The International Journal of Pedagogy and Curriculum...THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PEDAGOGY AND CURRICULUM Connelly (1987) on the other hand, used the term ‘images’ to refer to

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Pre-service Teachers’ Reflection on the Use of Self-developed English Language Teaching Materials for English as a Second Language StudentsNORIAH ISMAIL, INTAN SAFINAS MOHD ARIFF ALBAKRI, NORMAH ISMAIL, AND SUPYAN HUSSIN

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Pre-service Teachers’ Reflection on the Use of

Self-developed English Language Teaching

Materials for English as a Second Language

Students

Noriah Ismail, Universiti Teknologi MARA—Johor, Malaysia

Intan Safinas Mohd Ariff Albakri, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia

Normah Ismail, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia

Supyan Hussin, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia

Abstract: This case study presents the reflection and perceptions of twelve pre-service ESL teachers from Universiti

Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) on the use of self-developed ELT resources and materials for language classrooms

courses in real classroom environments. This study explores the pre-service teachers’ cognition, which is defined as an

integrated system of beliefs, assumptions, and knowledge (BAK) to discover whether their teaching experiences altered

their conceptions about the two different sets of ELT materials they developed (the theme-based and the ordinary/non-

theme based) and used for Form One secondary school students based on their retrospective reflections and comments

after the implementation of the materials in the classroom context. The findings indicate that the pre-service ESL

teachers perceived the importance of the use of theme-based, authentic, familiar/suitable (Malaysian) contexts in

developing effective teaching material. They also reflected on the significance of the use of the integrated approach and

cooperative learning activities in planning their lessons as well as the need to consider the learners’ interest towards the

materials used.

Keywords: Theme-based Teaching Materials, ESL, ELT, Teacher Cognition, BAK

Introduction

eachers’ beliefs and perceptions are the key core concepts that underlie teachers’

cognition about teaching and learning. Pajares (1992) made a significant contribution to

the theoretical understanding of the concept of teachers’ beliefs. In his review of the

literature on teachers’ beliefs he argued that research has shown that beliefs underlie teachers’

perceptions, judgments as well as classroom behaviours. However, Pajares stated that defining

teachers’ beliefs is complex because the term itself is too broad. Borg (2003:23) defines teachers’

beliefs as “an individual’s judgment that can only be inferred from a collective understanding of

what human beings say, intend, and do”.

Several studies on teachers’ beliefs in the field of teacher cognition, however, have focused

on distinguishing the complex difference between knowledge and beliefs. Shavelson and Stern

(1981) for instance, argued that teachers resorted to the beliefs they held about teaching and

learning when making decisions if they have no knowledge about a particular topic. While

Nisbett and Ross (1980) and Clarks and Peterson (1986) described knowledge as referring to

‘schematic cognitive structure’ and beliefs as ‘propositions of the characteristics of the objects’.

Despite the distinction given between knowledge and beliefs, many researchers in the field

of teacher cognition have focused on the blurred distinction between both phenomena. One of the

clearest ways of showing the complexity in distinguishing beliefs and knowledge is the usage of

various terms that have been introduced in the field of teacher cognition to represent the two

concepts. Among the terms used are ‘conceptions’ (Freeman & Richards, 1996) and

‘preconceptions’ (Wubbels, 1992). Leinhardt (1988) presented the concept of ‘situated

knowledge’ and ‘context-free knowledge’. Calderhead (1987) used the terms ‘practical

knowledge’ and ‘academic subject matter’ or ‘formal theoretical knowledge’. Clandinin and

T

THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PEDAGOGY AND CURRICULUM

Connelly (1987) on the other hand, used the term ‘images’ to refer to teachers’ firmly held

beliefs about the ‘right’ ways to teach. Based on the plethora of terms used and the subtle

differences presented between knowledge and beliefs, many researchers argued that the

distinction between the two concepts is blurry.

A key researcher on teacher beliefs in the field of English as a Second Language (ESL)

teaching, Freeman (2002) argued that the concept of teacher beliefs, knowledge and assumptions

about teaching and learning is an integrated concept. He described how an analysis of the

teachers’ comments about their instructional decision-making made him see that the distinction

between a teacher’s belief system and background knowledge structure can be blurred as they

may overlap with one another. Hence, he proposed the concept called BAK (beliefs, assumptions

and knowledge) network that represents the concept of beliefs, assumptions and knowledge as

areas that are intertwined with one another and may not appear as distinct phenomena but refer to

a concept that emerges from a spectrum whereby at one end there is ‘knowledge’ and the other

end ‘beliefs’. One of the teachers’ beliefs is the challenge to prepare or provide the teaching

materials.

