A Phenomenological Study of EFL Teachers’ Perceptions, Practices, and Challenges of Speaking Skills Instruction: Tewodros General Secondary School Grade Ten in Focus

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating EFL teachers’ perceptions, practices, and challenges of speaking skills instruction. A phenomenological research design was employed. A total of six (6) English language teachers who were teaching grade 10 students at Tewodros General Secondary School, Debre Tabor were comprehensively selected. Semi-structured interview and classroom observation were used to collect data. The data were analyzed qualitatively through thematic analysis. The findings revealed that teachers’ perceptions towards speaking skills instruction were positive. Hence, most teachers viewed that the purpose of speaking skills instruction is to enhance students’ speaking performance that incorporates fluency, lexical resources, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation.The results discovered that the practice of speaking skills instruction was not adequately accompanied with active learning methods. Hence, most of the teachers were using the lecture method than various active learning methods such as group works, find the different activities, role play, information gap activity, brainstorming, storytelling, and picture description. The findings uncovered that the speaking skills instruction was affected by various challenges including inability to use various active learning methods, lack of conducive learning environment, lack of students’ learning motivation, and unsuitable curriculum and textbook. As a result, students’ speaking performance that incorporates fluency, lexical resources, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation was inadequately developed. It is, therefore, recommended that teachers, school directors, curriculum and textbook designers, and students should work together in various regards such as using various active learning methods, increasing students learning motivation, creating conducive learning environment, and revising the curriculum and the textbook to minimize the challenges that hinder the effective implementation of speaking skills.

Keywords: Perception, practice and challenges

DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/69-01

Publication date: January 31^st 2023