An-Najah National University Faculty of Graduate Studies Teaching Strategies and their Role on Students’ Engagement in Learning English By Nedaa Waleed Izzat Zohud Supervisors Dr. Abdul Kareem Igbaria Dr. Fayez Aqel This Thesis is submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master Methods of Teaching English Language, Faculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine. 2015 II Teaching Strategies and their Role on Students’ Engagement in Learning English By Nedaa Waleed Izzat Zohud This Thesis was defended successfully on 11/6/2015 and approved by: Defense Committee Members Signature Dr. Abdul kareem Igbaria (Supervisor) ……………. Dr. Fayez Aqel (co-supervisor) ……………. Dr. Hussam Qadumi (External Examiner) ……………. Dr. Ayman Nazzal (Internal Examiner) ……………. Dr. Soheil Salha (Internal Examiner) ……………. III Dedication To my beloved father. To my sweet mother for her love and support. To my brothers, Khalid, Karam, and Majd and my sister, Azza. To my friends and my family. To the Soul of my grandparents. I dedicate this work Nedaa W. Zohud IV Acknowledgement I would first like to express my appreciation and gratitude to my adviser. Dr. Abdul Kareem Igbaria and Dr. Fayz Aqel at An-Najah University, for their advice, support, and guidance during this time. I would like to thank the committee members: the external examiner Dr. Hussam Qadumi and the internal examiners Dr. Ayman Nazzal and Dr. Soheil Salha. I especially wish to express my gratitude to Dr. Marwan Zuhd for his help and encouragement during this time. I would like to thank the English teachers at Salfit district for their generous cooperation in responding to the questionnaire and the interview. Special thanks are due to my friends who extended a helping hand when I needed it, and for their encouragement throughout the duration of this study. Especially, Rana Rihan, Suzan and Ayah. V اإلقرار :العنوان حملالتي ت الرسالة مقدم أدناه الموقع أنا Teaching Strategies and their Role on Students’ Engagement in Learning English. إليه اإلشارة تمت ما باستثناء الخاص، جهدي نتاج هي إنما الرسالة هذه عليه اشتملت ما بأنر أق وأ علمي لقب أو درجة لنيل قبل من يقدم لم منها جزء أي أو ككل، الرسالة هذه وإن ورد، حيثما .أخرى بحثية أو تعليمية مؤسسة أية لدى بحثي Declaration The work provided in this thesis, unless otherwise referenced, is the researcher's own work, and has not been submitted elsewhere for any other degree or qualification. Student's name: االسم: Signature: :التوقيع Date: :التاريخ VI Table of Contents Page Dedication III Acknowledgement IV Declaration V Table of Contents VI List of Tables IX List of Appendices X Abstract XI Chapter One: Introduction 1 1.1 Introduction 2 1.1 Statement of the Problem 5 1.1 Questions of the Study 5 1.1 Objectives of the Study 6 1.1 Significance of the Study 7 1.6 Definitions of Terms 7 1.7 limitations of the study 8 Chapter Two: Review of Related Literature 9 2.1 Theoretical Background 10 2.2 Related Studies 18 2.3 Summary 36 Chapter Three: Methodology and Procedures. 39 VII 3.1 Research Methodology 40 1.2 The Research Population and Sample 40 1.3 Instruments of the Study 42 1.4 Validity of the Research Instruments 43 1.5 Reliability of the Research Instruments 45 1.6 Research Procedures 46 1.3 The Research Variables 47 1.3 Data Analysis 48 Chapter Four: Results of the Study 51 4.1 Results Related to the First Question. 12 4.2 Results Related to the Second and Third Research Question 62 4.3 Results Related to the Fourth Question 67 4.3.1 The First Hypothesis 68 4.3.2 The Second Hypothesis 69 4.3.3 The Third Hypothesis 71 4.3.4 The Fourth Hypothesis 73 4.3.5 The Fifth Hypothesis 74 Chapter Five: Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations 77 1.1 Discussion of the Study 78 5.1.1 Based on the Findings Related to the First Question 78 5.1.2 Based on the Findings Related to the Second and Third Questions 82 VIII 5.1.3 Discussion of the Results of the Fourth Question and the Hypotheses: 84 1.1 Conclusion 86 1.1 Recommendations 37 5.3.1 Recommendations for Supervisors and Ministry of Education 87 5.3.2 Recommendations for Teachers 88 References 89 Appendices 96 Abstract in Arabic B IX List of Tables Table Page Table (1) Distribution of the Research Population – The Teachers. 41 Table (2) Distribution of the interviewees – The Teachers. 42 Table (3) Person’s Correlation Coefficient and Cronbach's Alpha for the Teachers’ Questionnaire. 46 Table (4) Means, standard deviations, percentages and estimation of the domain of Teaching strategies that teachers use to teach English as a foreign language. 53 Table (5) Means, standard deviations, percentages and estimation of the domain of English teachers. 56 Table (6) Means, standard deviations, percentages and estimation of the domain of The effect of strategies on students’ engagement in learning English. 60 Table (7) Means, standard deviations, percentages, estimation and the total score for the three domains. 62 Table (8) T-test of independent groups according to the gender variable. 68 Table (9) The Means of the total score according to the age variable. 69 Table (10) One way ANOVA show the significant differences of the total score according to the age variable within the sample. 70 Table (11) The significant means differences according to teachers domain due to age. 70 Table (12) The Mean of domains and total score according to the academic qualification variable 72 Table (13) One way ANOVA show the significant differences of the means of domains and the total score according to the academic qualification variable.. 72 Table (14) The Means of the domains and total score according to the teaching experience variable. 73 Table (15) One way ANOVA shows the significant differences of the means of the domains and total score according to the teaching experience variable. 74 Table (16) Means of domains and total score according to the level stage of teaching variable. 75 Table (17) One way ANOVA shows the significant differences of the means for the domains and total score according to the level stage of teaching variable 75 X List of Appendices Page Appendix A Teachers' Questionnaire 96 Appendix B The questions of the interview 103 Appendix C A Results of interviews (Teachers) 104 Appendix D Agreement from the Deanship of the Scientific Research and Higher studies at Al-Najah National University 108 Appendix E Agreement from the Ministry of Education for the Application of the Research 109 XI Teaching Strategies and their Impact on Students’ Engagement in Learning English. By Nedaa Waleed Zohud Supervisors Dr. Abdul Kareem Igbaria Dr. Fayez Aqel Abstract This study investigated the role of teaching strategies on students’ engagement in learning English in the Salfit district through the descriptive method. The study examined the effect of the following variables (gender, age, academic qualification, teaching experience and level stage of teaching) on teachers’ perspective. The researcher used a questionnaire and interview to gather information about the teaching strategies that teachers use in the classroom to teach English and their role on students’ engagement in the learning process. The questionnaire distributed among all male and female English Language teachers in Salfit district in the governmental schools. The interviews conducted with (25) teachers who teach in elementary and secondary schools. The results of the study showed that there is a positive role of teaching strategies on students engagement to learn English. Teachers do XII believe in the positive role of using teaching strategies on students’ engagement in learning English. Moreover, the findings showed that teachers’ gender and age affect their attitude toward using teaching strategies in teaching English in favor to female and age between 30-39 years old. 1 CHAPTER ONE Introduction 2 Chapter One Introduction 1.1 Introduction English is considered to be the language of the 21 st century. It is taught in schools throughout the world so that students will excel at the language. One of these countries is Palestine. English in Palestine is taught as a foreign language but students who are dreaming about a good career and a good future need to learn English as a second language (ELC,1999: p. 8). Teaching English as a foreign language is a complex process not only for teachers but for Palestinian students as well. They consider English to be the most difficult subject (Sorour, 2009; Al-Mutawa,1997). In the last two decades the teaching process changed from teacher-centered learning to learners-centered approaches (Committee on Academic Programs and Teaching (CAPT). Learner-Centered Task Force, 2005- 2006). (Nonkukhetkhong et al, 2006) stated that: The teachers believed that the learner centered approach could not be strongly applied in EFL classes because of the nature of English as a subject as it was difficult for their students to learn English by themselves since it was not their first language. Students, especially 7 th -9 th graders, still were dependent on teachers’ explanations. ( p. 5) 3 Teachers of English should therefore develop their teaching strategies so that their students will be more active and engaged in the learning process, They will learn the language better than others (Hismanoglu, 2000; McCombs and Whistler, 1997). Learning is most meaningful for the students when they are actively engaged in the learning process. Many researchers reported that positive and active classrooms create higher academic achievement for the students. As cited in (Costantino ,1999) teachers and educators created teaching strategies to use in the classroom for teaching English to increase students' engagement and involvement in the classroom that lead to good English learning. If students are to learn desired outcomes in a reasonably effective manner, then the teacher’s fundamental task is to get students to engage in learning activities that are likely to result in their achieving those out-comes. . . . It is helpful to remember that what the student does is actually more important in determining what is learned than what the teacher does (Shuell ,1986: p.429) Teachers can use strategies alone or with others. These strategies must suit the needs of the principal and the teacher and must be appropriate for the students’ needs and abilities (Picard, 2004). They are also “the approaches that can be used across curricular areas to support the learning of students” (Herrell and Jordan, 2004: p.5). The learning process requires active involvement from the students that results from using appropriate teaching strategies. Teachers can use 4 different strategies in the classroom to teach students. They can use pair discussion strategy to understand the students' behavior and their interaction in the learning process. Moreover, student-student and teacher-students interaction is very important for the students’ engagement in the classroom and reinforces learning. Teachers can also use target questioning as a very important strategy to get students’ responses. When the teachers ask students personal questions they participate positively. The teachers’ role is to monitor the students’ activities in the classroom (Kumar, 2007). When learning is active, students do most of the work. They use their brains, study ideas, solve problems, and apply what they learn. Active learning is fast-paced, fun, supportive, and personally engaging (Silberman, 1996:p ix) Some of the teaching strategies that teachers use in the classroom are whole-class teaching, small group, work in pairs, individual assignments, role play, reflective learning , structured discussion, decision making, games and mind maps, technologies such as DVDs, computers, and overhead projectors. Teachers also have their students give oral presentations and projects (The National Induction Programme for Teachers, 2013). Students’ achievement and motivation in learning English are affected by the educational and motivational strategies that teachers use in the classroom. Any change in the teachers’ strategies causes changes in the students’ involvement and achievement (Bernaus, Wilson and Gardner, 2009) 5 1.2 Statement of the Problem From my expert, English teachers complain that students do not participate or take part in class. Students are more active in learning other subjects and start looking for different strategies to increase their students' engagement. The lack of studies that are being conducted in the field of educational teaching strategies in Palestine is another reason for conducting this study. 