Teachers and students’ perceptions of teaching English in small classes in Ecuador.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to know the perceptions of teachers and students about the teaching and learning of English in small classes in Ecuador. This study was conducted in Marcabeli, and Piñas, Ecuador. One public high school was selected in the first city and four were chosen in the second location. Five in-service English teachers and 20 students per each observed class were the participants of this research. The quantitative and qualitative methods were applied in this research to obtain precise information of the perceptions of teachers and students in the English language teaching in small classes. In the qualitative research, the human behaviors, attitudes and motivations were analyzed; for this analysis it was used an observation form. In the quantitative research, the data was gathered using questionnaires. The results of this research show that in small classes the students interact more with their teachers and that they are motivated during the classes. In addition, in small classes there are more and better opportunities to work in group or individually.