Knowledge of learners

Evidence from the study is conclusive in highlighting the significance of knowledge of learners in teaching English to Young Learners. First and foremost, teachers equated knowledge of learners with their identity in the vocation. A teacher highlighted that “If I were not a teacher, I won’t consider it necessary. But if I still consider myself a teacher, then it is important because it is related to my job as a teacher (PSET3: 435)”.

Teachers such as PSET2 believed that reasonable knowledge of learners largely “informs the learning-teaching processes” (PSET2: 443), a stance resembling Johnston & Goettsch’s

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(2000) view that “teachers' beliefs about how learners learn and what they know affect their pedagogical strategies” (p. 455). A further stance was taken by a number of other participants who accentuated the usefulness of knowledge of learners in helping them “to solve any problems occurring during the teaching learning process” (PSET6: 462), “to provide accurate examination of the students” (PSET13: 218), and “to solve the learning difficulties that children are having” (PSET12: 448-449). Some teachers even argued that such knowledge is vital in “supporting the overall learning-teaching processes in order to achieve success (PSET2: 443)” and in reaching “the ultimate goal of learning (PSET6: 445)”. Without it, teachers will face “notable difficulties when dealing with learners” (PSET9).

It seems that the teachers believed that the knowledge of learners enables them to identify their learners, inform their pedagogies, and therefore assist them in dealing with any teaching problems they may encounter in the classroom. This finding provides evidence for Musthafa’s (2010) contention that teacher’s knowledge of learners is a foundation of the pillars of teaching English to Young Learners. An English teacher at primary level is expected to know who their learners are because such knowledge is necessary for them to develop relevant approaches to foster learning as well as to deal with any problems in the classroom.

Two strands of knowledge of learners have emerged in this study. These are: 1) knowledge of learners’ strategies, and 2) psychology of learning.

Knowledge of learners’ strategies

Participants felt that knowledge of learners’ strategies is indispensable for promoting effective instruction because:

226 : we need to see children, what are their tendencies of learning,

227 : how they learn. We need to try to see different approach to different individual. And for sure 228 : we need knew knowledge to execute these approaches. (PSET4)

249 : … We need to know what they like, and

250 : what they (the students) need or what they want, the kind of learning they want=(PSET2) 249 : … E:h, we need to know what the students like, and

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250 : e::hm (.) what, e:h, what they need, the way they learn= (PSET1)

The three participants above agreed that it is necessary for English teachers to know who the students are, the individual approaches they develop when learning, and what they want in their learning. This view of teachers is parallel to the contention made by LTE1 that “the knowledge of the learners and their learning styles” are “vital” (LTE1: 24-25). The reason is because reasonable knowledge on these areas is necessary in order for teachers to be able to develop appropriate teaching approaches. Knowledge of learners enables teachers to develop a new role that is not primarily based on hierarchical authority where teachers instruct and direct learning. On the contrary, the roles have shifted progressively to identification of learners’ strategies and efforts to assist them to become more independent and autonomous (Oxford, 1990).

Although the place for knowledge of learners and promoting autonomy is unquestionable, data generated from the study shows that the knowledge was not fully exercised in Indonesian primary schooling contexts. Participants’ views provided a grim picture on the utilization of language learning strategies to promote autonomy. Both MEB1 and MEB2 believed that teachers have not been fully exercising knowledge of learners’ strategies and that “teachers should improve their understanding about the ways learners learn” (MEB1: 20). Less experienced teachers such as PSET1 and PSET2 pointed out their limited knowledge of learning strategies. Both teachers with good provision of English to Young Learners (PSET11 and PSET12) as well as those with extensive experiences with teaching at primary level (PSET7 and PSET8) also stated their conviction that they were lacking of knowledge of learning strategy. They felt they had “limited knowledge to deal with learners” (PSET11: 243), so that it was hard for them to improve “students’ autonomy” (PSET7: 160).

Psychology of learning

Participants provided positive responses in relation to the relevance of learning children psychology to the creation of informed decisions. MEB1 stated that teachers need “to

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learn more of psychology of children” (MEB1: 25) and PSET4 stated that she “really wants to learn psychology of learning” (PSET4: 469).

The continuing importance of psychological knowledge is evident as it provides useful basis for developing suitable approaches to help teachers to deal with learners’ difficulties. PSET6 stated that teachers “should understand children’s characters, their backgrounds, the kinds of sickness they have, because these are related to psychology of learning” (PSET6: 459-461). PSET11 and PSET12 both confirmed that they had students with autism. Some students who had autism were largely assisted by their learning aide, but both PSET11 and PSET12 found it extremely difficult to deal with them because they had limited knowledge in dealing with this type of learners.

These findings demonstrate that limited knowledge of learners was a problem encountered by all groups of teachers. Teachers with an English background such as PSET4 stated the necessity to improve her limited knowledge of learners as much as teachers with non-English background such as PSET3. Both more experienced teachers such as PSET7 and less experienced teachers such as PSET1 were alike. The two groups exhibited a great need of tuition in recognizing students’ learning styles in order to develop learning autonomy, while they also needed psychology of learning in order to assist students with learning difficulties.