1.3 Questions of the Study To achieve the purpose of the study, the researcher addressed the following questions: 1- What is the degree of students’ engagement as a result of using teaching strategies in teaching English? 2- Do different strategies affect students’ involvement in the classroom differently? 3- Which type of teaching strategies appear to be the most effective in engaging EFL students to learn? 4- Are there significant differences in means of teachers' use regarding language teaching strategies due to the research independent variables: gender, age, academic qualification, teaching experience and level stage of teaching? The fourth question includes the following hypotheses: 6 1- There are no significant differences at (α=0.05) between the means of the role of teaching strategies in teaching English on student's engagement to learn the language at Salfit district due to gender variable. 2- There are no significant differences at (α=0.05) between the means of the role of teaching strategies in teaching English on student's engagement to learn the language at Salfit district due to the age variable. 3- There are no significant differences at (α=0.05) between the means of the role of teaching strategies in teaching English on student's engagement to learn the language at Salfit district due to the academic qualification variable. 4- There are no significant differences at (α=0.05) between the means of the role of teaching strategies in teaching English on student's engagement to learn the language at Salfit district due to the teaching experience variable. 5- There are no significant differences at (α=0.05) between the means of the role of teaching strategies in teaching English on student's engagement to learn the language at Salfit district due to the level stage of teaching variable. 1.4 Objectives of the Study This study aimed to investigate the role of the educational strategies that English teachers use in the classroom on students’ engagement to learn 7 English. This study also related to the importance of using these strategies to increase the students' engagement. 1.5 Significance of the Study This study was conducted to show teachers the importance of using different strategies in teaching English. It provided the teachers with different strategies that they can use in the classroom to teach English and their effects on the students’ involvement. The researcher hoped that this study provided the curriculum designers with strategies that should be used in ‘English for Palestine’ textbooks. 1.6 Definition of Terms Following are definitions of relevant terms which are necessary for this study: 1- Teaching Strategies are the strategies that teachers can use alone or with others. These strategies must suit the needs of the principal and the teacher and must be appropriate for the students’ needs and abilities (Picard, 2004). They are also “the approaches that can be used across curricular areas to support the learning of students” (Herrell and Jordan, 2004: p.5). 2- Student Engagement this refers to the amount of physical and psychological energy that the student devotes to the academic experience. A highly involved student is one who devotes considerable energy to studying ,spends much time on campus, participates actively 8 in student organizations, and interacts frequently with faculty members and other students” (Astin, 1984: p.518). Operational Definition: 1- Teaching Strategies are the techniques that teachers use in the classroom to help students learn and to participate in class. 1.7 Limitations of the Study This study is limited to: 1- Locative limitation: This study covered English language teachers in the government schools in Salfit District. 2- Temporal limitation: The study was carried out in the first semester of the academic year 2014/2015. 3- Human limitation: The population of the study consisted of male and female English language teachers in Salfit district. 4- Topical limitation: The study examined the influence of teaching strategies on students engagement in learning English. 5- Methodological limitation: these results will be applied on population similar to the population of English teachers at Salfit district. 9 CHAPTER TWO Review of Related Literature 11 Chapter Two Review of Related Literature The chapter of literary review includes three parts: The first Part which is a review of relevant theoretical literature which deals with following topics: - The definition of teaching strategies - The types of Teaching Strategies - The relationship between teaching strategies and students’ engagement in learning English - The advantages of teaching strategies - The disadvantages of teaching strategies The second part presents a number of related studies on teaching strategies and students’ engagement. The third part is a summary for this chapter. 2.1 Theoretical Background The Definition of Teaching Strategies Researchers define teaching strategies in different ways. According to Herrell and Jordan (2004: p.5) teaching strategies are “the approaches that can be used across curricular areas to support the learning of students” Wandberg and Rohwer (2010: p.164) define teaching strategies “to refer to 11 the structure, system, methods, techniques, procedures, and process that a teacher uses during instruction. These are strategies the teacher employs to assist students learning”. In addition, teaching strategies are the strategies that teachers can use alone or with others. These strategies must suit the needs of the principal and the teacher and must be appropriate for the students’ needs and abilities (Picard, 2004). What are the Types of Teaching Strategies? Some researchers divided teaching strategies into traditional and Non-traditional strategies (Nabors et al, 2012), whereas others said that teaching strategies should take into consideration the four language domains which are: reading, writing, listening and speaking. (Wandberg & Rohwer, 2010) Traditional and Non-traditional teaching strategies Teaching strategies can be divided into two types: Traditional and Non- traditional strategies. a. Traditional Strategies Lecturing is considered a traditional strategy because the teachers talk most of the time, while the students only listen. This means that students are passive learners (Cashin, 2010). Teachers prefer to use lecturing strategy because it provides a large amount of information in a short time (Kalmakis et al., 2010; Scheckel, 2009; Williams & Calvillo, 2002 (as cited in Nabors et al,2012). Students also prefer lectures strategy 12 because they like to be passive, since they feel familiar and comfortable (Diekelmann, Swenson, & Sims, 2005). b. Non-Traditional Strategies. Non-teaching strategies refer to active learning strategies in which students are active in the learning process and are engaged to learn. Princ (as cited in Nabors et al, 2012, Paulson & Faust, 1998) stated that active learning is not just a transmission of information, but focuses on developing learners' skills and increasing students' attention in the classroom. The techniques that teachers use promote creative thinking, students involvement and develop problem solving skills. Some of the active strategies are discussion, group work, lecture, case studies, concept analysis, games, and concept mapping. Lecture strategy can also be considered non- traditional if the teachers use active strategies with them such as asking questions throughout the lecture. The Four Language Domains Strategies. a. Reading strategies: Students will be able to comprehend the material and the information that is printed or written, such as letters, numbers, figures, and signs. b. Writing strategies: Students will be able to communicate with information in written or printed words. c. Listening strategies: students will be able to understand and comprehend oral language form despite the variety of speakers. 13 d. Speaking strategies: students will be able to talk, express ideas and say anything in a variety of settings. (Echevarria et al,2004 as cited in Wandberg & Rohwer, 2010). Teachers should select strategies which can be used to engage students to learn in different language domains. (Wandberg & Rohwer, 2010). According to (Wandberg & Rohwer, 2010) Some of the strategies that teachers can use in the classroom to teach English are: 1. Assessment with choice strategies: this strategy allows the learners to choose the way or the domains which they are going to express their learning by writing, speaking, drawing or illustrating. 2. A to Z taxonomy strategy: students write each letter and then choose one letter. They must then say a word that starts with this letter related to the topic. 3. Brainstorming strategy: This is the best strategy for developing creativity and imagination. Teachers can divide learners into groups because this will create more ideas. 4. Cooperative learning strategy: teachers divide the learners into small groups to work together about a topic. The selection of learners in each group should be based on the students' ability or the group task. 5. Discussion strategy: Students are given the opportunity to discuss some topics in the classroom. 14 6. Games can be used as a strategy to teach different domains of language. These include matching, puzzles, and problems and other games created by teachers that are fun and useful. 7. Group summarizing strategy: Small groups read about a particular subject, and summarize it. The group chooses to summarize by writing, speaking or graphics. 8. Minute paper strategy: Students are given the opportunity to write down what they learned in the class and what they didn’t understand. 9. Numbered students strategy: Each student is given a number. The teacher asks a question for the chosen number. 10. Prereading and predictions: Teachers give students words and tell them to predict what the lesson is going to be about. 