Enhancing Instructional Clarity in Teaching English: A Case Study in Pre-Service Microteaching in Uzbekistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v5i2.2812Keywords:
Instruction checking questions, Concept checking questions, Reflective approach, Explicit modeling, Constructive feedbackAbstract
This applied research case study investigates whether the pre-service teachers use Instruction Checking Questions (ICQs) and Concept Checking Questions (CCQs) to improve their instructional clarity in the microteaching of the practicum course. According to the study, 24 out of 26 pre-service teachers (92.31 %) did not apply ICQs, and no one effectively used CCQs. Even though they had passed the instructional methods, teaching English to Young learners, and lesson planning courses, the participants of this study failed to give clear instructions and check students' understanding of grammar and vocabulary in the classroom. The author used qualitative applied research with basic descriptive statistics. The observations and analyses were conducted on the recordings of the practicum microteaching course. The findings represent that overuse of teacher talk, lack of instructional scaffolding, and no application of conceptual understanding are the essential issues. The gaps found in the literature also align with the findings from the studies on pre-service educator practices. In conclusion, there is a need for more experiential and practice-oriented courses in higher educational institutions in Uzbekistan. The research advocates for a structured reflective approach, explicit modeling, clear demonstration, reduction of Teacher Talking Time (TTT), and feedback sessions. The article suggests that the curriculum should incorporate more practical topics on ICQs, CCQs, a discussion of the reflective approach, modeling technique, the use of TTT, constructive feedback, and as well as critical pedagogy.
Downloads
References
Anderson, J. (2020). Reflective teaching in English language teaching: A guide for teachers and trainers (pp. 77–93). Bloomsbury Academic.
Borg, S. (2015). Teacher cognition and language education: Research and practice (pp. 92–115). Bloomsbury Publishing.
Burns, A., & Richards, J. C. (Eds.). (2012). The Cambridge guide to pedagogy and practice in second language teaching. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009024778
Edge, J. (2011). The reflexive teacher educator in TESOL: Roots and wings (pp. 61–80). Routledge.
Farrell, T. S. C. (2015). Reflective Practice in ESL Teacher Development Groups: From Practices to Principles. Palgrave Macmillan.
Farrell, T. S. C. (2016). TESOL teacher education: Reflecting and developing (pp. 45–67). Equinox.
Freeman, D. (2016). Educating second language teachers: The same things done differently (pp. 112–138). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amx023
Garton, S., & Graves, K. (Eds.). (2014). International perspectives on materials in ELT (pp. 91–108). Palgrave Macmillan.
Gebhard, J. G. (2009). The practicum in TESOL: Professional development through teaching practice (pp. 113–136). University of Michigan Press.
Goh, C. C. M., & Burns, A. (2012). Teaching speaking: A holistic approach (pp. 73–90). Cambridge University Press.
Harmer, J. (2015). The practice of English language teaching (5th ed., pp. 84–103). Pearson Education.
Hwang, W.-Y., Luthfi, M. I., & Liu, Y.-F. (2024). AI-enhanced video drama-making for improving writing and speaking skills of students learning English as a foreign language. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2024.2437655
Irfani, B., Meisuri, & Rohmatillah. (2022). Speaking Performance of Islamic Boarding School and Public School-Based Graduates: A Comparative Study. JEELS (Journal of English Education and Linguistics Studies), 5(1), 97–113. https://doi.org/10.30762/jeels.v5i1.558
Kawinkoonlasate, P. (2019). Integration in Flipped Classroom Technology Approach to Develop English Language Skills of Thai EFL Learners. English Language Teaching, 12(11), 23. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v12n11p23
Nation, I. S. P., & Newton, J. (2009). Teaching ESL/EFL listening and speaking (pp. 132–149). Routledge.
Richards, J. C., & Farrell, T. S. C. (2011). Practice teaching: A reflective approach (pp. 63–86). Cambridge University Press.
Richards, J. C., & Lockhart, C. (2007). Reflective teaching in second language classrooms (pp. 98–117). Cambridge University Press.
Richards, J. C. (2017). Curriculum development in language teaching (2nd ed., pp. 101–120). Cambridge University Press.
Scrivener, J. (2011). Classroom management techniques (pp. 57–82). Cambridge University Press.
Scrivener, J. (2010). Learning teaching (3rd ed., pp. 132–148). Macmillan Education.
Sweller, J. (2010). Cognitive load theory: Recent theoretical advances. In J. Plass, R. Moreno, & R. Brünken (Eds.), Cognitive load theory (Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 29–47). Springer.
DOI:10.1017/CBO9780511844744.004
Thornbury, S. (2013). About language: Tasks for teachers of English (2nd ed., pp. 143–165). Cambridge University Press.
Ur, P. (2012). A course in language teaching: Practice and theory (2nd ed., pp. 154–172). Cambridge University Press.
Vallente, J. P. C. (2020). Framing pre-service English language teachers’ identity formation within the theory of alignment as mode of belonging in community of practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, 96, 103177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103177
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes (pp. 84–91). Harvard University Press.
Wahyuningsih, S., & Putra, I. N. T. D. (2020). The Implementation of Technology-Based Media in Improving English Speaking Skill of Hospitality Students in Mataram Tourism College. Jo-ELT (Journal of English Language Teaching) Fakultas Pendidikan Bahasa & Seni Prodi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris IKIP, 7(2), 96. https://doi.org/10.33394/jo-elt.v7i2.3188
Walsh, S. (2011). Exploring classroom discourse: Language in action (pp. 55–77). Routledge.
Walsh, S. (2012). Conceptualizing classroom interactional competence. Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language), 6 (1), 1-14
Williamson-Hawkins, M. (2018). Self-Directed Learning as Related to Learning Strategies, Self-Regulation, and Autonomy in an English Language Program: A Local Application with Global Implications. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 8(2), 445–469. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2018.8.2.12
Wright, T. (2010). Second language teacher education: Review of recent research on practice teaching and mentoring. Language Teaching, 43(3), 259–293. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444810000030
Yulian, R. (2021). The Flipped Classroom: Improving Critical Thinking for Critical Reading of EFL Learners in Higher Education. Studies in English Language and Education, 8(2), 508–522. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v8i2.18366
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Rimajon Sotlikova
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with JOLLS agree to the following terms:
- For all articles published in JOLLS, copyright is retained by the authors. Authors permit the publisher to announce the work with conditions. When the manuscript is accepted for publication, the authors agree to implement a non-exclusive transfer of publishing rights to the journals.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
