Exploring Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices in Teaching Mandarin as a Foreign Language in MARA Educational Institutions, Malaysia

Nuraini Jafri, Umi Kalthom Abd Manaf, Fazilah Razali

Abstract


In recent years, it has become evident that pedagogical practices used by teachers significantly contribute to ensuring the quality of students’ learning.  However, the existing literature on teachers’ pedagogical practice reveals that there are very few qualitative explanatory studies on teaching Mandarin as a foreign language, specifically in Malaysia. Hence, this research aimed to explore teachers’ pedagogical practices in teaching Mandarin as FL, including their perceptions of the research. This qualitative case study collected data through six semi-structured interviews with Mandarin teachers working under MARA colleges.  These informants were chosen by using a convenience purposive sampling method. The data analyzed using Atlas. ti revealed that teachers are still using a traditional teaching style, as well as the pre-established beliefs that the teachers had in knowledge constructions and 21st-century skills. Beyond that, the findings also indicated the Mandarin teachers need professional development opportunities as the majority of them described the signs of job burnout. After careful data analysis, the researcher proposed this research to be further explored from the perspectives of language learners. Besides that, it is recommended to explore the inculcation of 21st-century pedagogy, including grounding the theory of Mandarin teachers’ pedagogical practices.

https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.6.5


Keywords


language teacher; pedagogical practices; Mandarin language; foreign language

Full Text:

PDF

References


American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). (2006). ACTFL Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners. Yonkers, NY: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). (2012). Alignment of the national standards of language learning with the common core state standards. Alexandria: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). (2013). Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers (Initial Level – Undergraduate & Graduate) For K-12 and Secondary Certification Programs. Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Retrieved from https://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/CAEP/ACTFLProgramStandards2013.pdf

Baker, J. A. (2006). Contributions of teacher-child relationship to positive school adjustment during elementary school. Journal of School Psychology, 44(3), 211-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2006.02.002

Banks, J. A. (2002). An introduction to multicultural education (6th edition). United States, US: Pearson Education.

Baumert, J., Kunter, M., Blum, W., Brunner, M., Voss, T., Jordan, A., et al. (2010). Teachers’ mathematical knowledge, cognitive activation in the classroom, and student progress. American Educational Research Journal, 47(1), 133-180. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831209345157

Berg, B. L. (1998). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (3rd edition). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Borg, S. (2006). The distinctive characteristics of foreign language teachers. Language Teaching Research, 10(1), 3-31. https://doi.org/10.1191/1362168806lr182oa

Brown, H. (1994). Teaching by principles - An interactive approach to language pedagogy. New Jersey: Pretinence Hall.

Burke, B. M. (2010). Promoting communication in the target language with and among students. The Language Educator, 5(5), 50 - 53.

Celce-Murcia, M. (1991). Grammar pedagogy in second and foreign language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 25, 459-480. https://doi.org/10.2307/3586980

Chetty, R., Friedman, J. N., & Rockoff, J. E. (2014). Measuring the Impacts of Teachers II: Teacher Value-Added and Student Outcomes in Adulthood. American Economic Review, 104(9), 2633 - 2679. https://doi.org/10.3386/w19424

Chomsky, N., & Skinner, B. F. (1959). Verbal behavior. Language, 35(1), 26-58. https://doi.org/10.2307/411334

Cilliers, E. J. (2017). The challenge of teaching Generation Z. PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences, 3(1), 188-198. Retrieved from https://grdspublishing.org/index.php/people/article/view/322

Cohen, D. K. (1988). Teaching practice: Plus a change. In P. W. Jackson (Ed.), contributing to educational change: Perspectives on research and practice (pp. 27-84). Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.

Collins, J. (2009). Education techniques for lifelong learning: Lifelong learning in the 21st century and beyond. Radiographics, 29, 613-622. https://doi.org/10.1148/rg.292085179

Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2007). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. London: Sage Publications.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.

Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement. Education policy analysis archives, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v8n1.2000

De Angelis, G. (2007). Third or additional language acquisition. Multilingual Matters: University of California. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847690050

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2003). The landscape of qualitative research: Theories and issues (2nd edition). London: Sage Publications.