11. Role playing strategy: The teacher asks students to play a role in the classroom. This role play can be planned or spontaneous. This study attempts to explore the impact of using teaching strategies in teaching English on students engagement to learn the language at Salfit district. The Relationship between Teaching Strategies and Students Engagement to Learn English Although English is considered a global language, learners find difficulties to learn it. Palestinian students consider English as the most difficult subject and they are un motivated to learn it (Al Mutawa,1997; 15 Sorour, 2009). So teachers start using teaching strategies to teach English to increase students’ engagement. According to (Hismanoglu, 2000; Mccombs and Whistler, 1997) learners become more active and engaged in the learning process and learn better when their teachers use different teaching strategies in the classroom. Shull (1986) teaching strategies that teachers use in the classroom increase students’ engagement and students always remember what they did not what they memorize. Kumar (2007) stated that to create an active classroom, teachers should use teaching strategies because when the class is active students will be active. Moreover, Bernaus et al (2009) claimed that students’ achievement and motivation in learning English affected by the teaching and motivational strategies that teachers use in the classroom. The Advantages of Using Teaching Strategies to Teach English Teaching strategies have many advantages as lots of researchers showed. Costantino (1999) claimed that because of the importance of teaching strategies, teachers should use them in the classroom to teach English. Teaching strategies motivate students to learn English and they make students understand better. According to Tanner, Bottoms and Bearman (2000) good teachers know their students and what interest and challenge them. Some of 16 teaching strategies challenge students and give them the role in the classroom therefore they make them learn English effectively. Learner (2003) stated that to teach the four skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) teachers should use different teaching strategies and these strategies should reflect the four skills and improve them. Neo (2005) argued that students learn by interacting with each other so teachers should use the strategies that achieve this purpose like group working, pair discussion. Cheesman (2006) argued that teaching strategies increase the critical thinking and the students’ motivation to participate in the class. Wilkinson & Jablon (2006) claimed that teaching strategies not just for teaching but also they could be used to change the climate, to control the class. The researcher stated that students’ achievement depend on students’ engagement not teachers’ control because students learn better and effective when they are engaged in the learning process. Moreover, Kumar (2007) stated that to help students to acquire English language, they should be engaged in the learning process and to be active and this can only happen by using teaching strategies. Finally, Hamiloðlu and Temiz (2012) teaching strategies are very important, they check students’ understanding, give the students an opportunity to say their opinion. And some of the strategies like questioning arouse students’ curiosity 17 The Disadvantages of Using Teaching Strategies Eison (2010) stated that some of the teachers don’t like to use teaching strategies in the classroom because they need time and they can’t cover the content also teachers need to work more and be more prepared to use these strategies in the classroom. In addition, it is difficult to use teaching strategies in the large classes and students fear from dealing with strategies so teachers prefer lecturing. According to Al-Zu’bi and Kitishat (2013) some of the strategies are not appropriate for all the students especially with deferent levels like STAD (Student Teams Achievement Divisions) strategy because high level students will take the role and they will finish the activity whereas low level students need more time to finish. Also, Facella and Rampino (2005) teachers should use the strategies that suit all students levels so some of the teachers find this difficult and burden them. However, Eison (2010) proposed solutions to overcome these problems and to help teachers to use them like using short activity to save time, and discussion to decrease the risk of not covering the material. Also, students do all the work in the classroom so this will help the teacher and decrease their energy in the classroom. 18 2.2. Related Studies The researcher reviewed many studies that discuss teaching strategies and their impact on students’ engagement. These studies are presented here in chronological order. Tanner et al (2000) conducted a study entitled "Instructional Strategies: How Teachers Teach Matters". This study aimed to help teachers to teach and to create interesting classroom. The study states that teachers are responsible for the learning and teaching process in the classroom. Teachers who use different strategies are more capable of motivating and engaging students to learn. In addition, good teachers always know their students, what interests them and how to encourage them to learn. Their teaching strategies are fun, interesting and challenging. However, teachers can use various strategies in the classroom that suit students’ needs and the learning situation. Teaching strategies that are student-centered, are better for students because student-centered learning depends upon students’ active involvement that motivates them to learn and to be engaged in the learning process. Teachers use teaching strategies that make the students partner with the teacher in the learning process which increases their learning and practicing of what they are learning. Some student-centered strategies include asking students questions, relating the lesson to the students’ world, using cooperative group learning, role play, and asking students to evaluate themselves after the activities. The 19 results showed that good teachers use different strategies that suit students’ level. Oakley et al (2004) conducted a study entitled "Turning student groups into effective teams". For positive learning outcomes students should be involved in discussions that activate students in the learning process. Teachers can use groups as a teaching strategy but should carefully arrange these groups. Moreover, the formation of groups is very important for enhancing interaction between the students to facilitate learning. For example, weaker students should be coupled with stronger students because stronger students tend to choose each other and to leave the weaker students to work with each other. The result showed that if teachers put the weaker and the stronger students together, the weaker ones will gain while tackling the assigned tasks. Stronger students will gain confidence in the subject matter while reinforcing the teaching and learning process. Alberta Education (2005) pointed out in a study entitled “Our words, our ways: teaching First Nations, Métis and Inuit learners” that effective instructional strategies engage and motivate students to learn English effectively. The writers claimed that there are different strategies which are appropriate for the students level and subject area. Teachers can also use strategies such as graphic organizers, cooperative learning, independent study, and service learning to teach Aboriginal students. The 21 writer stated that learning consists not only of knowing the information but also engaging in the learning process and challenging them to learn. - Graphic organizers such as Mind Map, K–W–L chart, Place Mat, P– M–I chart, Venn diagram, T-chart, Fishbone. - Cooperative learning: Students work in pairs or in groups to do a task or a project; such as, Setting the stage, Think–pair–share, Inside/Outside Circles, Brainstorming, Graffiti, Walk About, Three-step Interview, Jigsaw, Four Corners. Facella and Rampino (2005) stated in a study entitle “Effective Teaching Strategies for English Language Learners” that teachers who teach children have to use strategies that suit their ability and motivate them to learn. These strategies should be appropriate for the child’s stage of language acquisition. The researchers used an interview and questionnaire. They interviewed 10 childhood educators from public school systems in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and Brookline, Massachusetts to find out what the most popular strategies were among teachers. Some of the strategies that teachers use to teach children were gestures, step by step direction, stories, and repetition. Children were more engaged in the learning process when teachers used real objects. However, the researchers showed that the strategies that teachers used in the classroom varied according to the students’ grade level. The findings showed that teachers use strategies to make connection between the content and the language and support their social and communication interaction. 21 Neo (2005) conducted a study entitled “Engaging Students in Group-based Co-operative Learning- A Malaysian Perspective”. The study was based upon co-operative learning as a strategy to teach students. This strategy has many advantages: Students learn by interacting with each other and by participating in their own learning, students learn how to manage their time and their work, students learn not only the language itself but also anything they need to learn because this strategy is dependent upon learner- centered instruction. This study was conducted in the Multimedia University, Malaysia. It was conducted in 3 stages: small group research paper, sub-groups website development, and class home pages. The result showed that students react positively toward this strategy as shown in the students' work. Piller & Skillings (2005) conducted a study entitled “English Language Teaching Strategies Used by Primary Teachers in One New Delhi, India School”. The researchers used four tools: analysis of classroom observation field notes, face-to-face interviews with thirty three teachers and administrators, digital photo journaling, and collection of artifacts. Teachers who teach English for young learners used different strategies such as demonstration, choral drill, and look and say. Demonstration includes the use of real objects, performing actions, using gestures, and facial expressions. In the choral drill children repeat poems, nursery rhymes, the alphabet, an alphabet song, sentence patterns, and vocabulary lists. The look and say strategy involves students listening to the teacher and looking at the object or print, then repeating a word or 22 sentence after the teacher. Teachers also used different strategies to teach phonics, spelling, comprehension, and vocabulary development such as pictorial illustration, questioning, narration, and Read and Say. The result showed that teachers who teach English for students whose mother tongue is not English should use different strategies that engage students in the learning process and provide opportunity for learning, even over-learning, through recitation, repetition, and practice toward automaticity of knowledge and skills. Teachers should also use scaffold techniques to develop students’ thinking skills. The researcher recommended the researchers to do another studies on the same subject. Cheesman (2006) argued in a study entitled “Method of Engaging Students at the Start of Class: Encouraging Students to be Involved in their Own Learning” that teachers should use different strategies to engage students in the learning process and to increase capacity for critical thinking. The researcher claimed that the strategies that teachers use in the classroom may suit some teachers but not others because teachers’ styles and students’ abilities and interests are different. Some of the strategies that teachers use include jokes, cartoons, questions, role-playing, slides, and pictures. The results showed that engaging students is a very important way to help students to learn. Wilkinson & Jablon (2006) argued in a study entitled “Using Engagement Strategies to Facilitate Children’s Learning and Success” that engaging students in the learning process is the most important thing 23 for teaching. Children's achievement not related to teachers’ control but to the classroom's engaging climate. Using engagement classroom strategies increases students’ achievement and promotes them to learn effectively. The researchers stated that “engagement strategies can be used for different purposes and different setting” (p.3) such as using them to engage students in the learning process, to keep children focused, energize the groups, manage students’ behavior, or to introduce children to a new idea. The engagement strategies can be for individual learners, whole groups, and small groups. The researcher mention some of the strategies that teachers can use in the classroom as think, pair, share, dramatic touch , see what you can find