Building a Digital Toolbox for Dutch Primary School Teachers of English

Abstract

This dissertation describes the need for, and creation of, a digital toolbox of activities for English lessons for Dutch primary school teachers. Literature relevant to this study is presented as the foundation of the digital toolbox’s construction. The active research investigates Dutch primary school teachers’ perceptions of the impact of the digital toolbox on their English teaching and learning, and conclusions are drawn about the study and its implications for the future of the digital toolbox. In the Netherlands, English is a compulsory subject in the final two years of primary education, although many schools choose to teach it to all age-groups. However, many teachers find teaching English challenging because of either their own low proficiency, or their perceived low proficiency, or that they have had little or no formal training in teaching the language. Consequently, the quality of English teaching and learning varies widely across primary schools leading to a broad differentiation in students’ ability upon entering secondary education and the start of their formal language learning. Most Dutch primary schools use a commercially published methode (scheme of work) for teaching English, but many teachers report that these are challenging to deliver because of inherent factors such as a lack of differentiation. These factors are discussed in this dissertation, leading to a justification of the need for a digital toolbox of ideas for teachers to use when planning their lessons. An explanation is given about how the creators of the digital toolbox managed a balance of simplicity, creativity and consistency in its construction. Finally, class teachers’ perceptions of the toolbox, captured by a questionnaire and interviews, are added to the dissertation when the results of the research period are analysed and conclusions are drawn. The research found that users of the digital toolbox found it initially challenging to use, but that it had added significant value to the quality of the teaching and learning in their classes. This manifested itself in their own more positive approach to teaching English independently of a methode, and that the children in their classes showed more enthusiasm in English lessons and that the words and phrases they had learned were retained for longer. Furthermore, during the course of the research, valuable insights were gleaned into how the digital toolbox could be improved.