EFL teachers’ beliefs about classroom management a study of a vietnamese university = quan điểm của giáo viên tiếng anh về quản lý lớp học ngoại ngữ nghiên cứu tại một trường đại học ở việt nam

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATION PAPER EFL TEACHERS’ BELIEFS ABOUT CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT: A STUDY OF A VIETNAMESE UNIVERSITY Supervisor: Nguyễn Thị Thu Hằng Student: Nguyễn Nhật Hà Course: QH.2017.E1 HÀ NỘI – NĂM 2021 ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH KHOÁ LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP QUAN ĐIỂM CỦA GIÁO VIÊN TIẾNG ANH VỀ QUẢN LÝ LỚP HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ: NGHIÊN CỨU TẠI MỘT TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC Ở VIỆT NAM Giáo viên hướng dẫn: Nguyễn Thị Thu Hằng Sinh viên: Nguyễn Nhật Hà Khoá: QH.2017.E1 HÀ NỘI – NĂM 2021 ACCEPTANCE I hereby state that I: Nguyễn Nhật Hà, class: QH2017.F1.E1, being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (TEFL) accept the requirements of the University 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 Nhật Hà Hanoi, May 3rd 2021 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to the following individuals for their significant assistance upon the completion of this research First and foremost, I owe my whole-hearted thanks to my supervisor Doctor Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, for her valuable guidance and encouragement since the very first day of my academic journey Her sharing expertise, inspiration and continuous support have enlightened me on multiple research aspects and guided me through the challenging process This accomplishment would not be possible without her critical feedback and practical advice Second, my sincere appreciation goes to three teachers taking part in the pilot stage and 52 teachers participating in the data collection procedure, whose names are not directly mentioned due to ethical considerations They generously shared with me their time, knowledge and perspectives Without their willingness and enthusiasm, I would not have obtained sufficient questionnaire results and insightful interview data Third, I am grateful to a number of teachers from the faculty who reviewed my research proposal and progress reports Their constructive comments were of great significance to the completion of this paper Fourth, I appreciate all members of class 17E1 and other close friends of mine for our beautiful friendship Their sharing and emotional support were invaluable to me Finally, I am in debt to my parents, my sister and Ken for their unconditional love, care and unfailing support In addition, heartfelt thanks go to my seven beloved people whose music has always motivated me during this challenging journey ii ABSTRACT In recent decades, classroom management has become a compelling research topic (Aliakbari & Heidarzadi, 2015) A growing body of literature has emphasized the importance of classroom management for the teaching and learning process (Shinn, Walker & Stoner, 2002; Wang, Haertel & Walberg, 1994; Wehby, 2001) By exploring teachers’ beliefs, insights into the way teachers conceptualize themselves and their justification for real classroom management can be obtained (Johnson & Johnson, 1999) However, in the Vietnamese context, there has been insufficient research into teachers’ beliefs about classroom management Therefore, this study was conducted to address the research gap Using a mixed-method design, the study involved 52 EFL teachers from a university in Vietnam Data was collected via two instruments, namely questionnaires adapted from the Attitudes and Beliefs of Classroom Control (ABCC) inventory and semi-structured interviews The findings showed that the participants adopted the interactionist approach on the whole ABCC Inventory, Instructional and Behavioral Management but fell into the noninterventionist category on People Management The teachers were more involved in students’ transitions among learning activities, students’ in-class work, learning topics and resources However, they were unlikely to exercise control over students' seating arrangements, their daily procedures, their interactions with peers and tended to value students’ opinions, interests and decision-making process The study shed further light on the beliefs of EFL teachers about classroom management in the local context with insightful implications for effective classroom practice iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACCEPTANCE i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii ABSTRACT iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF FIGURES ix CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Statement of the problem and rationale for the study 1.2 Aims and objectives 1.3 Scope of the study 1.4 Design of the study 1.5 Significance of the study 1.6 Organization of the study 1.7 Summary of the chapter CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Teachers’ beliefs 6 2.1.1 Conceptualization of teachers’ beliefs 2.1.2 The origin of teachers’ beliefs 2.1.3 Teachers’ beliefs about classroom