An ESL Teacher's Instructional Activity System: A Case Study

• In Event: 66.087 - MTCC Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: 66.087-3 - English Language Learner Instruction in Multiple Context in Multiple Disciplines

Abstract

Drawing on Activity Theory (Leont’ev, 1978; Engeström, 1987), this study was conducted to figure out how the ESL teacher’s instructional activity system worked in order to reach the goal—improving students’ English.
Data collection consists of semi-structured interviews, observations, documents, field notes, and analytic memos. A constant comparative method (Bogdan & Biklen, 2003) was used to analyze data. The results show mainly the teacher (subject), the students’ learning (object), and curriculum (tools) affect and contradict each other within the instructional activity system. The implication of this study is that reducing the contradiction occurring between the components will help a teacher to reach the desired outcome, which is helping the students learn English in class.

Author

• Youngkyung Koh, University at Buffalo - SUNY