The Influence of Educational Structures and Community Values

On Classroom Dynamics at a University in Hue

Duong Thi Hoang Oanh, Ph.D.

College of Foreign Languages,

Hue University

Introduction

The focus of the research was the dynamics of behaviour and relationships in the classroom and practical applications for teaching and learning English as a second or foreign language.

Dynamics here refers to the classroom activity, processes and interaction.

  

The research literature

• Concepts of classroom learning

• The classroom as a community

• Vietnamese Context in Research Reports

Concepts of classroom learning

Learning is

        “an integral part of our everyday life”

        “part of our participation in our communities and

organisations” (Wenger, 1999: 8)

Conventional classroom

Teachers lecture and students listen, transmitting knowledge through passive learning

Interactive classroom

Discussion and participation: active learning, problem-based learning

Classroom Regarded as a Community (Wenger, 1999)

A community has three main characteristics:

mutual engagement: coherence and disagreement

joint enterprise: collective process, negotiated responses and mutual accountability

shared repertoire: contains words, …actions, concepts that the community has produced or adopted, creating its particular culture, so students share similar understanding and attitudes.

Vietnamese Context in Research Reports

Educational Structure

Le Van Canh (2000): closed system, knowledge-centred, syllabus and teacher determine the knowledge to be acquired, students are expected to ‘return’ desired behaviour, assessed by examinations.

 

Cook (1998): classes “teacher-centred”, teacher has sole authority- “not questioned, interrupted or challenged”, asking questions “disturbs the teaching plan and shows disrespect”, students are expected to take notes and memorise, teacher’s judgement is final

Community Values and Classroom

Vietnamese society is typically characterised as collectivist

“The class is one ‘family’ where students study and play together.”

Le Van Canh (2000)

“The host institution assigns students to class groups that stay together throughout their university career”.

The associations the students form are more akin to Western notions of ‘family’ than ‘classmate’.

Kramsch & Sullivan (1999)

Data collection

Class Observation: 2 classes of BAE (Bachelor of Arts in English) Programme, 2 Teachers, 75 Students

Interview: 5 Teachers, 1 administrator, 6 Students

Questionnaire: 27 teachers, 3 classes (117 students)

NVivo: coding and classifying to identify patterns

FINDINGS

Educational structure of the classes

Students recruited to the University by Entrance Examination every year: taking one test in English, one in literature and one in mathematics

After passing, students were assigned into classes and remained in the same class

Government Scholarships for top students

Each class had a head teacher, a monitor, two monitor assistants, a head and vice head for a Youth Association.

Educational structure of the classes (cont)

The students sat in a fixed seating arrangement

All the subjects were taught separately

General assessment structure was end-of-subject examination, combined with continuous assessment.

Student proficiency was diverse, and did not meet the requirements of the programme

The Class as a Community (100% agreed)

From teachers’ perspective, community values mean:

Cooperation

Equality among students:

Collectivism and individualism

“Community values have to go with individual values, which definitely contribute to the success of the community”, “We love to be individual but we desperately need community”

Students respect for Teacher

From students’ perspectives, community values mean:

• Cooperation

• Independent learning

• Equality among students

“Equal rights, responsibility and opportunity”

“No distinction between rich-poor, good- bad students”

• Collectivism

“All for one and one for all, for mutual satisfaction and benefits”

“Unifying when being punished by teachers”

community values mean (cont)• Individualism• Relationships among students

supportive, cooperative, and competitive• Relationships between teacher- students

inquiry and questioning “every student needs to cooperate to gain the

teachers’ marks at whatever costs!”• Relaxed atmosphere

having extra curricular activities, a good time and jokes together

Class as a Family?From Teacher’ perspectives 63% (15/27) agreed the class was a family

“For a community, the bond is less strong (…) The class is stronger than a community because they have events like teacher’s day, or keep in touch after finishing classes. So the family continues on so ”( TeQI1). “I find that very curious to see students adopted the structure of the family for their groups and they (…) have the same obligation that true members of family have to each other” (TeQI3).

