Interviews

Dörnyei (2007) and Talmy (2010) argue that interviews are one method most often used as a means of obtaining in-depth information about a participant’s experiences, attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, thoughts, knowledge and feelings of a problem being researched. Since the aim of this study is to investigate teachers’ perceptions and understandings of the Standard Curriculum for Primary School (SCPS), adopting the interview method as a means of data generation is pertinent, as it allows the researcher to enter into the inner world of the teachers and to gain a better understanding of their perspectives (Johnson & Christensen, 2008). The interviews were intended to elicit in greater depth teacher understanding of the key concepts of the curriculum and the aim of the research. Dörnyei (2007) categorizes interviews into three types:

a) A structured interview refers to a tightly controlled interview that uses a pre- prepared, elaborate interview guide, which contains a list of questions to be covered identically with every interviewee.

b) An unstructured interview allows maximum flexibility to follow the interviewee in unpredictable directions, with only minimal reference from the research agenda. The questions in this kind of interview are often open-ended and broad. c) A semi-structured interview uses pre-defined guiding questions and prompts.

The format is open-ended but it allows for probing, follow-up and clarification.

For the purposes of the present study, a relatively open interview format, involving semi-structured interviews, was employed with the observed EL teachers and representatives from the Ministry of Education, Education District Offices and the curriculum trainers. The aim was to gather specific yet in-depth information. Hence, instead of using scripted questions, a set of primary areas of exploration and a checklist of issues to be explored in an interview were listed and the list was used as a guide to “ensure that the same basic lines of inquiry [were] pursued with each person interviewed” (Patton, 2002, p. 343). However, the order in which the questions were asked was not predetermined because their function was only to act as a guide that provided the themes or areas to be explored (Merriam, 1998). This way the researcher can retain “considerable flexibility over the range and order of questions within a

loosely defined framework” (Wellington, 2000, p. 74). Another advantage of a semi- structured in-depth interview is the fact that it offers opportunities for probing and clarification when greater clarity or additional information is needed from the person being interviewed (Johnson & Christensen, 2008; Patton, 2002; Marshall & Rossman, 2011; Wellington, 2000). This allows for greater depth in the issue being studied (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2011) and at the same time for clarification and triangulation of data obtained through other means (Mears, 2012). As the purpose of the study was to uncover and describe participants’ perspectives on issues in education, the data that needed to be elicited had to demonstrate teachers’ subjective views, thoughts, values, prejudices, perceptions, feelings and perspectives, which would only be possible through in-depth interviews.

Teachers in the study were interviewed prior to and after the classroom observation in order to build a clear picture about their perceptions, understanding and practices. The pre-interviews were used to assess teachers’ knowledge of the curriculum particularly relating to its goal(s), modular approach, teaching principles and pedagogy. The post- observation interviews employed the video stimulated recall technique that will be discussed in detail in 5.8.3. The final interviews were conducted in order to elicit teachers’ reflections concerning their classroom teaching that was observed, and were aimed at extracting information regarding the thought processes involved in certain pedagogical decisions that teachers were observed to make in their classrooms.

Each interview session lasted between 45 minutes to one hour. All the interviews started in English as all the participants were connected with English teaching. However, there were occasions when the participants code-switched between English and Bahasa Melayu (Malay Language), when they felt a need for clarification or elaboration or to express their opinions. This is probably because some teachers were not graduates in English, as described in the background Table 5.1. No objection was raised to use of both languages in the interviews, in an attempt to encourage fluent and clear ideas as well as to maintain rapport between and confidence on the part of all parties.

The interviews were tape-recorded and backed-up for transcribing, translating and analysis. To avoid being affected by the presence of the tape-recorder and to lessen the feeling of apprehensiveness on being taped-recorded, an explanation was given (again) before the interview started on the purpose of the research and an assurance was

provided that the participants’ responses would be kept confidential and their identity would be anonymous. This helped to establish rapport between the interviewer (myself) and the interviewees. According to Johnson and Christensen (2008), obtaining trust from the interviewee is important to prevent biased research data. Each interview was transcribed verbatim. A copy of the transcription was sent to each of the participants for them to add or revise as necessary to increase accuracy and reliability. Out of the 8 teachers only two of them suggested changes in their answers to the interview questions. The changes were mainly to clarify and explain further.

5.8.1.2 Interview guides

The interviews with all the participants in this study followed what Patton (2002) referred to as the ‘interview guide’. Two types of interview guides were prepared: interview guides for the EL teachers and interview guides for the representatives from the ministry, i.e. the CDD officer, the curriculum trainers and the District English Language Officers. Both the interview guides were developed from interview guides used by Karavas (1993), Moyles et al. (2003) and Wang (2006). These studies were found relevant as they involved interviews concerning participants’ perceptions, knowledge and attitudes towards new approaches in ELT curricula. These three studies focused on the perceptions and attitudes of teachers in Greece, the UK and China respectively towards the applicability and effectiveness of a communicative learner centred approach. The present study is different in that it examines the effectiveness of a recent curriculum reform in ELT in Malaysian primary schools. Nevertheless, the participants in the three studies were found to share some commonalities with the participants in the present study. The following section will first describe the interview guides for the EL teacher participants and then there is a description of the interview guides that were used with representatives from the Curriculum Development Division, curriculum trainers and English Language Officers (ELOs) of the Education District Office.

