These are some of the research articles that I use for my Chapter 2 (Literature Review) in the Research Proposal. Brief summary of each article is provided below for reference.
1. Kilimci, S. (2009). Article
Teachers’ Perceptions on Corporal Punishment as a Method of Discipline in Elementary Schools. The Journal of International Research, 2(8), 242-250.
The subjects used were 7 public elementary schools of different socio-economic status. 7 principals and 105 teachers were interviewed by the researcher. The findings revealed that all principals were against violence, but principals from L-SEL schools stated that the only effective method to deal with students’ misbehaviour was corporal punishment. As for teachers, corporal punishment were mostly used in lower socio-economic level (SEL) schools compared to middle and higher SEL. Overpopulation, financial problem and education problems in the family were the most frequently stated as the causes of discipline problems.
The researcher recommended some suggestions to overcome the problem – to reduce the number of students in classes, provide counselling and mentoring, in-service training for teachers and provide arts and sports centres. In conclusion, the teaching institutions should prepare teachers to manage misbehaviours without resorting to corporal punishment.
2. Lewis, R,. Romi, S., Katz, Y. J. and Xing, Q. (2008). Article
Students’ Reaction to Classroom Discipline in Australia, Israel and China. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24, 715-724.
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships that exist between disciplinary techniques and students’ reactions in three settings; Australia, China and Israel. Two research questions were investigated in the study; 1) How do students perceive teachers’ use of disciplinary strategies in dealing with misbehaviour? and 2) What are the relationships between discipline strategies perceived by students and their reactions to them? The subjects were 5521 students in grades 7-12 from various schools in Australia, China and Israel. The percentage of males was 48%, 52% and 51% in Australia, China and Israel respectively. Schools were chosen carefully to ensure the sample included both larger and smaller schools from a range of socioeconomic and geographical areas.
24-item questionnaire were distributed to the classes. Translated questionnaires comprising identical items were given to students in China in Chinese and to students in Israel in Hebrew. The data were analyzed using average items mean, SD, and ᵡ coefficients of internal consistency. A 5-way MANOVA is used to identify the relationships.
The findings revealed that students in China and Australia were a little more than ‘some of the time’ convinced that their teachers’ disciplinary actions were justified, and were distracted by the teachers’ behaviour a little less than sometimes. Students in Israel reported to have less justification and less distraction. Students in Israel and Australia sometimes felt negatively towards the teacher, while the students in China hardly felt this way. In all 3 settings:
ü both punishment and aggression have a reasonably strong association with distraction and negative affect towards the teacher.
ü the use of recognitions and discussions with the students were found to relate to less distraction, greater liking of the teacher and a greater belief that the intervention was necessary.
ü more hinting and involvement of students in decision making related to stronger belief that the discipline actions taken by the teacher were warranted.
In conclusion, teachers should be more careful in incorporating disciplinary techniques to deal with students’ misbehaviour. Recognition should be given to appropriate behaviour and reduce the use of punishment and aggression because it is proven to be ineffective.
3. Hazadiah Mohamad Dahan and Siti Salina Ghazali. (2007). Article
How Does it Feel to be a Teacher? Personal Journeys and Lessons for a Malaysian University. Malaysian Journal of University Education, Faculty of Education, UiTM, Vol. 2 (1), 63-80.
The purpose of this study is to examine trainee teachers’ perceptions and the meaning of being teachers, the impact of teaching stints on their perceptions and the factor they have identified as inhibiting and enhancing their potential as teachers. There were three research questions in the study; 1) How do we ensure retention of beginning teachers in the profession?; 2) What kind of programme is required to allow them to adjust to the new demands and culture of teaching in a new community of practice? and 3) What kind of support do they require in order to develop their pedagogical skills?.
The subjects were 47 TESL trainees of Faculty of Education, UiTM Shah Alam who had just returned from their practicum in April 2005. This study utilized textual analysis of essays and journal entries to understand what the trainee teachers feel about their teaching experiences. Besides the essay, their writing journals were also collected and examined.
The findings revealed that there were several reasons why they remain in the teaching profession. Some of them were ‘teaching has improved their views on life and has taught them to be better human beings’, ‘teaching is a noble profession’, and ‘teaching is fun and enjoyable’. There were some trainees who stated their reasons for wanting to leave the profession; ‘teaching requires a lot of preparation’, ‘non-teaching activities waste their time’, and ‘teaching involves too much sacrifice’. In stating the factors that inhibit or enhance their potential, they reported that students, the job, school staff, facilities and school environment to be the factors.
4. Kyriacou, C. and Kunc, R. (2007). Article
Beginning Teachers’ Expectations of Teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23, 1246-1257.
