Reflective Practice

International and Multidisciplinary Perspectives

ISSN: 1462-3943 (Print) 1470-1103 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/crep20

Effective teaching of the macro-skills: reflections

from Filipino teachers of English

Ma. Joahna Mante-Estacio, Paolo Nino Valdez & Dennis Pulido

To cite this article: Ma. Joahna Mante-Estacio, Paolo Nino Valdez & Dennis Pulido (2018)
Effective teaching of the macro-skills: reflections from Filipino teachers of English, Reflective
Practice, 19:6, 844-854, DOI: 10.1080/14623943.2018.1539662

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2018.1539662

Published online: 15 Nov 2018.

Submit your article to this journal

Article views: 220

View Crossmark data

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=crep20
REFLECTIVE PRACTICE
2018, VOL. 19, NO. 6, 844–854
https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2018.1539662

Effective teaching of the macro-skills: reflections from

Filipino teachers of English
Ma. Joahna Mante-Estacioa, Paolo Nino Valdez a
and Dennis Pulido b

a
Department of English and Applied Linguistics, De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines; bDepartment of
Language and Literature, Far Eastern University, Manila, Philippines

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

The English Language Teacher’s ability to examine his/her own Received 7 February 2018
practices and beliefs is always an area of language-teaching Accepted 9 September 2018
research worth exploring because the findings have an impact KEYWORDS
on classroom practice. However, while research on teaching the Philippine education; English
macro-skills is a rich area in the discipline, teacher beliefs in this language teaching; teacher
aspect remain underexplored especially in developing countries beliefs; teaching the
such as the Philippines. This paper examines beliefs of teacher macroskills; reflective
effectiveness in implementing lessons in the macro-skills among practice
ESL teachers in the Philippines. Using data from reflective logs and
interviews of 16 teachers of English in the Philippines, data reveal
that the main beliefs among teachers center on learner centered-
ness, instructional skills in teaching the macro-skills and profes-
sional development. This paper argues that among the macro-
skills, writing and speaking pose challenges in lesson implementa-
tion. In addition, the findings suggest that beliefs in effective
teaching of the macro-skills are related to learner centeredness,
instructional effectiveness and culture contribute to a nuanced
account of teacher belief research in English language teaching
in the Philippine context.

1. Introduction
Over the years, the emergence of research on teacher beliefs has greatly affected our ways of
thinking in improving aspects of the English language teaching profession (Borg, 2011;
Freeman, 2002; Kumaradivelu, 2012). Teacher beliefs are important as these are shaped by
the material and political conditions where teachers operate. Since they are instrumental in the
success or failure in implementing the curriculum, teacher beliefs guide educators in their
decision making and development of their pedagogical repertoire. Specifically, Borg (2001, p.
81) believes that ‘teachers are active, thinking decision-makers who make instructional choices
by drawing on complex, practically-oriented, personali[z]ed, and context-sensitive networks of
knowledge, thoughts, and beliefs.’ In a survey of definitions of teacher beliefs, Farell (2005)
notes that teacher beliefs influence perception and decision making; is closely associated to
the actual implementation of instruction in the classroom and is essential in improving
teaching practices. In the context of English language teaching, from a program management

CONTACT Paolo Nino Valdez paolo.valdez@dlsu.edu.ph 1501 Brother Andrew Gonzalez Hall, De La Salle
University, 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila, Philippines 1004
© 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
 REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 845

perspective, teacher beliefs are helpful in designing professional development programs

which can promote educational innovations as the success of any curricular reform hinges
on the alignment of beliefs and experiences of teachers who implement programs (Kuzborska,
2011).
In the Philippines, the K + 12 curriculum implemented in 2011 has prompted educators at
different levels of the administrative hierarchy to rethink the role of teachers in terms of
facilitating learning (Department of Education, 2016). That is, since the new curriculum is
anchored on human development and learner centeredness, an outcomes-based thrust is
viewed as a more viable means to achieve the goals of this reform. In addition, one goal of the
curriculum is to help students achieve self actualization-which can be attributed to teachers’
attempts at making sense of their role in this important process (Ocampo, 2014; Valdez &
Lapinid, 2015). In relation to the present investigation, the teacher’s role in contributing to the
success of the Philippines’ educational reform is also dependent on the teachers’ beliefs about
learner centeredness, instructional strategies in teaching the macro-skills and professional
development.

