VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES

HOÀNG THỊ CÚC

TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE PILOTED
TEXTBOOK ENGLISH 10: THE CASE OF NGHIA HUNG UPPER
SECONDARY SCHOOL, NAM DINH CITY

THÁI ĐỘ CỦA GIÁO VIÊN VÀ HỌC SINH ĐỐI VỚI SÁCH GIÁO KHOA
TIẾNG ANH 10 THÍ ĐIỂM: NGHIÊN CỨU TẠI TRƯỜNG TRUNG HỌC
PHỔ THÔNG NGHĨA HƯNG A TỈNH NAM ĐỊNH

M.A. Minor Programme Thesis

FIELD: Theory and Methodology of Teaching English
CODE: 60140111

HÀ NỘI - 2017


VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES

HOÀNG THỊ CÚC

TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE PILOTED
TEXTBOOK ENGLISH 10: THE CASE OF NGHIA HUNG UPPER
SECONDARY SCHOOL, NAM DINH CITY

supports and assistance from a variety of people.
First and foremost, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr.
Hoang Thi Xuan Hoa, who allows me to draw fully on her wisdom and experience in
implementing this study. Her guidance, encouragement and invaluable detailed critical
feedback have been most generous.
I would like to convey my thanks to all my teachers of the Post graduate course
22 whose fundamental knowledge about language teaching and learning is of great
importance to the achievement of my academic study.
My heartfelt gratitude is also to the English teachers and students of Nghia
Hung Upper Secondary School for their tremendous supports in the collections of data
and information for my study.
Finally, I wish to express my acknowledgments to other individuals who have
indirectly contributed to the completion of this thesis.
To all these people I only hope that the achievement of my thesis will be
favorable enough to satisfy their expectation.


iii
ABSTRACT
The textbook is an useful tool for teaching and learning second language and
one of the most important components of any educational environment that lead to
success or failure of the teaching and learning language. This is especially true a
Nghia Hung A Upper Secondary School where English teachers and students use the
piloted textbook English 10 in the course. Also, the role of the teachers‟ and students‟
attitudes affects teaching and learning second language. According to Karahan (2007),
“positive language attitudes let learner has positive orientation towards learning
English” (p.84). Gardner, Masgoret, Tennant & Mihic (2004) claim that attitudes
influence language learning. As such, attitudes play a crucial role in language learning
because they would influence students‟ and teachers‟ failure or success in their
teaching and learning. Gardner and Lambert (1972) in their studies give evidence that


ESL:

English as a Second Language


v
LIST OF TABLES
Tables:
Table 1: The attitudes of students towards the topic and the content of the piloted
textbook English 10. ..................................................................................................... 25
Table 2: The attitudes of students towards the vocabulary, grammar and
pronunciation of the textbook ....................................................................................... 26
Table 3: The attitudes of students toward language contents of the textbook ............. 27
Table 4: The attitudes of students towards the physical appearance........................... 28
of the textbook. .............................................................................................................. 28
Table 5: The attitudes of students towards social and cultural contexts of the textbook. ......... 29
Table 6: The attitudes of students’ towards teaching methods. ................................... 29
Charts:
Chart 1: The students’ preferences toward the piloted textbook English 10. ............. 30
Chart 2: The beliefs of the students about the students’ proficiency toward the textbook. .......... 30


vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT ................................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEGDEMENTS ......................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................iii
LIST OF ABREVIATIONS ........................................................................................ iv
LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ v