This study was aimed to explore the expectations held by beginning teachers about teaching as a career over this 3-year period. The subject for this study was over 300 students, who completed the questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of PCGE course in three teaching institutions in the North of England. 266 students offered to participate in follow-up email communication, but only 12 students from the first cohort and 16 from the second cohort were chosen for this email phase of the study.
The findings implied that it was quite difficult to see a clear pattern that links the expectations held during their PCGE year with how their expectations of teaching develop during their first 2 years in post. From this research, the researchers found out that there are four major factors that influence their commitment towards teaching. The first one is school management, time pressures, pupil behaviour and having a happy private life. Workload is perceived as a negative factor in influencing their commitment to teaching.
5. Fazalur Rahman, Nabi Bux Jumani, Abdul Basit, Saeedul Hassan Chishti, and Muhammad Ajmal. (2010). Article
Let the Teacher Manage the Challenge of Classroom Management. [Online Journal] International Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 1 (1), 96-105. Retrieved on April 2, 2011, from the World Wide Web: http://www.ijbssnet.com/journals/8.pdf
The study was conducted to look into the challenges of classroom management by the teacher. Specifically, the objectives were to examine the existing classroom management practices, identify the classroom problems, and to examine the teacher’s competency and attitude regarding classroom management.
Teachers were selected by random cluster sampling technique with 5 teachers from each school in the urban area of Peshawar district became the sample for this study (total = 120 teachers). As for the students, the sample would be 10 students from boys secondary schools were selected, which made the total of students involved in the study to be 240. These students were of grade 9th and 10th. The instruments used were two questionnaires – questionnaire for teachers consists of 29 items followed by an interview, while questionnaire for students consists of 26 items.
The findings revealed that teachers have adequate knowledge and practice in maintaining physical conditions of the classroom. However, audio visual aids and overpopulation were not satisfactory. In terms of lesson planning, they did not prepare lesson plans for each lesson. Teachers also reported to have 15-20 minutes of giving homework regularly and checking students’ assignments. As for the students, generally students were satisfied with the physical condition of the classroom, but they felt that teachers did not fully utilize the resources in the classroom. It was reported that students preferred democratic attitude and disliked verbal abuse by the teacher. From the students’ responses, teachers were reported to use giving extra work, fines and verbal abuse in punishing the students.
6. Saricoban, A. (2005). Article
Classroom Management Skills of the Language Teachers. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, Vol. 1 (1), 1-11.
This is a journal article discussing about classroom management skills of the language teachers. It explains thoroughly about what classroom management is and what components are involved in it. The author defined classroom management in the way of how teachers arrange classroom, how teachers present their teaching behaviour in that classroom, and how teachers expect students to understand that students have learned what the teacher wanted then to learn.
The author also explained about some factors that influence how teachers manage their classrooms. The three major factors include physical environment of the classroom, teacher’s voice and body language, and planned teaching. Physical environment includes sight, sound, and comfort, seating arrangement, chalk board use, and equipment. These three major factor are controllable by the teacher, but the teacher also needs to consider some uncontrollable factors that can influence how they manage classroom; which are crowded classes, discipline problems, and so on. Teaching is like you have to be prepared all the time for the expected and unexpected things to happen. Teachers need to be equipped with this knowledge so that they can handle any type of classroom management problems effectively.
7. Brouwers, A. and Tomic, W. (2000). Article
A Longitudinal Study of Teacher Burnout and Perceived Self-Efficacy in Classroom Management. Teaching and Teacher Education, 16, 239-253.
This research was a longitudinal study to examine the direction and time frame of the relationships between perceived self-efficacy in classroom management and three dimensions of teacher burnout. The subjects were secondary school teachers in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. There were three times of data collection conducted as this was a longitudinal study.
The instruments employed to gather data were using questionnaires. There were two types of questionnaires as this study measured two things. Burnout was measured using the Dutch version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory for teachers. There are 20 items in the questionnaire with three subscales – Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment of 7-point Likert scale. The second area to measure was perceived self-efficacy. This area was measured using Self-Efficacy Scale for Classroom Management and Discipline designed by Emmer and Hickman (1991). It has 14 items of 6-point Likert scale which was translated into Dutch with consultation from 8 teachers to check its comprehensibility.
The findings reported that the direction of relationship between emotional exhaustion and perceived self-efficacy in classroom management showed an effect of the former on the latter, while the time frame was synchronous; while the direction of the relationship between depersonalization and perceived self-efficacy is the reverse of the direction of the relationship between emotional exhaustion and perceived self-efficacy. The direction of the relationship between depersonalization and perceived self-efficacy showed an effect of the latter on the former, while the time frame was longitudinal. In contrast, the direction of the relationship between personal accomplishment and perceived self-efficacy showed an effect of the latter on the former, while the time frame was synchronous.