2. Theoretical framework
As a prominent concept in teacher education, Borg (2001, p. 186) defines belief ‘as a proposi-
tion which may be consciously or unconsciously held, is evaluative in that it is accepted as true
by the individual and is therefore imbued with emotive commitment; further, it serves as guide
to thought and behavior’. In the field of teacher education, beliefs can be considered as a
network of principles held by educators that shape their practices-forming their pedagogical
repertoire. In relation to developing a pedagogical repertoire, Burns (1992) draws a strong
connection between teacher beliefs, behavior and pedagogical practice as the curriculum is a
dynamic process. Johnson (1994) identifies three assumptions about teacher beliefs: First,
judgment is a result of long-held beliefs about the teaching-learning process. Second, beliefs
are instrumental in translating assumptions of effective teaching and learning into actual
classroom practice and third, beliefs are important in improving teaching conditions.
While teaching beliefs are instrumental in shaping the views and practices of teachers, the
notion of learner centered approaches to language teaching merits inclusion in this section as
it is linked to teachers’ practices (Author, year). Kumaradivelu (2012), believes that a learner-
centered approach considers students as instrumental in the teaching-learning process. That
is, the learner’s role in actively pursuing his or her goals for learning should be the primary
consideration in language instruction. As a consequence, teachers are therefore tasked to
create conditions which will maximize learning opportunities for students. This is made
possible by capitalizing on the learner’s strengths while also addressing their apparent weak-
nesses. Specifically, learner-centered approaches hinges on the collaborative efforts of stu-
dents and teachers to set common goals. Moreover, aspects such as motivation, creative
construction and reflection are essential in the teaching-learning process (Brown, 2003;
Weimer, 2002; Assafeh, 2015).
Further, Richards (1996) views effective teaching and learning emerging from two inter-
related aspects of knowledge. First, is the knowledge of concepts, theories and matters related
to the curriculum and second, the teachers’ own subjectivities and own learning philosophies
which appear to influence a teacher’s beliefs of acceptable practice in classroom practice.
Crandall (2000) in her examination of relevant aspects of language teacher education identifies
846 M. J. MANTE-ESTACIO ET AL.

the importance of professional and procedural knowledge in teaching relevant language skills.
This refers to the knowledge of the system of language, strategies in language learning as well
as techniques to achieve learning goals. Moreover, Kumaravadivelu (2012) identifies the
importance of situational factors and experiences which allow teachers to formulate their
own theories of teaching and learning.
While teacher beliefs are central to understanding classroom practice, there are also
investigations which document the inherent issues that appear to be problematic in imple-
menting effective lessons. Perfecto (2012) & Holliday (2005) for instance, have identified that
teaching conditions in the classroom both material and ideological influence decision making
among teachers. In the case of Author (date), demands from different levels of the bureaucracy
and non-teaching-related duties also contribute to problems for teachers in implementing
their lessons. Given these points, the present investigation examines the teachers’ beliefs on
effective teaching of the macro-skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking).
While previous investigations have examined teacher beliefs in relation to reflective teach-
ing (Valdez, Navera & Esteron, 2018; Farrell, 2005), the teaching of grammar (Farrell, 2005;
Philipps & Borg, 2009), research engagement (Borg, 2003, 2012), English for Academic
Purposes (Alexander, 2012), practices in communicative language teaching (Mangubhai,
Marland, Dashwood, & Son, 2005) and EFL writing (Yang & Gao, 2013), reticent beliefs in
speaking (Soo & Goh, 2017), it can be inferred that the development of teaching beliefs is
influenced by preparation, context and experience and are instrumental in creating favorable
conditions to maximize learning opportunities (Kumaradivelu, 2012).
Given these points, the present investigation contributes to the growing scholarly
discussions on teacher beliefs on the effective teaching of the macro-skills. Specifically,
this paper addresses two questions:

(1) What are the teachers’ beliefs about effective teaching of the macro-skills?
(2) What are the crucial issues that need to be resolved in the teaching of the macro-
skills?

3. Methodology
Given the nature of the problem, a qualitative approach was employed to address the
problems of the study.

