AoEJ: Academy of Education Journal

Vol. 14 No 1 Tahun 2023

EXPLORING TEACHERS' PRACTICAL DECISION MAKING IN TERMS

OF TEACHING PROCEDURES

Wulan Samsuri

, Sumarta

, Acep Bahrum

1, 2,3

Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang

Jl. HS. Ronggo Waluyo, Puseurjaya, Telukjambe Timur, Kota Karawang 41361

Email: [email protected]

Email: acep.bahrulka[email protected]

ABSTRAK

The role of teaching English in senior secondary schools as a component of Indonesian education

policy has increased. The curriculum states that the main objectives of English language education

are to improve students' basic communication skills, to develop English language, or learning,

interests and habits, and to introduce global culture to society. Since language education is based

on interpersonal relationships and communication with others, which stem from self-knowledge

and understanding, exploring oneself together with oneself can be an important professional in the

field. Borg (2003) states that there are several problems related to language education that have not

been studied in contact with teacher cognition. This study is about the teacher's consideration in

making decisions about teaching procedures. This study uses a qualitative research design to collect

data using interviews and observations.

Keyword: decision making; teachers; teaching procedures

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 CC BY-SA International License.

INTRODUCTION

English instruction in senior secondary schools has grown in importance as a part of

Indonesian educational strategy during the past few decades. The aims of English

education, according to the curriculum, generally center on strengthening students'

fundamental communication skills, in developing their English, i.e. studying interests and

habits, and in bringing global culture and customs to society. Exploring oneself together

with oneself can be a professional in language education which is regarded significant for

instructors since it is built on interpersonal interactions and interacting with other people,

which originates from self-knowledge and self-understanding. According to Borg (2003),

there are a number of issues with language education that haven't been looked at from the

standpoint of teacher cognition.

The instructor serves as a source of inspiration for pupils in the classroom,

emphasizing the learning attainment process and guiding them to be able to foster

collaborative learning. Similar to this, instructors must exercise caution and be astute in

their decision-making as learning leaders in order to avoid endangering the many parties

involved. Of course, making decisions is something we frequently have to do in our daily

AoEJ: Academy of Education Journal

Vol. 14 No 1 Tahun 2023

tasks. Language education is crucial because teachers' attitudes can have a lasting impact

on how they train students in the classroom. When it comes to influencing teachers'

behavior and decision-making processes, belief may be more powerful than knowledge

(Nespor, 1987). This is especially true for decisions about task arrangement and definition.

Indeed, such investigation is likely to shed light on the personalities of these

teachers, their roles in the teaching-learning process, and the things they do to advance

student learning. According to Csikszentmihalyi (1993) in Djoub, Z. (2018), if the

instructor can comprehend what makes him, what drives him, what objectives we pursue,

and how he became a human being, we may build a meaningful future. Teachers have a

part to play in the integrity principle by making choices based on values based on

regulations. However, they also strongly believe in the notion of solidarity, and teachers

always choose what is best for all of their students based on high moral standards. Now, if

their kindness-based ideals are the complete opposite.

Beliefs of teachers towards the curriculum that should be used in their institutions.

Evidence from studies on teachers' curriculum implementation methods demonstrates that

various methods provide various results. According to Shawer (2010), curriculum

variances put student learning, teacher motivation, and professional development at risk.

According to the teacher's perspective, combining the choice of resources, activities, and

instructional styles requires a number of teaching-related components. Therefore, it

appears that belief can influence the decisions made by instructors, which would unify the

relationship between trust and skills in teacher language decision-making. Education RPP

also plays a very important function in providing a framework to facilitate the language

learning process by taking into consideration the beliefs and practices of teachers in

language teaching.

The exploration of teacher professionals who have been viewed as a "one way" of

teaching is influencing how instructors view themselves" (Kincheloe, 2003, p. 47) is

contained in Djoub, Z. (2018). In fact, because teacher identity is so crucial to education, it

might be a valuable research framework in teacher development services. The definition of

teacher identity and how it changes over the course of a teacher's career, however, still

require further explanation. To demonstrate the "knowledge and ideas that underpin

teacher behaviors in practice," teachers' real-world experience is used (Verloop, Van Driel,

& Meijer, 2001, p. 446). Since teachers play a crucial part in ensuring that students learn,

they must be highly professional.