out, and quick games. The researcher used classroom observation and talking to teachers as a tool to conduct the study. The findings showed that engagement strategies should be used widely because they increase students’ interest. They learn the skill and the concept. Feeling engaged in the learning process is a lifelong gift for students. Al Neyadi (2007) stated in a study entitled “The Effects of Using Games to Reinforce Vocabulary Learning” that using games as a strategy to teach vocabulary increases students' engagement in the classroom and motivates them to learn vocabulary. The researcher claimed that using games to teach vocabulary allow students to interact with peers and gives them challenge that they need to learn and do the task. It also enhances the students’ ability to memorize the new words easily. The researcher also used drilling together with games as a strategy. The researcher used action research and different tools to conduct the study 24 such as observations and interviews. The result showed that using games to teach vocabulary enhance students’ ability to memorize the words and enhance students’ motivation. Kumar (2007) carried out a study entitled "Students’ classroom participation for improved learning in an English language skills course: An action research report". Students’ active involvement in the learning process is very important for acquiring languages. This involvement also depends on the teaching and learning strategies that teachers use in the classroom. Moreover, using the correct teaching strategies in the classroom will increase students’ engagement in the learning task. The researcher used quantitative and qualitative approaches. Two structured questionnaires were used to collect students’ responses on their observable behavior during interaction. One was designed to collect data on student-teacher interaction, and the other collected data about student-student interaction for paired groups. The same method was used to capture students’ reactions on a number of strategies implemented. Teachers observed students' behavior while different paired discussion strategies were used including one book referral strategy, instructor- monitor strategy, and owe-book referral strategy. The research results showed that student-student and teacher-students interaction is very important for students’ engagement in the classroom and reinforces learning. This study also showed that target questioning is a very effective way to get the students’ responses. In addition, the results proved that the 25 most effective strategies for interactive learning are one book referral strategy and the instructor monitor strategy. Bernaus & Gardner (2008) claimed in a study entitled “Teacher Motivation Strategies, Student Perceptions, Student Motivation, and English Achievement” that language teaching strategies affect students’ achievement and their motivation to learn. The researchers indicated that these strategies can be divided into traditional and innovative strategies. they used a questionnaire for teachers and a questionnaire for students to collect the information. The participants in this study were 31 English teachers and their students. 50% of the participants were from public schools and the other 50% were from private schools. The result showed that some of the strategies affect students’ motivation, and that motivation is a positive predictor for English achievement. Teachers reported that strategy use does not influence learners' achievements, whereas students reported that use of strategies affected their motivation for English achievement. Bernaus et al (2009) pointed out in a study entitled "Teachers’ Motivation, Classroom Strategy Use, Students’ Motivation and Second Language Achievement" that students' motivation and English achievement are related to strategies teachers use in the classroom. Moreover, any change in the teachers strategies affects students' motivation and learning. The researchers used two questionnaires for teachers and students. They distributed the questionnaires among 31 English teachers 26 and their students to identify the strategies that the teachers used in the classroom. The results showed that both teachers and students need to be motivated. If the teachers are motivated to teach, students will be motivated to learn and become more involve in learning English. When the teachers use motivating strategies, students engage in the learning process and learn better. He (2009) conducted a study entitled “Motivational Strategies: Students’ and Teachers’ Perspectives”. He stated that motivation is the most important thing that make students learn. Therefore, teachers use motivational strategies which motivate learners to learn English. The researcher used two questionnaires for teachers and students. The participants were 11 teachers and 40 students from the Kent State University whose mother tongue is not English. The main objective of the study was to investigate teachers’ and students’ perspectives towards motivational strategies. The results showed that Saudi Arabian students are more easily motivated, males and females have different beliefs about strategies, and positive relations with students create academic benefits. Teachers should understand students’ needs and abilities before using strategies. Student and teachers also have the same perspective about using motivational strategies. Eison (2010) conducted a study entitled “Using Active Learning Instructional Strategies to Create Excitement and Enhance Learning”. The study stated that active learning instructional strategies can be created 27 and used to engage students in the learning process such as thinking critically and creativity. Students can work in groups or in pairs to express ideas. They can work in class or out of class. The researcher mentioned that teachers do not such as to use instructional strategies in the classroom because they require time and teachers cannot cover the content. Teachers need more time to prepare if they want to use strategies. Very large classes prevent teachers from using strategies, and they prefer lecturing. More equipment is required for teachers to create active learning, and students fear strategies other than lecturing in the classroom. On the other hand, the researcher proposes solutions for this problems such as: using short activities to save time, role play, and discussion to decrease the risk of not covering the material. Despite the difficult preparation that teachers need, these strategies decrease the teacher’s energy in the class because students do all the work. Strategies increase students engagement in the subject matter. The researcher also provides many strategies that teachers can use in the classroom such as questioning and concept testing. Mocinic (2010) conducted a study entitled “Active Teaching Strategies in Higher Education”. He stated that education has been changed and teaching should be changed as well. Teachers should use strategies in the classroom to activate learners and improve their achievements. The researcher used a questionnaire for students to examine students’ attitudes toward using strategies and methods in teaching and which strategies and methods they prefer in class. The questionnaire was distributed among 360 students from the University of Pula studying 28 different fields. The results showed that varying the strategies that teachers use makes students more active and improves their learning and achievements. It also showed that learners do not obtain willingness and responsibility to learn by themselves. Zyoud (2010) pointed out in a study entitled “Using Drama Activities and Techniques to Foster Teaching English as a Foreign Language: a Theoretical Perspective” that using drama as an activity and strategy to teach English increases the students’ involvement in the classroom, fostered language skills such as reading, listening, writing and speaking. This strategy also helped the students to use the language more in the classroom without fear. Drama creates funny and interesting learning environment. The researcher added that drama can be used in the classroom in different ways such as mime, role play, and simulation. The result showed that using drama activities help students to acquire the language. Bahous et all (2011) claimed in a study entitled “Motivating Students in the EFL Classroom: A Case Study of Perspectives” that learners who learn English as a foreign language face many problems and difficulties in learning. Teachers and researchers found that there are many strategies that teachers can use to teach English which engage students and motivate them to learn. The researchers used an interview for a students and teachers’ survey to examine perspective. The findings showed that students are not motivated to learn English because English teachers don’t activate students to learn, the material is not interesting, teachers focus on 29 writing skills more than any other skills, and the course is not useful for the students’ future. Albakri et al (2012) stated in a study entitled “Experienced Teachers Pedagogical Strategies in Content-Based Instruction Contexts” that teachers differ in their selection and use of instructional strategies. Moreover, teachers of different backgrounds, experience, and subject matter deal differently with strategies. The strategies that they use in the classroom reflect their beliefs, assumptions and understanding of the teaching of an integrated syllabus. Thomson (2012) carried out a study entitled “Language Teaching Strategies and Techniques Used to Support Students Learning in a Language other than Their Mother Tongue”. He stated that teachers used different teaching strategies in the classroom which are: vocabulary checks, eliciting, modeling of target language, think aloud, modeling of activities, student thinking time, re-casts, error correction, incorporating small group and pair work in lessons, and elaborated input. Use of these strategies depends on the class level. For example, modeling of target language, recasts, error correction, think aloud, modeling of activities and vocabulary checks and definitions are used more in lower-primary; whereas in the middle-primary teachers used higher levels of eliciting and student thinking time. To achieve the objectives of the research the researcher used lesson observations, teacher interviews, coordinator interviews and field notes to collect information. The findings showed that strategies are 31 important because they increase the interaction between the teachers and their students. Teachers should use the appropriate strategies for the students' level. The researcher recommended teachers to develop their understanding for language teaching strategies and they should use different strategies, also, the researcher recommended the International Baccalaureate Organization to give training to teachers and schools to help them to understand how to practice the language. Hamiloðlu and Temiz (2012) stated in a study entitled "The Impact of Teacher Questions on Student Learning in EFL" that teachers’ questions are a very important strategy in the classroom for checking students' understanding and obtaining information about the learning process. The researchers used qualitative and quantitative techniques. The qualitative data were gathered from the observations of 11 student teachers and the findings were analyzed in terms of questions. The quantitative data were gathered from the analysis of the quantity of questions used by EFL teachers in their classes. The results of the research showed that effective questioning by the teachers focus on motivating students to learn, arouse their curiosity, stimulate their imagination, and focus the students’ attention on understanding the content of the lesson. Teachers should therefore use questions that activate students' minds and plan the lesson carefully. However, learners who learn English as a foreign language prefer Yes /No questions because they require short answers. The researchers recommended teachers to use different types of questioning. 