Materials in English Language Teaching

Materials development in the area of ELT despite its major role in relation to teaching and

learning has received little attention as compared to attention given to learner variables and

needs, techniques and methods, approaches and materials (Kasper, 2000; Noriah Ismail 2002;

Tomlinson, 2003). The lack of exploration related to materials development in the literature on

second language teaching and learning requires some attention as materials is one of the crucial

components in enhancing teaching and learning (Noriah Ismail, Suhaidi Elias@ Alias & Intan

Safinas Mohd Ariff Albakri, 2006). As related by Tomlinson (1998), “materials development

refers to anything which is done by writers, teachers or learners to provide sources of language

input and to exploit those sources in ways which maximize the likelihood of intake: in other

words the supplying of information about and/or experience of the language in ways designed to

promote learning” (p. 2).

As educators, teachers must be equipped with the knowledge on materials development as

they would have to produce their own materials for classroom use. Despite the diverse number of

commercial teaching materials available, not all materials are suitable for particular target

students (Noriah Ismail, Suhaidi Elias, Intan Safinas Mohd Ariff Albakri, P. Dhayapari Perumal

& Indrani Muthusamy, 2010). Hence, teachers would have to use their knowledge on developing,

producing and adapting materials to cater for their students’ needs (Noriah Ismail &Intan Safinas

Mohd Ariff Albakri, 2012). As mentioned by Howard and Major (2011), many teachers spend a

considerable amount of their time designing, evaluating and adapting materials to be used in

enhancing their teaching.

Related research in the area of materials development has highlighted several reasons why

teachers decide to produce their own materials. One of the key reasons is contextualization. A

number of commercially produced ELT materials are foreign to students as they were not

designed for any specific group of students. Imported materials may contain elements, either

culturally or socially, that may not be suitable for local students. Hence, the content may not be

meaningful to particular students and they may find it difficult to relate to these materials (Altan,

1995; Noriah Ismail, Saadiyah Darus & Supyan Hussin, 2012a).

Apart from that, many teachers find commercially produced resources costly hence; they

resort to designing their own materials. Moreover, when designing their own materials, teachers

are able to incorporate elements that are close to the learners’ culture and interest and match their

language proficiency level (Thomas and Collier, 1997; Noriah Ismail, Supyan Hussin &

Saadiyah Darus, 2012b). It is very crucial that embedding local materials in the contents will

provide local taste, and hence, activate students’ schema or world background knowledge. The

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ISMAIL, ET AL.: REFLECTION ON SELF-DEVELOPED ELT MATERIALS FOR ESL STUDENTS

learning becomes more meaningful when students could relate what they are learning with their

existing knowledge and cognitive ability. This addresses the area whereby materials should try to

meet learners’ individual needs. In fact, Block (1991) argued that teachers who produced their

own materials are able to tap on learners’ areas of interest and their learning styles making their

materials more stimulating and engaging to the students. Podromou (2002) supports Block’s

view that when teachers develop their own materials they made room for more creativity and

spontaneity in materials development for teaching.

Despite the advantages of teacher-designed materials related literature has highlighted some

disadvantages of materials designed by teachers. Among the issues brought up is the quality of

the materials. Teacher developed materials may not meet the principles in materials development

whereby the materials produced are illegible, poorly organized and contain errors (Harmer, 2001;

Noriah Ismail, Supyan Hussin & Saadiyah Darus, 2012c). Howard and Major (2011) further

argued that inexperienced teachers may produce materials that are poorly organized and lack

coherence. Or they may choose texts that are inappropriate or unsuitable for the students. Hence,

these teachers need to be guided on designing and choosing materials to use in their classrooms

(Noriah Ismail, Intan Safinas Mohd Ariff Albakri & Suhaidi Elias @ Alias, 2013).

Clearly, producing their own teaching materials should be encouraged among future teachers

as teaching materials is one of the key elements that control teaching and learning (Allwright,

1990). However, these teachers must be equipped with the knowledge of materials development,

adaptation and evaluation for them to be able to produce effective teaching materials.

The Use of Theme-based ELT Materials for ESL Students

ESL teachers often face students who are not motivated to learn the language. The students are

reluctant to participate in class and sadly, they continue to struggle even with simple language

tasks. They are not stimulated to learn because for them, there is no connection with what they

learn in their English class and their lives outside the classroom.

One way to respond to this challenge is to motivate ESL learners by teaching language skills

through topics. Listening, speaking, reading and writing are taught through content activities and

are developed as the need for them merges from the content. The language skills become

meaningful when students perceive that these skills are needed and useful in order to accomplish

a communicative or academic task. Chamot (1997) gives four reasons for incorporating such an

approach in the ESL class:

Students develop important knowledge in all subject areas. This provides a

foundation for their content-area class.

