Use of resources in English lessons : a year 2 resource pack

Abstract

One approach of making the teaching and learning of English at primary level more effective and engaging, is by implementing several educational resources. Such resources include both technological and non-technological ones such as the interactive whiteboard, PowerPoint presentations, flashcards and songs. Therefore, this study sets out to investigate the use of resources in English lessons. In order to identify which tools are effective and how they support both teaching and learning in English, a resource pack for Year 2 classes was designed, implemented and evaluated. This pack was provided to two different schools where one teacher from each school carried out the lessons as suggested in the pack. Furthermore, the research question was addressed through a triangulation of research tools mainly: observations by the researcher, questionnaires administered to the pupils and interviews with the class teachers. This paved the way for each resource to be assessed from three standpoints: the researcher’s, learners’ and teachers’. It was concluded that the resources which were found to be the most engaging and helpful were the interactive whiteboard, videos, flashcards and interactive games. Each resource was assessed for its effectiveness depending on the pupils’ (i) motivation, (ii) engagement, (iii) participation levels, including how they contributed in achieving the lessons’ objectives. All in all, this study aims to provide insight into how English lessons can be fun, as well as target different learning styles through the use of resources.