Exploratory Action Research: Stories of Nepalese EFL Teachers
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Laxman Gnawali Suman Laudari Sagun Shrestha Editors Exploratory Action Research Stories of Nepalese EFL Teachers I Exploratory Action Research: Stories of Nepalese EFL Teachers ISBN 978 9937 0 8710 0 (eBook) All the editors contributed equally to developing this volume. © Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association (2021) This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, and reuse of illustrations. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the contributors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or editors give any warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Copy editing by Rajendra Man Singh Typeset by AD Grpahics Nepal, Putalisadak, Kathmandu Supported by The A. S. Hornby Educational Trust Published by Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association (NELTA) II Editors and Contributors About the Editors Laxman Gnawali, Professor of English Education at Kathmandu University and Senior Vice-President of NELTA, leads EFL teacher education and trainer development programs in Nepal. He co-authors EFL textbooks, designs language development courses for teachers, and inspires and facilitates teachers for professional development through publication, ICT and professional networking. He can be contacted at [email protected]. Suman Laudari is a learning design and technology specialist at the Institute for Interactive Media and Learning (IML) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). His research interests are in ICT in education, ICT related professional development, digital leadership. His current research project looks into digital leadership, ICT uptake, and use in educational practice in crisis. He can be contacted at [email protected]. Sagun Shrestha is a PhD student at the School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies, Dublin City University, Ireland. He is researching on affordances of and challenges to using ICT in secondary school education during crisis settings in Nepal. He is interested in ICT in education, language policy, and teacher education. He can be contacted at [email protected]. Contributors Bhesh Kumar Khadka, Shree Laxmi Secondary School, Belbari-11, Laxmimarga, Morang Debraj Karki, Yashodhara Buddha Secondary School, Thaina, Lalitpur Jeevan Bhattarai, Janapremi Secondary School, Udayapur Jenny Rai, Newton’s Education Secondary School, Jhapa District Manda Pokharel, Neel Barahi Secondary, Kalimati, Kathmandu Parshu Ram Shrestha, SOS Hermann Gmeiner Secondary School Itahari, Itahari, Sunsari Pema Kala Bhusal Pandey, Pathshala Nepal Foundation, Bagdol, Lalitpur Pushpa Raj Paudel, Sainik Awasiya Mahavidyalaya, Bhaktapur Puskar Raj Bhatta, Prabhat Basic School, Madi -8, Kaski Rima Karna, Janaki Secondary School, Saketnagar, Janakpurdham Saloni Nhemafuki, National Creative Co-educational School (NCCS), Chandol, Kathmandu Sanjeev Kumar Singhal, Mahendra secondary school, Nepalgunj Shanti Devi Sharma, Edify International School, Kalanki, Kathmandu Suman Shrestha, Shree Siddha Baba Secondary School, Godawari-5, Kailali Tarka Bahadur Khatri, Shree Ram Secondary School, Kohalpur, Banke III Table of Contents Contents Page No. Foreword by Richard Smith V Remarks from the NELTA President VI A Year-long Journey: Our Exploratory Action Research Project VIII How to Use This Book IX-X Section 1: Introducing EAR and Teachers’ EAR Stories – Laxman Gnawali, Suman Laudari & Sagun Shrestha 1-8 Section 2: EAR Stories from Teachers 9 1. Low Participation of Learners in Speaking Activities – Bhesh Kumar Khadka 10-18 2. Improving the Reading Comprehension of Grade 10 Students – Debraj Karki 19-25 3. Lack of Participation in Classroom Interaction – Jeevan Bhattarai 26-37 4. Why does Homework Cause Stress in students? – Jenny Rai 38-50 5. Enhancing Speaking Skill of Higher Secondary Level Students – Manda Pokharel 51-63 6. Encouraging Students to Communicate in English – Parshu Ram Shrestha 64-78 7. Enhancing Students’ Interests in Creative Writing – Pema Kala Bhusal Pandey 79-94 8. Students’ Reluctance in Using English as a Means of Interaction in the Classroom – Pushpa Raj Paudel 95-104 9. Enhancing Reading of Basic Level Students in English – Puskar Raj Bhatta 105-125 10. Involvement of All the Secondary Level Students in Free Writing Activities – Rima Karna 126-134 11. Why do my Students Lack Interest in Creative Writing? – Saloni Nhemafuki 135-143 12. Lack of Confidence in my Learners – Sanjeev Kumar Singhal 144-150 13. Why are my Students not Interested in Writing?