3.1 Participants
The study was conducted in a university in Manila, involving 16 graduate school students
(pursuing an MA in English Language Education) who are ESL teachers coming from various
levels (pre-school to college) and having various teaching experiences. Participants were
guaranteed anonymity for ethical reason. Names and personal details were anonymized in
order to protect the identity of the respondents. In terms of training, all participants have
finished a bachelor’s degree in English Education and 16 are certified passers of the
licensure examination for teachers. While 14 teachers are working in private and public
schools, 2 of them are working as online teachers in language centers in the Philippines.
Table 1 shows the profile of the participants in terms of levels taught and number of years of
teaching:
 REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 847

Table 1. Profile of participants.

Levels Taught Number of Years in Teaching
1. Yeong Online Teaching 1
2. Alfonso College 1
3. Geraldine High School 4
4. Vern Grade School 2
5. Jane High School 4
6. Veil High School 5
7. Ador Online Teaching 1
8. Hannah Elementary 2
9. Lilo College 4
10. Kevin High School 3
11. Carla High School 4
12. Daphne College 5
13. Nica High School 3
14. Lynn Elementary 3
15. Mildred High School 2
16. Russel High School 11

3.2 Procedure
Since reflective journals are helpful in identifying teaching beliefs (Farrel, 2013), writing
prompts for journal writing activities were given among students who enrolled in the
graduate school program and teach ESL in their respective institutions. The prompts
required the students to reflect on the way they teach English. Specifically, the writing
prompts were divided into four parts corresponding to each macro-skill. The first part
consists of questions related to the way they teach speaking. the second part is composed
of prompts related to the teaching of writing. The third part has items related to their
teaching of reading. The last part incorporates reflections on their teaching of listening.
Specifically, the prompts elicited data on their: views of teaching the macro-skills, specific
strategies employed in implementing the lesson, challenges in effective teaching of the
macro-skills.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the students until the data reached
saturation. Interviews lasted 30 to 60 minutes and were structured in such a way that
responses from the participants provided details related to the views they adopt, the
strategies they use, and the strategies they incorporate in teaching the macro-skills. The
participants were reminded that they could refuse to answer any question and that they
could discontinue their participation the study, however everybody participated from the
beginning of the study until the end. Interviews were transcribed verbatim. In keeping with
data triangulation, field notes were also recorded to supplement data analysis.

3.3 Data analysis

All data were organized and coded and accounted for consistency and accuracy.
Throughout the analysis of data, comparative analysis was constantly observed. Open
coding was used with the journal entries, interviews, and field notes to identify the
respondents’ views of teaching the macro-skills, specific strategies employed in imple-
menting the lesson, challenges in effective teaching of the macro-skills. That is, given the
data from the interviews, focus group discussions and reflective journals, we identified
848 M. J. MANTE-ESTACIO ET AL.

prominent activities and challenges in teaching the macroskills through recurring key
words/phrases used by the participants and were clustered into codes. Similar to Chen
and Goh (2011) in identifying themes, the codes were clustered into larger categories
which were matched with the ones mentioned in the literature (e.g. learner-centered
approaches) or were grouped with broader and open ones. Also, in order to establish
truthfulness of our coding, the participants were consulted with the results in order to
identify overlaps or mis-categorizations (if any) in our data. For instance, in the theme,
learner centeredness, ‘letting students choose topics’ was a recurrent point made in the
reflective journals and were coded. In the interview and focus group discussion, topic
selection had varying manifestations in the teaching of the macroskills. The student’s
choice of the topic in essay writing, informative speeches, preferred listening and read-
ing texts were mentioned by the participants.

4. Results and discussion

This section reveals teachers’ beliefs about effective teaching of the macro-skills, and the
crucial issues that need to be resolved in teaching these. Several sections discuss the
different themes that have emerged from the reflective pieces and interview.

4.1. Teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning the macro skills
As regards teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning the macro-skills, three themes
have emerged: (1) macro-skills need to be integrated but varies in implementation,
(2) there are similar activities believed to be implemented that target the macro-skills
and, (3) the teaching of the macro-skills is influenced by learner centeredness.