Upper Secondary School............................................................................................ 18
1.1. Description of the English course and its objectives at Nghia Hung Upper
Secondary School....................................................................................................... 18
1.2. Description of the students at Upper Secondary School .................................... 19
1.3. Description of the teachers at Nghia Hung Upper Secondary School. ............... 20
2. Overview of the textbooks ..................................................................................... 20
3. The Study ............................................................................................................... 21
3.1. Participants .......................................................................................................... 21
3.2. The Data Collection Methods ............................................................................. 21
3.2.1. The questionnaire............................................................................................. 21
3.2.2. The interview .................................................................................................... 22
3.2.3. The observation ................................................................................................ 22
3.3. Data collection and data analysis procedures ..................................................... 23
3.3.1. Data collection procedures .............................................................................. 23
3.3.2. Data analysis procedures ................................................................................ 24
4. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 24
CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSIONS .......................................... 25
1. Data analysis .......................................................................................................... 25
1.1. Data analysis of questionnaire ............................................................................ 25
1.2. Data analysis of the interview ............................................................................. 31
1.2.1. Teachers’ response .......................................................................................... 31
1.2.2. Students’ response ........................................................................................... 34
1.3. Data analysis of classroom observation .............................................................. 35
2. Findings.................................................................................................................. 37
3. Discussion .............................................................................................................. 41
PART III. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................... 43
1. Implications............................................................................................................ 43
2. Limitations of the study ......................................................................................... 43



success or failure of teachers and learners. Also, the textbook also played an
important role in teaching and learning, it provides the framework for teachers and
learners in achieving the aim of the course. In fact, there are no studies about the
piloted textbook English 10. Hence, the study looks into the concept of attitude as
one of the major affective factors for success in teaching and learning a foreign
language. Therefore, this research focused on the attitudes of teachers and learners
towards the piloted textbook English 10.
Being a teacher of English in Upper Secondary School, I realize that the
attitudes of the teachers and students towards the piloted textbook could affect the
results of teaching and learning the language. Hence, I would like to do an


2

investigation with a hope to elucidate the roles of attitudes in teaching and learning
L2 so that I have carried out the study entitled:
Teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the piloted textbook English 10:
The case of Nghia Hung Upper Secondary School, Nam Dinh City.
2. Aims of the study
The present study aims to investigate the attitudes of the teachers and
students in the piloted textbook English 10.
The following were the objectives of this study:
- To find out the teachers‟ and students‟ attitudes towards the piloted
textbook English 10.
- To find out the feelings of teachers and students in the classroom toward
the piloted textbook English 10.
3. Research questions
To order to achieve the above purposes in the research, there are 2 questions in the
research:
(i).What are the attitudes of the teachers towards the teaching of the piloted

6. Methodology
6.1. Data collection
In the research of language attitude, two theoretical approaches are used and
they are „behaviorist view‟ and „mentalist view‟ (Fasold, 1984). According to
behaviorist view, the attitudes are dependent variables which must be studied by
observing users‟ responses to certain languages, i.e. their use in actual interactions
whereas according to mentalist view, attitudes are internal mental state which
cannot be observed directly but have to be inferred from users‟ behavior or their self
-reported data. The cognitivists (metalists) maintain that learning cannot be equated
with behavior because observed behavior is only the outward manifestation of
internal changes, which the organism may have undergone as a result of learning,


4

and these internal changes are not in themselves observable. The behaviorist theory
emphasizes the importance of verbal behavior and operates the principle:
behaviorist theory is the habit formation theory of language teaching and learning.
This research will use 3 methods to collect the data: observation, and
questionnaires, interviews. Classroom observation is useful to researchers in a
variety of ways, which provides researchers to check for nonverbal expression of
feelings, determine who interacts with whom, grasp how participants communicate
with each other, and check for how much time is spent on various activities.
Interviews may be useful ad follow-up to certain respondents to
questionnaires. The questionnaire is one of the most common methods of gathering
data. It is also time-saving and conductive to reliable results. Data were collected by
means of survey questionnaires for 80 students at Nghia Hung Upper Secondary
School. The questionnaires included closed- ended questions, open- ended
questions. Other sources for data collection came from classroom observation, an
interview two teachers and 10 students.


