Strategies to stimulating learners’ active participation included 4 micro strategies, which were presented from question 1 to question 4 in the questionnaire to learner respondents. The results of these four questions were in the table 4.1 below.
Strategies Like () OK () Do not like ()
Missing Mean
Q1. Doing activities in pairs, groups or whole class
145 (68.4%)
54 (25.5%)
12 (5.7%)
1 (0.5%)
1.37
Q2. Competing between pairs and groups
123 (58.0%)
66 (31.1%)
22 (10.4%)
1 (0.5%)
1.52
Q3. Moving your seat when doing learning tasks
136 (64.2%)
50 (23.6%)
26 (12.3%)
0 (0%)
1.48
Q4. Play games when learning
172 (81.1%)
27 (12.7%)
13 (6.1%)
0 (0%)
1.25
Table 4.1 Strategies to stimulate learners’ activeness
Table 4.1 showed learners’ perceptions on their teacher’s strategies to stimulate their active participation in English classroom. The mean score of all four items were over 1.00 and below 1.67 which showed that a majority of learners like activities in pairs, groups, competition, movement and games in English class.
Additionally, there were 0.5% missing answers for question 1 and question 2, which meant two learners did not respond to question 1 and 2. In more details, playing games when learning was the most favorite activity of young learners (81.1%), while competition between pairs or groups was the least favorite one (58.0%). Activities in pairs, groups or whole class and movement when doing learning tasks were nearly the same, 68.4% and 64.2%, respectively. Remarkably, nearly half of learners thought that competing between pairs or groups was normal or not interesting. However, almost two thirds of learners liked working in pairs, groups or whole class. This revealed that many young learners were interested in working in pairs, groups or whole class, but they did not highly appreciate competing between pairs or groups. It was found that working in pairs or in groups,
competition between pairs or groups, movement when learning and playing games were all favorites of young learners, in which playing games when learning is considered the most preferred activity to stimulate learners’ activeness in English class.
4.1.1.2 Learners’ perceptions on practices to maintain learners’ attention The strategies to maintain learners’ attention in their English class were ranged from question 5 to 10. Young learners’ perceptions on those six strategies were shown in table 4.2 below.
Strategies Like
()
OK ()
Do not like ()
Missing Mean
Q5. Learning subjects relating to your everyday experience
90 (42.5%)
96 (45.3%)
26 (12.3%)
0 (0%)
1.70
Q6. Doing various kinds of tasks in one period
93 (43.9%)
71 (33.5%)
47 (22.2%)
1 (0.5%)
1.78
Q7. Doing difficult tasks 26 (12.3%)
73 (34.4%)
113 (53.3%)
0 (0%)
2.41
Q8. Including stories, humor, fantasy element and your interest in task content
188 (88.7%)
20 (9.4%)
4 (1.9%)
0 (0%)
1.13
Q9. Doing something different from class routine
80 (37.7%)
99 (46.7%)
33 (15.6%)
0 (0%)
1.78
Q10. Having chance to choose the topics, the tasks or the activities
127 (59.9%)
55 (25.9%)
29 (13.7%)
1 (0.5%)
1.54
Table 4.2 Strategies to maintain learners’ attention
Table 4.2 illustrated the percentages of preference of young learners on their teachers’ strategies to maintain learners’ attention. At the first glance, it is clear that including stories, humor, fantasy elements and learner’s interest in task content was the most favorable practice (88.7%). Only 1.9% of learners dislike that practice of their teacher. On the contrary, doing difficult tasks had the highest percentage of dislike from learners, almost 54%. Doing something different from class routine had roughly one third of supporter while nearly half of learners think it is normal.
The other three strategies, learning subjects relating to learners’ everyday experience, doing various kinds of tasks in one period, having chance to choose topics, tasks or activities, were around a half. It is implied that among seven practices that teachers employed to maintain their learners’ attention, including stories, humor, fantasy elements and learners’ interest in task content is the most preferred while doing difficult tasks is the least one.
4.1.1.3 Learners’ perceptions on strategies to build learners’ self-confidence In order to build young learners’ self-confidence, 5 strategies were suggested to ask for learners’ perceptions. The results of learners’ perceptions on those five practices of their teachers were from question number 11 to question 15, which were presented in table 4.3 below.