4.2. Theme 1
4.2.1. Macroskills need to be integrated but there are variations in application
Data reveals that the respondents integrate the teaching of the four macro skills;
especially because since most of them teach middle school to college students, reading
and listening are no longer taught as isolated or separate subjects. Several have men-
tioned specific strategies in achieving integration:
“Integration is evident when I give a short, written passage as a springboard to a speaking
lesson, and when I ask them (students) to write their reflection after reading a story or an essay”
(Leila)

“ Through integration, I was able to hit or exercise at least two of the macro skills in one
activity. For instance, dictation as an intensive listening skill, focuses mostly on their listening
and writing skills”. (Geraldine)

However, a number of teachers believe that among the macro skills, it is listening which
does not get the attention that it deserves unlike the other three macro skills. Therefore,
they believe that listening is more often taught implicitly in their classes which happen
when they give instructions to students, and when there are oral recitation (where
students have to listen to questions being asked) and group discussions. During the
interview, Vern mentions ‘I consider it a listening lesson when I give them instructions and
 REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 849

they are able to follow’. As can be seen in the reflective pieces, several teachers have
indicated the procedure of listening tasks in their classes.

“I always utilize listening extensively during imperatives lesson, where students are tasked to
follow commands given verbally or follow directions using a map. In other instances, I quite
utilize it in asking them to get the main idea of certain passages. With the right set of
commands/instructions, competitive atmosphere and adaptation to a real-life scenario, stu-
dents respond privately with my listening activities on imperatives”. (Alfonso)

“Students seem to enjoy the short, listening lesson when they feel saturated with writing and
speaking in most of their subjects. (Jane)

Among the macro-skills, the respondents believe that writing and speaking are more
challenging to teach, citing lack of language proficiency limits the active participation,
motivation, and interest of many students when speaking and writing as reasons.

As Irish and Geraldine pointed out respectively, “Because there are many reluctant speakers
and writers, it is very challenging to plan activities for our students.” “I want to motivate my
students to speak and write more, so I try to prepare interesting lessons for them.”

Byron mentioned during the interview, “In a big class, I’m overwhelmed with so many papers,
so I have to simplify the activities like one-minute paper.”

This could be related to the anxiety that some teachers have also observed among their
students when they are asked to write and speak in English. The importance of
preliminary, during, and post activities in every lesson is believed to be important by
the teachers. They acknowledge the need to activate the learners’ schema, maintain the
focus throughout the lesson, and reflect and apply what has been learned in every
lesson, in all macro skills. It was noted also, they are eager to know more strategies for
the different stages of a lesson as they think it is important to be creative and knowl-
edgeable to hopefully avoid boredom and improve the motivation of the learners.
Based on the theme of integration, the points posed in the reflective pieces and
interview suggest that a range of activities are used to strengthen language skills in
different modes. As observed in Mangubhai et al. (2005), teachers intend to facilitate
effective communicative activities through integration with the aim of helping learners
acquire skills in different modes. Similarly, Hird, Thwaite, Breen, Milton, and Oliver (2000)
noted that teachers also conduct practices fusing content through active practice of the
four macroskills. Moreover, what is apparent is that while teachers impart concepts on
language through reading, writing, listening and speaking activities, two aspects of
language competence are emphasized-fluency and accuracy. However, it would appear
that listening skills remain neglected in their lessons. The assumption that students
following a set of directions as an adequate listening task may not be enough to
develop other top-down and critical listening skills. The neglect of listening in pedagogy
may also attribute to the lack of knowledge and materials informed by current research
on listening processes (Vandergrift, 2007). Given these points, the first theme that delves
on variations in strategy implementation and apparent anxiety felt among the respon-
dents may be attributed to their personal view that learner centeredness is an important
factor in effective teaching of the macro-skills.
850 M. J. MANTE-ESTACIO ET AL.

4.3. Theme 2
4.3.1. Learner centeredness as a factor in effective teaching of the macro-skills
The teachers’ beliefs about the macro-skills run parallel with the self-reported beliefs of
the teachers on the value of learned-centeredness when teaching. For one, the teacher
puts a premium on tapping the learners’ individual schemata (particularly content
schema) especially at the start of a lesson.

Veil revealed that “the prior knowledge (schema) helps me to convert and relate to a story or
literary piece that we need to discuss. And more often than not, as a class, students are able to
infer/conclude some underlying meaning of texts”

Alfonso shared that “ getting a hint of what they will be reading provides them motivation to
actually read the text”.