Ellis, R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Flemming, N. D. (1995). I'm different; not dumb. Modes of presentation (VARK) in the tertiary classroom, In A. Zelmer (Ed.) Research and Development in Higher Education. Proceedings of the 1995 Annual Conference of the Higher Education and Research Development Society of Australia (HERDSA), pp. 308-313.

Flemming, N. D. (2006). V.A.R.K Visual, Aural/Auditory, Read/Write, Kinesthetic. New Zealand: Bonwell Green Mountain Falls.

Freeman, D. (2002). The hidden side of the work: Teacher knowledge and learning to teach. Review Article, 35(1). https://doi.org/10.1017/s0261444801001720

Fullan, M. (2001). The new meaning of educational change (3rd edition). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Fullan, M. (2003). Changes forces with a vengeance. London, UK: Routledge Falmer.

Ghavifekr, S., & Wan Athirah, W. R. (2015). Teaching and learning with technology: Effectiveness of ICT integration in schools. International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES), 1(2), 175-191. https://doi.org/10.21890/ijres.23596

Hallinan, M. T. (2008). Teacher influences on students’ attachment to school. Sociology of Education, 81 (3), 271-283. https://doi.org/10.1177/003804070808100303

Hendrickson, J. M. (1991). On Communicative Language Teaching, Hispania, 74(1), 197-198. https://doi.org/10.2307/344583

Hinkel, E. (2005). Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Horwitz, E. (1988). The beliefs about language learning of beginning university foreign language students. The Modern Language Journal, 72(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1988.tb04190.x

Hymes, D. J. (1972). Models of interaction of language and social life. In J. Gumperz & D. Hymes (Eds.), Directions in sociolinguistics: The ethnography of communication (pp. 35-71). New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Jafri, N., & Manaf, U. K. A. (2019). I am Hé: Creating Cultural Awareness in Teaching Mandarin as a Foreign Language. In R. M. Rasdi, M. K. Omar, A. B. Razali, L. Ismail, A. Abdullah, M. Yassin & S. Othman (Eds.), 5th International Conference on Educational Research and Practice (ICERP) 2019, Educating the Digital Society: Integrating Humanistic and Scientific Values (pp. 71-78). Selangor, Malaysia: The Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Retrieved from http://spel3.upm.edu.my/max/dokumen/ICERP_ICERP_2019_-_PROCEEDINGS_(REVISED)_compressed.pdf

Jafri, N., & Manaf, U. K. A. (2020). Looking into Students' Willingness to Communicate: A Case Study in Mandarin Language Learning. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(1A), 123-131. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.081316

Kane, T. J., Rockoff, J. E., & Staiger, D. O. (2008). What does certification tell us about teacher effectiveness? Evidence from New York City. Economics of Education Review, 27(6), 615-631. https://doi.org/10.3386/w12155

Labaree, D. F. (2000). On the nature of teaching and teacher education: Difficult Practices that look easy. Journal of Teacher Education, 51(3), 228-233. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487100051003011

Larsen-Freeman, D. (1986). Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. New York: Oxford University Press.

Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Second Language Acquisition and Applied Linguistics. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 20, 165-181. https://doi.org/10.1017/s026719050020010x

Lee, P. L., & Chow, T. V. F. (2015). Research on attitudes of learning Chinese as a foreign language learner in Malaysian University towards the Chinese language. The Science Education Article Collects, 12, 44-46.

Lew, Y. L. (2020). A case study on the application of cognitive strategies to Malay Mandarin learners. Jurnal Intelek, 15(1), -10.

Lightbown, P., & Spada, N. (2006). How languages are learned (4th edition). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Lincoln. Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications.

Madeira, M. Z., & Lima, M. G. (2010). The significance of teaching practice in the constitution of teaching knowledge among nursing course professors at the Federal University of Piaui, Brazil. Texto & Contexto – Enfermagem, 19(1), 70-77.

Maria, A., & Kamisah, O. (2010). 21st century inventive thinking skills among primary students in Malaysia and Brunei. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9, 1646-1651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.12.380

Marzano, R. J. (2003). What works in schools translating research into action. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Marzano, R. J. (2007). The art and science of teaching: A comprehensive framework for effective instruction. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2(2), 99-113. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030020205

Massey, O. T. (2011). A proposed model for the analysis and interpretation of focus groups in evaluation research. Evaluation and Program Planning, 34(1), 21-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2010.06.003

Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation 3rd edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Basess Publishers.