6

PART II: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW
1. Attitudes in teaching and learning foreign language.
1.1. Definition of attitude
Attitude has recently received considerable attention from both first and
second language researchers. It is defined within the framework of social
psychology as a subjective or mental preparation for action. It defines outward and
visible postures and human beliefs. It determines what each one will see, hear,
think, and do. Attitude in Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied
Linguistics written by Richards (2002) is defined as, expressions of positive or
negative feelings towards a language. These expressions may reflect impressions of
linguistic difficulty or simplicity, ease the difficulty of learning, degree of
importance, elegance, social status, etc.
Attitude is an important concept which is defined as a complex mental state
involving beliefs and feelings. Attitude has also been defined as a mental and
neutral state of readiness, organized through experience, exerting a directive or
dynamic influence upon the individual‟s response to all objects and situations with
which it is related. Furthermore, attitude means the individual‟s prevailing tendency
to respond favorably or unfavorably to an object (Morries and Maisto,2005).
According to Hallorah( 1967), attitudes represents an individual‟s like and dislike of
an item. Attitudes are positive, negative and neutral views of an “attitude object” i.e.
a teaching style, person, situation or event. People mean that they simultaneously
possess a positive and a negative bias towards the attitude in question. In Gibb‟s
opinion (1988) attitude is generally defined as a state of mind, which is influenced
by feelings, experiences of the world and belief. And the attitudes and behavior of
teachers toward their profession can be portrayed in a positive or negative way
which can have an effect on the achievement of the students. Both negative and

- affective: affective reactions
- conative: tendency to behave in a certain way
Motivation contains favorable attitudes. As used by Gardner, it is a
combination of effort, desire and positive attitudes towards the learning of the


8

second/ foreign language. It includes: effort, want, affect on the one hand and it is
also goal directed (cognitive component).
In learning a second language, it is important that students have high
motivation and positive attitude towards the target language. This is because many
linguists have proven that motivation and attitude are closely related in determining
the success of second language learning (Gardner & Lambert, 1972). Higher levels
of motivation and positive attitude will produce more successful language learners
and vice versa. Brown (2000) states that a language learner benefits from positive
attitude and that negative attitude may lead to decrease in motivation; and
consequently it leads to unsuccessful attainment of proficiency.
1.2. Components of attitude
Most researchers stated that attitudes of teachers and students are an integral
part of teaching and learning language, therefore, it becomes an essential
component of second language learning pedagogy. There are three components of
attitudes: cognitive (i.e., the idea or assumptions upon which the attitude is based),
affective (i.e., feelings about the issue), and behavioral (i.e., predisposition toward
an action that corresponds with the assumptions or belief) (Wood, 2000). As the
researchers mentioned, attitudes can be positive or negative. Both have a strong
impact on the success of language teaching and learning process.
Gardner‟s argument presented a comprehensive definition of the attitude
concept. He classified the term “attitude” into three interrelated components
namely, cognitive, affective and behavioral. The cognitive component involves the

Accordingly, the attitude concept has three components i.e., behavioral, cognitive
and affective. The behavioral aspect of attitude deals with the way one behaves and
reacts in particular situations. In fact, the successful language learning enhances the
learners to identify themselves with the native speakers of that language and acquire
or adopt various aspects of behaviors which characterize the members of the target
language community. Briefly, attitudes have three main components: affective,
behavioral and cognitive. The affective components are easily assessed by
monitoring physical signs such as heart rate whereas the behavioral aspects may be


10

assessed by direct observation. On the other hand, the cognitive aspects of attitudes
are generally measured by interviews, survey and other reporting methods. This
study concentrates on affective and cognitive components. It relates to teachers‟ and
students‟ feelings and belief towards the piloted textbook English 10.
1.2.1. Behavioral Aspect of Attitude
The behavioral aspect of attitude deals with the way one behaves and reacts
in particular situations. In fact, the successful language learning enhances the
learners to identify themselves with the native speakers of that language and acquire
or adopt various aspects of behaviors which characterize the members of the target
language community. Positive attitudes lead to the exhibition of positive behaviors
toward courses of study, with participants absorbing themselves in courses and
striving to learn more. Such students are also observed to be more eager to solve
problems, to acquire the information and skills useful for daily life and to engage
themselves emotionally.
1.2.2. Cognitive Aspect of Attitude
According to Gardner (1985), affective factors which determine or influence
learner‟s attitudes to language learning can be divided into two categories: (a)
factors prior to the learner‟s approach to the second or foreign language study and

be expected to result in better performance than negative attitudes (Garderner;
1985). Marzano et all (1994) mentioned that “without positive attitudes and
perceptions or holding negative attitudes towards the learning, learners have little
chance of learning proficiently, if at all”. In conclusion, it is clear that attitudes play
an important role in learning, so learners can be evaluated themselves achieving
greater in language learning.


