A comparative study of Grades 10 and 11 students' beliefs towards teacher-centered and learner-centered approaches in English as a foreign language class at Mai Ja Yang High School in Kachin State, Myanmar

Abstract

The purpose of conducting this study was firstly, to determine Grades 10 and 11 students’ beliefs towards English as a foreign language class at Mai Ja Yang High School in Kachin State, Myanmar. Secondly, to determine whether there were significant differences in Grade 10, Grade 11,and Grades 10 and 11 students’ beliefs towards teacher-centered and learner-centered approaches in English as a foreign language at Mai Ja Yang High School in Kachin State, Myanmar. The respondents were 120 Grade 10 students and 145 Grade 11 students (totaling 265 students) in Mai Ja Yang High School during the academic year 2018-2019. The data obtained were analyzed by descriptive statistics, mean and standard deviation and by dependent samples t-test. The findings of this study indicated that in Mai Ja Yang High School Grade 10 students, on average, held neutral beliefs on teacher-centered approach in English as a foreign language class when the Grade 11 students’ beliefs towards teacher-centered approach in English as a foreign language class was positive.

Meanwhile, Grades 10 and 11 students in Mai Ja Yang High School had the same positive beliefs towards learner-centered approach in English as a foreign language class. A dependent samples t-test revealed that there was a significant difference between Grades 10 and 11 students’ beliefs towards teacher-centered and learner-centered approaches in English as a foreign language class at Mai Ja Yang High School in Kachin State, Myanmar.