TEACHING STRATEGIES APPLIED BY a VIETNAMESE TEACHER IN PRIMARY ENGLISH CLASSES WITH ADHD AND ASD STUDENTS

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATION THESIS TEACHING STRATEGIES APPLIED BY A VIE

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION

GRADUATION THESIS

TEACHING STRATEGIES APPLIED BY A VIETNAMESE

TEACHER IN PRIMARY ENGLISH CLASSES

WITH ADHD AND ASD STUDENTS

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION

Supervisor: Nguyen Tuan Anh (MA) Student: Nguyen Hai Ha

Course: QH2017 Class: 17E2

Hanoi - 2021

ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH

KHOÁ LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP

NHỮNG CHIẾN LƯỢC GIẢNG DẠY ÁP DỤNG BỞI

MỘT GIÁO VIÊN TIỂU HỌC TRONG LỚP HỌC TIẾNG ANH

CÓ CÁC HỌC SINH MẮC HỘI CHỨNG TĂNG ĐỘNG

GIẢM CHÚ Ý & RỐI LOẠN PHỔ TỰ KỶ

Giáo viên hướng dẫn: Thạc sĩ Nguyễn Tuấn Anh Sinh viên: Nguyễn Hải Hà

Khoá: QH2017 Lớp: 17E2

HÀ NỘI – NĂM 2021

I hereby state that I: Nguyen Hai Ha from class 17E2, being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (Honored English Language Teacher Education program) accept the requirements of College relating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation paper deposited in the library

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the paper

Signature

Nguyễn Hải Hà

14.05.202

I am extremely grateful to my parents, for their endless love, caring, encouragement and sacrifices for educating and preparing me for my future They are the greatest source

of motivation throughout my life

I am very much thankful to my boyfriend, who is my lover, supporter, and also the best friend of mine, for his love, understanding, trust and continuing support in completion of this paper

My special thanks go to all of my classmates of 17E2 My girls have been the strongest, coolest and greatest ones I have ever met in my life Thanks for their friendship, unwavering encouragement and competition, of course, which boost my confidence a lot Wish all of you guys the best! All of you are always the best on earth!

Last but certainly not least, I am highly indebted to the English teacher who took part

in my research for her honest and cooperative response to all the questions solicited in this study She was willing to have me in her lessons and impart her knowledge Had it not been for her enormous contribution, I could have never reached the journey’s end

ABSTRACT

The increased prevalence of learners with ADHD and ASD places grave challenges

on Vietnamese teachers, particularly when they find themselves in mainstream English classrooms of elementary schools A rich repertoire of instructional strategies is prerequisite in order for teachers to effectively meet their students’ needs and enhance their own teaching efficacy This study aims to portray perceptions of a Vietnamese primary teacher about teaching strategies used in her English regular classes with ADHD and ASD students It also explores how her beliefs and opinions are reflected through her application of teaching strategies in real practice This study made use of a qualitative approach and case study research design One primary English teacher was chosen as the research participant Semi-structured interviews and classroom observation were used to gather data The results showed that the teacher not only successfully grasped the concept “teaching strategies” but also utilized a wide range of strategies to cater for individual learner’s needs and teaching contexts Importantly, she realized their effectiveness despite some common barriers Furthermore, the analysis of classroom observation reflected the implementation of diverse teaching strategies to support students’ learning as well as control their behaviors with some different strategies when compared to the collected interview data These findings suggest that from the teacher’s perspective, teaching strategies need applying in a creative and flexible way with additional modifications and interventions It also appeared that these strategies were rather general teaching strategies Substantial implications for teacher education and general classroom functioning emerged The relevant issues under the concept teaching strategies for ADHD & ASD students are of critical importance in designing professional training courses and conducting further research in the future

Keywords: Teaching strategies, Vietnamese teachers’ perceptions, primary English

classes, ADHD and ASD primary students

TABLE OF CONTENT

ACKNOWLEDEMENT ……… i

ABTRACT ……… ii

TABLES AND FIGURES ……… vi

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ……… ……… viii

INTRODUCTION ……… 1

1 Rationale of the study ……… 1

2 Research aims and questions ……… 3

3 Research scope ……… 3

4 Expected contribution of the research ……… 4

CHAPTER 1 LITERATURE REVIEW ……… 5

1.1 Key concepts ……… 5

1.1.1 Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ……… 5

1.1.2 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) 6

1.1.3 Teaching strategies 7

1.2 Learning difficulties encountered by primary students diagnosed with ADHD and ASD 8

1.2.1 Learning difficulties encountered by primary students diagnosed with ADHD ……… 8

1.2.2 Learning difficulties encountered by primary students

diagnosed with ASD ……… 9

1.3 English teacher training programs in Vietnam ……….………… 10

1.4 Problems encountered by English teachers in mainstream classrooms having students with ADHD and ASD ……… 13

1.5 Strategies applied in teaching English for students with ADHD and ASD …… 14

CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY ……… … 17

2.1 Research design ……… 17

2.2 Research participants and sampling ……… 17

2.3 Data collection procedure and methods ……… 18

2.4 Data analysis procedure and methods ……… 21

CHAPTER 3 RESULTS ……….……… 23

3.1 Teacher’s perceptions regarding teaching strategies used in her English classes with ADHD and ASD students ……….……… 23

