| Summary: | 碩士 === 高雄師範大學 === 英語學系 === 98 === This study aims to investigate elementary school English teachers’ teaching difficulties in and remedies for the bimodal distribution (BD) of students’ English abilities. The subjects of this study were 204 English teachers from 128 elementary schools in Pingtung County. The results of this study were found through analyzing the returned questionnaire copies from these teachers. The major findings are listed as follows:
1.As for teaching difficulties in the BD, most of the teachers face the following teaching difficulties: (a) a mixed proficiency class, (b) a class with the BD, (c) the BD in students’ four basic language abilities, (d) students with low English proficiency falling behind in learning English, (e) the current textbook too easy for students with high English proficiency, and (f) the inability to take care of students with mixed proficiency levels at the same time.
2.The difference in age, level of education, and school location makes the teachers’ perception of some teaching difficulties in the BD differ significantly.
3.In the question—students show a BD in willingness to attend English activities, the teachers’ perception differs significantly due to the difference in age. The degree of agreement of teachers over 50 years old is significantly higher than that of those between 22 and 30 years old.
4.In the question—students with high English proficiency feel bored with learning English, the teachers’ perception differs significantly due to the difference in age and in level of education. The degree of agreement of teachers over 50 years old is significantly higher than that of those between 22 and 30 years old. The degree of disagreement of teachers from Teachers College is significantly higher than that of those from College/University and higher than that of those from postgraduate institutes.
5.In the question—the content of the current textbook is too easy for students with high English proficiency, the teachers’ perception differs significantly due to the difference in school location. The degree of agreement of teachers from schools in the city is significantly higher than that of those from schools in a remote area. The degree of agreement of teachers from schools in the country is significantly higher than that of those from schools in a remote area.
6.Even though the teachers differ in gender, years of English teaching experience, and school size, they show no significant differences in all teaching difficulties in the BD.
7.In terms of in-class remedies, more than half of the teachers adopt peer-tutoring strategy, conduct multiple assessments, use middle-level textbooks, employ conversation practice, and assign the same homework to both students with high and with low English proficiency in class.
8.More than half of the teachers additionally provide upper-level supplementary materials for students with high English proficiency in class.
9.More than half of the teachers offer more practice opportunities and use games, guided reading, and CDs/cassettes for students with low English proficiency in class.
10.Nearly half of the teachers do conduct extracurricular English remedial instruction (EERI). Most of those who conducted EERI before and those who have never conducted it consider a heavy teaching load the major reason for not conducting it.
11.As for the best ways for conducting EERI, no less than one-third of the teachers, who have the experience of EERI, consider (a) observing students' performance in the classroom and looking at their test performance the two best diagnostic approaches, (b) morning self-study time and after-school hours on weekdays the two best remedial periods, (c) one-on-one instruction the best remedial method, and (d) the current textbook and self-compiled teaching materials the two best remedial materials.
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