From students’ perspectives

17% agreed , 45% disagreed, 35% were unsure

Class as a family:

“It has a structure, with class monitor, vice monitors, groups’ heads, youth organisation secretary”

Class not as a family:

“Nothing in class looks like a family”

“Family is trustworthy, reliable, but one can’t trust friends completely because of jealousy and competition” (StuQ).

90% teachers and 100% of the students believed in the strong influences of the community

“The closer a community was (like a family), the stronger the impact” (TeI).

“If a class is close to each other and positive about education, it has a very deep and profound impact on class study. (…) On the other hand, when the community members are negative they will pull each other down and it will be better off if they only individually come to class” (TeQI1).

Combining Conventional and Interactive Teaching : Students’ Reflections (StuJo)

“My teacher explains clearly and carefully. The whole class listens to her with concentration”

“Today is the most interesting: the class was vivid and bright. Everyone was eager to participate”

“The animated atmosphere of the class makes me eager. We laughed and didn’t feel tired at all. This way of teaching is very effective and active, which makes students eager to study”

Student desire for a slow transition:

“(…) We should not abandon the traditional way of teaching and just follow the very western way of studying because we are familiar with the traditional one when we are very young….. If class time is only for class discussion, presentation or raising questions, the expected outcomes may not be achieved. This is due to the methods that students are used to since elementary school. I am afraid that in the future, the teachers will abandon this way of teaching and replace it completely with the currently fashionable western teaching methods. Please don’t. Another reason is there are big gaps among student proficiency….”(StuJo).

Seating Arrangement

The students chose whom to sit with carefully, stayed in the same places and developed a strong relationship with their neighbours.

Better students with good attitudes usually chose to sit in the front rows, average ones in the middle rows, and poor students at the back

Teachers’ intervention did not work: students felt secure in their own zone and were reluctant to move, which caused difficulties in class activities

Group work and Choosing Group Members

Chosen on the basis of relationships

Working relationships overlaped with personal relationships.

Assumptions about Other Student Activities and Performances

Close attention to some activities, failure to listen to others

The prior assumption about students’ level influences participation behaviour. That factor will inhibit improvement and progress.

Being supportive and competitive

Teacher: “No matter if they compete or support each other, they show their enjoyment of the class”

Student: “Balanced!. Harsh competitions leads to negative consequences, to gain high marks students could do anything. Good support will help progress, but if you let your classmates copy your work or do the work for you it will make them rely on you and be lazy.”

Many groups showed great talent and creativity

Many students were active and responsive in their own environment

Peer Feedback

Students were critical. Peer feedback was more negative than positive,“If it’s good, there’s no need for me to say anything…”

Most students interpreted feedback as negative rather than positive. Positive ones should be given by the teachers, rather than the students; “Positive feedback might be considered insincere among peers”.

Good friends should talk about weak points directly, no need for “negative politeness”

Criticism shows solidarity and support

“Sweet tongue” believed to be negative

Peer Pressure

Students care about what other students think about them, leading to the tall poppy syndrome, the desire to be the same, not to stick out above the others!

 Some may be very active, but if others are inactive, these students will keep quiet too, for fear that others will laugh at them, or think that they are talkative or stupid

“So the community feeling pressures students to be dishonest and come to other students’ rescue, even though it might be in conflict with ethical questions” (TeQI3).

The Role of the Teacher

After classes, the teachers were usually kept back by students.

Students even phoned them at home or visited them.

Teachers were held in great respect in class.

Students argued with their peers, but final judgement came from the teachers

Students’ beliefs and respect: a burden. What the teachers said should be correct and well accepted, in terms of language, knowledge, culture and moral values.

Conclusion- Implications

Raise awareness of assumptions about tasks, methods and model desired behaviours

Allocate time for building the class community

Explain the reasons for using particular tasks or methodology

Allow time for students to adapt and adjust to new methods, procedures and tasks.

Exploit student creativity through classroom tasks, especially those concerning their cultural values

I believe that the educational structures and community values have a great influence on classroom dynamics. This is worth both noting and studying further for appropriate applications for teaching and learning EFL and ESL.