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COLLOQUIUM ‘Evaluating task-based language programs’ Evaluation of TBLT in Flanders

COLLOQUIUM ‘Evaluating task-based language programs’ Evaluation of TBLT in Flanders. Machteld Verhelst Lancaster, TBLT 2009. Content. Background: in what context? For whom and why? What? How? Findings and uses Benefits and pressure points. BACKGROUND. Flemish government

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COLLOQUIUM ‘Evaluating task-based language programs’ Evaluation of TBLT in Flanders

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  1. COLLOQUIUM ‘Evaluating task-based language programs’Evaluation of TBLT in Flanders Machteld Verhelst Lancaster, TBLT 2009

  2. Content • Background: in what context? • For whom and why? • What? • How? • Findings and uses • Benefits and pressure points

  3. BACKGROUND • Flemish government > equal educational opportunities -> educational innovations Needs analysis (school language) -> learning goals (functional)= WHAT? • Improving language teaching: HOW? = TBLT (nationwide) -> materials development -> teacher training (preservice, inservice, coaching) & training of ‘meso-level’ (inspectors, counsellors, headmasters, teacher trainers) -> assessment

  4. IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMS Innovations in primary schools with learners at risk Eg.: • Priority Policy Brussels (PPB) (2000-2009) • Brussels’ Border & Language Border Towns (2007-2010) • Circus Peekaboo (2002-2003) • L1 Ghent (2008-2012) • Europaschool (2009)

  5. For whom and why? Intended users: 1) field: policy makers -> meso-level -> teachers 2) educationalists: teacher trainers & material developers Evaluation Uses (Norris, 2009) • Understand teachers • Illuminate context • Improve programs • Encourage teacher agency • Ensure teaching success • Enable TBLT learning • Demonstrate outcomes Program implementation / TBLT implementation

  6. WHAT? • How is TBLT implemented? • Which implementation strategies work? • What do teachers think about (TB)LT? • What is the role of the whole school team/the meso-level (cooperation)? • What is the language policy in the school? • How powerful is the language learning environment? • What do teachers make of the tasks? • How do pupils react on the tasks? • What are the outcomes?

  7. How? General: ecologically valid: in authentic, naturalistic contexts ‘related to the situated realities of task-based teaching and learning’ (Norris, 2009) No effects of TBLT ‘pur sang’: always triangulating and contextualizing, reflecting the complex environments within which teaching and learning actually take place <> Flemish school effectiveness studies (large scale / written surveys -> decontextualized)

  8. How? Data: • Meso-micro • Multivariate • Qualitative and quantitative • Broader than tasks: ‘the powerful (language) learning environment’

  9. Informants at the meso – micro level: School - class - learner • Headmasters • counsellors • Teachers • Pupils • (parents) Control groups

  10. Multivariate • Input variables (background characteristics of both learners and teachers) • Process variables (teaching quality) • Output variables (language proficiency) Longitudinal: start – inbetween – end Multiple cohorts

  11. Qualitative and quantitative Qualitative (case studies / selection of teachers/classes, eg. in 12 schools K3 and G1): • Semi-structured interviews about perceptions, behaviour and self competency regarding TBLT and the language policy in their schools. • Stimulated recall interviews • (interviews with learners, depending on their age) • Teacher logs

  12. Observations • Needed: the development of a standard of good task-based teacher practice, which meant translating a theoretical framework of task-based language education into objectively observable parameters of teacher behaviour • Devlieger & Goossens, 2007, CUP • > coaching (observation and feedback, Verhelst & Van den Branden, 1999) • Later adapted as a research instrument, and according to specific research questions, eg. The role of L1 in TBLT

  13. A POWERFUL LANGUAGE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Verhelst, 2006

  14. Extract of observation instrument

  15. Value and limitations of the instrument • Valid manner of grasping the quality of teaching practice • Able to compare teachers • Efficient to analyse (tendencies pop out) • Use as a coaching instrument (self-reflection) • Reliability: subjective -> multiple coders (2) -> video-recordings • Representative? • Frequency vs. Quality • Quantifiable? (cf. Van Gorp, forthcoming)

