion of vocabulary but there are also many important tools thal affect or even promote language teaching, For example, some knowledge of psychology brings about not only behaviour suecess at mastering language, but also cognitive success and increased

confidence Knsuma & Powell (2004) make the same point when stating that what teachers

arc orwouraged Lo do is 1a scl up a pasilive classroom envirommnent thal will support future interaction and collaboration bebween teacher and students and between students themselves It is for sure that the positive classroom environment is one of the decisive factors that contribute to satisfactory lcaming outcome Martin (2005) postulates that students will lean more easily in the environments in which anxiety is lessened and self: confidence and selGesteem can be developed Similarly, Kusuma & Powell (2004) state that students town best if thay arc in a classroom where they feel safe and confident to

attempt new tasks

PART A: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

We are living in a changing, world in which new developments are affecting every aspect of life Now is the era of global integration with “new social movements that requires special considerations” (Canagarajah, 2006, p.24) In this context English has occupied its unrivalled position of a language used as a medium of intemational

communication English becomes “one of the most important means for acquiring access

to the world intclicelual and (echnical resources” and it “enables tearnors to aes

more advanced and up-to-date resources than they can in their native Janguage” (Canh, 2003, p.36) The important role of English language in the moder life highlights the need for cuikancing the quality of English Tanguage loaring and toaching More and more researchers, scholars, educational administrators and teachers are taking interest in the matter of effective Linglish teaching ‘The factors that help to promote effective teaching then have received increased attention

Classroom observation is a common practice in every school, It captures information about how teachers deliver their lessons and it is considered as the most commonly used toot not only for evaluating Leachers but also for fostering [heir profession development (Minhis, as cited in Office of Institutitional Analysis & Planning [OIAP], 2007)

According io O° Leary (as cited m Leshem 4 Bar-Hama, 2008), “classroom observation

has occupied a prominent, role in ierms of ils use as a lool by which to jugde and subsequently promote good practice” (p.261), However, it is becoming more of'a challenge

to teaching evaluation through classroom observation in the present picture of language learning and teaching ‘I'he picture now is very complicated as contextual factors such as different chjcctives, resources, support for professional development, student motivation, ete .are influential in teaching process (OLAP, 2007}, This should be taken into account when teaching evaluation is carried out

It should be noted that a number of problems arising in the practice of cvaluating teachers’ teaching have been identified by lots of researchers According to Bath (as cited

in Sawa, 1995), conventional (caching evaluation afen manifests itself as “a meaningless

rilual, or oven worse, il becomes a racwring occasion to heighten amsicly and discorforl among teachers involved” (p.2) This may emerge trom the fact that observers tend to use themselves as a standard and they observe impressionistically (Shaal, 1989) ‘this is echoed

Effective teaching is the topic that concems lots of researchers, educational administrators and teachers, What discussed below is the matter of effective teaching in terms of teaching malcrials, Leaching methods, class managen

mt and studont learning

outcome

Teaching materials

Teaching materials ate among the components that constitute effective teaching

Teachers nocd matcrials to carry out their instructional practiec Efftetive teaching necds good materials, Researchers are curently putting a great emphasis on the use of meaningfil materials in a kmguage class According to Siser (2008), mreaningfil talerials are the ones that are relevant to students, reflecting real life issues and problems The more meaningful materials are to students, the quicker and easier they will be teamed, In addlition lo this, the content emiberided in materials should be varied, ralural and authentic,

so that students tet they are working on tasks in seal lifs (Kusuma & Powell, 2004) Rivers (2003) also voices his favour of the use of materials that focus on the use of natural

language Lle states that it is goad to provide students with practice in using the language

for everyday tife communication, This is opposed to the imnalural types of drills and practice exercises which are still widely used in many teaching contexts

Leamers in different contexts vary in their leaming styles, language proficiency or Icarning needs, Rivers (2003) says that Icaming and tcaching arc shaped by student needs and objectives in particular circumstances ‘[herefore, materials should be designed to care aboul learners? particntarities They shoul! nol, be too challenging lo students in terns of linguistic knowledge bul should be inforesting cnongh to molivate tham in their learning Similarly, Martin (2005) encourages teachers to take the responsibilities of adapting

is also in favour of the combination of methods in teaching According to him, no method claims to stand on its own in modem language learning and leaching crvironmortt