3.1.1 Teacher’s understanding of ADHD and ASD ……… 24

3.1.2 Teacher’s understanding of teaching strategies ……… 26

3.1.2.1 Teacher’s definition of teaching strategies ……… 26

3.1.2.2 Teacher’s beliefs of features of teaching strategies ……… 26

3.1.3 Teacher’s perceptions of teaching strategies employed in her English classes with ADHD and ASD students ……… 28

3.1.4 Factors that hinder effective implementation of teaching strategies … 36

3.2 How the teacher’s perceptions are reflected in the ways she uses teaching strategies ……… ……… 40

3.2.1 The diversity of teaching strategies used in the classroom ……… 42

3.2.2 Teaching strategies utilized by the teacher in her English classrooms having ADHD and ASD students ……… 43

CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ……… 52

4.1 Teacher’s understanding of teaching strategies ……… 52

4.2 The diversity of teaching strategies applied to English classes with ADHD and ASD students ……… 52

4.3 Teacher’s combination of teaching strategies ……… 53

4.4 Teacher’s perceptions about the effectiveness of her applied teaching strategies ……… 55

4.5 Teacher’s use of behavioral strategies in English classes with ADHD and ASD students ……… 56

CONCLUSION ……….……… 57

REFERENCES ……… 62

APPENDIX ……… 73

TABLES AND FIGURES

TABLE

Table 1 Landmark National Laws, Policies, Regulations, and Circulars

Advancing Inclusive Education in Vietnam since 2006 (adapted from Nguyen

et al., 2020)

10

Table 2 Summary of classroom observation 21

Table 3 Strategies described in the interview and how they are reflected in the participant’s real English classrooms including students with ADHD and ASD 41

Table 4 Lesson procedure 49

Table 5 Qualitative coding scheme for interview data 77

FIGURE Figure 1 Core themes that feature teacher’s perceptions regarding teaching strategies used in her English classes with ADHD and ASD students

23

Figure 2 Aspects that lie in teacher’s understanding of ADHD and ASD 24

Figure 3.1 List of teaching strategies that were self-reported by the teacher 28

Figure 3.2 List of teaching strategies that were self-reported by the teacher (cont.) 33

Figure 4 Factors that were reported to hinder effective implementation of teaching strategies 37

Figure 5 List of teaching strategies that were applied to ADHD and ASD students in the teacher English classes 40

Figure 6.1 (Appendix B) Role of teacher & teacher talk - Competency 2.1 for

Primary Teachers - Domain 2 (in English Teacher Competency Framework)

75

Figure 6.2 (Appendix B) Learner Development - Competency 3.1 for Primary

Teachers - Domain 3 (in English Teacher Competency Framework)

76

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ASD Autism Spectrum Disorder

APA American Psychological Association

EFL English as Foreign Language

ELL English Language Learner

ETCF English Teacher Competency Framework

MOET Ministry of Education and Training (Vietnam) PPG Professional Practice Guidelines

SEN Special Educational Needs

SWD Students with Disabilities

In Vietnam, studies have reported an increased inclusion rate of ADHD and ASD students at the elementary level compared to the previous years (Pham, Nguyen & Tran, 2015) As the two disorders are associated with impairments of language comprehension, language use, processing, concentration and memory, young learners experience more difficulties in language learning, requiring extra help and instruction from teachers inside the classrooms (Amanda, 2016) The current context of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) with the implementation of communicative language teaching approach may even have more adverse impacts on these students with learning difficulties (Vu & Nguyen, 2020) As a result, English teaching becomes much more demanding as teachers are required to embrace multiple professional tasks: facilitating students’ learning, adapting learning environments to meet the needs of a range of pupils, transferring high-quality and effective instruction, monitoring students’ progress, and so on

Nonetheless, when ADHD and ASD learners are placed in a regular education class, the experience can be valuable or unfavorable depending on how well teachers accommodate them (Bender & Mathes, 1995; Hart & Whalon, 2011) The fact is that the child can be integrated in the class with the help provided by the teacher and

effective strategies to which the child is applied Hart and Whalon (2011) claimed that the evidence-based strategies that teachers execute determine the success of students with ADHD and ASD They again stressed the importance of teachers being exposed

to an array of teaching strategies coupled with research; it is then up to the teacher to make careful judgments on which strategy can be implemented based on teaching context and the students themselves With appropriate instructional and behavioral strategies and interventions, ADHD and ASD students can succeed in English learning

in mainstream settings and inclusive classrooms

It is integral for educators to not only recognize the value but also incorporate strategies in the classroom to create conducive environments for students with disabilities (SWD), ensure neurodiversity and equity, and improve their educational success (Lybarger-Monson, 2017; Hoffman, 2013) Guidelines and recommendations

to satisfy individual students, especially those diagnosed with behavioral, intellectual disabilities, though, are not adequately covered in training programs for pre-service and in-service teachers alike to help them respond to diversity as part of Vietnam English Teacher Competency Framework (ETCF, MOET 2012) (Vu & O’Rourke, 2013) Thus, Vietnamese teachers of English are put under pressure and tend to perceive themselves as unprepared when being assigned to teach these classes (Nguyen, Villa, Le, Thousand & Pham, 2020)