Strategies Like ()
OK ()
Do not like ()
Missing Mean
Q11.Teacher’s encouragement of believing in your strength and abilities
164 (77.4%)
40 (18.9%)
6 (2.8%)
2 (0.9%)
1.25
Q12. Doing tasks which you can successfully complete
132 (62.3%)
64 (30.2%)
15 (7.1%)
1 (0.5%)
1.45
Q13. Display your skill in public 72 (34.0%)
90 (42.5%)
49 (23.1%)
1 (0.5%)
1.89
Q14. Getting tangible and intangible rewards
192 (90.6%)
18 (8.5%)
2 (0.9%)
0 (0%)
1.10
Q15. Celebrating your accomplishment
161 (75.9%)
41 (19.3%)
9 (4.2%)
1 (0.5%)
1.28
Table 4.3 Strategies to build learners’ self-confidence
Table 4.3 gave data on teachers’ strategies to build learners’ self-confidence in their English classroom. The mean score, ranging from 1.25 to 1.89, presented that almost all strategies are the favorite of learners. Only the strategy of displaying learners’ skills in public got neutral ideas from learners. Around a half of learners were neither interested in not uninterested in this strategy of teacher. There was only just over a third of learners like this strategy, which was the lowest one. On the other hand, a majority of young learners (90.6%) were very keen on getting tangible and intangible rewards. Other strategies, namely teachers’ encouragement, tasks which learners were able to successfully complete, and celebration of learners’ accomplishment also had high percentage of preference, 77.4%, 62.3%
and 75.9% respectively. The data revealed that tangible and intangible rewards
were the most interesting things to learners while display of skills in public was nearly three times less than rewards, but the dislike proportion of display skills in public did not reach the point of a third.
4.1.1.4 Learners’ perceptions on strategies to integrate interaction into learning English
Teachers’ practices to integrate interaction into their teaching English had 4 micro strategies, which were shown in question number 16 to 19. The data of these four strategies were in table 4.4 below.
Strategies Like
()
OK ()
Do not like ()
Missing Mean
Q16. Learning with visual aids 143 (67.5%)
47 (22.2%)
20 (9.4%)
2 (0.9%)
1.41
Q17. Seeing and/or touching concrete things relating to the lesson
102 (48.1%)
78 (36.8%)
28 (13.2%)
4 (1.9%)
1.64
Q18. Learning culture of English speaking countries
118 (55.7%)
58 (27.4%)
36 (17.0%)
0 (0%)
1.61
Q19. Having opportunities to practice English in real life situations
94 (44.3%)
82 (38.7%)
36 (17.0%)
0 (0%)
1.73
Table 4.4 Strategies to integrate interaction into teaching
Table 4.4 gave information on the preference of young language learners for their teachers’ practices of integrating interaction into their learning. At the onset, it is clear that all listed strategies were preferred by learners, in which learning with visual aids was the most favorite (67.5%). The other three strategies had around
half of supporters. The number of learners who did not like learning culture of English speaking countries and having opportunities to practice English in real life situations were exactly the same. However, the percentage of learners who were interested in learning culture of English speaking countries was greater than the percentage of learners who liked having opportunities to practice English in real life situations (55.7% and 44.3%). Moreover, over one third of learners found opportunities to communicate English in real life neither interesting nor uninteresting. It was found that visual aids were young learners’ most favorite things to learn with while practicing English in real life did not get much preference from learners.
4.1.1.5 Learners’ perceptions on strategies to create pleasant and supportive classroom atmosphere
Questions from number 20 to 23 showed the strategies of teachers to create pleasant and supportive atmosphere in their English classroom. The data of learners’ perceptions on these four strategies were in table 4.5 below.
