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Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the status, problems, and needs of
instructional materials for English teachers in private secondary schools, Songkhla Province.
The subjects included 96 English teachers in private secondary schools, Songkhla Province.
The data were collected through the use of questionnaires asking about the status, problems,
and needs of instructional materials for English teachers. The returned questionnaires were
77, about 80.20%. The data were analyzed by using statistics, including frequency, and
percentage. The data from open-ended questions were grouped, summarized and presented in
recurring themes. It was found out that there were more female than male English teachers in
private secondary schools, Songkhla Province. Their ages were between 20-30 years old with
a bachelor degree in English. Most English teachers used books, word and picture cards,
realia as instructional materials. Most instructional materials were created by the teachers.
Some were commercially bought by the schools. The reason for using instructional materials
was that students paid more attention to the lessons. And the criterion to select instructional
materials was that it had to be in accordance to the lesson and objectives of learning. Many
English teachers used these materials when teaching. No time for producing teaching
materials, lack of educational technology in material production, and no budget from schools
were problems of creating instructional materials. English teachers wanted to attend a
seminar and participate in a workshop. Moreover, the respondents believed that the school
where they worked should play a vital role in promoting the teachers to create instructional
materials.
Review of Literature
Instructional materials refer to any instruments, devices or materials used to transfer
and hand over the knowledge, information, news and skills to learn from teachers/instructors
to learners or students (Supanika Intakamma, 2544; Ekkawit Kaewpradid, 2545; Narisara
Pohkam, 2550 and Amuseghan, 2007). In addition, the teaching instrument and materials
refers to the use of technology to increase the teaching and learning quality and to achieve the
learning objectives set by the teachers or the schools (Jarinya Nienchaleuy, 2546:1).
Instructional materials can be divided into software materials such as transparencies,
slides, movie films, disks, cassettes and CDs; and hardware or instruments which include the
overhead projector machine, slide projectors, movie projectors, tape recorders, computers and
CD and DVD players (Jarinya Nienchaleuy, 2546:17-18).
Principles in using the instructional instruments and materials in teaching are that they
must be suitable in terms of contents and learning objectives set by the teachers. The teaching
materials must be accurate and suitable for the students to learn, and practice their analytical
skills. They must help expose the students to sufficient experiences (Jarinya Nienchaleuy,
2546:18-19). The instructional materials must also be suitable to the school sizes and
educational policy as stated by each educational area (Bergeson, 2008:2).
The benefits of the educational instruments and teaching materials are to facilitate
learning and understanding, to save time in teaching and learning, to transfer accurate
learning contents to the students, to make the lessons or concepts to be learned more concrete
and therefore easy to understand and to develop learning potential of the learners (Supanika
Intakamma, 2544; Jarinya Nienchaleuy, 2546). In English language learning, in particular,
uses of suitable and a variety of instructional materials can help motivate learning and
developing all the language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing the English
language (Tafani, 2009:82). In teaching English as a foreign language, the educational
The 3rd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences
April 2, 2011 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University 3
Proceedings- Factors Affecting English Language Teaching and Learning
instruments and teaching materials play a very important role for they can be used as the
media in developing the language skills (Gujja, 2007: 55). Instructional media can also
motivate and inspire learners in learning English language (Brezinova, 2009: 1).
Definitions of Terms
Instructors: teachers who are teaching English language at the lower secondary
schools under the Office of Songkhla Private Secondary schools
Instructional materials: materials, devices and instruments which are used as the
media to transport knowledge to the learners through the techniques or methods the
teachers use to achieve the efficient learning
Research Procedure
Research samples were 96 English language teachers teaching in the lower
secondary schools under the Office of Songkhla Private Secondary schools.
Research instrument was survey rating scale questionnaires with the close-ended
and open-ended questions. The questionnaire was divided into seven parts: 1) demographic
information of the research samples; 2) general states of use of instructional materials; 3)
problems and causes of problems in using the instructional materials; 4) needs for personal
development in uses of the instructional instruments and materials; 5) framework for personal
development in uses of the instructional instruments and materials; 6) agents or sectors the
research samples require help in developing their ability in using the educational materials
and ; 7) other opinions and suggestions.
After reviewing the literature and related studies, the researcher drafted the
questionnaire and had it reviewed by the research advisor to check the validity of contents.
After that it was further reviewed by two experts to check content validity and the
appropriateness of the language use. After the revision made according to the comments from
the experts, the questionnaire was tried out with twelve teachers with an approximate quality
and same characteristics as the research subjects. Further revision was made accordingly, and
the revised questionnaires were sent to the 96 research subjects by post. Seventy-seven
(80.20%) of the questionnaire were returned.
Analysis of Data
Data obtained from the returned questionnaire were analyzed using several types of
statistics. The data obtained for sections 1-6 in the questionnaire were calculated for
percentages and frequency. Data of section 7 was calculated for frequency, then summarized
and presented in the descriptive form.