They also claim to do scaffolding to make sure that a complex lesson or task builds on what
a learner knows at present. This is related to their belief that materials, activities, prompts to
be used consider the learners’ current interests so that they would enjoy the lesson. As
much as possible, the students should also be given chances to choose texts (in reading),
prompts (in writing) for instance. While a learner-centered approach focuses on creating
conditions to maximize learning opportunities (Kumaradivelu, 2012; Richards, 1996; Valdez,
Navera & Esteron, 2018), Alexander’s view (Alexander, 2012, p.108) that Communicative
Language Teaching approaches is inherently learner centered and ‘follows a deep end
strategy, teaching towards the target academic performance and scaffolding tasks so that
students can read, write, listen and speak beyond their current level of competence’.
However, in making sure that learning opportunities are maximized, the teachers observe
great care in making decisions concerning materials selection and strategies (Perfecto,
2012). Some teachers expressed caution in selecting based solely on the teachers’ decision.
The teachers believe that doing this will motivate the students to learn, and doing the
opposite could just increase the anxiety of the students as they attempt to learn. Most of the
teachers have likewise expressed the need to give the students enough time to accomplish
a language task (especially in speaking and writing) to lessen their fear and apprehension.

4.4. Theme 3
4.4.1. Teachers’ beliefs on effective practices in the teaching the macro skills
In relation to the second theme, the teachers have identified the practices and
learning interactions they perceived to be effective in a language class. The teachers
believe that across the macro-skills, using graphic organizers at different points in a
lesson, collaborative activities, timely and appropriate use of technology (like the
Internet), varied and artful questioning are powerful ways in teaching the English
language. Several students gave situations showing positive effect of technology in
their classes,

“ Whenever I use an activity or material, they become more cooperative since I can see that
most of my students enjoy visual material” (Yeong)

“Watching movies is their favorite task. They don’t sleep in class and show interest in learning.
Video clip about a popular person may be used as a listening material. (Ador)
 REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 851

“Good questions will lead them to the right way of understanding/analyzing the text. In fact,
whenever I use an activity or material, they become more cooperative since I can see that most
of my students enjoy visual material. (Hannah)

Furthermore, analysis shows that the typical students’ outputs and activities which they
attest to be effective are reflection papers, journals, personal essays in writing; reflective,
emphatic, and critical plans in listening; recreatory sessions in reading; and more specific
prompts and shorter delivery time in speaking. A good number of teachers also consider
giving immediate feedback after a presentation or after writing a few sentences or
paragraphs is essential as it guides the students on how they should proceed or how
they could improve. Some mention their belief that peer feedback is likewise useful. It
has to be mentioned that majority of the teachers expressed their long-term goal to
develop competencies in the different macro skills as opposed to some notion that a
teacher’s goal is just to finish all the lessons in a given textbook in English. The findings
can be interpreted in several ways. First, decisions on materials and strategies are
strongly influenced by their learners’ current abilities and interests suggesting that
while the respondents have set skills in their teaching repertoire (Richards, 1996), the
contexts where they operate allows them to make different modifications in their
teaching (Perfecto, 2012). Second, though the first theme appears to highlight the
importance of integration among the macro-skills, fostering critical thinking through
questioning techniques, feedback and maximizing learning opportunities through the
use of different modes are consistent regardless of tasks that are devoted to strengthen-
ing the macro-skills. Moreover, they see the value of sustained engagement through
dialogue and cooperative tasks which allows students to participate in a community
learners in the classroom.

4.4.2. Crucial issues that need to be resolved in the teaching of the macro skills
The teachers believe that there are important issues related to the teaching and learning
which continue to make them reflect, modify, if not stop doing certain practices.

For listening, Jane expressed her concern about “whether having ‘native speakers’ is sig-
nificant in authentic listening materials”.

In speaking, Lilo raised a point related to assessment which is “How much weight should be
given to articulation in L2 speaking?”

In writing, there is Carla who believes that “teaching/reviewing grammar, spelling, and word
choice deserve a place in my lessons, but how extensive is not very clear to me” .

A common concern in teaching speaking and writing is when to allow (if to be allowed
at all) translation (or the use of their L1) by both teacher and students.

As Daphey and Nica wrote, respectively, “Should I allow my students to initially speak in
Filipino?” and “Am I right in translating Filipino words to English for my students?”

In the area of reading, the teachers believe that they lack expertise when they observe
some students exhibit certain signs of dyslexia, autism, and ADHD.

As Lynn wrote, “ How do I deal with learners who require special attention? I feel that I do not
have enough skills to help them.
852 M. J. MANTE-ESTACIO ET AL.