Milanowski, A. (2004). The relationship between teacher performance evaluation scores and student achievement: Evidence from Cincinnati. Peabody Journal of Education, 79(4), 33-53. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327930pje7904_3

Moeller, A. J., & Catalano, T. (2015). Foreign language teaching and learning. International Encyclopedia for Social and Behavioral Sciences 2nd Edition, 9, 327-332. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-097086-8.92082-8

Morrow, K., & Johnson, K. (1981). Communication in the Classroom: Applications and Methods for A Communicative Approach. London: Longman.

National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project. (1999). Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (2nd edition). Lawrence, KS: Allen Press.

National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project .(2006). Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (3rd edition). Lawrence, KS: Allen Press.

National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project (NSFLEP). (2014). Alexandria, VA: World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages.

Nye, B., Konstantopoulos, S., & Hedges, L. V. (2004). How large are teacher effects?. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 26(3), 237-257. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737026003237

Palanisamy, K. & Marzita, P. (2014). Effective teaching: Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Proceeding of International Joint Seminar Garut, Garut, Indonesia. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303940850_Effective_Teaching_Pedagogical_Content_Knowledge

Patton, M. Q. (2001). Qualitative evaluation and research methods (3rd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Peters, J. M., & Armstrong, J. L. (1998). Collaborative learning: People labouring together to construct knowledge. In I. M. Saltiel, A. Sgroi & R. G. Brockett (Eds.), New directions for adult and continuing education, 79, 75-85. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Poole, F. J. (2015). Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language: A Foreigner’s Perspective. All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, 457(5), 1-161.

Pyhalto K., Pietarinen J., & Salmela-Aro K. (2011). Teacher working - Environment Fit as A Framework For Burnout Experienced By Finnish Teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27, 1101-1110.

Richards, J. C. (1978). Understanding Second and Foreign Language Learning: Issues and Approaches. Rowley, MA: Newbury House, pp. 71-93.

Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching Today. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (1986). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (2nd edition). Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 153-177. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511667305.018

Rowling, J. K. (2002). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Savignon, S. J. (2002). Interpreting Communicative Language Teaching. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Savignon, S. J. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching. Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics (2nd edition), 2006, 673-679. https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-08-044854-2/00610-6

Schmitt, R. (2005). Systematic metaphor analysis as a method of qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 10(2), 358-394.

Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4-14. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189x015002004

Shulman, L. S. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 57(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.57.1.j463w79r56455411

Siti Martini, M., & Ros Aizan, Y. (2013). Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Malaysian context: It's implementation in selected community colleges. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 90, 788-794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.07.153

Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal Behavior. New York, NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

Smith, R. L., & Skarbek, D. (2013). Professional teacher dispositions: Additions to the mainstream. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Spencer, W. A. (2015). Mandarin Chinese as a Second Language: A Review of Literature. Honors Research Projects, 210, 1-47.

Stakes, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Suter, W. N. (2012). Introduction to Educational Research: A Critical Thinking Approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Thompson, G. (1996). Some misconceptions about communicative language teaching. ELT Journal, 50(1), 9-15. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/50.1.9

Warwick, P., & Kershner, R. (2008). Primary teachers’ understanding of the interactive whiteboard as a tool for children collaborative learning and knowledge building. Learning, Media, and Technology, 33(4), 269-287. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439880802496935

Widdowson, H. (1978). Teaching language as communication. London: Oxford University Press.

Williams, M., & Burdern, R. L. (2007). Psychology for Language Teacher. UK: Cambridge University Press.

Yan, W., Jari, L., & Kirsi, T. (2018). Aims for learning 21st-century competencies in national primary science curricula in China and Finland. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(6), 2081-2095. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/86363

Yin, R. K. (2011). Qualitative research from start to finish. New York, NY: The Guildford Press.

Young, S. C. (2003). Integrating ICT into second language education in a vocational high school. Journal of Computers Assisted Learning, 19, 447-461. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0266-4909.2003.00049.x


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


e-ISSN: 1694-2116

p-ISSN: 1694-2493