English Placement Practice and Instruction: A Needs Analysis from the Perspective of Technological University Students

英語能力分班教學之需求研究：一所科技大學學生的觀點

蘇紹雯(Shao-Wen Su)

《高雄師大學報：人文與藝術類》 29期 (2010/12) Pp. 1-27

https://doi.org/10.7060/KNUJ-HA.201012.0001

摘要

能力分班教學之效益至今仍未有定論且備受爭議。本研究採用問卷調查與統計量化方式，輔以文獻探討，檢視一所科技大學英語能力分班情況、分班教學之效果與其學生對英語能力分班教學之需求，並以橫向方式研究學生基本資料變數對學生相關議題看法之影響，以供改善技職體系英語能力分班教學之參考。參與此研究有該校十個系共452位大一至大三學生。研究結果顯示：(1)英語能力分班對英語教學所產生的效益，大致上有助於學生學習英語、了解教學內容、接受老師教法、降低學習焦慮。(2)英語能力分班對提升學生學習動機、主動學習與課堂專注力方面，所收成效相對較小的成效。(3)英語能力分班對學生英語能力的提升並無顯著效益。(4)學生對英語能力分班教學效益議題之看法呈現微弱滿意度。(5)基本資料變數，對學生就相關議題的看法有所影響；相較其他次樣本，男學生、工科學生與低成就者對英語能力分班教學效益與措施議題持較正面態度。(6)三層級能力分班方式比兩層級者受到大多數學生肯定；四技英文能力的培養也受到大多數學生的贊許，此正吻合該校現階段大一與大二英語教學之實際作為。(7)大多數學生認為教材內容應強調日常生活用途，至於學生評量則應採老師自行設計且具較有彈性的評量方式。本文最後提出改善科技大學英語能力分班教學之建議。

關鍵字

EFL教學 ； 英語能力分班 ； 大一英文 ； 科技大學

並列摘要

There are pros and cons of placement practice, which are hard to come to conclusion. The purpose of this study aims at examining students' perceptions of English placement practice and instruction at a university of science and technology. Complemented by a literature review, a quantitative questionnaire survey was adopted in this study, with the participation of 452 students from 10 departments. The result of the study has indicated: (1) The ability-grouping practice engenders some instructional and learning advantages. The apparent benefits are that English placement practice was helpful for students' English learning, understanding the teaching content, and accepting their teachers' teaching methods. Of noticeable gains of the English grouping practice was lowering students' stress level in learning English. (2) The positive effects of the practice on students' learning in terms of elevating motivation and interest, becoming active and positive learners and increasing levels of focus in class received relatively low percentages of agreements. (3) Student's learning failed to show much significant improvement (31.6% students' agreements) as a result of implementation of the English ability-grouping placement. (4) All in all, the respondents tended to skew towards mild satisfaction with the outcomes of the ability-grouping practice and instruction. (5) The demographical variables impacted students' perceptions of some items regarding the outcomes issue as well as evaluation of the English placement practice. The placement practice was more endorsed by males, students from College of Engineering, and low achievers in relation to their learning improvement and the assessment system than by females, high achievers, and students from other colleges. (6) A three-level grouping practice, instead of a two-level one, approved by most of the respondents corresponds to the current practice of Levels A, B and C. The cultivation of ”4 skills” accredited by a majority of the participants also met the feature of the teaching materials currently used in both Freshmen English and Sophomore English. (7) A majority of the respondents maintained that the content of teaching materials should emphasize general topics related to daily life. The participants also favored teacher-autonomy and flexibility of student assessment measures. Suggestions for perfecting the English placement practice in the technological university will be provided at the end of the paper.

並列關鍵字

EFL instruction ； English placement practice ； Freshman English ； university of science and technology

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