the challenges of designing and delivering an appropriate english as a modern foreign language

314 Pages·2017·2.59 MB·English

by  Al Abrawi, Nasra

THE CHALLENGES OF DESIGNING AND DELIVERING AN
APPROPRIATE ENGLISH AS A MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGE
CURRICULUM FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN IN OMAN

NASRA AL ABRAWI

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Liverpool
John Moores University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

July 2017

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Abstract

This study examines stakeholders’ experiences of the English primary curriculum
reform of grades 3 and 4 in Omani state schools. At the macro level, it examines the
impetus for reform and its aims. At the micro level, it examines the challenges and
opportunities teachers experienced, the quality of support and training they received
from supervisors and trainers, and the views of both students and their parents.

A mixed methods design was adopted, using questionnaires, focus group interviews
and one-to-one interviews. Phase 1 involved a scoping exercise in the Muscat (capital
city) region through the collection of data vis-à-vis a questionnaire from primary school
children (n=151) in years 3 and 4 and their parents (n=126). English teachers (n=5)
were also interviewed in five schools.

In Phase 2, emerging themes from Phase 1 were explored in greater depth through a
questionnaire completed by primary school children (n=210) and their parents (n=191)
from the AL Dahira region. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with students
(n=13) from the Muscat and AL Dahira regions. Three focus group interviews were
conducted with English teachers (n=15) in three regions (Muscat, AL Sharqia South
and AL Dahira regions) supplemented with semi-structured interviews with
policymakers (n=2), supervisors (n=3) and trainers (n=3) from the three regions.

Although the findings indicated that progress had been achieved in introducing shared
writing, reading time, vocabulary and grammar rules in grades 3 and 4 (reform), the
findings also suggested that a number of challenges were identified. Teachers’ views
about much of the contents of the compulsory school textbook in relation to choice of
topics, the development of the productive skills, lack of resources, and problems with
assessment were overwhelmingly negative. The gap between policymakers and
teaching communities was also observed, where the latter emphasised the fact that
they were not part of curriculum development process. Furthermore, it seems that
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curriculum reform was neither adequately underpinned by theoretical principles, nor
supported with appropriate teacher development. Nonetheless, the study found a high
level of enthusiasm for English learning amongst students and their parents.

In essence, the study established tensions between the intended, written, supported
and taught curricula, which have significant implications for future curriculum
development.

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Liverpool John Moores University Faculty of Education, Health and Community
Acknowledgements

As my dissertation journey comes to a close, I owe much to many people who have
accompanied me on this journey and supported me throughout the process. Without
them, I could not even have come close to finishing it.

First, Dr Gillian Peiser, my supervisor for her continuous encouragement, support and
guidance throughout the project. Her guidance and support have been unparalleled; I
could not have grown intellectually without her. She was always there when I needed
her, and I learned a tremendous amount from her. Her dedication, work ethic, passion,
high standards, and personality set an example for me that I will strive to emulate all
my life.

I also owe a great debt of gratitude to Professor Marion Jones for her support during
my first years in this study. She was always helpful and generous. I gained invaluable
experience from working closely with her.

I wish to say a big thank you to my closest friends Wafa, Sara and Dung for their
support and friendship during my stay in the UK.

I would also like to thank my parents for their prayers and support.

Words cannot describe how much I owe to my husband. He has made immeasurable
sacrifices for me. He was always there when I needed him, and he encouraged me to
do my best. When I would lose confidence or was ready to give up, he would motivate
me to continue. This work is dedicated to my loving children Suhaib, Waqas, Abrar and
Retaj whom I owe many thanks, I can hardly express in words.

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I would like to thank all of the participants who participated in the study for their
enthusiasm and willingness to help, without this, the study would not have been made
possible.

Finally, the ultimate gratitude is to ALLAH, who has made all possible.