Teachers’ desire for greater teaching effectiveness necessitates the adequate provision of strategies and interventions to support both learners with and without symptoms of ADHD and ASD This need has become more urgent than ever due to the absence of a standardized framework as well as conflicting results yielded by previous studies (Howlin, 2013; Kagan & Kagan, 1998; Vasquez, 2009) Moreover, a wealth of research has failed to provide a sufficient amount of evidence-based strategies for primary EFL teachers In terms of students diagnosed with ADHD exclusively, to the best of my knowledge, apart from studies investigating effective intervention strategies

to manage and control their behaviors (DuPaul, Weyandt & Janusis, 2011), there is little research exploring strategies to improve their learning outcomes This present study, therefore, aims to fill all the research gaps above and helps teachers to overcome obstacles in order to make a difference in the field of education

2 Research aims and research questions

This study is expected to (1) identify perceptions of a Vietnamese primary English teacher regarding teaching strategies used in classes with ADHD and ASD students and (2) explore how teaching strategies that have been practically applied in the English classes reflect her perceptions

This study aims to respond to two research questions:

(1) What perceptions do the teacher have regarding teaching strategies used in her English classes with ADHD and ASD students?

(2) How are the teacher’s perceptions reflected in the way she uses teaching strategies?

3 Research scope

This study focused on a group of students with symptoms of ADHD and ASD who are learning EFL in elementary schools in Vietnam The specific number of these students and their background information would be included in Section 2.3 (Chapter 2) along with the demographic information of their English teacher They were officially diagnosed by experts and observed to exhibit core features of two disorders

in the classroom setting In the study, they would be the target for both the interview and classroom observation

4 Expected contribution of the research

1) This thesis will contribute to a large body of research investigating the use of teaching strategies in meeting the needs of children with ADHD and ASD, as well as those with learning disabilities in inclusive and general education;

2) The results of this study will raise institutional awareness of teacher competency framework, ADHD and ASD, especially emphasize the course designers’ attempts to modify the course content so as to better prepare pre-service teachers for increased diversity within classes and enhance their teaching competences;

3) It will also be a source of support for English teachers, especially those working in primary schools because their opinions will be considered The list of teaching strategies collected from field observation may be helpful for them to deal with their own problems in classes

CHAPTER 1 LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 Key concepts

1.1.1 Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, hereafter referred to as ADHD, is one of the most common disorders in the classroom (Sousa, 2001) Different researchers and authors have investigated and provided several definitions of ADHD Sousa (2001) points out:

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a syndrome that interferes with individual’s ability to focus (inattention), regulate activity level (hyperactivity), and inhibit behavior (impulsivity) It is one of the most common learning disorders in children and adolescents It affects an estimated 4.1 percent of youths ages 9 to 17 for

a period of a least six months (Sousa, 2001, p.47)

Present by the age of seven years old, ADHD symptoms should be apparent in more than one setting, for instance at home and in the classroom (Hanne, 2003) People with ADHD can also exhibit excessive distraction, and this is usually accompanied by impulsivity and hyperactivity With the tendency to be easily distracted by external stimuli, a short-term memory usually comes Children with ADHD act without thinking, are hyperactive, and have trouble focusing They are able

to comprehend what is expected from them but have trouble following through because they cannot sit still, pay attention, or attend to details (Douglas, 2005)

Three distinct types of the disorder have been established depending upon which symptoms are the strongest in the individual (Copeland & Love, 1992) These can be described as follows:

a) Predominantly inattentive type: it is challenging for the individual to organize

and complete a task, to pay attention to details, or to follow instructions or conversations

b) Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type: the person keeps fidgeting and

talking They find it hard to sit still for long (for instance when eating a meal or while doing homework) Small children may run around, jump uncontrollably, or climb constantly They feel restless, so may interrupt others a lot or speak at inappropriate times

c) A combined type of hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity: symptoms of the

above two types are equally predominant in the individual

In regard to the cause of ADHD, Sousa (2001) has stated that the exact cause of ADHD remains unknown There are probably several causes for this medical problem, for example: an imbalance in certain neurotransmitters that help the brain regulate focus and behavior, maternal smoking, exposure to toxic chemicals and so on Despite that, research on ADHD has increased in the last decades and emphasized that ADHD

is a complex problem (Villalobos, 2011)

1.1.2 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), like ADHD, is listed as one among the neurodevelopmental disorders in DSM-V that can be identified in childhood and adolescents (APA, 13) Children diagnosed with symptoms of ASD are essentially characterized by restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests or activities (for instance, rigid thinking patterns, excessive interest in a certain topic in addition to early signs of cognitive developmental delay and language deficits

With respect to classifying different types of ASD, doctors assigned three different levels 1, 2, 3 to two areas of functioning, namely social communication and

restricted/repetitive behaviors This numerical scale categorizes ASD patients based on signs and how much outside assistance an ASD person is likely to need in their daily life (APA, 2013)

1.1.3 Teaching strategies

Educationists hold different ideas of the concept “teaching strategy” In 1972,

Stones and Morris defined teaching strategy in the following words: “Teaching strategy is a generalized plan for a lesson which includes structure, instructional objectives and an outline of planned tactics, necessary to implement the strategy” It

generally refers to teachers’ consideration of some policies before delivering the content with the help of which teaching objectives are achieved Nevertheless, in essence, strategy changes corresponding to the situations In other words, it is context-based (Gill & Kusum, 2017) Therefore, other factors should be put into consideration

prior to teachers’ final decisions being made Uno (2008) explained it as “the means used by teachers to select learning activities that will be used in the learning process” after thoroughly considering “the circumstances, learning resources, needs and characteristics of learners”