31 Higher Education of Social Science (2012) conducted a study entitled “Excellent English Teachers’ Classroom Strategies: A Case Study of Three College English Teachers in China”. The study stated that teachers should use different strategies in the classroom to teach English, especially to improve the students’ speaking skills and to increase their interaction in the classroom. Using different strategies also engaged students in speaking activities. The researcher used three instruments: an observation checklist, a questionnaire and an interview guide. The findings showed that excellent teachers use different strategies in the classroom to motivate students to speak. Teachers can create an interactive classroom. Strategies that teachers can use in the classroom include feedback and questioning. Xuerong (2012) stated in a study entitled “Excellent English Teachers’ Classroom Strategies: A Case Study of Three College English Teachers in China” that teachers should use different strategies to engage students to speak and to improve classroom interaction. This will help students to learn English. Teachers should learn about strategies and how to use them in the classroom to develop their English efficiently. The researcher used three tools in the study: an observation checklist, a questionnaire and an interview guide. The researcher also studied four aspects of teachers’ classroom strategies: interaction management, questioning, teacher’s feedback and error treatment. The result showed that excellent teachers use strategies that motivate students and engage them to speak in the classroom to create an interactive classroom. 32 In their study entitled “The Impact of STAD Strategy on FL Reading Achievement of Low-, Average-, and High-achieving Students in Al balqa Applied University” Al-Zu’bi and Kitishat (2013) investigated the impact of Student Teams-Achievement Division strategy on students' reading achievements. The researchers used two research tools: the test and the instructional program. The study subjects were Low, Avarage, and High-achieving English students from Jordanian university. The findings showed that STAD strategy is very important and effective in improving students’ reading comprehension. Students who worked in STAD groups had higher achievements than the students who worked in traditional methods. However, for high and average achievement students STAD was satisfactory and played a positive role. These STAD activities were not sufficient for low-achievement students because they took only 15 minutes. The researchers recommended the stake holders to be familiar with any strategies before using them, also they recommended to provide college with enough instruments and material to use cooperative strategies and decreasing the load of teaching among lecturers. Rohani and Pourgharib (2013) found in a study entitled “The Effect of Games on Learning Vocabulary” that learning vocabulary is very important for students to learn any language because it helps them to learn other skills. 30 girl students from first-grade junior high school were selected to take part in this study all of them were 15 th years old. The researchers divided them into two groups: one that learned vocabulary in the traditional way, while the other group learned vocabulary by games. 33 Also they used Pre- test and post-test to investigate the effect of games on learning vocabulary. The findings show that there were no significant differences between the two groups. The researchers recommended the future studies to examine the effect of other materials ( e.g. films, stories) on learning vocabulary. Young Cho &Teo (2013) argued in a study entitled “ EIL Teachers’ Motivational Strategies and Students’ Preference in Deep Southern Part of Thailand” that teaching or motivational strategies are very important since they enhance learners’ motivation to learn. This leads them to participate in the classroom and increases their engagement in the learning process – leading to better achievements in learning English as a second language. The researchers used two questionnaires, the first to investigate the teachers’ motivational strategies; the second one, to investigate the students’ preferences for the motivational strategies. The study was carried out in Hatyai Wittayalai School with 15 EIL teachers and 45 students. The findings showed more motivated students produce better involvement and better achievements. Innovative strategies were not used by the teachers, but these strategies were preferred by the students. The researcher recommended the future studies to investigate whether motivational strategies on young students differ from the old ones. Bamanger and Gashan (2014) found in a study entitled “In-Service EFL Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching Reading Strategies” that the reading strategy that teachers use include guessing the meaning of the 34 ambiguous vocabulary, explaining vocabulary items, scanning the text, asking questions checking the comprehension of the text and translating words into Arabic. The researchers used a questionnaire for 27 teachers from different schools in Riyadh. All of these were used to find the relationship between what the teachers believe about teaching reading strategies and their employment of these strategies in classroom practice. The findings of the study showed that teachers reflect what they believe in their classroom teaching practice. If we wish to change teachers' practices in the classroom we should first change their beliefs. Jarrar (2014) conducted a study entitled “The Impact of Remedial Classes on the Performance of the Fourth Grade Low Achievers in English in Public Schools in Ramallah District”. The researcher used teaching strategies such as small group work, teaching students by playing and doing, drawing, and acting. These strategies are very important for students with low achievement. These strategies can improve their abilities and engage them in learning English. The researcher used and developed an English proficiency test, which consists of items that cover the four language skills: (listening, speaking, reading and writing). This test was applied to the entire population of the study which consisted of 45 pupils, 19 males and 26 females of fourth grade low achievers in the governmental schools in Ramallah District. She also interviewed five English language teachers who taught fourth graders regularly in the ordinary classes. The finding showed that using those strategies increased low - achievers’ motivation and increased their achievement. The researcher recommended 35 teachers to concentrate on developing students’ performance in basic skills which are very important at this stage of development. In addition stakeholders should organize more training workshops for preparing teachers to work. Pathan and Aldersi (2014) conducted a study entitled “Using Games in Primary Schools for Effective Grammar Teaching: a Case Study from Sebha”. The study showed that teaching English is a very difficult task. Students who learn English grammar by the traditional way of teaching found it to be a very difficult task. The modern way of teaching depends upon learners' use of games to learn grammar. The researchers claimed that teachers should use games to teach English grammar because they engage students in the learning process and motivate them to learn grammar. There are different kinds of grammar games such as physical or traditional games, digital grammar games, matching, ordering, and memory games. The researchers used different tools in conducting this study such as observation, tests for the students (pre-test). The researchers then made a lesson plan to teach grammar, and post- tested the students. The result showed that teachers use games to teach words, not grammar. The post-test results showed that students who learned by use of games were more motivated. The researchers recommended teachers to use games as a part of grammar teaching activities. Moreover, teachers should be careful while selecting grammar games. 36 2.3 Summary The researcher referred to five areas in this chapter that emphasize the impact of using teaching strategies on students’ engagement to learn English effectively. These areas are interconnected and complement each other in order to offer readers a clear picture regarding the impact of using teaching strategies on students’ engagement to learn English. The first area the researcher referred to was the definition of teaching strategies. The second area presented the relationship between teaching strategies and students’ engagement to learn English. This could help the reader to understand that teaching strategies have very important role in increasing the students’ engagement and make students learn better and effectively. The third area discuss the advantages of using teaching strategies in the classroom. Most of the studies emphasized the benefits of using teaching strategies in teaching English. The researchers claimed that using teaching strategies create active classroom and motivate students to learn the language. The fourth area presented the disadvantages of using teaching strategies in the classroom. Some of the researchers showed that using teaching strategies wasting the time and the teachers can’t cover the 37 content. But the researcher showed that teachers can overcome those disadvantages. The final part of this chapter discussed the various studies that were conducted in the area of teaching strategies and students’ engagement. These studies that the researcher referred to were conducted in various Arab and non-Arab countries. The review was essential in order to get information about different teaching strategies that teachers use a round the world and what is the most effective one of them. Several points regarding the other studies that were reviewed are stated as follows: - Most of these studies agreed that using teaching strategies affect students’ engagement. Only one study showed that there is no effect for using games in teaching vocabulary. - Most of these studies showed that teaching strategies have positive influence on students’ engagement and on the learning process; Whereas, three studies showed that teaching strategies have disadvantages. This present study is similar to the others from the standpoint of steps and framework of processes used to find the impact of using teaching strategies but it differs from the studies cited here in several aspects: 38 - The researcher used two research tools to conduct this study: teachers’ questionnaire and interviews to get information about teaching strategies. - This study gives clear information about teaching strategy, the impact of these strategies on students’ engagement and shows the importance of using these strategies in learning English also whether or not these strategies are actually used at school to engage students in English learning. 39 CHAPTER THREE Methodology and Procedures 41 Chapter Three Methodology and Procedures This chapter contains six sections that deal with the methodology of this research. It presents the research population and research sample, research instruments, the validity and reliability of these instruments, the process of collecting data, and statistical analysis of the data. 3.1 Research Methodology The researcher followed the descriptive to achieve the main purpose of the study and to answer the research questions. This research is characterized by the application of two research approaches:  The first is quantitative and is measured by means of the instrument of the questionnaire that was distributed by teachers.  