Teachers and students´ perceptions of teaching English in small classes in Ecuador

Abstract

This research evaluates the topic “Teachers and students´ perceptions of teaching English in small classes in Ecuador”. The government goal is to increase the teaching of English, so the study was done to know if working with small classes benefits learning in relation with the pupil´s progress. The samples were taken with surveys in 5 classes comprehended from eighth to tenth grade of Basic General Education, and from first to second grade of Senior High School in a private high school located in Quito “Educational Unit Letort”, each class with no more than 20 students between 12-16 years old. To analyze the data, a quantitative approach was used. A questionnaire of 21 and 22 questions for teachers and students was administered. Their responses were qualitatively analyzed according to the frequency found for each question. Additionally, 5 hours of class observation was performed which served to support and compare the results. The findings demonstrated that teachers and students perceived small classes to be beneficial for classroom management. It also enhance interaction between teacher-students and student-student, improving teaching effectiveness and learning atmosphere.