Strategies Like
()
OK ()
Do not like ()
Missing Mean
Q20. Having humor in classroom 143 (67.5%)
40 (18.9%)
26 (12.3%)
3 (1.4%)
1.44
Q21. Getting positive information feedback on your progress
149 (70.3%)
58 (27.4%)
5 (2.4%)
0 (0%)
1.32
Q22. Knowing that making mistake is a part of learning process
50 (23.6%)
123 (58.0%)
39 (18.4%)
0 (0%)
1.95
Q23. Having teachers’
encouragement to take risks in learning
101 (47.6%)
81 (38.2%)
30 (14.2%)
0 (0%)
1.67
Table 4.5 Strategies to create pleasant and supportive classroom atmosphere
Table 4.5 indicated the percentages of preference for four strategies of English teachers in order to create pleasant and supportive atmosphere in their English classroom at a primary school. As presented in the table above, the mean score of the first two strategies, having humor in the classroom and getting positive information feedback on learners’ progress, showed the two most preferred strategies of young learners. On the other hand, knowing that making mistakes is a part of learning process got the highest mean score (1.95), which meant that this strategy had the largest percentage of learners who thought it was normal. This strategy was also the least favorite among four ones, only 23.6% of young learners like it. Getting positive information feedback on learners’ progress was the most favorite practice for learners. Having humor in classroom was nearly as much as getting positive feedback with 67.5% and 70.3% respectively. The number of learners who were interested in having teacher’s encouragement is only 10% more than the number of learners who gave neutral ideas of this strategy. The data suggested that young learners were very interested in getting positive information feedback on their progress, but they felt that knowing mistake is a part of learning progress was normal.
4.1.1.6 Learners’ perceptions on their teachers’ behaviors
Questions from number 24 to number 27 presented the practices which were suggested for teachers to behave towards their learners. Table 4.6 below showed the data of learners’ perceptions on those practices.
Strategies Like ()
OK ()
Do not like ()
Missing Mean
Q24. Having teacher care 156 (73.6%)
49 (23.1%)
7 (3.3%)
0 (0%)
1.30
Q25. Having rapport with teachers
140 (66.0%)
57 (26.9%)
14 (6.6%)
1 (0.5%)
1.40
Q26. Getting social comparison with other classmates
8 (3.8%)
74 (34.9%)
130 (61.3%)
0 (0%)
2.58
Q27. Getting humiliating criticism or being put in the spotlight unexpectedly
7 (3.3%)
61 (28.8%)
144 (67.9%)
0 (0%)
2.65
The table above provided information on four strategies to show appropriate teacher behavior in English classroom. A glance at the mean score of the table revealed that there were two favorite strategies and two unfavorable strategies for young learners. Having teacher care and rapport with teachers had the most and the second percentage of preference, 73.6% and 66.0% respectively. On the contrary, getting social comparison with other classmates and getting humiliating criticism or being put in the spotlight unexpectedly were two least favorite. The number of learners who liked these two strategies was only 3.8% and 3.3% respectively.
Around one third of learners thought it was ok to get social comparison or humiliating criticism or to be put in the spotlight unexpectedly. It is implied that getting social comparison with other classmates and getting humiliating criticism or being put in the spotlight unexpectedly are two most unfavorable for young learners.
Table 4.6 Strategies to display appropriate teacher behaviors
In short, 27 motivational strategies were listed on which learners showed their perceptions. Table 4.7 below is the summary of the results of questionnaire to young learner respondents, in which questionnaire items were arranged in order of the most favorite strategy, number 1 to the least favorite one, number 27.
Learners’ perceptions on their teachers’ motivational strategies in English classrooms
1. Getting praise and rewards
2. Including stories, humor, fantasy element and learners’ interest in task content
3. Playing games when learning
4. Teacher’s encouragement of believing in your strength and abilities 5. Celebrating learners’ accomplishment
6. Having teacher care
7. Getting positive information feedback on learners’ progress 8. Doing activities in pairs, in groups or whole class
9. Learning with visual aids 10. Having humor in classroom 11. Having rapport with their teachers 12. Moving seat when doing learning tasks
13. Doing tasks which learners can successfully complete
14. Having chance to choose the topics, the tasks or the activities 15. Competing between pairs or groups
16. Learning culture of English speaking countries
17. Seeing and/or touching concrete things relating to the lesson 18. Having teachers’ encouragement to take risks in learning 19. Having opportunity to practice English in real life situations 20. Doing various kinds of tasks in one period