This paper adopts the definition of “teaching strategies” proposed by Mohanty

(2011) which refer to “the structure, system, methods, techniques, procedures and processes that a teacher uses during the delivery of the instruction” A teaching

strategy includes teaching methods, techniques, aids material, tactics for framing such

a broad teaching learning structure as to help the learner in the realization of the set objectives (Kumar, 2012) Instructional strategies are varied in the consideration of such critical factors as the consideration of the teaching and learning context (i.e., class size, grade level, unit topic, teaching and learning resources), needs and characteristics

of target learners, and so on Identifying appropriate strategies will enable teachers to determine and develop the set of effective learning activities for their students

1.2 Learning difficulties encountered by primary students diagnosed with ADHD and ASD

Diagnostic criteria for ADHD and ASD suggest a range of difficulties in behavioral, emotional and academic aspects, including learning foreign languages (Leitner, 2014) Such problems have been periodically reported in studies over several decades Also, studies indicate a consistent profile of not only language impairments but also social impairments in children diagnosed with these disorders

1.2.1 Learning difficulties encountered by primary students diagnosed with ADHD

According to Harpin (2005), persistent features of ADHD interfere with their cognitive and functional development The majority of the symptoms will lead to serious consequences such as reduced school performance and academic attainment Furthermore, their insufficient self-application to complete tasks that require sustained effort is often interpreted as laziness, irresponsibility, or failure to cooperate

Stated by a 2016 study (Hawkins et al., 2016), as regards language learning, difficulties in both the formal learning of structure and the use of language in different contexts are common among learners with ADHD Pragmatic aspects of language, which involve impairments in the use of language in social communicative contexts such as maintaining appropriate topics, not talking excessively, turn-taking in conversations and interpreting non-verbal cues of others, are also seen in these children (Bishop & Baird, 2001; Bishop, 2000, as cited in Hawkins et al., 2016)

It is also worth mentioning their disruptive behaviors which raise the need for effective teaching intervention strategies and classroom management skills Their

behaviors can be “unpredictable, hostile and confrontational” and it seems they are

unable to reflect on and learn from their past mistakes (Mash and Wolfe, 2005; DuPaul

& Stoner, 2003) Children with ADHD often act immaturely and have difficulty

learning how to control their impulsiveness and hyperactivity Classroom contexts often trigger ADHD symptoms when students are required to sit still, be quiet and concentrate Provided the students try to do so, their symptoms can worsen, and this can damage their self-perception and self-esteem, as well as their relationships with teachers and peers (Gwernan-Jones et al., 2016; Henricsson & Rydell, 2004)

1.2.2 Learning difficulties encountered by primary students diagnosed with ASD

ASD is a complex disorder which might bring serious obstacles to the foreign language learning process Firstly, comprehension has become a major barrier for the ASD children Research proved that they often have problems in understanding written information, and in making inferences from texts (Nation, Clarke, Wright, & Williams, 2006) Substantially, impairments in social interaction and communication prevalent among ASD children clearly create pressing challenges in their language learning profile, especially when they are included in a normal class To be specific, students with ASD are less likely than other normally-developing peers to initiate conversations, respond appropriately to the conversational turns and be able to understand the intention and the illocutionary force of utterances (Mody & Belliveau, 2013)

ASD children’s communicative limitations or delayed language development are not caused by inadequate proficiency Instead, they result from a lack of competence

in social interaction and in understanding the purpose of communication, which in turn

is a result of their lack of reciprocity (Autism & Asperger, 2017) As a result, blending these disorders-challenged students in the regular English classes is definitely not an easy job as they could experience a sense of failure if they are expected to follow the curriculum for normal children

1.3 English teacher training programs in Vietnam

Throughout the history and evolution of services for SWD in Vietnam, the model

of IE has been believed to be the preferred mode of education for children with disabilities (Nguyen, Richard, Le, Jacqueline, & Pham, 2020) With endeavors to establish system-based changes, sustained commitment and vigilance is required to maintain any progress that has been made as well as expand inclusive opportunities countrywide Up to recent years, Vietnam has made such a public political commitment to IE, and MOET led the way (see Table 1) However, according to Nguyen and Nguyen (2013), the promulgation of any legal framework is just “a primary condition” to ensure effective and sustainable work to support people with disabilities Based on the legal framework as foundation, the education system should

be holistically and strategically improved, developed and coordinated in responding to the diverse needs of SWD

Table 1 Landmark National Laws, Policies, Regulations, and Circulars Advancing

Inclusive Education in Vietnam since 2006

Decision No 23

(June 22, 2006)

MOET issues regulations on the responsibilities of teachers and administrators and preschool, elementary and secondary general education institutions on inclusive education for SWD

Circular No 42

(December 31, 2013)

MOET, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MOLISA), and the Ministry of Finance (MIF) articulate policies regarding educational rights of individuals with disabilities including adaptation of curriculum and activities; university studies; and financial support for school supplies, equipment, and scholarships to allow for participation in education

Circular No 19 MOET and Ministry of Homeland Affairs (MOHA)

(June 22, 2016) establish a new job code for the training of staff (e.g.,

teachers) that supports the education of individuals with disabilities in educational institutions

Circular No 3

(January 29, 2018)

MOET issues regulations regarding inclusive education for persons with disabilities, which specifies responsibilities of teachers and administrators to keep information regarding children with disabilities confidential and their responsibilities and rights in implementing competency-based educational reform This circular also describes establishing within educational settings the resources—materials, specialized equipment, assessment checklists to determine student’s abilities, counseling technical assistance personnel—to enable educators to support students with disabilities in their schools and classrooms