management 2.2 Classroom management 13 2.2.1 Conceptualization of classroom management 13 2.2.2 Dimensions of classroom management 14 2.3 Previous studies on the topic 15 2.3.1 In the global context 15 2.3.2 In the Vietnamese context 17 2.4 Research gaps 18 2.5 Summary of the chapter 19 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 3.1 The context of the study 21 21 iv 3.2 Research design 22 3.3 Sampling method 22 3.4 Participants 23 3.5 Data collection instruments 24 3.5.1 Questionnaire 24 3.5.2 Interview 27 3.6 Procedures of data collection 31 3.6.1 Data from questionnaires 31 3.6.2 Data from interviews 31 3.7 Data analysis method 32 3.7.1 Data from questionnaires 32 3.7.2 Data from interviews 32 3.8 Procedures of data analysis 33 3.8.1 Data from questionnaires 33 3.8.2: Data from interviews 34 3.9 Ethical considerations 37 3.10 Summary of the chapter 37 CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Findings 38 38 4.1.1 Results obtained from questionnaires 38 4.1.2 Results obtained from interviews 48 4.2 Discussions 55 4.2.1 Instructional management 55 4.2.2 People management 57 4.2.3 Behavioral management 59 4.3 Summary of the chapter 61 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION 61 5.1 Summary of findings 62 5.2 Implications 63 5.3 Limitations and suggestions for further research 66 v REFERENCES 67 APPENDICES 84 APPENDIX A: CHANGES IN THE WORDING OF QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS 84 APPENDIX B: QUESTIONNAIRE 86 APPENDIX C: GUIDELINE FOR THE INTERVIEW 93 APPENDIX D: INFORMATION SHEET AND CONSENT FORM FOR PARTICIPANTS 95 APPENDIX E: FREQUENCIES OF RESPONSES IN SECTION vi 99 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EFL English as a Foreign Language FELTE Faculty of English Language Teacher Education ULIS University of Languages and International Studies VNU Vietnam National University, Hanoi ABCC Attitudes and Beliefs of Classroom Control BIMS Behavior and Instructional Management Scale vii LIST OF TABLES Table Page Table Aspects of Interactionist, Interventionist and NonInterventionist Approaches to Classroom Management 10 Table Description of interview participants 23 Table Changes in the wording of questionnaire items 84 Table Description of questionnaire items 27 Table Description of interview guideline 29 Table Categorization of teachers’ mean scores 33 Table Examples of initial coded data 35 Table Descriptive statistics for EFL teachers’ beliefs about classroom management 38 Table Frequencies of responses in Section 99 Table 10 Frequencies of responses for item 1, 3, 5, 6, 10 in Section 42 Table 11 Frequencies of responses in Section 43 Table 12 Frequencies of responses in Section 46 Table 13 Summary of the interview results 53 viii It’s important to continuously monitor students’ 5 5 5 learning behavior during seatwork The classroom runs more smoothly when I assign specific seats to my students I should decide what topics the students study and the tasks involved During the first week of the semester, I will announce the classroom rules Class rules are important because they shape the student’s behaviors and development I know best how to allocate classroom materials and 87 supplies to optimize learning I require student compliance and 5 5 respect for the law and order I find it important to establish a daily classroom routine for students I believe students will have successful 10 learning if they listen to me because I know what is best for them The primary purpose of homework is to 11 provide drill and practice of the skills learned in the classroom I try to follow the timing of each 12 learning activity specified in my lesson plan 88 When students not complete an 13 assignment on time, I will deduct points from their grade Section People management Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree Students should create their own 14 daily routines as this fosters the 5 5 development of responsibility.* Students will have successful learning 15 in class if given the freedom to pursue their own interests* I give students freedom in the ways 16 they interact with each other during class.* I give students 17 sufficient time to move from one 89 learning activity to another.* Student’s emotions 18 must always be 5 5 respected.* Student’s decision19 making processes must always be respected.* Students should be given the freedom to 20 use any materials they wish during the learning process.* Friendliness, courtesy, and respect for fellow students 21 are what students have to learn firsthand through free interaction.* Students should judge the quality of 22 their own work rather than rely on what I tell them.* 90 Section Behavioral management Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree If students agree that a classroom rule is 23 unfair, I would replace it with one 5 5 that they think is fair.* Rewarding those students who behave 24 appropriately is a good strategy for preventing misbehavior During the first week of the semester, I will 25 allow the students to come up with a set of classroom rules about appropriate behaviors in class.