Challenges and Coping Strategies of Teaching English in Large Classes: A Narrative Inquiry

Abstract

The study aimed to explore how university-level English language teachers perceived the challenges and strategies involved in teaching large classes. The participants of this research study were the English language teachers of the Graduate School of Education, Mid-West University. I explored the issue in four large classes through a narrative inquiry method. I used class observations and interviews as the research tools to collect data for the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected through observations and interviews. I analyzed the data by putting them into computer files and transcribing the raw data verbatim into texts. Then, I generated codes for all data and drew themes related to the research questions. The findings and results were presented according to the themes. Based on the data analysis, I found five important challenges encountered by the research participants in teaching large classes, including insufficient classroom space, difficulty in taking student attendance, students' inability to see and hear, controlling noisy classrooms, student absenteeism, low student engagement, inability in using student-centred approaches, lack of monitoring, failure in assessing student progress, difficulty in giving individual student feedback, and inadequate resources for teachers. The research participants were found to adopt various coping strategies for addressing the challenges that they encountered while teaching in large classes, including assigning the class monitor for taking attendance, increasing the teacher's mobility in the class, making the fonts larger on the board or screen, using punishment, student guidance and counselling, building good relationships with students, addressing them by their names, setting up classroom rules, encouraging student participation, promoting self and peer assessment, and designing and using reading materials for their classes. In conclusion, the research participants faced challenges in large class teaching, but they also found some strategies to deal with the problems. The findings of the study may contribute to understanding and enhancing university-level English pedagogy and teaching-learning of other subjects. Policymakers and professionals may find the findings of the study useful when it comes to teaching English in large classes in Nepalese higher education. Teachers can become more aware of the phenomena, comprehend the real joys and challenges of teaching large classes, and develop plans and policies appropriately.