Has the GMS Educational Policy on English Reading at the Tertiary Level Been Effectively Interpreted and Implemented?
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study explored the question of whether the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) educational policy on English reading had been effectively interpreted and implemented for suggestions leading to policy changes to develop university students’ English reading proficiency. The process involved matching the policy with findings from both the students and teachers in four areas: reading strategies, favored perspectives on reading instructions, learning needs, and problems. Quantitative findings from 757 students’ reading strategy questionnaires were supported by qualitative findings from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 72 randomly selected samples (36 teachers and 36 students; six from each GMS country), questionnaires of needs and problems, perspectives on reading instructions, including three English reading learning and teaching scenarios and a documentary study. The quantitative findings from the survey show that although most of the GMS students and teachers thought that they had used both cognitive and metacognitive strategies, the qualitative results reveal that teachers and students employed cognitive rather than metacognitive strategies on average. Among the other findings, the constructivist and direct instructions were their most favored perspectives on reading instructions. While the teachers’ main problem was inadequate initiatives, the students’ primary needs were lack of autonomous learning and unbalanced cognitive and metacognitive strategies for reading. Moreover, only the Chinese and Vietnamese policies were somewhat effectively interpreted and implemented, while the rest were not. This suggests that policy changes or modifications to serve the teachers’ and students’ needs should be made.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
ADB, Asian Development Bank. (1995). Asian Development Outlook 1995 and 1996. New York: Oxford University.
ASEAN Secretariat. (2008). The ASEAN Charter. Jakarta, Indonesia: ASEAN Secretariat.
Attaprechakul, D. (2013). Inference strategies to improve reading comprehension of challenging texts. Journal of English Language Teaching, 6(3), 82-91.
Bredo, E. (1997). The social construction of learning. In G. Phye (Ed.). Handbook of academic learning: The construction of knowledge. New York: Academic.
Brindley, G. (1989). The role of needs analysis in adults ESL programme design. In R. Johnson (Ed.). The second language curriculum. (pp. 43-78). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Carnine, D. W. and Gesten, R. M. (1986). Direct instruction in reading comprehension. Educational leadership: Journal of the Department of Supervision and Curriculum Development, N.E.A. 43(7), 70-78.
Cheewakaroon, R. (2011). Teaching change in response to Thai tertiary English language teaching reform. Doctor of Philosophy Thesis, Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong, Australia.
Commission of Higher Education. (2016). Policy on upgrading English language standards in higher education. Bangkok: Commission of Higher Education.
Council of Europe. (2001). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, and assessment. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University.
Deerajviset, P. (2022). Research trends in the use of technology in English language education in ASEAN. Journal of Mekong Societies, 18(2), 76-104.
Dunlea, J., Spiby, R., Thi Ngoc, Q.N., Thi Quynh, Y.N., Thi Mai H.N., Thi Phuong T.N., et al. (2019). APTIS-VSTEP comparability study: Investigating the usage of two EFL tests in the context of higher education in Vietnam. [n.p.]: British Council.
Erlingsson, C. and Brysiewicz, P. (2017). A hands-on guide to doing content analysis. African Journal of Emergency Medicine, 7(3), 93-99.
Gutierrez-Colon, M. and Somsivilay, P. (2021). English as a foreign language: Listening to students and teachers, a case study in Lao PDR. International Journal of Instruction, 14(2), 535-550.
Hashemi, L. and Thomas, B. (2011). IELTS trainer. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Holme, R. and Chalauisaeng, B. (2006). The learner as needs analyst: The use of participatory appraisal in the EPA reading classroom. English for Specific Purposes, 25(4), 403-419.
Kahn, H. and Wiener, A. J. (1967). The year 2000: A framework for speculation on the next thirty-three years. New York, NY: Hudson Institute.
Kaur, A., Young, D., and Kirkpatrick, R. (2016). English education policy in Thailand: Why the poor results?. In Kirkpatrick, R. (Ed.). English language education policy in Asia. (pp. 345-361). Springer International Publishing.
Kaya, E. (2015). The role of reading skills on reading comprehension ability of Turkish EFL students. Universite park Bulletin, 4(1-2), 37-51.
Kounnavongsa, S. (2015). An overview of the state of language policy/practice in Lao PDR. English for ASEAN Integration: Policies and Practices in the Region, 65, 535-530.
Lee, M. L. (2012). A study of the selection of reading strategies among genders by EFL college students. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 64, 310-319.
Manakul, T., Nguyen, T. L., and Tuamsuk, K. (2021). Digital intelligence among countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion. Journal of Mekong Societies, 17(3), 1-20.
Ministry of Education and Sport, Lao PDR. (2000). The education strategic vision up to the year 2020. Vientiane: Lao people’s Democratic Republic.
