Teaching English as a Second Language Electronic Journal(TESL- EJ), 2021
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted face-to-face teaching globally, educatio... more In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted face-to-face teaching globally, educational institutions in Bangladesh adopted online instruction as the best available alternative. Since teachers and students were not quite familiar with remote teaching, it was deemed necessary to gauge their level of preparedness for online instruction. This study investigated the perceptions of teachers and students of public universities, and examined their views of online pedagogy, assessment and the major challenges faced. Data were collected from 158 teachers and 1468 students through survey questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions. Results indicate that participants had favourable attitudes towards online classes, but they expressed concern for students who they thought were marginalized due to lack of digital devices and poor internet connectivity. Inadequate teacher preparation, lack of familiarity with online pedagogy, limited know-how of online assessment and issues of affordability and equity were reported to be the major threats. Initial insights highlight the need for supporting the disadvantaged students as well as training teachers to employ appropriate tools and techniques for teaching and assessing online.
The paper reports on a study which investigated undergraduate ESL (English as a Second Language) ... more The paper reports on a study which investigated undergraduate ESL (English as a Second Language) students’ readiness for autonomous learning of English. The main objectives of the study were to get a better understanding of Bangladeshi undergraduate ESL learners’ perceptions about autonomous learning and teacher-centred learning, and to identify whether they are ready for autonomous learning. The study is based on a five-point Likert Scale questionnaire survey followed by a semi-structured interview conducted with the first year students of a major public university in Bangladesh. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 16.0). Descriptive statistics were calculated for each variable in the questionnaire in order to describe the respondents’ perceptions about autonomous learning and teacher-centred learning. Paired-samples t tests were calculated to identify any significant difference (p>0.05) in the respondents’ preference for autonomous learning to teacher-centred learning. The results show that the participants in the study prefer autonomous learning to teacher-centred learning which may imply their readiness for autonomous learning. Though it is a commonly-held belief that teaching in Bangladesh is teacher-centred and students are heavily dependent on teachers at all levels, the study suggests the potential for implementing autonomy in undergraduate English language classes in Bangladesh.
Spectrum: Journal of the Department of English, University of Dhaka, 2016
The paper reports on a study which investigated the use of reading strategies by undergraduate EF... more The paper reports on a study which investigated the use of reading strategies by undergraduate EFL/ESL students. The main objectives of the study were to identify the strategies that undergraduate learners most frequently use while reading academic texts and to examine any significant differences between male and female students' use of these reading strategies. This study was based on a questionnaire survey. The subjects in this study were 145 first year undergraduate English major students of a public university in Bangladesh. The results revealed students' more frequent use of cognitive strategies than metacognitive strategies. Of all types of reading strategies, students reported using the retrieval strategies most frequently while planning strategies least frequently. Independent-samples t test results indicated no significant differences between male and female students' use of reading strategies although females scored higher than males in overall reading strategy use.
Spectrum: Journal of the Department of English, University of Dhaka, 2018
The paper reports on a study that investigated undergraduate English language students' use of re... more The paper reports on a study that investigated undergraduate English language students' use of reading strategies based on their reading proficiency level. The main objectives of the study were to identify any relationship between reading proficiency level and strategy use, and any significant differences among highly proficient, moderately proficient, and low proficient students in their strategy use while reading academic materials. The study also aimed at exploring the most frequently used reading strategies among the learners of these three proficiency levels. The study used a questionnaire survey and employed descriptive statistics and ANOVA tests on the data generated from 145 undergraduate English major students of a public university in Bangladesh. Results revealed that all three groups of participants used cognitive strategies most frequently. ANOVA test results showed a significant difference between highly proficient and low proficient participants in their reported use of several strategies. The highly proficient group scored higher than the other groups, which indicates a possible relationship between learners' level of proficiency and their reading strategy use.
Spectrum: Journal of the Department of English, University of Dhaka, 2013
The paper reports on a study which investigated humanistic methodological
characteristics in teac... more The paper reports on a study which investigated humanistic methodological characteristics in teaching English to undergraduate students in Bangladesh. Its main focus was on exploring humanistic characteristics in six key areas: materials, tasks and activities, assessment, feedback, learner autonomy, and teacher-student relation in the classroom. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using a questionnaire administered to undergraduate English department students of a major public university in Bangladesh. The analysis revealed that in general language teachers followed humanistic approach in their classes, but lagged behind in certain areas, such as using modern teaching aids, humanizing teaching materials, providing differentiated learning support, and showing tolerance for mistakes. The results also showed that among the six areas of investigation teachers were most humanistic in managing classroom tasks and activities, and least humanistic in materials selection and use. The study also revealed students’ insights, their preference for humanistic methodological characteristics, and their expectations from the teacher in the classroom. The paper discusses the implications of the findings and offers recommendations for the better incorporation of humanistic methodological characteristics in teaching.
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Papers by Ahmed Bashir
characteristics in teaching English to undergraduate students in Bangladesh. Its
main focus was on exploring humanistic characteristics in six key areas: materials,
tasks and activities, assessment, feedback, learner autonomy, and teacher-student
relation in the classroom. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using
a questionnaire administered to undergraduate English department students of a
major public university in Bangladesh. The analysis revealed that in general language
teachers followed humanistic approach in their classes, but lagged behind in
certain areas, such as using modern teaching aids, humanizing teaching materials,
providing differentiated learning support, and showing tolerance for mistakes.
The results also showed that among the six areas of investigation teachers were
most humanistic in managing classroom tasks and activities, and least humanistic
in materials selection and use. The study also revealed students’ insights, their
preference for humanistic methodological characteristics, and their expectations
from the teacher in the classroom. The paper discusses the implications of the
findings and offers recommendations for the better incorporation of humanistic
methodological characteristics in teaching.