Results
Regarding the research samples, there were more female informants than the male
ones. They were at the age range of 20-30 years. Most of them were university graduates
majoring in English language. Most were teachers in Hat Yai District. Most have passed the
training for obtaining the teachers certificate with less than five years teaching experience.
Most of these research samples were teaching one course in the first semester of the academic
year of 2553.
The findings on general states of use of instructional materials showed that most of
the research samples resorted on books as the teaching materials (94.4%), followed by
information sheets (81.8%), word cards (59.7%), realia (59.7%) and picture cards (54.54%)
Most of the research samples stated that they had problems in using teaching
materials (66.2%); while the remaining number of 33.8 % said that they did not have any
problems on this. The most frequent problem found in using instructional materials among
these teachers were the production of the materials, followed by the preparation of them and
the decisions on which to choose or use. Between the problems deriving from the teachers
themselves and from the schools, results showed that in the teachers part the top two
problems were due to time constraint of the teachers and the lack of know-how and skills in
making the teaching materials. As for the problems due to the schools, it was found that the
school did not prepare any budgets for the teaching materials. Problems concerning the
teaching instruments or materials included the limit number of the teaching instruments or
materials followed by the unsuitable classrooms to use the instructional instruments and the
instruments and materials were not suitable for the contents of the lessons or the learning
activities. These problems were presented in Table 1.
Others 9.00
Others 1.00
Part 4: Needs for the teaching instruments and materials and personal
development in using instruments and materials
Due to the needs for the teaching instruments and materials, the research samples
stated that apart form the course books what they needed the most was CD/DVD, next were
CD/DVD players, computers, picture cards and information sheets, respectively. In terms of
development in ability and skills in using the teaching instruments and materials, the ability
to produce the teaching materials was ranked the highest, followed by the ability or
knowledge in choosing the appropriate teaching materials. Details are presented in Table 2.
CD/DVD 156.00 1
Computers 134.00 3
Realia 91.00
Televisions 66.00
Others 13.00
Results concerning the types of personal development in using the teaching instruments
and materials revealed that English language teachers teaching in the lower secondary
schools under the Office of Songkhla Private Secondary School needed potential
development in terms of training at the highest level, followed by the workshop type and
the self-study programs. Types of personal development in uses of the teaching instruments
and materials of the sample group are listed inTable 3.
Trainings 182.00 1
Workshops 173.00 2
Others 7.00
Part 6: Agents or sectors the research samples needed help in developing their
ability in using the instructional materials
Agents or sectors from which the research samples needed help in developing their
ability in using the instructional materials in the highest rank were first, the schools they were
working for, followed by the Office of Private Secondary School and third the Office of Songkhla
Province Educational Area. Details are given in Table 4.
Table 4: Agents or sectors from which the research samples needed help
in developing their ability in using the instructional materials
Publishers 46.00
Others 0.00
Data obtained from the open-ended questions in the questionnaire were recorded and
categorized in four categories as follow.
2. Needs for new and up-to-date instruments such as tape recorders, CDs, overhead
projectors and computers
Discussion
The findings from this research can be discussed in four areas as follow.
1. The highest raked reason for using the instructional instruments and teaching
materials given by the research samples was to motivate students to the learning
process. Next was to help the students to better understand the lesson, followed by
to provide the students with real life experience because through the instructional
instruments and media students could experience more real life language use.
These findings accorded well with the findings of Jarinya Nienchaleuys study
(2546:18-19) stating that teaching materials must be accurate and suitable for the
students so that they can learn, and develop their analytical skills and the
instructional media could expose them to sufficient experiences The instructional
instruments and materials must also be suitable for the school sizes and
educational policy of each educational area (Bergeson, 2008:2).
2. Findings concerning problems and causes of problems in uses of instructional
instruments and teaching materials, it was found that most of the research samples
had problems on the productions of the additional/supplement teaching materials
to support the course books. The next to the most important problem was the
problems in preparing the teaching materials and the selection of the suitable
instruments and teaching materials for the lessons. These findings were in
accordance with the results reported in the study of Jaruwat Songmueang (2551:1)
which indicated that English language teachers in private religious schools had
problems in preparing the teaching materials and selection of appropriate
Suggestions derived from the findings of this study were presented in the ways to
solve the problems and responses to the needs and requirements imposed by English
language teachers.
1. As the teachers of this study were aware of importance of the ability to use
instructional instruments and teaching materials effectively, it was recommended
that both teachers and schools make a network with both personnel in the school
and the outside sectors or organizations in order to share knowledge and
experience in this regard of making and using instructional instruments and
teaching material more efficiently.
2. Schools should provide more instructional instruments and teaching materials and
renovate or build more classrooms that are more compatible to instructional
instruments and the teaching materials they had or needed to use.
3. Schools, private educational associations and the offices of educational area in
Songkhla province should support and develop the knowledge and skills in using
and producing the instructional instruments and teaching materials for the private
schools teachers. The trainings and seminars in this area of uses of supplement
teaching materials and instruments were mostly needed.
Suggestions for further study
References