Students learn the language functions and skills needed for success in content areas.

Students exhibit greater motivation when learning content than when they are

learning language only.

Students learn learning strategies necessary for success in content subjects

Theme-based approach would begin with a subject that is relevant or interesting to students.

This underlying principle gives another reason in favor of using themes in the language class.

Cummins (1981) says we learn by integrating new inputs into our existing cognitive structures.

When teachers integrate content in their language lesson, they are activating the students’

experience and prior knowledge. This will not only offer the students language practice, but also

the opportunity to apply their understanding of the concepts and processes they learnt in their

content area classes. This opportunity also encourages students whose language proficiency is

weak to participate in their language class because they can demonstrate their understanding of

the content materials (Noriah Ismail, Suhaidi Elias @ Alias, Indrani Muthusamy & P.Dhayapari

Perumal, 2014).

37


Teacher Cognition in Language Teaching

The area of teacher cognition has gained considerable interest from scholars in general education

since 1970s (Borg, 2010; Freeman, 2002; Kagan, 1992; Clarks & Peterson, 1986). Scholars’

interest in the area has been inspired by the desire to develop a fuller understanding of the

teaching process through investigating teachers’ decision-making related to teaching and learning

and their pedagogical knowledge or constructs.

The notion of “teachers’ construct’ is defined as teachers’ knowledge about the teaching act

that influenced teachers’ classroom behaviour and practice (Shulman, 1986; Noriah Ismail,

Deepak Singh Ratan Singh &Rafiaah Abu, 2013). The predominant assumption made by

researchers of teacher cognition is that what teachers do in class is accompanied by some

cognitive forms (Clark &Peterson, 1986; Calderhead, 1987; Freeman, 2002). These cognitive

forms are shaped by attitudes, beliefs, values, knowledge and they accumulated throughout their

experience as a student, during pre-service and in-service training (Clark & Peterson, 1986;

Calderhead, 1987; Shulman, 1987; Gatbonton, 2000; Borg, 2003).

Early studies on teacher cognition focused on a process-product model that observed

teaching in relation to learning outcomes. The paradigm was shifted to more hermeneutic

methods with qualitative results of how teachers’ acts were results of their way of thinking.

However, the 80s and the 90s brought about the most fundamental shift in studies of teacher

cognition when the findings demonstrated profound insights into the functions and nature of

teachers’ cognitive lives. These studies have developed understanding of concepts such as

teachers’ decision-making, perceptions, behaviour and beliefs, and pedagogical knowledge. For

instance, Shulman’s (1987) concept of pedagogical knowledge has influenced theoretical

discussion of teaching and learning. Shulman argued that experienced teachers have different

forms of knowledge. Experienced teachers showed distinct characteristics than novice teachers in

“content knowledge, general pedagogic knowledge, curriculum knowledge, knowledge of

learners and their characteristics, knowledge of educational contexts, and knowledge of

educational ends, purposes and values” (Mullock, 2006: 2). Further literature was generated in

the area of teacher cognition to better understand teachers’ pedagogical knowledge, beliefs and

assumptions that influenced their planning and classroom decision-making.

Following the lead of researchers in general education teachers’ cognition, a number of

studies in language teacher cognition has been conducted to investigate ESL teachers’

knowledge, beliefs and assumptions (Richards and Nunan, 1990; Breen, 1991; Freeman &

Richards, 1996; Johnson, 1996; Woods, 1996; Richards, 1998; Borg, 2003;). However, the term

cognition has been defined differently in the language teaching context such as “teachers’

beliefs” (Burns, 1996), “conceptions of teaching” (Freeman & Richards, 1993), “beliefs,

assumptions and knowledge” (Woods, 1996), “teachers’ pedagogical systems” (Borg, 1999) and

“teacher knowledge” (Freeman, 2002).

In fact, Borg (2003) reported that sixteen such terms representing the notion of teacher

cognition have been generated in the related literature. Despite the various terms, the focus of

research has always been on the content and basis of ESL teachers’ notion of teaching that relate

to the question of what teachers know, how they gain the knowledge, and how they draw it form

their knowledge (Freeman & Richards, 1996: Woods, 1996: James, 2001: Freeman, 2001: Borg,

2003). Similar focus applies to this particular research.

A number of studies reported that teachers’ prior language learning experience leaves

powerful imprints on teachers’ way of thinking in language teaching (Lortie, 1975; Almarza,

1996; Bailey et.al, 1996; Numrich, 1996; Golombek, 1998; Peacock, 2001; Noriah Ismail, 2011).