  16. Quantitative • Assessment (standardised, TB-tests measuring language proficiency; four skills) • Written (online) surveys: whole population - teachers/headmasters/counsellors = about perceptions, behaviour and self competency regarding TBLT and the language policy in their schools - learners: perceptions & attitudes towards teaching methods/language policy/self-competence/wellbeing & involvement

  17. Example of a timeline

  18. Communication of the results WRITTEN • Written report for policy makers • If requested: synthesis with general tendencies for meso-level/school teams • Article, website, monthly newsletter ORAL • Presentation at colloquia… (policy makers/meso) • Presentation to the school team • Individual feedback to the teacher Cyclic: beginning-end ! All reports have explicit recommendations & guidelines for future program action

  19. FINDINGS -> USES Overall findings concerning implementation • TBLT promising on paper, but practical & ideological concerns -> No full implementation of the intended program Teacher as an ‘eclecticus’ • Lack of transfer to other parts of the curriculum Uses • Coaching strategies • ‘language the whole day long’

  20. FINDINGS BPP (Van den Branden, 2006): Teacher level: • Stronger orientation towards functional language goals • More functional arrangement of the classroom • Higher quality of the teacher’s input ->Teaching quality improved in the whole learning environment • Little group work & oral production • Need for control (teacher as a leader, not a guide)

  21. Findings -> uses Learner level • Pupils’ higher level of involvement and motivation • pupils’ results improved • Declining influence of background characteristics (home language, socio-economical status) (these findings were confirmed in 2007) Uses -> Confirmation of the positive effects of TBLT -> coaching & material development (eg. ‘Totemtaal’, TB speaking assessment instrument)

  22. Program: Sustained implementation of TBLT with coaching, support Evaluation as inquiry, Norris (2009) Program: Training + coaching + agency Program: Theoretical inservice training Program: TB training + syllabus support • Methods: • Pre-post student learning outcomes, teacher surveys, classroom observations • Methods: • Teacher survey • Training observation • Methods: • Teacher logs, interviews, classroom observations • Methods: • Coaching obs, classroom obs, coach/ teacher interviews Findings: +incorporation of TBLT correlated with higher Dutch L2 proficiency outcomes +3 year gains in DSL higher in TBLT intensive adopting schools ?mixed incorporation of TBLT across schools, teachers • Findings: • Transmission model • Short term (3 hrs.) • “Try that with my students”…Post-coursal depression! Findings: +awareness of TBLT +student enthusiasm -teacher adoption -teacher control -task complexity -groupwork Findings: +conscious decisions +TBLT adaptation +self-evaluation ?teacher control -transfer -groupwork

  23. Circus Peekaboo (Verhelst & Verheyden, 2003) • Attitudes towards L1 changed (teachers/parents) • Interaction richer (at home - in class) • Children started talking for the first time, became self-confident • Motivation/wellbeing higher Uses: research results persuaded other schools to adopt this program

  24. Ongoing / start of program • Brussels’ Border & Language Border Towns (De Maeyer et al., 2009) Speaking climate/correctness/negative attitude L1 x Declining scores on oral production test in K3 Use: coaching -> attitudes & positive climate • L1-Ghent (Bultynck et al., 2008) Poor learning environment at the three levels Use: Extra intensive coaching to improve interaction and functional use of L1 through TBLT

  25. Benefits and pressure points Benefits: Research as reform • Meeting the requirements of sound evaluation (Norris, 2009) • users as participants (Norris, 2009) in the inquiry – dialogue – actions -> ownership -> effect on practice (Cf. Kiely, 2009) • What is easily implemented vs. what does not get implemented at all -> implication for further actions - Arguments pro TBLT -> convincing ‘new’ stakeholders -> development of new materials…

  26. Benefits and pressure points Pressure points • Policy makers prefer/have more confidence in quantitative research methods (‘reliability vs. validity’) • Time consuming (observations, massive amount of data (collecting-analysing)) -> case studies: generalisabilty?

  27. Thank you QUESTIONS? Machteld.verhelst@arts.kuleuven.be

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