Decision 2913

(August 10, 2018)

MOET issues 5 detailed syllabi and accompanying guidelines for inclusive education modules for preschool, primary, and secondary teacher training programs in Vietnamese colleges and universities

of inclusive education

(Adapted from Nguyen et al., 2020)

The investigation into different training programs and courses of pre-service English teachers provided by major universities in Vietnam reflects an incoordination with overall policy, requirements, practices which were formulated by government education departments There is a body of research uncovering the tension between

what has been stated in the documents or policies and real situations In Vietnam, uneven teacher professional development has still been so prevalent that over 70% of teacher respondents reported their lack of necessary training on teaching students with special learning needs in one study conducted by UNESCO (2015) Found in Nguyen

et al (2020) was that qualified teachers were in exceedingly short supply in nearly three quarters (72.3%) schools For every seven teachers in primary schools, only one teacher accounting for a meager 14.1% has received training to teach SWD It can be explained that many colleges and universities have recently required GE candidates to take less than three courses relating to teaching SWD generally and those with ADHD and ASD specifically University of Languages and International Studies, the faculty

of Special Education in Ho Chi Minh University of Education (Department of SE, 2020), the one of Hanoi National University of Education (the Faculty of SE, 2019) can be some among many representations

In spite of enhanced political focus, there seems to be a discrepancy between the overall visions of the development of inclusive education and the teachers’ teaching routines and practices Teachers in different countries ask for more knowledge and education regarding inclusion, especially for ADHD and ASD students (Molbæk, 2017) The same situation has been plaguing Vietnamese teachers Due to the lack of professional training, they would be brought under extra pressure when facing unexpected situations which can possibly adversely impact teaching efficacy and lead

to poor learning performance of the whole class

Teacher’s difficulties and burnout in teaching EFL for those with ADHD and ASD included in regular classes along with possible strategies that have been applied in real practice will be further discussed in the next sections

1.4 Problems encountered by English teachers in mainstream classrooms having students with ADHD and ASD

The inclusion of pupils with ADHD and ASD in mainstream primary schools can present unique problems and tension for teachers A study conducted by Sari, Zaini, and Suarja (2017) showed that the problems were students-related These issues were classified into students’ internal factors (vision and hearing ability, attitude, intellectual level…) and students’ external factors (social environment, family, school, friend…) Contrarily, Edward (2015) discovered that the issues lie in the educators Poor pedagogical knowledge and lack of in-service training among teachers reduced their readiness and confidence level in order to tackle these special children In line with Edward’s work, another study found that the problem which arises in the teaching and learning process is because of the teachers’ lack of experience (Ferbalinda, 2016) Similarly, in Vietnam, the lack of authentic information and professional training resulted in English teachers’ limited knowledge and capacity required to handle classes with SWD There is even an inadequate understanding of ASD and ADHD, leading to the deeply-ingrained social stigma and discrimination against these disadvantaged children, even among pre-service teachers who have serious misconceptions about the cause, diagnosis, treatment and interventions, especially among elementary teachers Their understanding is rather erroneous which chiefly lies

in the classroom management skills and intervention skills for children with these disorders (UNICEF, 2015)

This issue has even been exacerbated by traditional large class size commonly observed in primary schools (around 40 students/class) Vietnamese teachers have no choice but to adopt low-level teaching strategies such as lecturing in which teachers become the only ones presenting and instructing Otherwise, it would result in the low

or uneven participation of students, which was also mentioned by Ur (1996)

1.5 Strategies applied in teaching English for students with ADHD and ASD

One of the most popular strategy frameworks known as providing enormous assistance for struggling young ELLs with ADHD is of multisensory approaches These approaches were promoted by Dal (2008) and Sousa (2001) and supported by the study of Amend et al (2009) (as cited in Tolbert, Killu & Lazarus, 2015) Multi-sensory approaches feature accommodations to learning strategies and resources depending upon learning preference, for example: teaching presentation in at least three basic learning modalities (auditory, visual and tactile) (Gadt-Johnson & Price, 2000); designing different activities, and so on

Multisensory-based modifications used to be experimented with SWD in the USA who were learning Spanish as a foreign language Sparks & Ganschow (1993) found that they were highly effective to teach phonological skills, resulting in improved the phonemic awareness of students in both Spanish and English Multi-sensory teaching modalities are also scientifically proved to be beneficial to increase memory function

of ADHD and ASD students (Moreno & Mayer, 2007; Medina, 2008) In some other foreign language courses, students were offered chances to take part in games These

“learning by doing” activities stimulated students’ mental, cognitive development, created more opportunities for them to practice the target languages in a multi-modal environment (physical movement, sound, vision) without feeling anxious and afraid of speaking an alien language

According to Ford (2013), there are four recommendable strategies for teaching students with learning disabilities including ADHD and ASD, namely (1) co-teaching, (2) differentiated instruction, (3) peer-mediated instruction and (4) interventions Described in the study of Ford (2013), co-teaching is a strategy in which a teacher

is principally responsible for conducting all instruction in the classroom He is simultaneously given supplementary assistance by another teacher Another model is parallel teaching where the two teachers work together in planning and designing the

lessons before the class is split into 2 separate groups, each of which is taught by one teacher The benefit of this model is that each group can get each other’s expertise in addition to being able to have discussions and work in small groups The other model

of co-teaching is a model where one teacher is responsible to prepare the main teaching and to do re-teaching if it is needed to provide additional support for students with learning disabilities