AoEJ: Academy of Education Journal

Vol. 14 No 1 Tahun 2023

Based on analysis by M. Rahimi and H. Weisi (2018). How research practice affects

expert teaching practice: Examining the perspectives of EFL teachers: Although there has

been a surge in interest in teacher research practices in English language teaching (ELT)

settings, it appears that few studies have looked at the attitudes and perspectives of English

as a foreign language (EFL) teachers on the impact of research activities on professional

teaching practice. the current condition of research practice among EFL teachers and how

it affects their professional teaching practices. It focuses on EFL instructors who are

actively engaged in research, which includes reading and conducting it.

As a result, Başar, S. (2021) research concentrates on the key variables that influence

teachers' decision-making abilities when deviating from previously prepared lesson plans.

Additionally, this study aims to ascertain the degree to which teachers' attitudes and

actions regarding veering from class plans are consistent with one another. The study's

conclusions suggest that there are four key category factors that have an impact on

professors leaving their institutions.

As previously indicated, past studies have mostly examined how much teachers'

views and methods in teaching English as a foreign language affect students' learning. So,

in order to keep students engaged, the researcher wants to look into and concentrate on the

experiences of teachers making decisions in practical teaching and the teaching techniques

they use in classroom activities.

METODE PENELITIAN

Some of the definitions provided above can be used to make the conclusion that

qualitative research is a study that uses verbal elements in the collection of data and

research conclusions. A data collection process was followed by an inductive analysis.

Since the focus of this study is on specific phenomena that take place in educational

contexts, a qualitative methodology was used. The phenomenon in this situation is the

teaching methods used in English classes. The researcher looks more closely at the

evaluation of instructors' methods for teaching English. The benefit of qualitative research

is that it demonstrates how real-world problem solvers respond to complex contextual

descriptions. According to Creswell (2009), qualitative research entails collecting and

interpreting information from subjects while they are in their natural settings. In order to

undertake this study, a descriptive case study.

This research was conducted in Karawang Regency. Three EFL instructors from

SMA located in Karawang participated in this study as participants. They have more than

AoEJ: Academy of Education Journal

Vol. 14 No 1 Tahun 2023

six years of teaching experience at the school. One of these schools is the best accredited

school in Karawang. There are about 1000 students enrolled in this institution, mostly

majoring in science and social sciences. In addition, there are 37 classrooms, three

laboratories, and a library. All participants are required to lead the class for one hour

during the conference so that researchers can observe their teaching methods. Because they

are all caring educators, their students have a greater obligation to understand the material

in their classrooms.

The semi-structured interview that is conducted before the observation session

begins constitutes the main piece of equipment. At the organization where they work,

participants are individually interviewed. A 20 minute wait is required. I can establish

rapport with the people I interview by using this technique, which will help me provide

high-quality data (Saldana & Omasta, 2018). The purpose of this interview was to provide

more light on the English teacher's initial convictions and how their theoretical training

influenced their teaching strategies and expectations. This approach of collecting data

focuses on examining what students do in class to accomplish their teaching objectives,

how they evaluate the results, and particularly how they choose to apply the processes and

deviate from the predetermined lesson plans.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

From the first observation's findings, the teacher only uses the lecture method,

explains the material to the students, and does not involve them in the teaching procedures

that they will carry out. As a result, the researcher has not observed the cooperative

learning teaching procedure being applied by the teacher to the students. In the second

observation of the study, the researcher discovered deeper learning because the teacher had

already begun reflecting on the students to help them maintain their confidence as they

learned. Before moving on, the teacher offers the class 15 minutes to talk in groups. After

that, students advance in groups to provide information for conditional sentences and more

modals.

In educational activities, we may observe how the instructor interacts with the pupils

by observing how the teacher approaches the learning process. We can also observe how

the teacher reacts to what he observes around him. According to the findings of the

interviews that were conducted, the teacher implied that there is a reflex that is carried out

at the start of each lesson in the learning process, specifically regarding warming up

activities so that students remember the material. Based on the findings of this interview,

AoEJ: Academy of Education Journal

Vol. 14 No 1 Tahun 2023

researchers can see the teacher's way of thinking in the learning process because when

teaching, the teacher must think first to set the student up for success.

The stages for beginning learning must be organized because the instructor selects

the topics to be taught and adapts to learning methodologies that are in fact suitable for the

achievement of student learning. in order to ensure that students learn well. According to

the findings of the conducted interviews, the teacher claimed that during the learning

activities conducted in the classroom, the teaching techniques and methods were applied to

students to complete the learning process and enable them to comprehend the subject

matter and what was being explained. Researchers were able to identify patterns and

connections in each element of the teaching methodology or learning strategy employed by

instructors in schools using the findings of the interviews. Cooperative learning, roleplay

learning, speech learning, and distraction learning are some of the teaching techniques or

learning strategies utilized by teachers. However, cooperative learning is what EFL

teachers employ the most frequently.

