Language Teachers’ Cognition and Classroom Practice: A Study of Teaching English Vocabulary in Busia County, Kenya
Journal Title: International Journal of Research in Education and Social Sciences - Year 2018, Vol 1, Issue 2
Abstract
Language is the basic mechanism in representation and expression of information. It is instrumental in enabling human beings form social intuitions. The mental representation about the world that is communicated in any speech act is based on vocabulary as the building blocks. The approach to teaching determines the mastery of language vocabulary. Teacher Cognition is central to the process of understanding teaching. A key factor driving this research is the recognition of the fact that teachers are active thinking decision – makers who play a pivot role in shaping classroom events. Instructional process is determined and shaped by the teachers’ cognition. The congruence between teachers’ beliefs and actions is significant in teaching. Vocabulary is the first and foremost important step in language acquisition; words are the main carriers of meaning and thus the reason for this study to focus on vocabulary teaching. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore cognitive perspectives in relation to English language vocabulary instruction process in primary schools in Busia County, Kenya. The objective was to investigate teachers’ beliefs about English vocabulary instruction. The theoretical framework was based on Mezirow’s perspective transformation which explores teacher cognition reflecting current, real life situation vocabulary instruction needs. There was interplay between factors that shape teacher cognition as independent variable and the learning outcomes of teaching English vocabulary being the dependent variables. The philosophical paradigm underpinning the study was interpretivism. The research used descriptive survey design. The target population constituted of 548 primary schools in Busia County. The sample was 20 standard 8 teachers of English. Data collection instruments were classroom observations and interview schedules. The data collected was analysed by use of descriptive thematic analysis procedures, and were presented in various thematic areas based on study objectives. It provides insight for teachers to improve on English vocabulary instructions.
Authors and Affiliations
Mulamba Patrick Omoto, Peter Barasa, Carolyn Omulando
Keywords
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