* When a student is repeatedly off-task, I 26 will most likely talk to him/her to find out the reasons.* 91 When a student bothers other students, my first 27 reaction would be to 5 say nothing and let the students work it out themselves.* When a student bothers other 28 students, I will immediately request the student to be quiet *scoring reversed for these items *** This is the end of the questinaire Thank you for your cooperation 92 APPENDIX C: GUIDELINE FOR THE INTERVIEW Which courses/subjects are you in charge of at university? How long have you been teaching at university? Can you share some memorable experiences in managing classes at university? What factors you think are important to successful classroom management? In which way you think the seating arrangement influences the way you manage your class? In which situation you think specific seating should/ should not be assigned to students and why? How you feel when your students not submit their homework/assignments on time? What you often if they are behind the deadlines and why? Can you describe a situation when you negotiated the rules in the course guide with your students? (To what extent could the rules be changed? Why did you agree to make these modifications to the rules/requirements?) Besides what stated in the course guide, what are other rules you often set in your class and why? Can you describe a situation when you had to address a disruptive or off-task behavior? (How did it make you feel? Explain how you handled the behavior In which way you think this approach is effective in addressing undesirable behaviors?) In which cases you allow your students to freely use the learning materials they wish and why? 10 How you often manage students’ interaction in class? In your opinion, how effective it is? 11 How students’ opinions and emotions during the lesson affect the way you manage the class? 12 Which factors shape your beliefs about classroom management (e.g your education, your teaching experience, your university’s teaching philosophy, etc.)? Which is the most influential one? 93 13 Do you think your beliefs about classroom management have changed in recent years and why? 14 Do you often act in accordance with your beliefs when it comes to real classroom management? Can you explain any factors that make it difficult for you to manage the class the way you believe? 94 APPENDIX D: INFORMATION SHEET AND CONSENT FORM FOR PARTICIPANTS PART I: INFORMATION SHEET FOR PARTICIPANTS I am Nguyen Nhat Ha from class QH2017.F1.E1.SPCLC, who is currently working on a study entitled “EFL Teachers’ beliefs about classroom managemen: A study of a Vietnamese University” as my graduation paper at University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS), Vietnam National University (VNU), Hanoi Thank you for considering participating in this study which will take place from September 2020 to May 2021 This information sheet details the aim of the research and gives a description of your involvement and rights as a participant if you agree to take part What is the study about? The research seeks to investigate the beliefs of Vietnamese teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) about classroom management Data about teachers’ beliefs will be collected via questionnaires and semi-structured interviews will also be employed to dig deeper into the investigated issue Do you have to take part? Your participation in this research is entirely voluntary It is up to you to decide whether or not to participate If you agree to take part, I will ask you to sign a consent form which you can return to me before you participate in the data collection procedure Why are you chosen as a participant of the study? Due to the aforementioned aim, the target participants of the research are teachers from The Faculty of English Language Teacher Education (FELTE) of ULIS, VNU, Hanoi who are currently teaching language classes in the 2020-2021 academic year That is the reason why you are invited to take part in the study What will your involvement be? You will be asked to complete a questionnaire concerning your beliefs about classroom management All the items in the questionnaire are set in the 95 context of your classes at ULIS, VNU, Hanoi only It should take you no more than 15 minutes to finish the questionnaire After that, if you give me permission to conduct an interview, we will have a private conversation about your beliefs on classroom management The audio recordings will be used for the data analysis later How you withdraw from the study? You can withdraw from the study at any time without having to give a reason This act also has no effect on you If you withdraw from the study, the only thing you have to is to inform me via phone number 0364526063 or email haulisvnu@gmail.com At your request, I will either retain the information you have given thus far or eliminate it from the study Will my taking part and my data be kept confidential and anonymous? What will my information be used for? Your involvement and any data you provide will be kept confidential in the study Any names or other direct identification of