Neau, V. (2003). The teaching of foreign language in Cambodia: A historical perspective. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 16(3), 253-268.
O’Malley, J. M. and Chamot, A. U. (1990). Learning strategies in second language acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University.
Oxford, R. L. (1990). Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know. New York: Newbury House.
Patanasorn, C. and Angkana Tongpoon-Patanasorn. (2024). Impacts of synchronous and asynchronous English learning modes on translation quality amidst the challenges of the covid-19 era. Journal of Mekong Societies, 20(1), 103-130.
Peng, C., Liu, J., and Cai, H. (2022). Aligning China’s standards of English language ability with the common European framework of reference for languages. Asia-Pacific Education Research, 31(6), 667-677.
Prapaisit de Segovia, L., and Hardison, D. M. (2008). Implementing education reform EFL: Teachers’ perspectives. ELT Journal, 63(2), 154-162.
Ramirez, R., Osterman, R., Gronquist, D. (2015). Scenarios and early warnings as dynamic capabilities to frame managerial attention. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 80(4), 825-838.
Robinson, P. (1991). ESP today: A practitioner’s guide. Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall.
Siphong, S. (2008). Developing students’ teachers’ English learning strategies. In S. Gunnar (Ed.). Exploring teacher education in Laos: Aims, obstacles and possibilities. (pp. 1-16). Stockholm: Stockholm University.
Tran Vu Diem Thuy and Deerajviset, P. (2023). Nurses’ perceptions of English for nursing coursebooks at the university level in Vietnam. Journal of Mekong Societies, 19(3), 132-159.
Tith, M. and Chan, N. K. (2013). The enactment of English-medium instruction (EMI) undergraduate program in Cambodia: Students’ voices. International Journal of Innovation in English Language, 2(2), 156-175.
White, R. (1988). The ELT curriculum: Design, innovation and management. Oxford: Blackwell.
Win, C. C. (2022). Myanmar English majors’ perceptions of learner autonomy in learning English at tertiary level. Journal of Adult Learning, Knowledge and Innovation, 5(2), 79-90.
Yamane, T. (1973). Statistics: An introductory analysis. New York: Harper & Row.
Zein, S. and Haing, H. (2017). Improving the quality of English language teacher educators: A case study at a Cambodian university. Asian Englishes, 19(3), 228-241.
Zhang, X. and Guo. (2019). Cognitive and metacognitive reading strategies training in EFL reading. In ICEEIM-2019 Proceedings of the International conference on education, economics and information management 2019 (pp. 110-114). Wuhan: Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research.
Websites
Aghaie, R. and Zhang, L. J. (2012). Effects of explicit instruction in cognitive and metacognitive reading strategies on Iranian EFL students’ reading performance and strategy transfer. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://rb.gy/scek4w
British Council in Myanmar. (2022). Our work to support education reform. Retrieved March 12, 2022 from https://www.britishcouncil.org.mm/programmes/education/reform
Duong, Kim A. (2020). Vietnam: COVID-19 and the challenges for the education sector. Retrieved June 13, 2022, from https://vietnam.fes.de/post/Vietnamcovid-19-and-the-challenges-for-the-education-sector
EF-Education First. (2022). English proficiency index. Retrieved November 2, 2022, from https://www.ef.com/wwen/epi/
EF-Education First. (2023). English proficiency index. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://www.ef.com/wwen/epi/
Higher Education, Thailand. (2020). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education and policy impacts. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from: https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/8th-APTWG_Agenda-Item-6_Thailand-Policy-Responses-to-the-COVID-19-1.pdf
Mao, S. (2019). Chapter 1.2: Education and policy on English language in Cambodia. Retrieved June 10, 2021 from https://silo.tips/download/chapter-12-education-and-policy-on-english-language-in-cambodia
Oates, S. (2019). The importance of autonomous, self-regulated learning in primary initial teacher training. Retrieved May 23, 2022, from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335942035_The_Importance_of_Autonomous_Self-Regulated_Learning_in_Primary_Initial_Teacher_Training
OECD. (2000). Literacy in the information age. Retrieved June 13, 2022, from: https://www.oecd.org/education/skills-beyond-school/41529765.pdf
Saroeun, M. (2016). Chapter 1.2 education and policy on English language in Cambodia. Retrieved July 4, 2021, from https://www.silo.tips/download/chapter-12-education-and-policy-on-english-language-incambodia
Summers, T. (2008). China and the Mekong region: China perspectives. Retrieved May 21, 2019, from http://www.journals.openedition.org/chinaperspectives/4083
Zein, S. (2022). Country profile: English as a subject in basic education (ESBE) in Laos. British Council. Retrieved July 30, 2022, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362360742_Country_Profile_English_as_a_subject_in_basic_education_ESBE_in_Laos