Researchers also focus on the importance of moving from simple tasks to complex ones in class Students will feel learning more rewarding if they have the opportunity to master the simple concepts first, then complex ones Towever, the final goal of every language couse is that students know how to use language they have learnt for different

purposes in communication (Martin, 2005) ‘Che practice of grammar structures with

isolated momings dows nol propars the learners for moaningfit use of language Tstead, language practice should be close to real communication, According to Rivers (2003), teachers should provide students with opportunity to apply thair knowledge and skills to now situations, Similarly, Marlin (2005) puts an emphasis on the nocd to yroceed from more controlled activities to less controlled ones in the class

Class management

Class management is one of the important aspects that determine the success of

teaching, What is meant by effective classroom management is that teachers are aware of their different roles in class, They should take a suitable role at each stage of the lesson and should be Nexible in what they do fo keep class activilies nol only in discipline bul also in relaxed atmosphere, According to Yan (2006), the good language teacher should realize that the language teaching does not merely go in hand with the mastery of grammar rules and expansion of vocabulary but there are also many important tools thal affect or even promote language teaching, For example, some knowledge of psychology brings about not only behaviour suecess at mastering language, but also cognitive success and increased

confidence Knsuma & Powell (2004) make the same point when stating that what teachers

arc orwouraged Lo do is 1a scl up a pasilive classroom envirommnent thal will support future interaction and collaboration bebween teacher and students and between students themselves It is for sure that the positive classroom environment is one of the decisive factors that contribute to satisfactory lcaming outcome Martin (2005) postulates that students will lean more easily in the environments in which anxiety is lessened and self: confidence and selGesteem can be developed Similarly, Kusuma & Powell (2004) state that students town best if thay arc in a classroom where they feel safe and confident to

attempt new tasks

3 Method of the study

‘The qualitative research method was adopted for this study to explore the upper-

secondary schoot (cuchers’ and inspeclors’ poroptions of an effective losson, Specifically, semi-structured interviews with teachers and inspectors were mdartaken to collect data for analysis and discussion

4 Scope of the study

The study focuscs on discovering teachers’ and inspectors’ perecptions of an cfitetive English lesson in Hai Duong provineial upper-secondary school context Aspects explored cenler on the evalualion crileria for an effective lesson mandated by MORT,

5 The design pf the thesis

‘The study is divided into 3 parts Part A is an introduction to the research, in which

mallets such as rationale, method of study and research questions are presented Part B is the development of the study in which there are 2 chapters, chapter 1 and chapter 2 Chapter 1 reviews the relevant literature on the matters of effctive teaching, teaching, evaluation, observation and criteria for lesson effectiveness ideas from the researchers in the fictd have beon discussed to creale a theoretical framework for the study Chapter 2 presents the context of the study, the participants and data collection method This is followed by the analysis of the data collected and discussion of the findings Part C provides conclusions of the study findings and the implications for language teaching, and teaching evaluation in upper-secondary school context Also, in this part, the limitations and suggestions for furlher research are inchaded

2.4.1.1 Teachers’ general perceptions of MORT’s evaluation criteria 18

3.4.2.2 Inspectors” inlerpretations of MOET”s evaluation criteria 26

2.4.3, Convergences and divergences between teachers’ and inspectors’ perczptions

1, Conelusios ces senene "-

2 Irnpliealiens seo eee)

3 Limitations of the study and suggestions for fimther research 40

APPENDICES

3 Method of the study

‘The qualitative research method was adopted for this study to explore the upper-

secondary schoot (cuchers’ and inspeclors’ poroptions of an effective losson, Specifically, semi-structured interviews with teachers and inspectors were mdartaken to collect data for analysis and discussion

4 Scope of the study

The study focuscs on discovering teachers’ and inspectors’ perecptions of an cfitetive English lesson in Hai Duong provineial upper-secondary school context Aspects explored cenler on the evalualion crileria for an effective lesson mandated by MORT,