The second is qualitative. The information is collected by yes/no questions in the second research instrument (the Interview). 3.2 The Research Population and Sample The entire research population of the study consists of all EFL teachers(138) in elementary and secondary schools in Salfit district in the second semester of the scholastic year 2014/2015. Table (1) displays the number and distribution of the teachers and their characteristics. 41 Table (1): Distribution of the Research Population – The Teachers. Variable Classification Frequency Percentage Gender Male 51 37.5% Female 85 62.5% Qualification Diploma 18 13.2% B.A./B.Ed. 101 74.3% M.A./M.Ed. 17 12.5% Teaching Experience Less than 5 years 21 15.4% 5 - 10 years 33 24.3% 10 years or more 82 60.3% Age 20-29 years old 26 19.1% 30-39 years old 43 31.6% 40-49 years old 34 25% 50 or more years old 33 24.3% Level stage of teaching Basic 90 66.2% Secondary 16 11.7% Basic and Secondary 30 22.1% Total 136 100% The survey consisted of all English teachers in Salfit District. (138) questionnaires were distributed and (136) were returned. As shown in table (1) (37.5%) of the respondents were male and (62.5%) were female, the highest percentage of teachers have bachelors with ( 74.3%), then diploma with (13.2%) while the lowest have masters degrees (12.5%). There were no teachers with a Ph.D. The majority of teachers (60.3%) had more than 10 years of work experience, while the lowest percentage (15.4%) had less than 5 years. The highest percentage (31.6%) of the sample were between 30 and 39 years old and the lowest is the age interval between 21-29 (19.1%), the majority of the teachers taught basic classes with (66.1%) while the lowest percentage (11.7%) taught secondary classes only. The researcher also interviewed (25) teachers from the research sample. Table (2) displays the number and distribution of the interviewees and their characteristics. 42 Table (2): Distribution of the interviewees – The Teachers. Independent Variable (IV) Classification Frequency Percentage Gender Male 8 32% Female 17 68% Academic qualification Diploma 2 8% B.A./B.Ed. 21 84% M.A./M.Ed. 2 8% Teaching experience Less than 5 years 8 32% 5 - 10 years 9 36% 10 years or more 8 32% Age 20-29 years old 5 20% 30-39 years old 8 32% 40-49 years old 9 36% 50 or more years old 3 12% Total 25 100% 3.3 Instruments of the Study The researcher used a questionnaire and interviews to collect data. Both of the tools were prepared by the researcher. These instruments are described in details below. A. The Questionnaire The first instrument that was used in the study was a questionnaire to gather information about the teaching strategies and their role on students’ engagement in learning English. The items of the questionnaire were written by the researcher. The researcher constructed a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of (42) items, all of the items were prepared by the researcher. The questionnaire consisted of the following: a. (16) items in the first domain related to teaching strategies that teachers use to teach English as a foreign language. 43 b. (18) items in the second domain dealt with information about the English teachers. c. (8) items in the third domain dealt with the effect of teaching strategies on students’ engagement in learning English. The researcher used the following scale to estimate the level of agreement with the items in the questionnaire: - Very high = with means that range between 4 – 5 - High = with means that range between 3.5– 3.99 - Moderate with means that range between 3 – 3.49 - Low = with means that range between 2.50 – 2.99 - Very low = with means that range between 1.0- 2.49 B- The Interviews The researcher conducted (25) interviews with teachers of English whom she chose at random in order to receive more information about teaching strategies and students’ engagement to support the data of the questionnaire. The interviews (Appendix B) include (10) yes/no questions in which the teachers were also asked to elaborate on their answers. The interviews were all conducted by the researcher, who met with each of the teachers separately at the schools where they teach. Each interview lasted for (20-30) minutes. 3.4 Validity of the Research Instruments A- The Questionnaire 44 To ensure that content of the test is valid, the instrument was given to a group of specialists' judges at An-Najah University experienced in English language; they were consulted to establish the test validity by evaluating the appropriateness of the purpose of the tool; therefore, their modifications and recommendations were taken into consideration. As a result, the researcher made the necessary modifications accordingly. The following are several of the comments, and recommendations from the experts: a- Some of the items were structurally incorrect so they corrected them like in the item number (1) (for) instead of (in) and item number (8) (affected) should be (affect). Also in items (1,2,6) the researcher should put the subject (I). Moreover, in item number (19) (ask) replaced by (Asking) and deleting (to answer). Finally, item number (16) (Experienced teachers use more strategies than new teachers) instead of (Teachers who has long experience in teaching English use more strategies than the new teachers). b- The experts pointed out that there were items that dealt with more than one points, and suggested that they be rewritten so that each item would deal with only one idea c- The name of the domains needed modification so they modified them. The first one (teaching strategies) instead of (strategies). The second domain (English teachers) instead of (teachers). The third domain (students’ engagement) instead of (students). 45 d- They agreed that the questionnaire form needs to be changed. e- Some of the items were repeated so they should be deleted like item number (17) (Teachers who teach younger students use more strategies). B- The Interviews The interview questions were shown to the jury of experts. Thus, no modifications were made. 3.5 Reliability of the Research Instruments The researcher applied the following methods to establish reliability of the research instrument (Questionnaire): A. Reliability of the first research instrument- the questionnaire The research sample is the research population that consists of 138 male and females teachers and the researcher applied the test-retest method in order to verify the stability index and the internal consistency for the first research instrument (the questionnaire). The researcher administered the questionnaire for the second time to 30 teachers who was chosen randomly, after which she calculated the following: 1. Person’s correlation coefficient as an indication of the stability index through the two applications of the research instrument. 2. Cronbach’s Alpha Formula was applied to the first application of the questionnaire as an indication of the internal consistency of the items in the questionnaire. 46 Table (3) presents the calculation of person’s correlation coefficient and Cronbach’s Alpha. Table (3): Person’s Correlation Coefficient and Cronbach's Alpha for the Teachers’ Questionnaire. Questionnaire and its Categories Stability Index (Pearson) Consistency Index (Cronbach's Alpha) No. of Items Sig* (Teaching Strategies) 0.81 0.70 16 0.001* (English Teachers) 0.88 0.73 18 0.001* "Students’ Engagement in TEFL" 0.74 0.71 8 0.001* The Entire Questionnaire 0.80 42 0.001* *Significant at the level of (α ≤ 0.05) Table (3) reveals that the values of the stability index (Pearson) for the domains of the first research instrument range from 0.31- 0.88 the values of internal consistency (Cronbach) for the items of the first research instrument range from 0.30- 0.73 and stand at 0.80 for the entire research instrument. The calculation reveal that the first research instrument (the questionnaire) is suitable for the objective of application. 3.6 Research Procedures The following procedures were used to collect data for this study: 1. Consultation meetings were held with the research supervisors before the beginning of the research to determine the guidelines and instructions for working and conducting the research. The researcher and supervisor also agreed upon the title for the research. 47 2. The research proposal was prepared for the supervisors and for the Department of Method of Teaching Faculty of Graduate Studies at An-Najah National University. 3. Agreement was obtained from the research supervisors and the Deanship of Graduate Studies at An-Najah National University to begin the research. 4. The research population was defined: all English teachers at Salfit District. 5. The questionnaire and interview questions were prepared and underwent validation by English teachers at Salfit District. 6. Correspondence was conducted with the Ministry of Education in Palestine to obtain agreement to distribute the questionnaires and to held the interviews with English teachers at Salfit District. 7. The questionnaire was distributed among English teachers. (136) out of (138) questionnaires that were distributed were returned. 8. Twenty-five male and female teachers were randomly chosen to be interviewed. The interviewees were to answer (10) questions. 9. The researcher conducted separate interviews with each of the twenty-five teachers at the schools where they taught. 3.7 The Research Variables The study contained the following variables: 48 The Independent Variables: These variables referred to the respondents to the research questionnaire and include:  Gender variable with two categories: male and female.  Age variable with four levels: a-between (20-29) years b. Between (30-39) years c. between (40-49) d- more than 50 years  Academic Qualification variable with four levels: a. High School Diploma b. Bachelor c. Master d- PhD  Teaching Experience with three levels: a-Less than 5 years b. between 5-10 years c. more than 10 years  Level Stage of Teaching with three levels: a- Elementary b. Secondary c. Both Elementary and Secondary The Dependent Variables: 1. The total score for the research instrument- the questionnaire. 2. The degrees of domain Teaching Strategies. 3. The degrees of domain English Teachers. 4. The degrees of domain Students’ Engagement. 3.8 Data Analysis To answer the research questions, the researcher applied statistical analysis to the first and fourth questions and presented a description to answer the second and third question. 49 The answer to the First Research Question is Divided into Two Parts: 1. To answer the first part of the first research question, the researcher calculated the percentages, means and standard deviations for the entire questionnaire and its components. 2. To answer the second part of the first research question, the researcher calculated the percentages, means and standard deviations for each item from the items in the various domains in the questionnaire. The Answer to the Second and Third Research Questions: 1. To answer the second and third research questions, the researcher calculated the frequency of teachers’ opinions resulting from the analysis of the interviews conducted with (21) teachers. The Answer to the Fourth Research Question is Divided into Four Parts: 1. To answer the first part of the fourth research question, the researcher calculated the averages and standard deviations for the entire questionnaire due to the levels of the independent research variables (gender, age, academic qualification, teaching experience and level stage of teaching) followed by ANOVA. 2. To answer the second part of the fourth research question, the researcher calculated the means and standard deviations of the components of the entire questionnaire due to the levels of the 51 independent variables. This was in turn followed by the method of ANOVA. 