However, scholars in language teacher education have argued against the notion that teachers’

experience can be described exclusively in personal terms. Such studies require identification of

which teachers’ experiences have shaped teachers’ professional knowledge, beliefs and practices

(Freeman, 1992; Almarza, 1996; Binnie-Smith, 1996; Golombek, 1998; Freeman, 2002). The

38


work of Wallace (1991) is a useful reference in this argument. Wallace (1991) divides teachers’

experiences into two categories; “received knowledge” that derives from traditional academic

foundations and “experiential knowledge” that describes teachers’ classroom experience gathered

through their personal teaching experience. Hence, the two categories demonstrate specific

understanding of the sources of teachers’ knowledge. However, very few studies indicated that

some L2 teachers reflect on their L2 learning experience in planning their teaching acts

(Almarza, 1996, Bailey et al. 1996).

In the field of teacher education, despite some debates that there are variations on the impact

across studies and participants in the studies, several empirical studies suggest that it has a

significant influence on teachers’ cognition (Almarza 1996; Dunkin, 1996; Richards. et. al, 1996;

Senden & Roberts, 1998). Nonetheless, Borg (2003) pointed out that cognitive modification due

to teacher education does not confirm behavioral transformation and vice versa.

The recent developments in theorizing teacher cognition provide a useful framework for

gaining insights into the cognitive processes influencing teachers’ decision making particularly in

terms of pedagogical decisions and instructional materials to use in class. Although the research

in the area of teacher cognition has shown a steady growth in the past ten years few studies

focuses on the perceptions and beliefs of effective teachers which seek to gain insights and

understanding of the teaching process, their role as decision-makers and their pedagogical

content knowledge which influences their choice of the ELT materials being used in the

classrooms (Halkes & Olsen, 1990; Gatbonton, 2000; Mullock, 2006).

Purpose of the Study

This case study explores the reflection and perceptions of twelve pre-service ESL teachers from

Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) on the use of self-developed ELT resources and

materials for language classrooms courses in real classroom environments. This study also looks

into the pre-service teachers’ cognition, which is defined as an integrated system of beliefs,

assumptions, and knowledge (BAK) to discover whether their teaching experiences altered their

conceptions about the two different sets of ELT materials they developed (the theme-based and

the ordinary/non-theme based) and used for Form One secondary school students based on their

retrospective reflections and comments after the implementation of the materials in the classroom

context. The non-theme-based materials, on the other hand, are created without any specific

focus in each unit. The theme-based materials and lesson plans in this study were adapted from

‘The Dynamic ESL Resource Book’ by Noriah Ismail, Normah Ismail &Intan Safinas Mohd

Ariff Albakri (2009) – the reference book for the course. The non-theme-based materials were

adapted from other resources such as ‘Teaching English Language Learners by Teresa Walter

(2004) and ‘The Internet Café.com’. They were required to relate what they have learnt in their

materials development course with the real life classroom teaching experience particularly the

use of the theme-based versus non-theme based materials, the Malaysian culture as well as moral

values in their teaching materials.

Methodology

This study adopted a qualitative study approach to explore the pre-service teachers’ reflection on

the implementation of their developed materials in real classroom situations (Yin, 2003;

Sarantakos, 2005). The data were collected by getting the teachers to reflect on the lessons and

comment on the utilization of the self-developed teaching materials that they used in their

assigned classroom. This is to gather information on certain aspects related to the materials that

they think were significant and needed to be highlighted.

Twelve Malay pre-service (student) teachers who were taking a course in ‘Materials

Development for the Language Classroom’ course at UPSI volunteered to participate in this

39


study. One of the requirements of the course is to get the pre-service teachers to develop two

different sets of teaching materials (theme-based and non theme-based) and two-double-period

lesson plans to teach English proficiency lessons based on the syllabus for a Form 1 class. The

pre-service teachers were required to integrate the four language skills in their lessons namely

listening, speaking, reading and writing. The duration of each period is 40 minutes. The pre-

service teachers were asked to work in groups, as was required by the course, with each group

(Group 1, 2 and 3) consisting four teachers. Each group needs to carry out their lessons to a

selected ESL class consisting of about 40 Form 1 students (aged 13 years old) at the chosen

secondary school in Malaysia.

During the lessons the pre-service teachers were asked to utilize all the materials they have

developed. The double-period lessons were then carried out and the lessons were video-taped.