5 The design pf the thesis

‘The study is divided into 3 parts Part A is an introduction to the research, in which

mallets such as rationale, method of study and research questions are presented Part B is the development of the study in which there are 2 chapters, chapter 1 and chapter 2 Chapter 1 reviews the relevant literature on the matters of effctive teaching, teaching, evaluation, observation and criteria for lesson effectiveness ideas from the researchers in the fictd have beon discussed to creale a theoretical framework for the study Chapter 2 presents the context of the study, the participants and data collection method This is followed by the analysis of the data collected and discussion of the findings Part C provides conclusions of the study findings and the implications for language teaching, and teaching evaluation in upper-secondary school context Also, in this part, the limitations and suggestions for furlher research are inchaded

PART A: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

We are living in a changing, world in which new developments are affecting every aspect of life Now is the era of global integration with “new social movements that requires special considerations” (Canagarajah, 2006, p.24) In this context English has occupied its unrivalled position of a language used as a medium of intemational

communication English becomes “one of the most important means for acquiring access

to the world intclicelual and (echnical resources” and it “enables tearnors to aes

more advanced and up-to-date resources than they can in their native Janguage” (Canh, 2003, p.36) The important role of English language in the moder life highlights the need for cuikancing the quality of English Tanguage loaring and toaching More and more researchers, scholars, educational administrators and teachers are taking interest in the matter of effective Linglish teaching ‘The factors that help to promote effective teaching then have received increased attention

Classroom observation is a common practice in every school, It captures information about how teachers deliver their lessons and it is considered as the most commonly used toot not only for evaluating Leachers but also for fostering [heir profession development (Minhis, as cited in Office of Institutitional Analysis & Planning [OIAP], 2007)

According io O° Leary (as cited m Leshem 4 Bar-Hama, 2008), “classroom observation

has occupied a prominent, role in ierms of ils use as a lool by which to jugde and subsequently promote good practice” (p.261), However, it is becoming more of'a challenge

to teaching evaluation through classroom observation in the present picture of language learning and teaching ‘I'he picture now is very complicated as contextual factors such as different chjcctives, resources, support for professional development, student motivation, ete .are influential in teaching process (OLAP, 2007}, This should be taken into account when teaching evaluation is carried out

It should be noted that a number of problems arising in the practice of cvaluating teachers’ teaching have been identified by lots of researchers According to Bath (as cited

in Sawa, 1995), conventional (caching evaluation afen manifests itself as “a meaningless

rilual, or oven worse, il becomes a racwring occasion to heighten amsicly and discorforl among teachers involved” (p.2) This may emerge trom the fact that observers tend to use themselves as a standard and they observe impressionistically (Shaal, 1989) ‘this is echoed

3 Method of the study

‘The qualitative research method was adopted for this study to explore the upper-

secondary schoot (cuchers’ and inspeclors’ poroptions of an effective losson, Specifically, semi-structured interviews with teachers and inspectors were mdartaken to collect data for analysis and discussion

4 Scope of the study

The study focuscs on discovering teachers’ and inspectors’ perecptions of an cfitetive English lesson in Hai Duong provineial upper-secondary school context Aspects explored cenler on the evalualion crileria for an effective lesson mandated by MORT,

5 The design pf the thesis

‘The study is divided into 3 parts Part A is an introduction to the research, in which

mallets such as rationale, method of study and research questions are presented Part B is the development of the study in which there are 2 chapters, chapter 1 and chapter 2 Chapter 1 reviews the relevant literature on the matters of effctive teaching, teaching, evaluation, observation and criteria for lesson effectiveness ideas from the researchers in the fictd have beon discussed to creale a theoretical framework for the study Chapter 2 presents the context of the study, the participants and data collection method This is followed by the analysis of the data collected and discussion of the findings Part C provides conclusions of the study findings and the implications for language teaching, and teaching evaluation in upper-secondary school context Also, in this part, the limitations and suggestions for furlher research are inchaded