Because the aim is for students to achieve good learning outcomes, the teacher's

participation in the classroom learning process has a significant impact on managing the

class to ensure that the learning process works smoothly and students take EFL lessons

cheerfully and not with boringly. The circumstances throughout the learning process can

aid the instructor in managing the class and calming down the kids, according to the

interview's findings. In addition, it becomes clear from the interview's results that teachers

must be creative in their lesson plans if they want to draw students into the learning

process. The teacher's talk will be difficult for the pupils to understand, which will have a

significant negative impact on the learning activities.

In order to achieve student learning success in class, teachers want their students to

understand the information being taught through teacher-planned learning activities. A

teacher must be able to make decisions on learning activities and pupils who struggle with

learning with the intention of improving their performance. Researchers were able to draw

conclusions about teacher decision-making in learning activities carried out relating to

teaching procedures and learning processes based on the results of interviews performed.

The interview's findings demonstrate that teachers can firmly decide on their instructional

strategies in a way that supports students and takes into account their needs and skills.

Teachers must also concentrate on students' abilities in order to facilitate and support

students' learning. Based on the findings of the data that researchers have gathered, each

AoEJ: Academy of Education Journal

Vol. 14 No 1 Tahun 2023

teacher has made decisions on how to teach in schools and how to handle student issues in

the classroom.

By examining the teacher's method of thinking in the actual learning process,

communication is a reflex in the learning process that is crucial to promote good learning

for students. Due to its significance in the process of learning a language, communication

between teachers and students in the classroom must be taken into consideration.

According to Gasparatou (2018), speech actions theory must be applicable to all forms of

interpersonal communication, particularly in the classroom. It is evident from observation

that the teacher frequently automatically comments "excellent work" when children

succeed in learning, demonstrating how the teacher's reflex on what the teacher sees is

quite clear. In order for students to be interested in learning, the teacher's manner of

thinking must be effective.

Making teaching methods easier for teachers also makes it easier for students to

learn, which is one way that teachers may assist students succeed in their learning. As a

result of this study, EFL teachers are applying instructional techniques or cooperative

learning strategies to students. According to Slavin (1996), the effect of cooperative

learning on achievement is very significantly moderated by group cohesiveness. In other

words, students will assist one another in their academic endeavors because they care about

one another and want one another to succeed. Cooperative scripting is therefore one

approach of teaching English vocabulary to kids since it is simple for them to comprehend

and utilize new or unfamiliar language. In this method, students will collaborate with their

partner.

The teacher's role is crucial in teaching and learning activities since they require

them to control the class and provide a calm learning environment. The term "classroom

management" is used to describe all the actions teachers do to maintain control over the

class, the behavior of the students, and their learning, according to Martin and Sass (2010).

These include duties like upholding order, addressing misconduct, delivering meaningful

instruction, and attending to the emotional and cognitive needs of the students (Emmer &

Stough, 2001). The secret to defining classroom management issues, according to Kounin

(1970), is "generating a high rate of work involvement and a low incidence of deviancy in

the academic setting" (p. 63). Walker and Shea (1998) concur that a variety of classroom

management strategies are required to address various student behaviors.

Depending on the teacher who teaches, teachers have the right to select instructional

strategies that are appropriate for the needs and skills of the pupils in the school. Planning

AoEJ: Academy of Education Journal

Vol. 14 No 1 Tahun 2023

by teachers helps students attain learning objectives through their participation in the

learning process. Because this study examines the factors that teachers take into account

when choosing the teaching methods they employ.

Lesson time has a significant impact on lesson preparations and classroom decisions.

Based on observational notes and interview analysis, the majority of teachers chose to

modify or add to their lesson plans, depending on the activities that would best fit the

remaining lesson time and the needs of the students. The interviews show that teachers

have thought about what kind of taking teaching procedures that are in accordance with the

needs and abilities of students at school

CONCLUSION

Data gathered from the analysis of the EFL teacher's teacher through observation and

interview analysis. The information relates to the EFL instruction in class XI at SMAN in

Karawang. The teacher's choice to utilize cooperative learning, which is nearly always

used by EFL teachers, as one of the teaching strategies is how the researcher characterizes

the learning processes used by the teacher in the learning activities of the students.

