Measuring EFL Teachers' Knowledge of Communicative Language Teaching Approach and their Practices in the Jordanian Public Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure the
English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' knowledge of
the principles of the communicative language teaching
approach (CLTA) and the extent to which they apply it inside
the English language classrooms. The sample of this study
consisted of 144 (63 male and 81 female) EFL teachers who
were chosen purposefully. From this sample, the researcher
has also chosen randomly 47 teachers (28 male and 19
female) for classroom observation. Two instruments were used
to collect the data: a teachers' questionnaire and a classroom
observation checklist to elicit answers to the questions of the
study. From the findings of this research, it can be concluded
that all the CLTA characteristics included in the questionnaire
and the observation checklist which can be attributed to the
variables of experience, gender, and qualifications were
known and used by the EFL teachers in different degrees. The
results of the first question showed that concerning the
experience the mean difference was significant at the 0.05
level; there were statistical significant differences due to the
teachers’ experience in favour of the teachers of more than 15
years of experience. The results of the second question showed
that there were significant differences between male and
female teachers at the level 0.05 of significance in the favor of
the males. The results of the third question showed that there
were no statistical significant differences at the level of 0.05 of
significance related to other dimensions. Finally the results of
the fourth question showed that the teachers had good
knowledge of the characteristics of CLTA in different degrees;
they used these characteristics as much as possible inside
their classrooms; and there were some obstacles that hinder
the teachers from using the characteristics of CLTA in spite of
their awareness of its usefulness.