Another individualized strategy for these students can be in the form of differentiated instruction It is the instruction provided to students based on their wide ranging needs in the same classroom Tomlinson (1999, 2001) offered three methods for any curricular element that specify modifying the content, the process of learning, and the final product They embody fundamental principles of Universal Design Learning, a framework successful for all students, particularly those with disabilities in general education settings (Pisha & Coyne, 2001) Therefore, despite its complexity and high demand for commitment, differentiated instruction reaches its position of the most effective treatment in dealing with students in an inclusive environment

Peer-mediated instruction is another set of alternative teaching strategies that employs students as instructors Their learning responsibilities change the teacher’s duty from a primary provider to a facilitator of instruction (Ford, 2013) The peer can provide instruction directly through peer teaching or tutoring or indirectly through modelling either about academic matters or dealing with social matters Previous studies have indicated the beneficial application of this strategy in GE without identified difficulties (Elbaum et al., 1999, as cited in Ford, 2013) Applying peer-supported approaches is of fundamental help to reduce the anxiety level for SWD who are being overwhelmed by the complexity of course material and to allow them to gain more meaningful practice and create social relationships

Given the dilemma faced up by English teachers at primary schools in Vietnam who wish to fully accommodate ADHD and ASD students but do not have adequate

specialized knowledge, skills and techniques, this study is carried out to explore their perceptions and available teaching strategies applied to their inclusive English classrooms with ADHD and ASD students Consequently, they will be supported in pursuing the students’ unique needs and the demands of the society Teachers can make their voices be heard and update effective strategies of teaching to improve the teaching and-learning quality and efficiency for all learners regardless of their conditions Furthermore, the findings of this small-scale study could be compared to those of other studies done in different parts of the world Subsequently, the generalizability of the results could be strengthened, the interventions and strategies in other countries could be taken into account when making recommendations for Vietnam

Flyvbjerg (2006) stated that: “The advantage of the case study is that it can “close in” on real-life situations and test views directly in relation to phenomena as they unfold in practice” Likewise, case studies examine the interplay of all variables to

provide a thorough understanding of a specific situation (Yin, 1984) The information will not be taken out of context and the study includes multiple variables and runs deep As a result, case study is considered the optimal method for this study

2.2 Research participants and sampling

EFL teachers working in elementary schools in Vietnam are identified as the population of this study It is then narrowed down into the case study of one English teacher working in a primary school in Vietnam

Snowball sampling strategy is utilized to select the case study for the data collection procedure Snowball sampling is a recruitment technique among convenience sampling methods, in which research participants are asked to assist researchers in identifying other potential subjects (Polit-O’Hara & Beck, 2006) It is applied when it is difficult to access subjects with the target characteristics By using this method, the existing study subjects recruit future subjects among their acquaintances It is efficient and cost-effective to approach people who would otherwise be unattainable considering the sensitivity of the topic itself (Polit-O’Hara & Beck, 2006) This method not only takes little time but also provides the researcher with the opportunity to communicate better with the samples, as they are acquaintances of the first sample, and the first sample is connected with the researcher (Hejazi, 2006)

The teacher taking part in this study as a case study has the highest educational attainment of bachelor She has about 20 years of teaching experience and 7 years of working with primary-aged English ADHD and ASD learners She has no additional qualifications related to SE or students with learning disabilities For the time being, she is in charge of teaching English in seven fifth-grade classes, two among which have students presenting symptoms of ADHD and ASD 2 students with ADHD and ASD are in each class These two classes are labelled as A1 and A2 respectively

2.3 Data collection procedure and methods

The data collection process started on 16th December until 30th December, 2020 At the selected school, the participant was briefed on the topic of the study as well as the purpose of the study The researcher spent two days at the school conducting interviews and then doing observations In case the participant had any additional concerns or questions relevant to the study, the researcher could answer on the spot or invite the participant to send through an online platform

Phase 1: Interview

This study firstly aims to uncover perceptions harbored by Vietnamese primary English teachers regarding applied teaching strategies in English classes with ADHD and ASD students To this end, a semi-structured interview would be carried out Semi-structured interview is chosen considering many of its advantages, which are: allowing (1) the researcher to prepare a set of core questions ahead of time, (2) informants to express their viewpoints in their own terms, (3) two-way communication between interviewers and respondents, (4) providing reliable, comparable and qualitative data (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009)

The interview guide was firstly drafted and piloted with a primary EFL teacher who did not take part in the official interview for necessary modifications Then, it was finalized by the researcher In order to have the interview data captured more effectively, all of the respondent’s responses were recorded under her approval which were then analyzed and transcribed verbatim

The interview protocol (Appendix 1) consists of three parts presented below:

Section A: Background information

The first section of the interview was designed to elicit the demographic and personal data on the teacher It has seven questions to obtain demographic information

of the respondent in the following general areas: (1) highest academic qualifications in the field of English language teaching, (2) educational level(s) she is teaching, (3) years of teaching, (4) subjects that she has taught, (5) additional qualifications in SE or teaching students with learning disabilities, (6) her previous experience with training

on inclusive education and relevant practices, (7) her previous experience with training

on ADHD and ASD students

Section B: Teacher’s understanding ADHD and ASD students and perceptions of applied teaching strategies in her current English classes

