DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2017.1372
title: The development of an English speaking teaching model in distance education

description: This research aims to develop an English Speaking Teaching Model for Adult Leaners in Distance Education. This study was divided into four phases: 1) surveys of previous English course circumstances from four stakeholders, 2) model design, 3) model development and the initial model implementation and 4) model revision and evaluation. The quantitative and qualitative methods were used in data collection throughout the study. In Phase 1, the questionnaires were employed to examine the students’ satisfaction towards previous DL English courses, whereas the interviews were employed to examine the perceptions of the DL administrators, the DL course teachers, and the DL teacher assistants towards the course teachers’ behaviours, teacher assistants’ behaviours and instructional materials and technology use in the previous distance English course. After that, the results were analyzed revealed five components in developing speaking skills: 1) language awareness promotion, 2) vocabulary and language pattern development, 3) language application development, 4) lesson delivery, and 5) cooperative and collaborative learning. Those components were employed to design the English Speaking Teaching Model (ESTM) in terms of selecting and/or developing teaching materials and activities. The first draft of the proposed model was implemented in the one-to-one trial in the central Thailand. The course teacher delivered her lessons through videoconferencing live broadcast to twelve DL learning centers. The research tools used in this trial were: 1) student interviews, 2) course teacher’s journals, 3) teacher assistant’s journal, 4) researcher’s observation notes, and 5) the comparison of the speaking pre-test and the post-test scores. The data were collected and analyzed to revise the first draft model. The language games were added into the revision of the draft model based on the student interviews in the one-to-one trial. After that, the second draft of the proposed model was implemented in the small group trial in another DL learning center in the eastern Thailand. Similar to the first trial, the research tools used in the second trial were: 1) student interviews, 2) course teacher’s journals, 3) teacher assistant’s journal, 4) researcher’s observation notes, and 5) the comparison of the speaking pre-test and the post-test scores. The data were collected and analyzed to revise the second draft model. The co-teaching approach and teaching-speaking sessions were added into the third draft of the proposed model. Then, the third draft of the model was implemented in the field trial in another DL learning center in the northern Thailand. Six research tools used in this trial were: 1) a questionnaire on students’ satisfactions towards the ESTM, 2) student interviews, 3) course teacher’s journals, 4) teacher assistant’s journal, 5) researcher’s observation notes, 6) the comparison of the speaking pre-test and the post-test scores. The model effectiveness and the students’ satisfaction towards the proposed ESTM were positive. The results from the field trial were utilized to revise the third draft leading to the final draft of the proposed ESTM which consisted of five stages: 1) Prior to the course (Raising students’ language awareness), 2) Before class (Self-preparation), 3) In class (Class activities), 4) After class (Review), and 5) End-of-the-course (Students’ progress). There were several implications arising from this study. Those implications will be beneficial to the stakeholders: DL course teachers, teacher assistants, students and authorities.