Teachers' Beliefs about Teaching English to Adult Learners Studying in Language Courses

Abstract

Much of the literature on teacher education has suggested that teachers' beliefs affect their teaching practices and instructional decisions in the classroom. As teachers are the arbiter of methods and choice (Arden-Close, 1999), it is then necessary to take a closer look at the teachers' beliefs especially in teaching English to adult learners. Some of the pedagogical issues that were observed further in this study were: (1) who the best teachers are, (2) where the materials should come from, (3) what teaching methods should be applied. This study was conducted at six different language courses in Sidoarjo Indonesia. Thirty teachers with different backgrounds and experiences participated in this study. The data were collected using questionnaires, in-depth interviews and classroom observations. Some conclusions were drawn up, and some recommendations were provided at the end of the study