This is to enable the participants to view the recording during the stimulated recall procedure,

after the lessons have been conducted, when they write their reflection paper. In addition to the

reflection paper, a stimulated recall interview session was conducted in order to get the teachers

to explain what they were thinking during particular parts of the lessons when they utilized their

self-developed materials. As the pre-service teachers were asked to work in groups, the

stimulated recall interview was also conducted in their respective groups. The interview was

carried out with each group immediately after they have completed their lessons in order to

ensure that the research participants were able to recall better what happened during the teaching

and learning process as suggested by Mackey and Gass (2000). The data from the interview were

transcribed, reduced, organized and displayed. The data were analyzed qualitatively by

categorizing the subjects’ retrospective comments into categories and themes and finally,

conclusions were made.

Findings and Discussion

Perceptions of Learners’ Reaction

All three groups (1, 2 & 3) of pre-service teachers reported that they had pre-conceived ideas that

the students would react positively to both types (theme-based and non theme-based) of materials

used. However, after the treatment, all the groups discovered that the students did not respond

well towards the non theme-based materials. Group 1 for instance reported that the students

preferred the theme-based materials compared to the non theme-based because it was easier for

them to relate to the materials that center around one theme such as ‘education’, ‘money matters’

and ‘pollution’. The following are some of the (unedited) excerpts from the interviews:

Using theme-based materials is indeed effective in helping the students learn

English. Categorizing the lesson plans into particular themes or topics lets the

students see for themselves how English is used in every day context. The

probability of the themes/topics chosen being an interest of the students is high

because each of them is within the phase of evolving themselves socially and

social issues, for example, could certainly attract their attention better than

those lessons without any categories/themes. Use their interest to teach; leads to

better attention at learning. (Group/G. 1)

Yes, this is because with such categorization, it helps our students to be more

focused in language learning where they would be able to comprehend the

lessons conducted by certain themes. This would be a especially good for

students of intermediate and lower level of proficiency because they could make

better sense of vocabularies or activities conducted. (G.2)

40


It is more effective to apply and use theme-based materials for our students to

learn English. This is because focusing on specific themes makes it easier for

them to understand the lessons and relate them with their previous knowledge.

Comparing it with the non-theme based lessons, we would be unsure of the

approaches that should be used to get our students’ attention and

understanding. Hence, the students will face difficulties in relating the new

knowledge with what they already know (G.3).

Moreover, the students viewed that the theme-based lesson plans help to assist pre-service

teachers in developing their students’ language skills with a focus on themes and content familiar

to Malaysian students. The activities also provide opportunities for practicing the different

language skills in an interesting way.

By using theme-based teaching materials we can choose what vocabularies to

teach according to topics and I could help the students comprehend the contents

easier. Besides that, for production skills like writing and speaking, students will

be able to produce better because the issues to be touched are narrowed down

according to themes. This will eventually curb students from spending too much

time figuring out what to write or speak about. Hence, generates more ideas

from them (G.2).

The theme-based lesson plans help us in developing our students’ language

skills with a focus on themes and content familiar to Malaysian students because

the students will be able to relate their basic or general knowledge with the

topic being learnt and it will help them in sharing their ideas and knowledge to

the other students in class. This will also build the students’ confidence in trying

to speak out and listen to other students’ ideas. Besides that, they learn more

when they share their knowledge instead of just relying on their teacher for

information. This definitely helps the teacher in the teaching process (G.3).

Presentation and Use of the Self-Developed Materials

After utilizing their self-developed materials, the pre-service teachers realized that some

materials need to be improvised. Group 1 reported that the non-theme-based lesson plan they

prepared was too dull and confusing to the students. This made it difficult for the students to

participate actively. For instance, for group 2, they found the song they used for their non-theme

based lesson contained a number of unfamiliar words and the content of the song lacks specific

focus hence; the students found it hard to follow the song and enjoy it. Clearly from the

reflection, the pre-service teachers realized the importance of standardizing their lesson with a

central theme in designing materials to enhance the process of teaching and learning.

Yes, we found that the song we used lacks focus and is confusing for the

students. Now we realized that having a theme provides guidance for the

process of teaching and learning, especially for the intermediate to low level

students. Once we have a clear focus on what to teach, we could easily deliver

our lesson. Even if we have to modify from the lesson due to unexpected

problems, we would know how to relate back to the central theme and eventually

to the materials designed (G.2).

Using materials from certain sources is a good way of developing knowledge in

preparing aids for lesson plans. However, there is always a need to improvise

and modify the materials according to our teaching style, our students’ needs,

41


interest and level. Sometimes, the materials suggested from certain sources are

inappropriate or not suitable for some students in some areas of the countries.

This depends on the students’ level of acceptance, surrounding, environment

and culture. The most important thing is that we must know how to improvise

and modify the materials based on the situation we face (G.3).