5.8.1.2.1 Interview guides for teachers

The interview guides for teachers aim to elicit data on how teachers perceive the usefulness and clarity of the curriculum document and curriculum materials, and the

effectiveness of the dissemination of the curriculum reform. Hence, the interview guides help to provide answers to the first and second research questions.

The interview guide for the teachers was divided into seven themes (see Appendix H3). The themes were:

A. Demographic information about teachers’ language learning experience, educational background and teaching experience;

B. Teachers’ views on the Standard Curriculum for Primary Schools (SCPS/KSSR);

C. Teachers’ conceptual understanding of active learning, a learner-centred approach, interactive teaching and reports of their classroom practice;

D. Teachers’ training experiences and views of their training; E. Teachers’ opinions of the resources and modules provided; F. Problems teachers faced/teachers’ opinions of the innovation; G. Teachers’ roles.

The first theme included demographic information regarding the participants’ education qualifications, language learning experience and teaching experience. The main purpose of gaining this information was to establish the range of teaching experience specifically in English Language Teaching (ELT) among the teachers. Information on their academic qualifications allowed the researcher to obtain a general view of the teachers’ English Language backgrounds.

This was followed by themes that centred on the participants’ knowledge and understanding, as well as experiences of the current curriculum and their perceptions of various issues with regard to the curriculum implementation in their language classroom. It was hoped that the process of being interviewed would help clarify teachers’ understanding of the reform efforts by prompting thought and discussion about relevant issues. The second theme was teachers’ views of the Standard Curriculum for Primary Schools (SCPS) for Year 1 English Language because how teachers view and perceive a curriculum will have an influence on how it will be implemented in the classroom. The third focused on teachers’ conceptual understanding of three key concepts that made up the new curriculum: 1) interactive teaching, 2) active learning, and 3) a learner-centred approach. The fourth theme dealt with teachers’ views

on their experiences of the training provided. The fifth theme was teachers’ opinions of the curriculum support materials provided by the Ministry of Education (MOE). The sixth theme was geared to the problems teachers face in the implementation of the current curriculum. The final theme touched upon their views of the role(s) that they were playing in the classrooms, in view of the demands made by the current curriculum.

5.8.1.2.2 Interview guides for the CDD officer, the curriculum trainers and the DELOs

The interviews with the curriculum trainers and District English Language officers were aimed at discovering and exploring their perceptions and understanding of the current primary English Language curriculum and its implementation. Gathering views from the trainers who are charged with providing professional training to teachers before the implementation of the new curriculum, should allow one to obtain a clear picture of the kind of professional support provided to the teachers. In addition, the data from the interview should also provide information on (a) what the teachers were actually required to do in their actual classrooms and (b) the emphases of the new curriculum about how English should be taught.

Interviews with the District English Language Officers responsible for monitoring the implementation of the curriculum in actual classrooms should yield information on the criteria that they used when observing English Language classroom teaching. Looking at the criteria will shed light on the extent to which the criteria reflect the aim of the curriculum: that is, the development of students’ communicative competence. Besides, the information gathered from the interview may indicate whether their understanding of the curriculum and how it is to be implemented is congruent with the views and knowledge of the teachers.

The interview guides for the officer from the Curriculum Development Division, the trainers and the District English Language Officers (DELO) was divided into four topic areas:

A. Questions on the curriculum;

B. Questions on active learning and the learner-centred teaching approach;

C. Questions on the curriculum materials; D. Questions on the training.

The first topic area asked about the questions pertaining to the characteristics of the Standard Curriculum for Primary Schools (SCPS) for Year 1 English Language and the rationale for the curriculum reform. The information on the curriculum was intended to provide a general view and better understanding what the curriculum was about and how the SCPS differed from the previous curriculum. The second topic area of the interview questions touched upon the concept of active learning, interactive teaching and a learner-centred teaching approach, as stipulated in the curriculum. It was felt to be particularly important to know the ministry’s expectations of the extent to which the curriculum would be implemented (or their beliefs about how far it was being implemented) in the classroom in view of the goal of the curriculum.

The third topic area dealt with the curriculum support materials provided to the teachers to help them with the implementation of the curriculum. This information was intended to give an overview of how far teachers believed the curriculum support materials related to their classroom practice. The fourth dimension of the interview questions focused on the actual training provided to the teachers. The information was considered crucial as it would give an idea of how the curriculum was communicated to the teachers.