Learner and Teacher Readiness for Constructivism in the ... KHELIFI آ  on constructivist principles

People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

Abu Bekr Belkaid Uiversity -Tlemcen-

Faculty of Arts and Languages

Department of Foreign Languages

Section of English

Learner and Teacher Readiness for Constructivism in the

Algerian EFL Classroom: The Case of 3rd Year Literary

Classrooms in Colonel Abd Elhadi Secondary School

(Sidi Bel-Abbes)

Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Foreign Languages as Partial

Fulfillment for the Degree of “Magister” in Educational Psychology

Presented by: Supervised by:

Mr. Khayreddine KHELIFI Dr. Hafida HAMZAOUI

Board of Examiners:

Pr. Smail BENMOUSSAT Chairman University of Tlemcen

Dr. Hafida HAMZAOUI Supervisor University of Tlemcen

Pr. Fewzia BEDJAOUI External Examiner University of Sidi Bel-Abbes

Dr. Radia BENYELLES Internal Examiner University of Tlemcen

Dr. Ali BAICHE Internal Examiner University of Tlemcen

Academic Year: 2012-2013/1433-1434

People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

Abu Bekr Belkaid Uiversity -Tlemcen-

Faculty of Arts and Languages

Department of Foreign Languages

Section of English

Learner and Teacher Readiness for Constructivism in the

Algerian EFL Classroom: The Case of 3rd Year Literary

Classrooms in Colonel Abd Elhadi Secondary School

(Sidi Bel-Abbes)

Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Foreign Languages as Partial

Fulfillment for the Degree of “Magister” in Educational Psychology

Presented by: Supervised by:

Mr. Khayreddine KHELIFI Dr. Hafida HAMZAOUI

Board of Examiners:

Pr. Smail BENMOUSSAT Chairman University of Tlemcen

Dr. Hafida HAMZAOUI Supervisor University of Tlemcen

Pr. Fewzia BEDJAOUI External Examiner University of Sidi Bel-Abbes

Dr. Radia BENYELLES Internal Examiner University of Tlemcen

Dr. Ali BAICHE Internal Examiner University of Tlemcen

Academic Year: 2012-2013/1433-1434

Dedication

i

Acknowledgements

ii

First and foremost, I would like to express my deep recognition to Allah, for

giving me ambition, determination and strength to finish this work.

Second, I am genuinely indebted to my supervisor Dr. H. HAMZAOUI for

her guidance, patience and thought-provoking comments.

My gratitude goes to the board of examiners for accepting to read and

evaluate this humble work: Pr. S. BENMOUSSAT, Pr. F. BEDJAOUI, Dr. A.

BAICHE, and Dr. R. BENYELLES.

My recognition and warm thanks are for all the people who supported me

during the stages of this work and during the theoretical year: Dr. A. BELMEKKI,

Dr. R. ZIDANE, Dr. F. SENOUCI, Mrs. S. HALFAOUI, Mss. M. MEZIANE, Dr.

I. SERIR, and Dr. B. A. NEDDAR.

Special thanks are recorded to all those who contributed to my work in one

way or another: Mr. A. KHELIFI, Mr. A. BENZIANE, Mr. O. RAHMOUN, Mrs.

R. RAOUTI, Mr. M. LABANE, Dr. S. ABID, Mr. Y. TONKOB, Mrs. H.

BERRAHOUI, Mss. A. KEBIRI, Mrs. W. SEBBAGH, Mss. S. BENMANSOUR,

Mss. A. BENABDELLAH, and Mss. Y. NEMICHE.

Though not academically, their contribution was for a lifetime; all my

gratitude and recognition go to my parents who taught me how to become a man.

Abstract

iii

Many countries around the world launched reforms in their educational

systems to meet the ever-evolving challenges and demands of an increasingly

globalised world. In Algeria, the Competency-Based Approach (CBA) has been

recently adopted; an approach which draws heavily on the principles of

constructivism. The purpose of this work was, then, to explore the readiness of EFL

learners and teachers for this new orientation in education and the extent to which

this could be achieved in the Algerian EFL classroom. To reach this end, a case

study research was conducted in Colonel Abd Elhadi Secondary School (Sidi Bel-

Abbes) relying on a number of sources and research instruments for data collection.

A questionnaire for learners, another one for teachers, classroom observation, and

an interview with a general inspector of English were used. The data collected from

these research instruments were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The

triangulation of results revealed that Algerian EFL learners did not show readiness

for autonomous learning and were not prepared to handle their learning process as

required by constructivism. On the other hand, EFL teachers did not show a reliance

on constructivist principles in their teaching practices in the EFL classroom which

was far from being appropriate for creating constructivist learning/teaching

environments. Accordingly, this work emphasised that understanding in depth the

theoretical underpinnings of the CBA was crucial to achieve the objectives of the

Algerian educational reform; preparing learners, teachers and the EFL classroom for

constructivism was of paramount importance indeed.

Table of Contents

iv

Dedication ..................................................................................................................... i

Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... ii

Abstract ....................................................................................................................... iii

Table of Contents ........................................................................................................ iv

List of Tables ............................................................................................................ viii

List of Figures ............................................................................................................. ix

Key to Abbreviations and Acronyms .......................................................................... x

General Introduction ................................................................................................. 1

Chapter One

Constructivism: Theoretical Background

1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 7

1.2 A Prelude to Constructivism ................................................................................. 7

1.3 Constructivism and Learning Theory .................................................................... 8

1.3.1 Behaviourism ............................................................................................... 9

1.3.2 Information Processing Theory ................................................................. 10

1.3.3 Constructivism and the Notion of Learning .............................................. 11

1.4 Dimensions of Constructivism ............................................................................ 13

1.4.1 Cognitive Constructivism .......................................................................... 14

1.4.2 Social Constructivism ................................................................................ 16

1.5 The Constructivist Learner .................................................................................. 18

1.5.1 Characteristics and Roles of Constructivist Learners ............................... 18

1.5.2 Constructivism and Learner Autonomy .................................................... 20

1.6 The Constructivist Teacher .................................................................................. 22

1.6.1 Re-conceptualising Teaching ..................................................................... 22

1.6.2 Characteristics and Roles of Constructivist Teachers ............................... 24

Table of Contents

v

1.7 The Constructivist Learning/Teaching Environment .......................................... 26

1.7.1 Teaching Methods in the Constructivist Environment .............................. 29

1.7.3 Assessment in the Constructivist Environment ......................................... 31

1.7.4 The Constructivist Environment and ICTs integration ............................. 32

1.7.5 Barriers to Create Constructivist Environments ........................................ 35

1.8 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 37

Chapter Two

Situation Analysis and Research Design

2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 39

2.2 ELT and Reform in the Algerian Education Syste