INVESTIGATING EFL TEACHERS AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION AND PRACTICE ON COMMUNICATIVE LANGAUGE TEACHING AND LEARNING: THE CASE OF SHIRKA SECONDARY SCHOOLGRADE 10 IN FOCUS

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to investigate EFL teachers’ and students’ perception and practice on communicative language teaching and learning: the case of Shirka Secondary School, grade 10 in focus which is located in Sirka Woreda, East Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State. This study was conducted at one secondary school with a sample of 80 grade 10 students and 6 grade 10 English teachers. The students were selected using simple random sampling techniques whereas the teachers were taken with available sample purposefully. Both students and teachers were from Shirka Secondary School. The study employed mixed research Method and to collect the required data for this study; questionnaire for students, interview for teachers and classroom observation were employed. The students’ questionnaire data obtained were analyzed quantitatively using simple descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage and mean whereas the data obtained from teachers’ interview and classroom observation analyzed qualitatively. The data were interpreted and summarized in narrative way. The result obtained show that teachers’ practice of communicating language teaching had not been implemented effectively within the targeted school. More over teachers’ teaching methods were also found to be problematic in that teacher-centered teaching methods. The majority of the teachers failed to implement the communicative language teaching approach and principles due to lack of initiation, willingness, motivation, interest and deep perception, especially to discuss heart-to-heart with their students on communicative language teaching and learning practices. In addition, the majority of the students were simply running to score a passing mark in English rather than to use English in day-to-day real life and situations to interact and communicate with the language speakers elsewhere. Most of the English teachers considered these conditions as a very difficult problems and they are still unable to change the mind of students eagerly and warmly taking part in any communicative skill practice. In case, these teachers most of the complaint and blame the students. Finally, in addition to the above results, the influencing factors in the proper implementation of communicative language teaching and learning in EFL classes were revealed by the findings of the study. In the end, some measure recommendations were forwarded depending on the major findings of the study.