you as a participant will be anonymized by using pseudonyms or codes in all soft and hard files of the questionnaire, transcripts and audio recordings Only my supervisor Ms Nguyen Thi Thu Hang (Lecturer from FELTE, ULIS, VNU, Hanoi) and I will have access to the data given by you Any responses you provide will be used only for research purposes in this study only Specifically, the data will be analyzed and critically interpreted and then reported in Chapter four: Findings and discussion and Chapter five: Conclusion of the research paper What are the possible inconvenience and risks of taking part? To the best of my knowledge, there will be no mental or physical harms associated with your participation The fact that you have to spend some time on the questionnaire and the interview and your responses are audio recorded will be the only possible inconvenience you encounter What are the possible benefits of taking part? 96 I will include a statement of attribution in the acknowledgment part of the research paper for your participation At your request, I will send a copy of my completed research study to you upon completion of the study I believe the findings of the research will be useful to a certain extent as it takes place in the context of your workplace - ULIS, VNU, Hanoi and relates to your occupation and/or your field What will you if having questions or complaints? Should you have any inquiries, please contact me via phone number 0364526063 or email haulisvnu@gmail.com *** This is the end of the information sheet If you are willing to take part in this study, please sign the consent form below PART II: CONSENT FORM Title of the research: EFL Teachers’ beliefs about classroom management: A study of a Vietnamese University Name of the researcher: Nguyen Nhat Ha Class QH2017.F1.E1.SPCLC, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi Name of participant: By signing this consent form, I completely agree with the following statements: I have read and understood the information sheet, or it has been read to me I have been able to ask questions about the research and my questions have been satisfactorily answered I understand that my participation is voluntary and I am free to withdraw at any time, without giving any reason and without my legal rights being affected I am clear about what I am expected and required to in the research I agree with the researcher’s measures to ensure the security and confidentiality of my personal information and responses 97 I consent to the audio recording of my interview in the research I have been clearly explained about any benefits and possible risks or inconvenience related to my participation in the research I know how to contact the researcher if having questions or complaints Participant’s name: Signature: Date: Researcher’s name: Signature: Date: *** This is the end of the consent form Please retain a copy of this 98 APPENDIX E: FREQUENCIES OF RESPONSES IN SECTION Table Frequencies of responses in Section Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree disagree N I find students’ from one directing Strongly agree % N % N % N % N % 10 29 56 16 31 0 17 33 22 42 13 25 10 19 26 50 17 10 10 10 19 26 50 11 21 transition learning activity to another vital to successful learning It’s important to continuously monitor students’ learning behavior during seatwork The classroom runs more smoothly when I assign specific seats to my students I should decide what topics the students study and the tasks involved 99 During the first week 0 0 18 35 33 63 0 25 48 24 46 17 33 63 17 0 17 30 58 13 25 10 14 27 25 48 15 15 30 58 11 21 of the semester, I will announce the classroom rules Class rules are important because they shape the student’s behaviors and development I know best how to allocate classroom materials and supplies to optimize learning I require student compliance and respect for the law and order I find it important to establish a daily classroom routine for students 10 I believe students will have successful learning if they listen to me because I know what is best for them 100 11 The primary 0 17 12 23 22 42 17 13 17 33 24 46 17 13 25 21 40 10 purpose of homework is to provide drill and practice of the skills learned in the classroom 12 I try to follow the timing of each learning activity specified in my lesson plan 13 When students not complete an assignment on time, I will deduct points from their grade 101 ...ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH KHOÁ LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP QUAN ĐIỂM C? ?A GIÁO VIÊN TIẾNG ANH VỀ QUẢN LÝ LỚP HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ: NGHIÊN CỨU TẠI MỘT TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC... dimensions of classroom management namely Instructional management, People management and Behavioral management The framework aligns with the researcher’s conceptualization of classroom management, ... classroom management: A study of a Vietnamese university? ?? was conducted to answer the research question: “What are EFL teachers’ beliefs about their classroom management activities?” Adopting a