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2. The textbook in teaching and learning language
The choice of language teaching materials can determine the quality of
learning-teaching procedure.

As a part of the materials used in the language

classroom, the textbook can often play a crucial role in students‟ success or failure.
2.1. Definition of the textbook
Textbook is one of the important components in most language programs (
Skowronski, 2000 and Hinchman, 2002). Textbooks in the teaching and learning
process might function as the main language input that is received by the students or
as the media for the students to have language practice ( Tomlinson, 1998). It is the
fact that textbook is regarded as “any visible heart of any ELT program” (Sheldon,
1988) and that “the textbook is an almost universal element of ELT teaching.”
(Hutchinson 1994). Jan Amos Comenius defined the communicative values of a
coursebook in order that it can be a good teaching- learning material. In the 20th
century, Zujev (1986: 56) considered a coursebook to be “a final project in the
application of the content of learning…”

Textbooks

to happen. In short, a textbook is a crucial material which helps teachers and
learners define the objectives in teaching and learning process L2. Coursebook is
useful because it is regarded as a starting point as well as a finishing point, students
know exactly what they learn during the lesson and what they need to revise for the
next lesson. The teachers who are utilizing the coursebook are able to achieve the
aims, the methods and values of the teaching program.
2.2. The roles of a textbook
Textbooks are considered the key component of most language programs (
Richards, 2001) and provide the necessary input into classroom lessons through
different activities, readings and explanations ( Tomlinson, 2002). Regarding the
multiple roles of the textbooks in ELT, Cunningsworth (1995) identifies a textbook
as a resource in presenting the material, a source for learners to practice and do the
activities and providing the learners with a reference source on grammar,
vocabulary and pronunciation. What is more, textbook serve as a syllabus and a
self- study source for learners and support for the beginning teachers who have yet
to gain in confidence. Thus, it can be said that the fundamental role of textbooks is


14

to be at the service of teachers and learners but not their boss. Clandfield (2010)
asserts that textbooks are useful tools for ELT in which they provide a structure for
teachers and students to follow, provide attractive, motivational, colorful and
diverse content and provide a source of ideas and methodology for them.
In conclusion, textbook has a great influence on teaching and learning L2,
which motivates and supports the teachers and learners in using it easily or govern
the teaching and learning styles and strategies.
2.3. The roles of a textbook in language learning
In practice, there is no single textbook which can suit the learning needs of
all students ( Hutchinson & Torres, 1994). Tomlinson (1998) explains in choosing a

materials for both teachers and students, they provide a framework for teachers in
achieving the aims of the course and serve as a guide to the teachers. Also, the
textbook affects the students‟ attitudes and performance to the lesson through the
course. It is true that when the learners like their textbooks, they like the course as
well and become active participants to the lesson. Textbooks can affect the attitude
of a learner including the structure, the organization, the presentation format and etc
which contribute to like or dislike, interest or disinterest, attraction or repulsion and
increase positive or negative attitudes of learners and users. Kochhhar (1985) made
a comprehensive list of attributes a textbook consisting of: the contents of the
textbook, the physical appearance, the suitability for the capability of the users.
According to Aggarwal(2001), the psychological attributes of textbook tend to
affect the attitude of the learners. Maxwell (2008) stated that the teacher‟s
understandings in using textbook influence their behavior and their teaching
performance. Hence, the attitudes to the textbook play an important role in language
teaching and learning, which can stimulate or cause a barrier toward teaching and
learning second language.
3. Related Studies
Many studies have been conducted to explore the nature of students‟
attitudes towards learning foreign language in general and EFL in particular,