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Contents

Abstract ....................................................................................................................... ii
Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... iv
Contents ..................................................................................................................... vi
Lists of Tables ............................................................................................................ xi
Lists of Figures .......................................................................................................... xii
Abbreviation ............................................................................................................. xiii

CHAPTER 1: Introduction ........................................................................................ 1
1.1 General Background ..................................................................................... 3
1.1.1 Education in Oman: A Brief History ........................................................... 3
1.1.2 Structure of the Omani Education System ................................................. 5
1.2 History of the English Curriculum in Oman ................................................... 7
1.2.1 Reforming the English Curriculum ............................................................. 8
1.3 The Assessment System in the English Primary Curriculum ...................... 11
1.4 Teachers and Their Qualifications and Training in Oman ........................... 12
1.4.1 Pre-service Training ................................................................................ 13
1.4.2 Basic Education and In-service Training ................................................. 14
1.5 The Role of the Supervisors and Trainers ................................................... 15
1.6 Summing Up ............................................................................................... 17
1.7 Purpose and Rationale of the Study ............................................................ 18
1.8 Research Questions .................................................................................... 19
1.9 Structure of the Thesis ................................................................................ 20
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CHAPTER 2: The Literature Review ....................................................................... 22
2.1 Modern Foreign Language (MFL) Education for Primary School Children .. 22
2.1.1 The Age Issue ......................................................................................... 23
2.1.2 Empirical Studies on the Benefits of Learning an MFL at Primary School
24
2.1.3 Principles for Designing an MFL Curriculum for Primary School Aged
Children .............................................................................................................. 30
2.1.4 Developing Linguistic Skills ..................................................................... 35
2.1.5 The Receptive Skills: Listening and Reading .......................................... 36
2.1.6 The Productive Skills: Speaking and Writing ........................................... 39
2.1.7 Vocabulary and Grammar ....................................................................... 41
2.1.8 Assessment ............................................................................................. 43
2.2 Teacher Training ......................................................................................... 49
2.2.1 Teacher Training and Development Issues ............................................. 49
2.2.2 Teacher Training or Teacher Education? ................................................ 50
2.2.3 Teachers’ Knowledge and Skills .............................................................. 52
2.2.4 Beliefs ...................................................................................................... 57
2.2.5 Identity ..................................................................................................... 59
2.2.6 Reflective Practice ................................................................................... 60
2.2.7 The Significance of Practical Experience ................................................ 61
2.2.8 Professional Development Programmes for In-Service Teachers ........... 62
2.2.9 In-Service Training and Teacher Professionalism ................................... 67
2.2.10 Community of Practice ......................................................................... 70
2.3 Curriculum Reform and Development ......................................................... 73
2.3.1 Political and Economic Perspectives ....................................................... 74
2.3.2 Educational Perspectives ........................................................................ 77
2.3.3 Curriculum Planning and Development ................................................... 78
2.3.4 Tensions between the Intended and Implemented Curricula ................... 81
2.3.5 Teachers’ Roles in Curriculum Reform .................................................... 84
2.3.6 Challenges of Curriculum Implementation ............................................... 86
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CHAPTER 3: Methodology ...................................................................................... 89
3.1 My Ontological Position ............................................................................... 90
3.2 Methodological Approach ............................................................................ 92
3.3 Research Design and Methods ................................................................... 94
3.3.1 One-to-one Interviews with Teachers ...................................................... 96
3.3.2 One-to-One Interviews with Policymakers ............................................... 97
3.3.3 Survey Questionnaire with Children and the Parents .............................. 97
3.3.4 Interviews with Children ......................................................................... 100
3.3.5 Focus Group Discussions ...................................................................... 101
3.3.6 One-to-One Interviews with Supervisors and Trainers .......................... 102
3.4 Participant Sample .................................................................................... 102
3.5 Ethical Considerations .............................................................................. 105
3.5.1 Informed Consent of Children ................................................................ 108
3.6 Data Analysis ............................................................................................ 110
3.7 Quality Issues: Trustworthiness ................................................................ 115