Section B of the interview is constructed directly aiming at providing results for Research question (1) It is divided into two sub-parts More specifically:

(1) Part 1: It consists of four questions First, the respondent is encouraged to reflect on her knowledge of ADHD and ASD The second question is prepared to gather data on sources from which the teacher obtained his/her knowledge The two next questions throw light on her beliefs about whether these disorders exert an impact

self-on learning needs and outcomes of learners

(2) Part 2: A set of ten questions is developed in which the focus is teacher’s perceptions about the nature of teaching strategies as well as strategies applied in the English classrooms with students diagnosed with ADHD and ASD Strategies employed by the respondent to help students achieve learning objectives as well as to increase the teaching efficacy are brought to light Some questions are added to give more insights on the effectiveness of strategies perceived by the teacher herself Prior to pursuing this study, permission was obtained from the board of the elementary school where the participant has been working in A participant information sheet of the instrument explaining the purpose and importance of the study was also included in the packet This sheet of information sheet and consent form for the teacher were mailed to her two days prior to the official interview day On that day, all of the necessary documents were also translated into Vietnamese

Phase 2: Classroom Observation

Classroom observation was conducted with a view to answering the second research question Classroom observation and its procedures are believed to offer the

observers “the potential for observing natural or true behaviors, for collecting focused data for reflection on the area of concern, for perceiving the happenings in a

systematic way in order to understand and analyze them” (Wajnryb, 1992) Therefore,

they are suitable for watching the classroom and seeing what goes on in it for the purpose of continued learning and exploration (Zaare, 2013)

In-class observation notes were taken during the classroom procedure; audio and visual recordings were also collected under the participant’s permission for analyzing

in greater depth Combining these forms of data collection is expected to help the researcher to provide a detailed written record of what strategies the selected teacher employs in real practices and how they are conducted putting in mind the distinctive needs of those with ADHD and ASD

The following table summarizes background information of classes involved in the data collection and analysis procedure

Table 2 Summary of classroom observation

Classes Numbers of learners per class Times of observation

2.4 DATA ANALYSIS PROCEDURE AND METHODS

After having finished the collection process, between January and February 2021, the thematic analysis proposed by Braun and Clarke (2006) was applied to analyze qualitative data gathered in the interview Firstly, I read and familiarized myself with all the data I then translated them into English and explored all the responses, which was followed by creating initial codes by highlighting key and relevant supporting ideas The coded information was reviewed in order to identify recurring themes Next, based on the research questions and purposes, I selected the most important themes to

report in the final report Samples of coded text and examples of core themes are chosen and included in Table 5 (Appendix 3)

With respect to data of classroom observation along with written field notes, the teacher’s observed activities were analyzed, grouped and/or categorized into specific types of strategies with their detailed steps This draft list was given to the teacher to re-check and clarify ambiguous points if necessary The researcher then finalized the final version which can be used to compare with data collected from the semi-structured interview and to suggest changes to ETCF

Figure 1 Core themes that feature teacher’s perceptions regarding teaching

strategies used in her English classes with ADHD and ASD students

1 Teacher’s perceptions regarding teaching strategies used in her

English classes with ADHD and ASD students

of teaching strategies

1.3 Teacher’s perceptions of teaching strategies employed

in her English classes with ADHD and ASD students

1.4 Factors that hinder effective implementation

of teaching strategies

3.1.1 Teacher’s understanding of ADHD and ASD

Based on the data gathered in part 1, section B of the interview, five fundamental aspects were discovered and grouped into the teacher’s understanding of two disorders ADHD and ASD (see Figure 2), which would be further discussed in this part

Figure 2 Aspects that lie in teacher’s understanding of ADHD and ASD

The responses indicated that the participant understood these two disorders, particularly from a brain dysfunctional point of view The teacher knew that these disorders affect the brain As a result, she attributed learners’ undesirable behaviors and cognitive challenges to structural brain abnormalities caused by ADHD and ASD

These disorders are nothing but concerned with the brain […] Students with

these disorders are those who have abnormalities inside their brains which

1.1 Teacher's understanding

of ADHD and ASD

Impacts on students:

from a brain dysfunctional viewpoint

Potential cause: genes

Primary symtoms and manifestations

Classifications:

severity levels and core symptoms

Treatment and interventions:

education and medical supports

lead to their behavioral disorders […] So they don’t do things on purpose but

the brain malfunction is to blame for their uncontrollable and undesirable

manners

She also knew that both conditions may be linked to genetics and heredity While the exact causes of ADHD and ASD remain unknown, multiple studies have supported the possibility of common genetic origins for both disorders (Gargaro et al, 2010; Rommelse et al, 2011, as cited in Davis & Kollins, 2012) She associated these disorders with a range of severity levels and the external manifestation of symptoms, and argued that the former aspect significantly determines the latter Not being an expert in the field, she has succeeded in discovering the nature of the disorders because the symptoms are changing over time and among different individuals

She acknowledged that educational interventions in combination with other evidence-based medical supports are warranted for the normal development of school-aged children with ADHD and ASD Medical supports involve getting a correct diagnosis, drug prescription and psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy

I assume that the children with mild/very mild levels of (ADHD), if teachers, schools and parents effectively collaborate to provide them with appropriate educational approaches, they are also taken to the psychiatrists who are certified and experienced to diagnose, prescribe medication and provide treatment, they can fully develop […] With early diagnosis, effective medical treatment and therapy, societal and parental support, those with mild severity can socialize very well Some students of these kinds are so smart, they can learn well, they excel at some certain areas, to be exact

