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Angelos Bollas
Lowering ObserveETeachers’ Affective Filter
The ProblemObservations - stressful activities for teachers.
Observations – no realistic ‘samples’ of teaching practice.
Observations – stressful activities for observer(s).
The Questions
•What are the stress factors that make observations such a stressful activity for teachers?
•How can these factors be lowered?
The Theory• Stephen Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis
***Students/Learners/Acquirers Teachers***Anxious acquirers have a high affective filter, which prevents acquisition from taking place. (Richards and Rodgers, 2014: 266)
[...] those whose filter is set high, because of stress, anxiety, or negative attitudes, will not process the input so effectively, and this will slow down or even block their rate of acquisition. (Thornbury, 2006: 8)
The Hypotheses (1/2)
Hypothesis 1: NNESTs are more stressed during observations than NESTs because they feel insecure about their language awareness (this includes their own language use in class as well as their ability to analyse language for teaching purposes)
The Hypotheses (2/2)
Hypothesis 2: By increasing the observee teachers’ motivation and self-confidence, as well as by lowering their anxiety, their affective filter will be lowered, turning, thus, observations into enjoyable learning/developmental opportunities.
The Context
•Language School in Greece•20 English Language Teachers•10 NNESTs & 10 NESTs•All more than 5 years of experience•No formal teaching qualifications
Action Steps•Step 1:Pre-Observation Questionnaire in order to:
-test hypothesis 1 (re language awareness as a stress factor),
-explore degree of observation anxiety (aka whether the affective filter is set high or low)
Action Steps (2)• Step 2:-Lower T’s anxiety: T choose when and how they
want to be observed. Also, observations are not linked to assessment.
-Increase T’s self-confidence: All Ts observe the observer teaching (and give feedback) prior to their own observation.
-Increase T’s motivation: Observation schedules and observer’s feedback has only affirmative statements; the more comments observee Ts receive, the better their performance.
Action Step (3)• Step 3:Post-Observation Questionnaire (identical to pre-observation questionnaire) in order to:
-Test hypothesis 2 (that is, whether action step 2 helped lower observee Ts affective filter)
some Results7/10 NNESTs: Insecure about their own language use in class.8/10 NNESTs: Confident about language analysis for teaching purposes.BUT10/10 NESTs: Secure about their own language use in class.4/10 NESTs: Not confident about language analysis for teaching purposes.
some Results (2)
Obs-Assessment
Obs - Development
“I want to be observed”
Pre-Obs
16/20 8/20 1/20
Post-Obs
6/20 17/20 14/20
Conclusion
•Language Awareness is a stress factor that affects both NNESTs and NESTs in different degrees. The former are unsure about their own language use; the latter are not confident about their language analysis for teaching purposes skills.
Conclusion (2)• Providing a safe environment• Boosting Ts professional self-esteem•Making them interested in becoming better
Lowers Ts reduces stress/anxiety (their affective filter) and turns observations into an enjoyable experience
References• Berg, B. L. (2009) Qualitative Research Methods for the Social
Sciences. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.• Dörney, Z. (2007) Research Methods in Applied Linguistics:
Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methodologies. Oxford: OUP.• Richards, J. C. and Rodgers, T. S. (2014) Approaches and Methods
in Language Teaching. Cambridge: CUP.• Larsen-Freeman, D. and Anderson, M. (2011) Techniques and
Principles in Language Teaching. Oxford: OUP.• Randall, M. and Thorton, B. (2001) Advising and Supporting
Teachers. Cambridge: CUP• Thornbury, S. (2006) An A-Z of ELT: A Dictionary of Terms and
Concepts Used in English Language Teaching. Oxford: Macmillan Education.
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