An Investigation Into Teachers Teaching Of Listening Skills: Obora Secondary School Grade 9 In Focus

Abstract

This study was conducted with the objective of finding how teachers implement listening activities at grade 9 level. The study was carried out in Obora secondary school found in Oromiya region Bale zone. Eighty students and three English language teachers were involved in the study. Data were collected using questionnaires, observation and content analysis. Three of the teachers who were teaching English in grade 9 completed the questionnaire. A questionnaire was also distributed to eighty students (46 male and 34 female) who responded to the items. To see how they were implementing listening activity, three of the teachers were observed (each four times) while they were teaching listening. The information gathered from the classroom observations was cross-checked against the questionnaires. All twelve units in English for grade 9 textbook were analyzed using a check list prepared for the consumption of this study. Then, responses given to questionnaires and the findings of the classroom observations were analyzed using frequency and percentage. The findings revealed that teachers failed to implement fully the teaching of listening according to the procedures and techniques favored by the teacher’s book. Finally, based on the findings, it was recommended that teachers on their part should give more attention to teaching of listening. They should take time and prepare thoroughly before they come to class to teach listening. The material writers should also revisit the text and the three stages in line with their purpose and procedures to be employed to teach listening skill need to be included in the teacher’s book. It also, good if a listening text which read by the teacher is not available in the student’s textbook. It might hinder students to develop their listening ability once everything is in their textbook.