Students’ and Teachers’ Perceptions of English in CLIL Lessons at an Austrian HTL for Business Informatics and Medical and Health Informatics

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

THE FUTURE OF CLIL

BACKGROUND

EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

PURPOSES AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

CLIL: DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS

Teaching in English vs. CLIL

Successful learning

The 4Cs Pedagogic Framework

Features of CLIL

CLIL teachers skills

Willingness to communicate (WTC)

3. PERCEPTIONS ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE WITHIN CLIL IN OTHER STUDIES

TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE EFFECTS OF CLIL

LECTURER AND STUDENT PERCEPTIONS ON CLIL AT A SPANISH UNIVERSITY

CLIL IN JUNIOR VOCATIONAL SECONDARY EDUCATION

LEARNERS' ANXIETY AND MOTIVATION TOWARDS EMI LECTURES

LEARNERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR EXPERIENCES OF LEARNING SUBJECT CONTENT THROUGH A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

STUDENT PERCEPTIONS ON HOW CONTENT BASED INSTRUCTION SUPPORTS LEARNER DEVELOPMENT IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE CONTEXT

CONTENT AND LANGUAGE INTEGRATED LEARNING: PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IN A HONG KONG SECONDARY SCHOOL

AN EXPLORATION OF THE EFFECTS OF COLLEGE ENGLISH TEACHER MISBEHAVIORS ON STUDENTS’ WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH CLASSES

4. METHODOLOGY

PARTICIPANTS

INSTRUMENTS

DEVELOPMENT OF THE QUESTIONNAIRES

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS

1st Path for CLIL teachers

2nd Path for nonCLIL teachers

DATA COLLECTION

DATA ANALYSIS

5. RESULTS

STUDENTS VERSUS TEACHERS

Speaking English outside the school

Behavior in the classroom

FEELINGS OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

WORK OUTSIDE OF THE CLASS

Students’ work outside of the class

Teachers’ work outside of the class

MOTIVATION OF STUDENTS

PERCEPTION SCALES

Descriptive values of the perception scales

Students’ and teachers’ confidence and proficiency

Correlation between the perception scales

Correlations between students’ motivation, proficiency, and confidence

IMPROVEMENT FOR THE CLIL LESSONS

Support for improvement

FREE COMMENTS

Comments of the students

Teachers should (from the point of view of students)

Comments of the teachers

6. DISCUSSION

7. REFLECTION AND ACTION PLAN

8. LIMITATIONS

Research Objectives and Focus Areas

This master thesis investigates the perceptions, attitudes, and feelings of both students and teachers regarding the implementation of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) at an Austrian upper secondary technical and vocational college (HTL). The study aims to identify potential discrepancies in how students and teachers experience CLIL, assess the effectiveness of the current approach, and propose improvements based on participant feedback.

• Comparison of teacher and student perceptions of English language usage in CLIL lessons.
• Analysis of correlations between student motivation, English proficiency, and self-confidence.
• Evaluation of pedagogical approaches, specifically teachers’ corrective feedback and classroom didactics.
• Investigation of the challenges and benefits associated with Content and Language Integrated Learning in technical subjects.
• Identification of professional development needs and strategies for improving CLIL implementation.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1. INTRODUCTION: Provides the context for CLIL implementation in Austria, defining the study’s scope and highlighting the need for research into perceptions at vocational colleges.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW: Examines the theoretical foundations of CLIL, the pedagogical 4Cs framework, and existing research on motivation and language acquisition.

3. PERCEPTIONS ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE WITHIN CLIL IN OTHER STUDIES: Reviews international research findings regarding teacher and student experiences with content-based instruction and CLIL.

4. METHODOLOGY: Details the research design, participants from the HTL departments, and the structure of the questionnaires used for data collection.

5. RESULTS: Presents quantitative data comparing student and teacher responses regarding classroom behavior, motivation, language usage, and perceived proficiency.

6. DISCUSSION: Synthesizes the findings, interpreting the correlations identified between perception scales and comparing them with previous academic studies.

7. REFLECTION AND ACTION PLAN: Outlines future initiatives for the school, including the formation of a working group and further teacher training.

8. LIMITATIONS: Acknowledges the constraints of the study, such as the small sample size and the diverse teaching styles present in the school.

Keywords

Content and Language Integrated Learning, CLIL, English as a Medium of Instruction, EMI, Student Motivation, Teacher Perception, Vocational Education, Secondary Education, Language Proficiency, Educational Didactics, Classroom Interaction, Willingness to Communicate, Language Acquisition, Austria, HTL.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary focus of this master thesis?

The thesis focuses on examining the perceptions and experiences of students and teachers regarding the integration of English as a medium of instruction (CLIL) in technical subjects at an Austrian secondary vocational college (HTL).

What are the core thematic areas covered in the research?

Key areas include the impact of CLIL on student motivation, the challenges of teacher training, the discrepancy between student and teacher perspectives, and the effectiveness of content-based teaching methods.

What is the main objective of the study?

The primary objective is to investigate differences in how teachers and students perceive CLIL, specifically identifying benefits, challenges, and factors that could enhance the efficacy of these lessons from both perspectives.

Which scientific methods were utilized?

The study employs a quantitative methodology, utilizing questionnaires distributed to both students and teachers. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis (Kendall’s Tau), and reliability testing (Cronbach’s alpha) via SPSS.

What does the main body of the research address?

The main body details the theoretical background of CLIL, reviews relevant literature, presents a comprehensive methodology, and analyzes the empirical results gathered from the questionnaires in an Austrian educational context.

Which keywords characterize this work?

Key terms include CLIL, vocational education, student motivation, English proficiency, teacher perceptions, and educational didactics.

How does the Austrian school system influence the implementation of CLIL?

The system mandates at least 72 lessons per year in English for technical subjects in upper secondary vocational colleges, though implementation is largely experimental and varies depending on school-level decisions and individual teacher initiative.

What is the significance of the "4Cs Pedagogic Framework" mentioned?

The 4Cs (Content, Communication, Cognition, and Culture) serve as a central model to explain that CLIL is not merely language learning, but an integrative approach requiring teachers to manage subject content alongside language skill development.

How does the author view the role of non-native speakers as teachers?

The author, drawing on cited literature, argues that non-native speakers should view their status as a strength, serving as successful role models for students who will primarily interact with other non-native speakers in their professional lives.

What is the main conclusion regarding teacher collaboration?

The study concludes that while teamwork is essential for CLIL, cooperation between teachers at the observed institution remains underdeveloped, and there is a significant demand for structured teacher training and better collaboration opportunities.