In addition, the pre-service teachers mentioned that the use of authentic texts, both fiction and

non-fiction, are the most reliable and consistent source of English language input ESL students

can have.By using such texts, teachers can help students develop the vocabulary, structures and

background knowledge they need in order to comprehend the language especially in their content

area classroom.

Yes, the use of authentic texts, both fiction and non-fiction, is the most reliable

and consistent source of English language input our students can have

especially when it comes to reading skills. This is because the level of language

difficulty is slightly greater in authentic texts than inauthentic texts. Hence, this

would be a good practice for students, providing that teachers know how to

cater difficulty level to students’ proficiency level. Besides that, in reading skills,

our students may apply their ability to skim and scan texts for important points

or the gist of the texts, find meanings according to context and so on (G.1).

To say that they are the most reliable and consistent would be too overstating,

because not all of our students are capable to comprehend such texts. However,

we found that they are indeed better at providing the important input of the

language to the students when they are used in the correct way (G.2).

The materials developed also carry characteristics which reflect evidence that the pre-service

teachers applied the knowledge they gained in the course on Materials for ESL teaching.

However, their retrospective comments after utilizing the materials clearly showed that they have

formed a set of beliefs on ELT materials particularly on the types of materials they would like to

develop and the presentation of the materials. Significantly, after using the materials in a real

classroom situation, they came to realize that contextual factors of the classroom like the

students’ level of proficiency, students’ preferred learning strategies, students’ interest and their

involvement in the activities also play a crucial role when developing materials. This is a good

outcome of the reflection on the implementation of their self-developed materials because they

were able to see clearly the close relationship between instructional materials and the target

learners. The findings thus suggest that the experience altered their conceptions about ELT

materials and its implementation in the classroom.

We feel that contextual factors of the classroom do play an important role in the

development of materials. As teacher we need to provide examples. For

instance, the language used in writing. This could help students with low

proficiency. Examples of materials could even be provided or placed in front of

the classroom so as to let the students see how they were developed (G.1).

We feel that the contextual factors of the classroom really play a crucial role

when developing materials. For instance, after we knew our students’ level of

proficiency, it was easier for us to look for the materials that suit their level of

learning language. Also when we know the students’ preferred learning

strategies, we could adapt the way of teaching with the students’ preferred way

so that it is well-accepted by the students. Besides that, we discovered our

students’ interest and their involvement in the activities also affect the way we

42


need to develop the materials. So we have to use materials that could catch the

students’ interest and suitable for their age (G.2).

Yes, contextual factors of the classroom play a crucial role when developing

materials like the students’ level of proficiency, students’ preferred learning

strategies, students’ interest and their involvement in the activities. This is

because learning should never be autocratic. Students should also be given

choices. An effective classroom personally for me is the one that motivates

students to voluntarily participate and the one that teacher too enjoys teaching.

Hence, it is pertinent to consider students’ contextual factors (G.3).

Besides that, getting the pre-service teachers to implement their self-developed materials has

clearly benefited them in terms of their views and understanding about the authenticity of

materials to promote meaningful learning for their students. Based on the pre-service teachers’

responses, they were able to identify the importance of authenticity in the materials being

developed in getting their target learners to be able to relate to the content of the materials they

provide.

Authentic texts are one of the sources that help in learning English for ESL

students. Teachers can just use the prescribed textbooks. However, many

students may find them too boring. We found that the most favored source of

English language input for students are authentic texts since they are often more

interesting and students related better towards them. (G.1)

It is important to use self-developed authentic texts. The reason lies in the fact

that the materials are purposely developed to portray what we want to convey in

my lesson. Self-developed authentic materials could provide the students a sense

of “reality”. We could use examples in real life, ones that are related to my

students. If we develop a text, we can use the names of my students, for instance.

Hence, we need to develop the right materials in order to suit the objectives and

the students’ level (G.2).

When developing our teaching materials, we use authentic self-developed

materials because we found that they managed to get our students to become

more excited to know what the lesson will be about when they see the materials.

This is because the variety of materials built enhances students’ motivation and

curbs their boredom of traditional materials such as books, articles etc. (G.3)

The pre-service teachers also developed their knowledge about material evaluation when

they evaluated their own materials based on the students’ response. They were also able to see

how they can adapt the materials they produced to meet the learners’ needs. Clearly, the

knowledge and experience have given them a more comprehensive view on materials

development, materials evaluation, materials adaptation and second language teaching and

learning.