In all the macro skills, the teachers believe that more sensitive and accurate assessment
tools must be developed, so they could assess their students better. Also, more research-
based strategies on how to help students develop their motivation to language learning is
perceived to be important by the teachers. The findings suggest that assessment and
tensions brought about by multilingualism and learner differences appear to be concerns
that need to be addressed by the teachers. These could be interpreted in several ways.
First, there is an apparent difficulty in translating findings of research on multilingualism,
learner differences and assessment into classroom practices as they still continue to
contradict unquestioned assumptions about the aforementioned concepts (McNamara,
2011; Martin, 2005). That is, while the teachers recognize that there are unique character-
istics in their learners as well as the wider community where they belong, these could not
be capitalized as resources as they clash with educational policies. Second, the findings
are not only indicative of the existing challenges about by diversity of learners and
languages in their respective classrooms but are reflective of the wider contexts that is
apparent in the Philippine educational system-and are implicated in inadequacies of
resources and support (Martin, 2005; Holliday, 2005). Overall, the findings suggest that
the use of different strategies in teaching the macroskills are dependent on learners’
needs and preferences, contextual factors (such as availability of materials and classroom
conditions) and previous experiences of teachers. In this regard the notion of learner
centeredness appears to be one major consideration in the teacher’s beliefs as they all
intend to create opportunities for students to maximize learning in their classes.

5. Conclusion
As demonstrated in this investigation, teacher beliefs among teachers of English from the
Philippines has yielded several insights. First, while the respondents believe that on the
equal importance of the macro-skills to be competent speakers of English, there is variation
on the different skills that are focused on when lessons are implemented. That is, the
teachers devote considerable effort in implementing reading, writing and speaking tasks
while listening appears to be implicitly taught. Moreover, the contextual factors such as
learners and their previous experiences as language learners influence their choice of
strategies in teaching the macro-skills. Second, while there is a common range of strategies
employed by the teachers in strengthening the macro-skills, there is a constant activity of
hypothesis testing as to the effectivity of different activities in their diverse classes. This leads
to the notion that the teachers constantly yearn for personal improvement in their craft. This
is done through negotiating their knowledge of pedagogical skills in their respective
contexts. Specifically, the existence of multilingual norms and tensions brought about by
standard Englishes prompt teachers to be more responsive in their choice of strategies to
strengthen the macro-skills. Taking the results as a whole, the investigation can expanded
into exploring the actual translation of beliefs into actual practice. This can help stake-
holders at different levels to enhance the teaching of the macro-skills in training and
professional development programs. In addition, examining the contributions of multi-
lingualism as a resources brought in by both students and teachers can help teachers
capitalize on the benefits of several languages to enhance the communicative repertoires of
learners. Finally, in keeping with Freeman’s (2002) assertion that central to improving
professional development of teachers in improving their practice is to understand their
 REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 853

experiences, study their contexts and find opportunities to support new teachers with
experienced ones, more nuanced accounts on the interlap of beliefs and practices in the
specific educational activities at different levels should be pursued.

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors
Ma. Joahna Mante-Estacio teaches English and methodology courses in both undergraduate and
graduate levels. She conducts teacher training, writes textbooks and modules and conducts
studies on reading, literacy, and teacher education.
Paolo Nino Valdez is a research fellow and associate professor of the Department of English and
Applied Linguistics, De La Salle University. His research interests are in the areas of critical
pedagogy, discourse analysis and sociolinguistics of globalization.
Dennis Pulido teaches English and research courses in both undergraduate and graduate courses.
His research interests are language teaching, discourse analysis, computer-mediated communica-
tion, and deconstruction.

ORCID
Paolo Nino Valdez http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4404-350X
Dennis Pulido http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4695-8308