3. To answer the third part of the fourth research question, the researcher calculated the averages and standard deviations of the domains of the teachers' use regarding language teaching strategies due to the levels of the independent variables. 4. To answer the fourth part of the fourth research question, the researcher calculated the means and standard deviations of the domain of teachers' use regarding language teaching strategies due to the levels of the independent variables. 51 CHAPTER FOUR Results of the Study 52 Chapter Four Results of the Study Introduction This chapter presents the results of the study and the statistical data that were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS version 17.0. The data were collected through the research questionnaire and interviews. This chapter also reports the findings of the research questions. The Results of the Study This study aimed to investigate the role of using teaching strategies in teaching English on student's engagement to learn the language at Salfit district. This study also examined the relation between study variables (gender, age, academic qualification, teaching experience and level stage of teaching) and the role of teaching strategies in teaching English on student's engagement to learn the language at Salfit district. 4.1 Results Related to the First Question What is the degree of students’ engagement as a result of using teaching strategies in teaching English? To answer this question we used means to each items and domains, also the total score (degree) of the questionnaire. The following tables explain that: 53 To explain the results we adopted the means which are responsible for these items: -Very large effect more than 80% - Large effect (from 70% to 79.9%). - Medium effect (from 60% to 69.99%). - A low effect (from 50% to 59.9%). -Very low effect (less than 50%). Table (1) shows means, standard deviations, percentages and estimation of the domain of Teaching strategies that teachers use to teach English as a foreign language. Table (4): Means, standard deviations, percentages and estimation of the domain of Teaching strategies that teachers use to teach English as a foreign language. No item Mean S.D Percentages Estimation 1 I employ educational games in teaching English. 4.30 0.58 86% Very High 2 I employ audio-visual aids such as the course cassette and pictures 4.67 0.57 93.4% Very High 3 I encourage students to work in groups or pairs 4.46 0.72 89.2% Very High 4 I use different strategies to teach English for different classes 4.36 0.61 87.2% Very High 5 Pair discussion strategy helps teachers to understand students’ interaction and behavior in the learning process. 4.13 0.71 82.6% Very High 6 Using some strategies affect some students negatively 3.24 0.84 64.8% Moderate 7 I use activities that familiarize students with the target culture 4.15 0.69 83% Very High 54 8 Asking students questions motivates students to learn. 4.50 0.60 90% Very High 9 Using real objects and games is an important strategy for teaching English to young students. 4.54 0.63 90.8% Very High 10 I teach and model different reading strategies such as skimming, scanning, or self- monitoring. 4.42 0.63 88.4% Very High 11 It is more interesting for elementary school students to learn English by using story telling than reading aloud. 4.16 0.70 83.2% Very High 12 I teach revision lessons in “English for Palestine” by using drama and role playing. 3.83 0.75 76.6% High 13 There is no time to use teaching strategies to teach English. 3.14 1.09 62.8% Moderate 14 Students can only learn English by memorizing every word in the book. 2.26 0.96 45.2% Very Low 15 Presentation is a very good strategy to make students learn well. 3.88 0.87 77.6% High 16 Asking questions help teachers to check students’ understanding. 4.34 0.60 86.8% Very High Total score of the first domain 3.99 0.33 79.8% High The First Domain’s "Teaching strategies that teachers use to teach English as a foreign language" It appears from table (1) which shows means, standard deviations, percentages and estimation of the domain of Teaching strategies that teachers use to teach English as a foreign language were very high on items (2,9,8,3,10,4,16,1,11,7,5), with average between (82.6%-93.4%), this means that English teachers agreed strongly that these strategies were used by them during teaching English classes as a foreign language, for example the highest percentage respond was for strategy attitude "I employ 55 audio-visual aids such as the course cassette and pictures" with 93.4%,the following strategies had the same impact attitudes very high effect with less averages than the previous teaching strategy, item (9) was the second strategy which illustrates "using real objects and games is an important strategy for teaching English to young students" with 90.6%, the following strategies followed as a point view of English teachers to encourage students engaged in English learning lessons "asking students questions motivates students to learn" with 90%, also" I encourage students to work in groups or pairs" with 89.2%, "I teach and model different reading strategies such as skimming, scanning, or self-monitoring" with 88.4%, moreover, the teachers used different strategies to teach English for different classes, and “asking questions help teachers to check students’ understanding” with 86.8% for both items, also "I employ educational games in teaching English" with 86%, from the point view of English teachers the strategy of using story telling than reading aloud is more interesting for elementary school students to learn English with 83.2%, also the teachers used "activities that familiarize students with the target culture strategy" with 83%, followed by "pair discussion strategy helps teachers to understand students’ interaction and behavior in the learning process" with 82.6%, the averages of response are high i.e." the teachers agree that they are practicing these strategies during teaching English lessons" on item (15) “presentation is a very good strategy to make students learn well” with 77.6% , item (12) “I teach revision lessons in “English for Palestine” by using drama and role playing" with 76.6%”, the average of item (6) "Using 56 some strategies affect some students negatively" is moderate with 64.8%, the percentage average of item (13) "There is no time to use teaching strategies to teach English" is moderate too with 62.8% and this percentage illustrates that English teachers have negative attitudes towards this paragraph, the percentage average of item (14) is 45.2% with very low degree effect it means that " the teachers strongly disagree that students can only learn English by memorizing every word in the book , the percentage average of the total score of this domain is high with (39.8%), it means that English teachers believed that practicing these strategies is for the favor of student's engagement to learn the English language. Table (1) shows means, standard deviations, percentages and estimation of the domain of English teachers. Table (5): Means, standard deviations, percentages and estimation of the domain of English teachers. No Item Mean S.D Percentages Estimation 17 Teachers don’t have enough time to use different strategies in the classroom. 3.73 1.16 74.6% High 18 Teachers give clear instructions. 4.37 0.58 87.4% Very high 19 Teachers receive enough training for using different strategies to teach English effectively. 3.87 0.89 77.4% High 20 Teachers in secondary schools don't use group work activities as a strategy to teach English. 2.93 1.10 58.6% Low 21 Teachers encourage the students to speak English in class. 4.33 0.75 86.6% Very high 22 Younger teachers always try to teach English by using different strategies, but older teachers do not. 2.93 1.26 58.6% Low 57 23 Investigating my students' learning needs gives me a clue about what strategy to use. 4.08 0.73 81.6% Very high 24 Teachers who teach in elementary schools use different strategies than secondary school teachers. 3.69 1.03 73.8% High 25 Strategies that teachers use in the classroom reflect their beliefs, assumptions and understanding of the teaching process. 4.04 0.69 80.8% Very high 26 Any change in teachers’ strategies cause changes in the students’ involvement and achievement. 3.97 0.70 79.4% High 27 Most male teachers think that making students questions part of the learning process is useless. 3.11 0.89 62.2% Moderate 28 Teachers who have higher degrees are using more strategies than others. 2.75 1.06 55.0% Low 29 Experienced teachers use more strategies than new teachers. 3.71 1.08 74.2% High 30 Teachers who teach younger students use more strategies. 3.81 0.99 76.2% High 31 I involve most students in the learning activity. 4.36 0.58 87.2% Very high 32 I surprise my students with new activities and strategies in order to maintain their interest. 4.15 0.56 83.0% Very high 33 Male teachers use traditional strategies to teach English. 3.21 1.02 64.2% Moderate 34 Female teachers use different strategies in teaching English more than male teachers. 3.60 1.06 72.0% High Total score of the second domain 3.67 0.36 73.4% High The Second Domain’s “attitudes of English teachers towards using English strategies” 58 It appears from table (1) which shows means, degrees of effect for the "attitudes of English teachers towards using English strategies" were very high on items (18,31,21,32,23,25) with average between (80.8%- 87.4%), this means that English teachers agreed strongly towards using English strategies of items of domain (2), for example the highest percentages respond were for items (18,31,21) which illustrated that "Teachers give clear instructions ,"I involve most students in the learning activity", and "Teachers encourage the students to speak English in class" with 86.6%",the following item had the same impact attitude "very high effect" with less average than the previous items, item (32) was the second with "I surprise my students with new activities and strategies in order to maintain their interest" with 83%, also " Investigating my students' learning needs gives me a clue about what strategy to use" with 81.6%, then "Strategies that teachers use in the classroom reflect their beliefs, assumptions and understanding of the teaching process" with 80.8%, the averages of response were high i.e. the teachers agree towards these items on item (26) "any change in teachers’ strategies cause changes in the students’ involvement and achievement" with 79.4% ", in item (19) teachers agreed that they received enough training for using different strategies to teach English effectively" with 77.4%, also agreeing with item (30) " Teachers who teach younger students use more strategies" with 76.2%. It is clear from item (17) that "Teachers don’t have enough time to use different strategies in the classroom" with 74.6%, also items (29,24) illustrated that "Experienced teachers use more strategies than new 59 teachers" with 74.2%, "Teachers who teach in elementary schools use different strategies than secondary school teachers" with 73.8%, we see the different attitudes according to gender from item (34) "Female teachers use different strategies in teaching English more than male teachers" with 72% , the average of item (33) "Male teachers use traditional strategies to teach English" is moderate with 64.2% and the percentage average of item (27) "Most male teachers think that making students questions part of the learning process is useless" is moderate too with 62.2% these percentages illustrated that English teachers have negative attitudes "disagree" towards the last two items, the percentage average of item (20) is 58.6% with a low effect it means that " the teachers disagree that teachers in secondary schools don't use group work activities as a strategy to teach English ", also English teachers disagree that "younger teachers always try to teach English by using different strategies, but older teachers do not" with 68.6%, moreover the lowest percentage average for item (28) with 55% which illustrated that teachers qualification level had no effect on using more strategies. The total score of the second domain is high with (73.4%). Table (6) shows means, standard deviations, percentages and estimation of the domain of The effect of strategies on students’ engagement in learning English. 