– Shanti Devi Sharma 151-165 14. Increasing Reading Ability of Grade Four Students – Suman Shrestha 166-169 15. Encouraging Students for effective Learning – Tarka Bahadur Khatri 170-180 IV Foreword by Richard Smith Since 2013 I’ve had the privilege and pleasure to visit Nepal quite often, twice as a speaker at the annual NELTA conference, and several times to facilitate workshops at the invitation of the British Council, including as coordinator of its Action Research Mentoring Scheme (ARMS) from 2017 onwards. Due to these visits, I’ve come to appreciate the dedication and professionalism of Nepalese English teachers, who – despite facing large classes with heavy workloads and few physical resources, especially in the public sector, often seem to devote long hours in the service of their pupils and in search of enhanced professional development. NELTA – the Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association – is recognized internationally as one of the strongest organizations of its kind, and has branches across the country. I well remember the first time I visited Nepal and talked to a teacher who told me he had walked for several days in order to be at the association’s national conference in Kathmandu. As I know from experience, the challenges of mentoring teachers at a distance should not be underestimated, either – connectivity is often an issue, and this is just one of the difficulties that those involved in the project reported on here have had to face and overcome. They have overcome them, though, and great credit is due to the editors and all the authors. I have got to know Laxman-ji, Suman-ji and Sagun-ji quite well over the years – and have got to know how dedicated they are to teachers’ professional development – as, since 2002, I have been a Trustee of the Hornby Trust, an educational charity which provides around ten scholarships per year to teachers of English from developing countries to study for a Master’s in ELT / TESOL in the UK. Laxman was at Exeter University (Marjon) in 2000/2001, even before I became a Trustee in 2002; Suman was a Hornby Scholar at Lancaster University (2012/13) and Sagun came to Warwick, where I teach, in 2016/17. I think it was at that point that Sagun got to hear about Exploratory Action Research, an approach I’d been developing – and which is still being adopted successfully by teachers on the British Council Champion Teachers programme in Latin America (Chile at first, then Peru, Colombia and Mexico). The editors give a good overview of this approach in Section 1 of this book, so I won’t go into the details of it here. Suffice it to say that ‘EAR’ was developed specifically to help teachers address (understand and overcome certain aspects of) the kind of relatively ‘difficult’ circumstances Nepali teachers are facing – as alluded to above – and which are shared by so many teachers in Latin America, Africa and South Asia, but which tend to be neglected in most published ELT advice and research. I’m very happy that, in 2018, the three editors saw sufficient value in the kind of work Indian and Nepali teachers had been doing in ARMS to apply independently to the Hornby Trust to fund an innovative project designed by themselves, which is reported on in the pages of this book. I’m equally happy that the Hornby Trust has agreed to support publication of this book by NELTA via a small grant under its ‘Decentring ELT’ initiative. I congratulate the editors and all the authors for their dedication and hard work, and for their outstanding achievement! I’m sure many other teachers will derive inspiration from the stories shared here. Richard Smith University of Warwick / A.S. Hornby Educational Trust, UK V Remarks from the NELTA President It is my immense pleasure to write a foreword for the book Exploratory Action Research (EAR): Stories of Nepalese EFL Teachers. NELTA feels privileged to publish it. This volume comprises stories of exploratory action research carried out by the Nepalese teachers of English as a foreign language, with some empirical evidence that subtly suggests classroom strategies to deal with common problems in teaching English in the local context. The contributors are teachers from different parts of Nepal who enrolled in a year-long course designed by the editors. Therefore, the stories give some flavor of academic language. This book begins with the project description along with the usage guidelines. The latter section can act as a rudder for teachers and teacher educators. The section ‘Introducing EAR and Teachers’ EAR Stories’ helps readers understand EAR, its steps and the issues that the teachers are required to explore. This section is also able to establish the theoretical bases of EAR. This volume presents 15 EAR stories ranging from issues related to low participation of learners in speaking activities through improving reading comprehension through students’ reluctance in using English as a means of interaction in the classroom. Each contributor has set up a background, presented research questions, explained the methodology and findings and plans of actions and the outcomes.