TEACHER RESEARCH ON CHANGING THE CONCEPT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

Dr. Peter Ostradický, Prof. Dušan Kostrub, & Dr. Marína Kšiňanová, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia

Abstract

The presented research conducted at the Faculty of Medicine at Comenius University in Bratislava within the English language course elaborates on the issue of changes in teaching concepts. The research problem was identified based on a specific teaching experience, which indicates that a behavioral approach to teaching and learning is primarily applied in English language classes at the Faculty of Medicine at Comenius University in Bratislava. The concept of constructionist teaching was applied, and through qualitative phenomenological research, the student's perspective on the implemented changes in the teaching process was examined. In the process of collecting research material, focus group tools and phenomenological interview were used. In the analysis of the research material, the strategy of applying the constant comparison method was utilized. The research sample consisted of 26 students who interpreted their experience with the changed teaching concept, emphasizing terms like chaos and fear of the new in their statements. The authors of the study comment on probable causal relationships and point out what is hypothetically possible in the teacher-didactics-learner relationship. Through their research activities, the authors also reflect on currently emphasized intentions, where attention is focused on changes or transformations in teaching strategies, in which the behavioral approach should no longer prevail.

Keywords: Teacher Research, English Language Teaching, Qualitative Methodology, Teaching Strategy, Didactics