Researchers can extrapolate inferences and suggestions from these data based on the

concepts that have been mentioned in earlier chapters. The decision of the teacher to use

the teaching procedure was examined by the researcher. At the school, EFL learning

activities are conducted using one of four different approaches or procedures. Providing

pupils with clear instructions on how to learn will make it easier to teach them improved

methods of learning English. Researchers have identified four different categories of

learning techniques: cooperative learning, roleplay learning, speech learning, and

distraction learning.

Each teacher has their own perspective on teaching methods, however based on the

outcomes of the data analysis, the teacher responds favorably and falls within the category

of decision-making in instructional practices. Cooperative learning and related roleplay fall

under the category of teaching techniques or learning methods utilized because, based on

these signs, the instructor is able to force pupils to study in groups and talk with friends in

class. Students were able to cooperate well in group activities and discuss topics for

questions and summaries, according to the teacher's observations of cooperative learning.

Based on the findings of interviews, the teacher was also able to offer input and opinions

about the decision-making teaching techniques employed in learning.

AoEJ: Academy of Education Journal

Vol. 14 No 1 Tahun 2023

SUGGESTION

The researcher has a number of recommendations for English teachers, students, and

upcoming scholars based on the findings of the study. For English teachers, the initial

recommendation is made. While teachers can implement in-class learning activities that are

pertinent to students' needs, they also need to employ media to pique students' interest in

worthwhile learning activities.

Students should heed the second piece of advice. To avoid falling behind their

friends, they must be able to increase their enthusiasm in learning. Students should

concentrate on the superior teaching techniques used by teachers. Students' knowledge and

proficiency of English are improved. The third piece of advice is for upcoming researchers

to take this study as a guide when conducting additional research in the same area.

Researchers believe that in the future.

REFERENCES

Başar, S. (2021). Exploring EFL Teachers’ Decision-Making Skills: Departure from

Lesson Plans. ELT Research Journal, 10(1), 61-82.

Borg, S. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what

language teachers think, know, believe, and do. Language Teaching, 36(2), 81-109.

Creswell, J. W. (2009). John W. Creswell’s Research Design 3rd Ed. In Research Design

3rd Ed. https://www.worldcat.org/title/research-design-qualitative-quantitative-and-

mixed-methods-approaches/oclc/269313109

Djoub, Z. (2018). Exploring teachers’ identity: Reflections and implications. Arab World

English Journal (AWEJ) Volume, 9.

Emmer, E. T., & Stough, L. M. (2001). Classroom management: A critical part of

educational psychology, with implications for teacher education. Educational

Psychologist, 36, 103–112. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/ S15326985EP3602_5

Gasparatou, R. (2018). How to do things with words: Speech acts in education.

Educational Philosophy and Theory, 50(5), 510–518.

https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2017.138235 3

Kounin, J. S. (1970). Discipline and group management in classrooms. New York, NY:

Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Lewis, R., & Lovegrove, M. (1987). The teacher as

disciplinarian: How do students feel? Journal of Education, 31, 173–186

Nespor, J. (1987). The role of beliefs in the practice teaching. Curriculum Studies, 19(4),

317- 328.

AoEJ: Academy of Education Journal

Vol. 14 No 1 Tahun 2023

Martin, N. K., & Sass, D. A. (2010). Construct validation of the behavior and instructional

management scale. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26, 1124–1135.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.12.001

Rahimi, M., & Weisi, H. (2018). The impact of research practice on professional teaching

practice: Exploring EFL teachers’ perception. Cogent Education, 5(1), 1480340.

Saldaña, J., & Omasta, M. (2018). Qualitative research: Analyzing life. Thousand Oaks:

Sage Publications.

Shawer, S. F. (2010). Classroom-level curriculum development: EFL teachers as

curriculumdevelopers, curriculum-makers and curriculum-transmitters. Teaching and

Teacher Education, 26(2), 173-184.

Slavin, Robert E. Research on Cooperative Learning and Achievement: What We Know,

What We Need to Know. Contemporary Educational Phsychology : John Hopkins

University. Academic Press, Inc. 1996.

Sugiyono. (2016). Metode Penelitian. Bandung: Alfabeta.

Van Driel, J., Beijaard, D., and Verloop, N. (2001). Professional development and reform

in science education: The role of teachers’ practical knowledge. Journal of Research

in Science Teaching, 38(2), 137–158.

Walker, J. E., & Shea, T. M. (1998). Behavior management: A practical approach for

educators (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.