causes behind poor performance in english of bangladeshi primary students
TRANSCRIPT
Causes behind Poor Performance in English of
Bangladeshi Primary Students
Goutam RoyLecturer, Institute of Education and Research
University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh
NELTA 19th International ConferenceKathmandu, Nepal
March 1, 2014
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Background
Bangladeshi students learn English from grade 1.
Previously teaching-learning system of English was grammar or content-based; now this is following Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach.
Curriculum and textbooks used in the primary education are competency-based. National Curriculum and Textbook Board, Bangladesh (NCTB) makes textbooks based on the competencies.
Background (contd...)
National level assessment is not competency-based; however, some NGOs took initiatives to assess primary graduates based on the terminal competencies.
It is observed that students were comparatively week in English. Thus, initiatives were taken to know the reason behind poor performance in this subject.
Objectives
The main objective of the study is to know the causes behind poor performance in English of the primary students of Bangladesh.
The specific objectives
To explore the situation of the primary graduates regarding their learning achievement in English
To investigate the reasons behind their poor performance in English
Methodology
The study is qualitative in nature. Both primary and secondary sources were considered.
Existing situation in achieving English competency were identified through secondary data as well as literature review.
Primary data collection procedures were considered to explore the reasons behind poor performance in English.
Methodology (contd...)
Data sources and Sample
Competency test data and literature review: Education Watch, BRAC and other studies
In-depth Interview: Grade five students (30), their parents (30), English teachers (30) and head teachers (30)
Informal discussions: Non-English Teachers (30) and primary graduates (15)
Methodology (contd...)
Qualitative information was collected from 30 Primary schools from six divisions.
Separate checklists for each type of respondents were used.
Triangulation was done.
Methodology (contd...)
Competency Test items Minimum level for achievement
Listening Answer two questions based on a pre-recorded dialogue between two friends
Answer one correctly
Reading - Answer two questions from a printed paragraph- Answer two questions from a hand-written paragraph
- Answer one correctly- Answer one correctly
Writing Describe a given picture in five sentences
Write three sentences
Table 1: Criteria of assessed competencies (Nath & Chowdhury, 2001)
Salient Findings
2006 201205
101520253035404550
38.443.7
1115.514.4
26.5
16.419
31.2 32.3BengaliEnglishMathematicsSocial studiesGeneral science
Figure 1: Competency achievement of the students by subjects (Nath, Roy, Dutta & Hossain, 2006 and Roy & Uddin, 2012)
Salient Findings (contd...)
2006 20120
102030405060708090
100
8089.4
79.588.5
13.4
34.8
1115.5
ListeningReadingWritingEnglish
Figure 2: Competency achievement of the students in English by skills (Nath, Roy, Dutta & Hossain, 2006 and Roy & Uddin, 2012)
Salient Findings (contd...)
Previous figures show that, among the subjects under test, students were the weakest in English and, among the language skills, they were the weakest in writing skill.
However, informal discussions gave the sense that speaking skill of the students could get the lowest position, if formally assessed.
“I never speak in English. Even though I cannot think of speaking in this language. I just know some English words and that’s all. Only the educated people speak in English and I do not find any such person in my village.”
- A primary graduate students of Bangladesh
Salient Findings (contd...)
Reasons behind low performance in English
Educational qualification of the English teachers did not match with their subject they taught.
Teaching-learning provisions in classrooms were not appropriate. For instance, in many schools, only lecture method was used to teach English.
Teachers did not practices the principles of CLT.
An English teacher of a primary school said, “I have to conduct 5-6 classes in a day. Besides, I am also not from English background. We do not have any subject-teacher in English.
Salient Findings (contd...)
Textbook were not attractive to the students.
Students got very little scope to have help from the other members at home.
The whole range of syllabus kept unfinished every year.
Students got less interest in this subject because of the mentioned reasons.
Salient Findings (contd...)
Society bear a pre-concept that learning English is very tough. Students also had this fear.
English is taught like as content-based subject, not as a skill-based one.
“We all know that English is very tough. Our parents thought that and many of us are also following their traditional thoughts. As I do not know English, so I should not provide any comment whether learning English is tough, but we see that most of the people think such.”
- A mother of a grade 5 student
Major Recommendations
Teachers from English educational background should be appointed as English teachers in all primary schools in Bangladesh.
All the teachers should be properly trained on how to teach English. Besides, they should get pre-service and in-service training regularly.
Practice of speaking in English should be a regular process in all primary schools.
Textbooks should be more attractive to the students and these should be made in a way that they can be able to study of their own.
