Students’
Preferred Teacher Behavior and English Learning
Activities
Rusdi
It is believed that a more productive learning
outcome will be achieved if students’ learning preferences are taken into
account. This chapter reports a study aimed to identify students’ preferred
teacher behaviors and their preferred activities in learning English. The study
was carried out at the English Department of the State University of Padang. It involved 207 students who had the opportunities
to learn English using a number of facilities (e.g. videos, films, and
cassettes), to follow in-class discussions (whole-class, small-group, and
pair), and to have various out-of-classroom activities. Data from the
questionnaire showed that teachers who can share humor and those who are good
in using English were given highly positive responses. In terms of learning
activities, interactive communication and learning using audiovisual media
appeared to be the most popular. Students also showed a greater preference to
have pair and small group discussions rather than a class discussion. For
out-of-classroom activities, students liked to talk to native speakers, to chat
with friends in English, and to watch TV programs broadcast in English.
Following the presentation of the results from the study, this chapter
discusses some pedagogical implications which are hoped to be beneficial for
curriculum developers, teachers, and students themselves.
------- ---- --------
Rusdi. (2004). Students’
preferred teacher behavior and English learning activities. In B. Y. Cahyono & U. Widiati (Eds.), The tapestry of English language teaching and
learning in
Website: www.geocities.com/eltindonesia
Email: eltindonesia@yahoo.com