She expressed to be knowledgeable about symptoms, potential causes, possible impacts and interventions From her insights, she did not only focus on external manifestations but also additional core aspects related to these disorders Since neurodevelopmental disorders including ADHD and ASD require maximum classroom

support from the teacher in order to achieve equal learning, the teacher’s understanding was deemed to be imperative in her application of teaching strategies to accommodate learners with ADHD and ASD in the mainstream environment (Bradshaw & Kamal, 2013)

3.1.2 Teacher’s understanding of teaching strategies

3.1.2.1 Teacher’s definition of teaching strategies

When asked how teaching strategies can be defined, the participant described them

as a series of methods chosen by educators with their students within the classroom She also stated that instructional strategies should be implemented for specified teaching and learning objectives, for example, delivering subject content to the class or managing in-class behaviors She also mentioned teachers’ preparedness in terms of selecting and getting ready to use any strategies Although key variables in the teaching situation that affect educators’ informed decisions such as the characteristics

of the learners, class size were being ignored, the way the teacher defined strategies of teaching shows that this concept is relatively well understood

Teaching strategies, it kind of abstract … from my point of view, … err…, are methods which are used by the teacher in the classroom for her/his teaching objectives, meaning they must definitely serve some purposes [ ] It can be ways that the teachers prepared beforehand to impart the subject matter to the students, to organize in-class activities and may be to manage students’ behaviors

3.1.2.2 Teacher’s beliefs of features of teaching strategies

The teacher claimed that there has never been any strategy considered as “the most effective teaching strategy” Considering the unpredictability of behaviors manifested

by students with ADHD and ASD, it is advisable for educators to equip themselves with more than one solution to ensure the particular needs and behaviors of

ADHD/ASD students would be appropriately and contingently addressed Essentially, the investigation into different strategies may benefit teachers the most when dealing with challenging behaviors and supporting positive ones

Due to the varying nature of their symptoms, there must be a wide range of applicable strategies for each situation For example, in today’s lesson, punitive methods that used to be applied no longer work so I have to select another one like giving rewards and compliments In another lesson, they suddenly shout out, other students immediately lose their focus and I can’t continue teaching I will patiently ask the class to keep silent, isolate him from the crowd, lead him to an empty corner, let him listen to music and make him calm Whether one strategy

is successful or not depends on how the children react to this on each different day As a result, we need to be flexible and it’s impossible to decide on the most effective strategy

When asked about the implementation of any instructional strategies in the teaching stage, she indicated that she rarely planned lessons beforehand as it was common for a designed lesson to deviate from what were originally planned due to unexpected interfering children’s behaviors and other factors Consequently, she believed that teachers should be willing to adopt teaching strategies in creative and versatile ways to keep up with changes in the classroom

pre-At the moment I start one particular lesson, numerous coping plans automatically pop up in my mind I have ideas available in my head I don’t need to prepare them before class at home because the students’ actions and behaviors are different from those observed in the day before They change every day It mainly relies on each teacher’s creativity

3.1.3 Teacher’s perceptions of teaching strategies employed in her English classes with ADHD and ASD students

Several teaching strategies were described along with the functions, characteristics and effectiveness of each which were assessed by the teacher herself (Figure 3.1 and 3.2)

Figure 3.1 List of teaching strategies that were self-reported by the teacher

Cooperative learning

Cooperative Learning (CL) is one of the most prevailing educational practices in the classroom that could have positive implications for the child with ADHD CL involves students working in small, organized groups to achieve shared goals It is

Cooperative learning

• Successfully applied to ADHD students

• Ability-based grouping, mixed-ability grouping

Visual and auditory aids

• Visual aids: slides, colorful pictures, images

• Music: combined with games or as a single therapy

Task and assessment modification

• No need to change language components in the current curriculum

• Changes of task completion requirements

• Modifications of tests

Repeating and modelling instructions

• Occasionally

• Give verbal prompts if necessary

• Repeat the instructions and model the tasks

broadly recognized as a teaching strategy that promotes learning and socialization among students of all ages and across various subject domains (Capodieci, Rivetti & Cornoldi, 2016)

The participant reported having been successful in accommodating learners with ADHD using this teaching strategy In completing tasks with other learners, these ADHD students were seen to be more self-controlled This strategy also helped to increase their attention span and focus more on the task given It may be explained that learners feel more responsible for the group work and desire to cooperate with their peers to make a contribution to the overall outcome

Actually, these students prefer group works By working in groups, they desire

to contribute to the group, they raise their hands many times, […] These activities prevent them from having disruptive behaviors and kindle their learning interest I have applied this technique with a few cases

The teacher did not implement cooperative teaching methods in such a random way

of grouping She followed the practice of placing students based on personal judgment

of their proficiency levels and combining those with dissimilar academic abilities together It can be called “mixed-ability grouping” The teacher described this kind of heterogeneous student grouping as a helpful strategy for learners with ADHD in regular classes, as being grouped with peers having better academic skills can support their learning, increase meaningful peer interactions, reduce off-task behaviors and maintain better discipline in the class

Or I can place him/her in a group In this group, there are students who have better academic ability A few previous years, my class had one boy who just hid under the table, closed the book, and was sulky I let him sit in a group with 2-3 gentle and kind girl friends who kept consoling, admonishing him and helped him to learn also In general, in a class, I usually gather some female students