TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS AND USE OF TEACHING MATERIALS IN EFL CLASSROOMS

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to identify how the lower secondary and secondary level English teachers use teaching materials in the private schools as well as to explore how they understand teaching materials and to explore the how they perceive the effectiveness of teaching materials in their language classroom. Further, ethnography as research method was carried out to evaluate the teachers’ understanding on using teaching materials that is being practiced in the schools and their recent experience in teaching and learning process. Likely, five English teachers were selected from lower secondary and secondary level of private schools. In this research, the data was collected through classroom observations and interviews. In order to discuss the collected data, the interpretive qualitative research paradigm was selected. The findings of this study incorporate perception of teachers who are the main investors to use teaching materials in language teaching. The findings also explored that all the teachers had positive attitudes towards teaching materials. They found that teaching materials were very engaging and participative to arouse learners’ enthusiasm and motivation. Teaching materials leads to the students centered learning and break monotony of the students. However, it was found that the teachers do not use teaching materials regularly because of some problems like; lack of time, poor exposure on using teaching materials, weak financial background of the schools, limited resource of teaching materials etc. Findings of my study suggested that the teachers who have been teaching English as a foreign Language should use teaching materials in language teaching and learning process. Teaching materials are means to simplify the contents, provide healthy environment, and reduce anxiety and fear among the learners and motivate them to get involved in different activities. Similarly, I have also recommended to the concerned authorities who are directly and indirectly involved in English language teaching to use teaching materials in the days to come.