If you have any questions or concerns about this research, please contact the English Department office: (02)2938-7248
---I understand the procedures described above. My questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study. I have been given a copy of this form.
Participant’s signature_______________________________
Date:_________________
A copy of this consent form should be given to you.
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Appendix B: Interview guide for the first interview questions
1. Please introduce your age, educational backgrounds (college, graduate school, and teacher training), and years of service as an English teacher in high school.
2. Please describe your understanding toward English electives in Senior High Curriculum Guidelines regarding the goals and implementation details.
3. In your understanding, what difference lies between the English electives in the present and those in the past?
4. What is your view on the arrangement of the English electives in our school in these years? On what ways were the English electives decided?
5. Do you think it is feasible to continue developing switch-class and student-chosen English electives in our school?
6. For what reason did you become the instructor of the English elective? If you were free to decide rather than passively accept the school’s arrangement, would you agree to teach an English elective? Why or why not?
7. What do you think may affect English teachers when they teach an elective?
8. What is your plan for the English elective News English you are going to teach in this coming semester? Objectives, materials, data collection, class management, grading, etc.? What factors are in you concern?
9. Please discuss how you are going to manage your working schedule for this coming semester.
10. In you view, what impacts and values will these preparation work bring to you?
11. What do you think this elective will bring to the students? Values, expected learning results, and impacts?
12. What are your expectations and suggestions for the implementation on the English electives in our school?
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Appendix C: Interview guide for the second interview questions for Brenda
*expected challenges
*unexpected challenges
*coping behaviors
*required courses v.s. electives
I. Reflection on the course plans and activities
1. introducing the latest news events and key vocabulary/terms 2. introducing various news media
3. students’ group reports 4. midterm exam
5. discrepancy between planned schedule and real schedule 6. operating the facility in the classroom (playing video clips)
II. Class management in the elective 1. tardiness
2. absence
3. students’ performance in assignments and class activities 4. maintaining class order
5. understanding students’ language proficiency 6. administration of exams
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Appendix D: Interview guide for the third interview questions
*overall reflections: beliefs, perceived difficulties, adaptations
*plans for the next elective
*suggestions
I. Reflection on the course plans and activities throughout the semester 1. achieving the course objectives:
(1) introducing various sources of news media for self-learning (2) establish basic understanding toward English news
2. course design and its implementation
(1) written materials and audio-visual resources (2) students’ group reports
*Any previous experience in adopting these activities? Why or why not? How did it go?
3. Midterm v.s. Final exam (design of test questions, students’ grades, etc.) 4. Adjusting behaviors when administering the classes
(1) schedule control (2) facility operation
(3) teacher-student interaction (4) class management (ex. tardiness) 5. grading methods and the results
II. Overall reflections and suggestions for the elective
1. impacts on the teacher (more challenge, increased loading, class management, professional growth)
2. impacts on students
3. medication plan for the next elective
4. feasibility of continuing developing English electives in the school
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Appendix E: Classroom Observation Form
Date: _____________ Class time: ____________ Instructor: _____________
activity content duration material Descriptive notes
Researcher notes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
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Appendix F: Sample of the researcher’s field notes Date: _Oct. 14, 2011_ Class time: __4thperiod_ Instructor: _Brenda_
activity content duration material Descriptive notes Researcher notes 1 Roll-call T calls on Ss one
by one. 2
Appendix G: Samples of Brenda’s reflective journals
Excerpts from 1stjournal (submitted in the 5thweek)
“When I first learned that I was going to teach an elective, I felt nervous and knew that deep down I wanted to say no. I had heard from colleagues that students’
learning motivations were low and the results were far from satisfactory. Then I figured that I needed to create more room for students to participate in the class when I was mapping out the course plan. That is why there is students’ presentation every week rather than me taking the full charge of the classroom all the time. So far, things have been fine. It is fun to prepare the class materials. I have learned a lot.”
“Students’ in-class oral reports often took more time than I had expected. The result was that I did not have enough class time to discuss the materials I had
prepared for the lecture session and had to wait until the next week to finish it. If there had been two consecutive class hours for the elective, my lecture would not have been cut short or put off and the teaching could have achieved better results.”
Excerpts from 2ndjournal (submitted in the 10thweek)
“I introduced news about Steve Jobs’ death. They liked it. They knew Steve Jobs. Then it dawned on me that the class materials had better relate students to their life experiences.”
“Some students said in the feedback section of the midterm exam that they were glad to have learned some special English jargons.”
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Excerpts from3rdjournal (submitted in the 15thweek)
“I hoped I could include visual aids in my lecture, just like what I required my students to do. So, I forced myself to look for relevant video clips to supplement the news reports I prepared for the classes. They had worked pretty well.”
“In some weeks, I could not find out appropriate news materials for class discussion. Then it occurred to me that other colleagues had selected two sides of opinions on one issue to discuss, one side for the first week and the other side for the second week, when teaching News English. I think this is a good idea.”
Excerpts from 4thjournal (submitted in the 18thweek)
“I had not run into any big trouble in managing the class when teaching this elective. I used to hear colleagues complaining that students in electives were terribly late for the classes. That concerned me. However, it turned out that my elective was a different case. Even if some students showed up late, it was only a few minutes. And they followed my class rules. I think I was lucky to be assigned to teach an elective of this kind.”
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Appendix H: Students’ News Reports In the Designated Topic Areas
Week
News Title Topic Area
2 Apple Rejects China Pollution Allegations Technology
3 You Are the Apple of My Eye Entertainment
4 Djokovic Deposes Nadal in U.S. Open Epic Sports 5 Scientists Create New Anti-shock Material Science 6 Powerful Typhoon Nesat Hits Philippines Weather 7 Vitamin E May Increase Prostate Cancer Risk, Study Says Health 8 1.Official claims Taiwanese people least physically active
2.Americans launch local Oktoberfest alternatives
Lifestyle
9 Mid-term Exam
10 Wall Street Not Preoccupied with “Occupy Wall Street” Business News 11 Sarkozy Called Israeli Netanyahu “Liar” Politics 12 Apple Names Arthur Levinson As Chairman Technology
13 No Class
14 Lady Gaga Emails Fan to Praise Anti-bullying Campaign Entertainment
15 NBA Winners and Losers Sports
16 Baby Boomers Looking for Love Online Lifestyle 17 Cat with 26 Toes To Foot The Bill For Animal Rescue
Center