We were able to develop our knowledge about material evaluation when we got

the chance to evaluate our own materials based on our students’ responses. For

instance, when the students seemed excited and smiled when we presented the

materials to them, it showed that they liked them. Their facial expressions are

the most vital feedback to be aware of. From that, we can conclude that to

develop materials, we have to consider how the students would perceive them;

the suitability of materials to the students’ level etc. (G.1)

43


The comments given by the students were taken positively and it encouraged us

to do better in developing the materials for the next lesson. Their ideas were

also used to make better teaching materials. It teaches us in adapting the

suitable materials for future lessons and which helps a lot in second language

teaching and learning (G.2)

Yes. By doing reflection after each application of materials in class, we

managed to decide about the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of materials used

by looking at certain aspects which include students’ participation and

performance in class. Not only that, to do so, we discovered a number of

techniques of evaluating materials through reading. After the reflection is done,

we were able to plan for a better lesson. (G.3)

Using an Integrated Approach

The pre-service teachers realized that in order for students to begin to understand new materials,

it is important that they learn how to apply the knowledge they gained from the lessons to other

subjects they are learning and also other situations in their lives. By reusing theme-based

materials and texts in a variety of activities, the pre-service teachers can provide the basis for

students to master both language and concepts, and thus making it increasingly easier for

students to express their ideas on the topics.

The students would be aware of how the language is used in certain situations.

Apart from making the students be aware of how individuals would react in

some situations, the materials and texts help them to realize how individuals

voice/present their reaction/responses in those situations. The W-H questions

could be used to relate those situation/themes to the language taught (G.2).

By reusing theme-based materials and texts in a variety of activities students are

guided to strengthen their former understanding about concepts and content of

the language (G.3).

Using Cooperative Learning

The pre-service teachers also noted that it is important to apply cooperative learning activities in

their lesson plans and language learning activities in order give students the opportunities to

work in groups and to share what they know. This helps students build strong peer relationships

through peer teaching and tutoring as well as takes the focus off of the specific language being

practiced and onto the completion of a learning task together (Crandall, 1994).

It is important to apply cooperative learning activities in our lesson plans and

language learning activities so that the students will practice cooperative skills

while learning language and doing many activities. The activities done will also

be more affective when the students learn to cooperate since they tend to discuss

and share ideas and thoughts in doing the activities and to achieve the

objectives of the lesson (G.1).

Teachers can also take advantage of the low-anxiety environment created in cooperative

learning to encourage shy or weak students to participate in language and skills development

activities. This cooperation includes face-to-face interaction with peers, positive interdependence

among group members, and the use of specific language to accomplish a task (Kagan, 1986).

44


Activities that incorporate these characteristics give learners increased opportunities to both

practice language and clarify understanding of content-area topics.

Yes, we found that it is important to apply cooperative learning activities in your

lesson plans and language learning activities. This is because the students could

cooperate with one another; they would not be too shy to interact with

classmates. They would eventually sense that the classroom environment is

friendly and fun for them to be in (G.1).

Cooperative learning is a sure approach in classes of intermediate and

advanced proficiency level. We discovered that students could generate more

ideas and this also helps to strengthen their speaking skills for they have to

communicate with their group members or partners in order to complete tasks

assigned to them (G.3).

Using the Malaysian Culture

The Malaysian society is multicultural. Therefore, there are many opportunities for teachers in

the language class to teach respect of different cultures and religions, thus promoting unity in the

nation as well as acknowledging interdependence among people. By using interesting cultural

topics, the pre-service teachers reflected that they could help the students to use the language to

understand and appreciate each other’s different backgrounds.

Using the Malaysian culture in our self-developed materials helps our students

relate to the lessons better. The students would have a better understanding of

the topics hence enhances their participation and excitement in the lessons

learnt. (G.2)

Providing interesting cultural topics based on Malaysian culture as well as

language activities which provide meaningful moral lessons benefit the students

because students would have a greater sense of belonging to the topics and they

were less hesitant to participate (G.3).

Using Moral Values

The moral values integrated in the theme-based lesson plans are not only universal but are also

based on our Malaysian cultures. The situations and contexts used in the language activities offer

meaningful moral lessons, which our students can understand and relate to.

It is important to provide good moral values in the lesson plans and teaching

materials we developed for our students in order to inculcate positive attitude

and behavior in our students. The ‘Dynamic ESL Resource Book’ that we used

as the reference book uses interesting cultural topics based on Malaysian

culture as well as language activities which provide meaningful moral lessons.

They are indeed beneficial for the students because what better way to inculcate

and nurture their love and affection for the country than to use local/cultural

topics with good moral values (G.3).

Conclusion

Based on the findings above, it was clear that the pre-service teachers gained some invaluable

experience, knowledge and understanding in relation to materials development, evaluation and

45


adaptation for language teaching. The evaluation of their self-developed materials; after

reflecting on the implementation of the materials, gave them some insights on how they can

improvise the materials. This study shows that improvisation or modification of the materials

could be done after reflecting and considering the reasons and benefits for doing so. The

decisions on how to modify and adapt the materials were done based on their reflection on their

students’ responses and performance as well as in relation to the principles related to effective

materials development.

