Teacher and student perceptions of teaching speaking and writing in Korean high schools

The present study investigates the difficulties high school teachers and students perceive in teaching productive skills in Korea. The study utilizes a mixed method of surveys and interviews. A total of 585 teachers and 644 students completed online survey questionnaires with ten teachers and 21 students participating in one-on-one interviews. The results show that the teachers tend to agree with all the statements in the questionnaire whereas the students are more likely to disagree with them. The results from an independent t-test reveal that there are statistically significant mean differences between the teachers and the students in their perceptions of all analyzed items. Interview results indicate that different learning goals of teachers and students have contributed to the differences in their perceptions of the difficulties, particularly relating to the CSAT.
Students’ lack of understanding of teaching practices was found to contribute to the different perceptions for the variables of achieving validity in assessment and class size. Limited opportunities to discuss the issues as well as students’ negative attitudes towards the classes are accounted as the reasons for the disparities. Pedagogical implications drawn from the results and ways to support English teachers are discussed.