References
Alexander, O. (2012). Exploring teacher beliefs in teaching EAP at low proficiency levels. Journal of
English for Academic Purposes, 11, 99–111.
Asassfeh, S. (2015). Prospective EFL Teachers: What Language Learning Beliefs Do They Hold?. The
Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 24(1), 13–26.
Borg, M. (2001). Key concepts in ELT. Teachers’ beliefs. ELT Journal, 55(2), 186–188.
Borg, S. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language
teachers think, know, believe, and do’. Language Teaching, 36(2), 81–109.
Borg, S. (2011). The impact of in-service teacher education on language teachers’ beliefs. System,
39, 370–380.
Borg, S. (2012). Current approaches to language teacher cognition research: A methodological
analysis. In R. Barnard & A. Burns (Eds.), Research language teacher cognition and practice (pp.
11–29). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Brown, K.L. (2003). From teacher-centered to learner-centered curriculum: Improving learning in
diverse classrooms. Education, 124(1), 49–54.
Burns, A. (1992). Teacher beliefs and their influence on classroom practice. Prospect, 7, 56–66.
Chen, C., & Goh, C.C.M. (2011). Teaching oral English in higher education: Challenges to EFL
teachers. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(3), 333–345.
Crandall, J. (2000). Language teacher education. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 20, 34–55.
Department of Education. (2016). Adoption of the basic education research agenda. (DepEd Order
No.39, s. 2016). Manila: Kagawaran ng Edukasyon.
Farrel, T.S.C. (2013). Teacher self-awareness through journal writing. Reflective Practice, 14(4), 465–
471.
854 M. J. MANTE-ESTACIO ET AL.

Farrell, T. (2005). Conceptions of grammar teaching: A case study of teachers’ beliefs and class-
room practices. Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, 9(2), 1–13.
Freeman, D. (2002). The hidden side of the work: Teacher knowledge and learning to teach. A
perspective from north American educational research on teacher education in English lan-
guage teaching. Language Teaching, 35, 1–13.
Hird, B., Thwaite, A., Breen, M., Milton, M., & Oliver, R. (2000). Teaching English as a second
language to children and adults: Variations in practices. Language Teaching Research, 4(3), 3–32.
Holliday, A. (2005). The struggle to teach English as an international language. London: Oxford
University Press.
Johnson, K.E. (1994). The emerging beliefs and instructional practices of preservice english as a
second language teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 10, 439–452. doi:10.1016/0742-051X
(94)90024-8
Kumaradivelu, B. (2012). Language teaching education for a global society. London: Routledge.
Kuzborska, I. (2011). Teachers’ decision-making when designing EAP reading materials in a
Lithuanian university setting. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 10(4), 223–237.
Mangubhai, F., Marland, P., Dashwood, A., & Son, J. (2005). Similarities and differences in teachers’
and researchers’ conceptions of communicative language teaching: Does the use of an educa-
tional model cast a better light? Language Teaching Research, 9(1), 31–66.
Martin, I. P. (2005). Conflicts and implications in Philippine education: Implications for ELT. In D. T.
Dayag & J. S. Quakenbush (Eds.). Linguistics and language education in Philippines and beyond: A
festschrift in honor of Ma. Lourdes S. Bautista (pp.267–280). Manila: Linguistic Society of the
Philippines.
McNamara, T. (2011). Multilingualism in Education: A post-structuralist critique. Modern Language
Journal, 95(3), 430–441.
Ocampo, D.S. (2014). The K to 12 Curriculum [PDF document]. Retrieved from http://industry.gov.
ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/6th-TID-Usec.-Ocampos-Presentation-on-K-to-12.pdf
Perfecto, M. (2012). Contextual factors in teacher decision making: Extending the woods model.
The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 21(3), 474–483.
Philipps, S., & Borg, S. (2009). Exploring tensions between teachers’ grammar teaching beliefs and
practices. System, 37, 380–390.
Richards, J. (1996). Teachers maxims in language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 30(2), 281–295.
Soo, R.S., & Goh, H.S. (2017). Pre-service English teachers’ reticent beliefs towards oral participation
in EAP classrooms. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 26(3–4), 155–162.
Valdez, P., & Lapinid, M. (2015). The constraints of math teachers in the conduct of action research:
A Rights Analysis, Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction, 12, 1–19.
Valdez, P.N., Navera, J.A., & Esteron, J.J. (2018). What is reflective teaching? Lessons learned from
ELT teachers from the Philippines. The Asia Pacific Education Researcher, 27(2), 91–98.
doi:10.1007/s40299-018-0368-3
Vandergrift, L. (2007). Recent developments in second and foreign language listening comprehen-
sion research. Language Teaching, 40, 191–210.
Weimer, M. (2002). Student-centered teaching. Five key changes to practice. San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass.
Yang, L., & Gao, S. (2013). Beliefs and practices of Chinese university teachers in EFL writing
instruction. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 26(2), 128–145.