The pre-service teachers feel that the use of the theme-based teaching materials help to assist

them in developing their students’ language skills with a focus on themes and content familiar to

Malaysian students. Hence, they feel that the use of the Dynamic ESL Resource book as a model

for developing their lesson plans helps them to develop good theme-based lesson and materials

which are preferred by the students. This finding concurs with Chamot (1997) who claims that by

organizing language lessons around interesting themes, teachers can help their students in a

number of ways. Teachers can help students to learn concepts and processes involved in subjects

like science, mathematics or life skills, thus providing a foundation for their content subjects.

Teachers can also strengthen the students’ abilities to practise language functions and skills

needed for success in the content area through a variety of language awareness activities. Apart

from this, students would be more motivated in the language class when they realize that they are

learning concepts and skills associated with business or the environment and that they are doing

“actual” school-work instead of learning English. Lastly, teachers would be able to help students

develop learning strategies for the purpose of acquiring new knowledge and skills in the content

subjects (Freeman, 2002; Noriah Ismail, Intan Safinas Mohd Ariff Albakri & Wan Zumusni Wan

Mustapha, 2014).

The pre-service teachers also became critical in their views about the presentation and

production of their materials. They realized the importance of adhering to the principles in

designing effective visual materials namely the use of authentic materials. They were able to

relate to the significant relationship of the presentation of the authentic materials and learners’

motivation to learn as one of the primary roles of utilizing materials in teaching. Furthermore,

aspects pertaining to learners’ interest and cooperation, the use of integrated approach as well as

the element of moral values being included in the materials being designed were seen as crucial

factors to in designing the best ELT materials. This is in line with the findings indicated in the

study conducted by Noriah Ismail &Intan Safinas Mohd Ariff Albakri (2012) which reported the

importance of the use of authentic, interesting learning materials to cater to ESL tertiary level

students’ writing needs (Noriah Ismail &Intan Safinas Mohd Ariff Albakri, 2012). Hence, as

mentioned by Howard and Major (2011), ESL teachers must spend a considerable amount of

their time to design, evaluate and adapt the right materials to be used in enhancing their teaching.

Moreover, the pre-service teachers were able to see the close connection between materials

and the contextual factors. Hence, these future ESL teachers developed their critical evaluation of

their own materials from their experience using the materials and they made and used in their

language classroom. Related research in the area of materials development has highlighted the

significance of contextualization (Altan, 1995; Gatbonton, 2000; Intan Safinas Mohd Arif

Albakri, et al. 2012). A number of commercially produced ELT materials are foreign to students

as they were not designed for any specific group of students. Hence, the content may not be

meaningful to particular students and they may find it difficult to relate to these materials (Altan,

1995; Noriah Ismail, Saadiyah Darus & Supyan Hussin, 2012a).

Overall, the study indicated that it is crucial to develop materials that could initiate the

students’ interest, cooperation and participation as the students would feel more motivated to

learn. Thus, ESL teachers must be aware that the materials developed for students must not only

meet the related principles to make them effective, they also have to meet learners’ ability to

comprehend as well as their interest in using them (Halkes& Olsen, 1990; Gatbonton, 2000;

46


Mullock, 2006; Intan Safinas Mohd Arif Albakri, Noriah Ismail, Ainon Omar, Raja Nor Safinas

Raja Harun & Nor Haniza Zainal Abidin, 2011).

47


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Noriah Ismail: Senior Lecturer, Academy of Language Studies, MARA University of

Technology, Segamat, Johor, Malaysia.

Intan Safinas Mohd Ariff Albakri: Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Languages and Linguistics,

Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Dr. Normah Ismail: Senior Lecturer, Academy of Language Studies, MARA University of

Technology, Segamat, Johor, Malaysia.

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Dr. Supyan Hussin: Associate Professor, School of Language Studies and Lingusitics, Faculty

of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,

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The International Journal of Pedagogy and Curriculum is one of ten thematically focused journals in the collection of journals that support The Learner knowledge community—its journals, book series, conference and online community. The journal explores the processes of designing and implementing learning experiences and the dynamics of learning.

As well as papers of a traditional scholarly type, this journal invites presentations of practice—including documentation of curricular practices and exegeses of the effects of those practices.

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ISSN: 2327-7963

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The International Journal of Pedagogy and Curriculum...THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PEDAGOGY AND CURRICULUM Connelly (1987) on the other hand, used the term ‘images’ to refer to