8. Huang, Y. C. (2007). Article
How Teachers Develop their Professional Knowledge in English Study Group in Taiwan. [Online Journal] Educational Research and Review, Vol. 2 (3), 36-45. Retrieved on March 6, 2011, from the World Wide Web: http://www.academicjournals.org/ERR/PDF/pdf%202007/Mar/Huang.pdf
This qualitative research was aimed to understand the perceptions of Taiwanese teachers of the effects of a study group on their professional growth in the workplace. There were two research questions sought to investigate in this study; 1) What do teachers in a selected Taiwanese high school view as the benefits of a teacher study group? and 2) To what extent, if any, does a teacher study group affect Taiwanese teachers’ professional development?
The chosen subjects for this study were eight members from the English Teachers Club – seven of them work at the National Chia-Yi Girls’ Senior High School and another teacher work at Chia-Yi Municipal Junior High School. Five of them are English teacher, one Chemistry teacher, one music teacher, and one guidance counsellor. Their teaching experience ranged from 1 year to 40 years and their involvement in the club ranged from 1 year to 16 years. In terms of data collection, the researcher employed informal observations and interview, semi-structured individual interviews, and documents and records.
The findings revealed that there are five perceived benefits of the study group – learning English as a foreign language, gaining ideas for improving classroom English instruction, sharing teaching experiences, stimulating positive dispositions to learning, and fostering intellectual development. Being involved in this English Teachers Club, they can improve in terms of subject-matter knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and continuing learning.
9. Munir Shuib. (2009). Article
Grammatical Awareness among Primary School English Language Teachers. [Online Journal] GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, Vol. 9 (1), 35-46. Retrieved on March 21, 2011, from the World Wide Web: http://www.ukm.my/ppbl/Gema/paper3_full.pdf
This research sought to examine the English language teachers’ nature and level of grammatical awareness. The subjects were chosen 71 primary school English language teachers (13 males, 58 females) from various schools in Malaysia. These teachers were following B. Ed. TESOL programme at Universiti Sains Malaysia. Their age ranged from 26 to 44 years old.
The researcher employed a test and a focus group interview as the instrument of gathering data in the study. There were 4 tasks involved in the test which tests teachers’ grammatical awareness. Then, only ten randomly chosen respondents were interviewed to consolidate the questionnaire results. The interview asked about their perception of understanding of grammar, their views about aspects of grammar which pose difficulty to them, and their perceptions of possible causes of the difficulty.
The findings revealed that the respondents only have moderate level of awareness of grammatical knowledge based on their mean scores in the test. Many respondents in the test scored only below the passing mark, which means that their English may well lack of both fluency and accuracy. As for the interview data, the findings supported the quantitative data presented. Some of the reasons they mentioned are complexity and multiplicity of rules as a major factor for their lacks, insufficient exposure to grammar during teacher training, and lack of interest to improve grammar.
10. Virta, A. (2002). Article
Becoming a History Teacher: Observations on the Beliefs and Growth of Student Teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18, 687-698.
This research was aimed to identify preservice history teachers’ development, their motivation for studying history, and their beliefs about teaching, as well as to explore how they describe and evaluate their experience in the beginning of preservice education.
Eighteen student teachers were the subjects for this study, which consisted of 9 males and 9 females of the age range of 22 to 23 years old. Three of them entered the teacher education programme after finishing the MA degree, while the others had not yet completed their degrees and were incorporating the pedagogical studies into their degree. This study was a qualitative research in nature, where analysis of essays and interviews were conducted. In the first few days of their teacher education course, the respondents were required to write essays on the topics of how did they become interested in history, images of good and bad teachers from their school years, and the teacher they want to become. As for the interview, only five students were selected on voluntary basis, conducted twice during the year. In the interview, students were asked questions where they need to express their ideas about teaching, learning, and teacher’s role, and evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses as teachers.
The findings revealed that many of student teachers in the study had become interested in history very early and independently from formal history education at school. Based on their experience, the images of good teachers were said to be able to make students think critically, had an enormous capital of information, was willing to discuss and able to create a positive atmosphere in the classroom, an expert, charismatic, flexible and just. Some of bad images of teachers were inefficient boring methodologies, inappropriate use of technology, insufficient skills in communication and classroom management, lacked of sense of humour and too severe. In answering the question of what kind of teacher they want to become, the models and beliefs adopted during early school years had obviously had a strong influence on their attitudes towards teaching and teacher’s roles. As from the interview, it was found that student teachers tended to focus on their own survival and feelings of uncertainty.