61 Table (6): Means, standard deviations, percentages and estimation of the domain of The effect of strategies on students’ engagement in learning English. The Third Domain “The effect of strategies on students’ engagement in learning English” It appears from table (6) which shows the means, degrees of effect for the " attitudes of English teachers towards Students' engagement in learning English" were very large on items (35,40,41,38,38,37) with average between (82%-90.2%), this means that English teachers agreed strongly towards Students' engagement in learning using English strategies, for example the highest percentage respond is for item (35) which illustrated that "Engaging students in the learning process helps them learn No item Mean S.D Percentages Estimation 35 Engaging students in the learning process helps them learn better. 4.51 0.65 90.2% Very high 36 Students don't participate in class because they don't have discussion opportunity. 2.82 1.06 56.4% Low 37 Different strategies affect students’ engagement differently 4.10 0.59 82.0% High 38 Student-teacher interaction increases students' engagement in the classroom. 4.13 0.75 82.6% Very high 39 Students can learn English without being engaged in the learning process. 2.61 1.11 52.2% Low 40 Students who are engaged in the learning process learn English better than who are not. 4.19 0.80 83.8% Very high 41 Engaging students in the learning process using appropriate strategies helps students learn English easily. 4.15 0.75 83.0% Very high 42 In English classes a small number of students participate, while in the other subjects large number of students participates. 3.42 1.17 68.4% Moderate Total Score of the third domain 3.71 0.45 74.1% High Total score 3.80 0.29 76.0% High 61 better” with 90.2%, the following item had the same impact attitude "very high effect" with less average than the previous items. Item (40) was the second, "Students who are engaged in the learning process learn English better than who are not with 83.8%, also" Engaging students in the learning process using appropriate strategies helps students learn English easily" with 83%, "Student-teacher interaction increases students' engagement in the classroom " with 82.6%, it is clear from item (37) the importance of applying different strategies from the point view of English teachers because they affected students engagement differently with 82%, the average of item (42) “In English classes, a small number of students participate, while in the other subjects a large number of students participate " is medium with 68.4% , but is closed to the agree respond, the percentage average of item (36) is 56.4% with a few degree effect it means that "the teachers disagree that students don't participate in class because they don't have discussion opportunity", Students can learn English without being engaged in the learning process" with 52.2% which is the lowest average percentage of this domain. The total score of this domain is large with (74.1%), it means that English teachers believed that practicing these strategies is for the favor of students’ engagement to learn the English language, also the total average of the tool ensures that using English strategies is for the benefit of students’ engagement to learn the English language with 76%. 62 Table (7) Means, standard deviations, percentages, estimation and the total score for the three domains. Domain Means S.D Percentages Estimation Teaching strategies 3.99 0.33 78.8% high English teachers 3.67 0.36 73.4% high Students’ engagement 3.71 0.45 74.1% high Total score 3.80 0.29 76% high Table (7) shows that the total score for the entire questionnaire achieve a mean of (3.80) and a percentage of (76%). This means that there is a high degree of teachers’ perspectives regarding the total score of teaching strategies domain. 4.2 Results Related to the Second and Third Questions The researcher use semi- structured interview and she interviewed 25 male and female teachers who teach English at Salfit schools to receive information about the teaching strategies and their impact on students' engagement. The researcher asked each teacher 10 “yes” or “no” questions, and asked them to explain their answers. The researcher then analyzed the contents of teachers’ responses to the 10 questions. The teachers’ responses to the interview questions are presented in (Appendix C) The teachers’ responses to the questions yielded the following results: 1. Do you use real objects or visual aids in your English class? Why? 63 A total of (23) teachers answered “Yes” to this question, and (2) teachers answered “No”. The teachers who answered this question positively claimed that using real objects and visual aids in teaching English help students to remember and learn better. These strategies give students the ability to practice the language. Other teachers stated that these strategies help teachers to create humor in class and break the routine. Teachers who answered this question negatively claimed that they usually use audio aids because they have to teach listening skills, or that they use these strategies only if they have time. 2. Do you employ different reading strategies such as skimming, scanning, or self-monitoring? Why? There were a total of (25) “Yes” answers to this question. Teachers explained that employing different reading strategies such as scanning, skimming, and self-monitoring help students to learn English effectively and engage students to practice reading in the classroom. Other teachers claimed that these reading strategies improve students’ abilities and motivate them to read English lessons. 3. Do you think that different teaching strategies affect some of your students negatively? Why? There were a total of (9) “Yes” answers and (16) “No” answers to this question. 64 Teachers who answered this question positively felt that some strategies have negative effects on slow learners e.g group work strategy. Other teachers claimed that not giving clear instruction for students affect the activity and the students negatively. Teachers who answered this question negatively felt that teaching strategies have no negative effect because they engage all the students in the classroom activities and help them learn better and faster. In addition, some teachers claimed that using different strategies makes all students in different levels active in the learning process. 4. Do you use drama and role play when teaching "English for Palestine"? Why? A total of (24) teachers answered “Yes” to this question, and (1) teacher answered “No”. Teachers who answered this question positively felt that all students in different levels like to participate in the role play and drama as strategies to practice English language in the classroom. Other teachers explained that these strategies activate shy and slow learners. Others said that these strategies are very interesting and attract students’ attention very well. One teacher who answered this question negatively claimed that she does not use these strategies in teaching 12 th grade because there is no time for them in class. 5. Do you encourage pair discussion in class? Why? 65 A total of (21) teachers answered “Yes” to this question, and (1) teachers answered “No.” Teachers who answered this question positively felt that using pair discussion in the classroom motivate students to practice the language and learn English effectively. Others claimed that this strategy gives all students the chance to speak, express their ideas. Teachers who answered negatively felt that pair discussion strategy creates an uncontrollable, noisy classroom and is therefore not a useful strategy. 6. Does observing pair discussion help you assess students' progress? Why? There were a total of (20) “Yes” answers and (5) “No” answers to this question. Teachers who answered this question positively felt that using this strategy help them to assess students’ progress and that it is a good way to listen to all the students and work on weak points. Teachers who answered negatively felt that this strategy does not help them to assess students’ progress because they prefer to assess students’ progress individually. Others felt that pair discussion causes hesitation between the slow and fast learners and they therefore cannot depend on this strategy. 7. Do you include activities in your classroom that familiarize students with English culture? Why? There were a total of (20) “Yes” answers and (5) “No” answers to this question. 66 Teachers who answered this question positively felt that including activities that familiarize students with English culture is very important because English is taught as a foreign language. It is therefore important to know English culture and this make students learn better. Others said that to learn any language we should learn about their culture first. In addition, students should be familiarized with English culture to use the language correctly in real life. Teachers who answered negatively felt that it is not important to use these activities. 8. Do you use different teaching strategies for elementary school and for upper grades? Why? There was a total of (24) “Yes” answers and (1) “No” answer to this question. Teachers who answered this question positively felt that using different strategies in teaching elementary and upper grades engage students to learn and create an enjoyable environment that leads to effective learning. Other teachers claimed that they use different strategies to suit the students’ level and abilities. The single teacher who answered negatively felt that he could not find the time to use different strategies and they were a waste of time. 9. Do you feel that audio or visual aids such as the pictures or cassettes in "English for Palestine" encourage your students to learn better? Why? 67 A total of (25) teachers answered “Yes” to this question, and (0) answered “No.” Teachers who answered this question positively felt that using audio and visual aids encourage students to learn and engage them in the learning process, audio aids improve students’ listening skills; whereas, visual aids develop their speaking skills. Others stated that practicing the language is the most important way to learn. 10. Do you think that storytelling is more effective than reading aloud in elementary school English classes? Why? A total of (21) teachers answered “Yes” to this question, and (4) answered “No”. Teachers who answered this question positively felt that using storytelling is more effective than reading aloud in teaching elementary classes because elementary schools’ students like stories and pay more attention to teachers who use this strategy. Other teachers claimed that students remember every word and action teachers say and do during storytelling. The teachers who answered negatively felt that both of the strategies are important and they are connected. 4.3 Results Related to the Fourth Question The fourth question: Are there significant differences in means of teachers' use regarding the language teaching strategies due to: gender, age, academic qualification, teaching experience and level stage of teaching ?) 68 In order to answer this question, each independent variable was tested separately. 4.3.1 The First Hypothesis