CHAPTER 4: Results and Analysis ...................................................................... 118
4.1 The purpose of English and the Primary Curriculum ................................. 118
4.1.1 The Purpose of English as an MFL at Primary School .......................... 119
4.1.2 Reasons for Changing the Curriculum ................................................... 119
4.1.3 Teacher Development ........................................................................... 121
4.1.4 Meeting Primary Learners’ and Teachers’ Needs .................................. 127
4.1.5 Policymakers’ Views about Curriculum Officers .................................... 129
4.2 Opportunities and Challenges of Curriculum Implementation ................... 131
4.2.1 Missed Opportunities in Recent Curriculum Reforms ............................ 132
4.2.2 Challenges Faced by Teachers in Relation to the More Recently
Developed Curriculum ...................................................................................... 134
4.3 The Nature of Training and Supervising Teachers .................................... 163
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4.3.1 Nature of In-service Training Courses in the Three Regions ................. 164
4.3.2 Course Content within the Three Regions ............................................. 167
4.3.3 Views about Effective Training .............................................................. 173
4.3.4 Problems with Training Programmes ..................................................... 179
4.3.5 The Role of Supervisors in Curriculum Implementation ......................... 182
4.3.6 The Importance of Working in Partnership ............................................ 187
4.4 Questionnaires .......................................................................................... 190
4.4.1 Findings from the Student Questionnaire and One-to-one Interviews ... 192
4.4.2 Parents' Questionnaire .......................................................................... 206

CHAPTER 5: Discussion ....................................................................................... 211
5.1 Answering the Research Questions .......................................................... 212
5.2 Understanding Curriculum and Instruments of Curricular Regulation: Useful
Conceptual Frameworks ...................................................................................... 214
5.3 A Heightened Understanding of the Key Challenges in the Primary MFL
‘English Curriculum’ ............................................................................................. 216
5.3.1 The Intended Curriculum ....................................................................... 216
5.3.2 The Written Curriculum .......................................................................... 218
5.3.3 The Supported Curriculum .................................................................... 225
5.3.4 The Taught and Learned Curricula ........................................................ 226
5.4 Training and Professional Development ................................................... 228
5.5 Supervision and Assessment of Education ............................................... 230
5.6 How Could Professional Development Establish a Good Fit between
Different Types of Curricula? ............................................................................... 232

CHAPTER 6: Conclusion ...................................................................................... 236
6.1 Revisiting the Aims of the Study................................................................ 236
6.2 My Learning Journey and Implications for my Professional Practice ........ 237
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6.3 Limitations and Further Areas of Research ............................................... 237
6.4 Recommendations for Future Curriculum Development ........................... 238

References .............................................................................................................. 241
Appendices .............................................................................................................. 275
Appendix-1: Interview Themes for English Teachers ........................................... 275
Appendix-2: Interview Schedule for Policymakers ............................................... 276
Appendix-3: Questionnaire .................................................................................. 277
Appendix-4: Interview Schedule for One -to-one Interview with Students............ 282
Appendix-5: Interview Schedule for Supervisors and Trainers ............................ 283
Appendix-6: Letter to Ministry of Education ......................................................... 284
Appendix-7: Invitation for Policymakers ............................................................... 287
Appendix-8: Participant Information Sheet ........................................................... 289
Appendix-9: Consent Form for Policymakers ....................................................... 291
Appendix-10: Consent Form for Supervisors and Trainers .................................. 292
Appendix-11: Consent Form for English Teachers .............................................. 293
Appendix-12: Letter to Head Teachers ................................................................ 294
Appendix-13: Consent Form for Head Teachers ................................................. 297
Appendix-14: Consent Form for Children ............................................................. 298
............................................................................................................................. 298
Appendix-15: Rating Scale for Grades 3-4 .......................................................... 300

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