English abstract
Abstract
The present study aimed at identifying the common practices of EFL teachers in Oman in teaching writing and uncovering the tacit beliefs that underlie those practices. It also aimed at finding the degree to which those tacit beliefs are consistent with recent trends in writing instruction. Three instruments were used in the present study. First, unstructured observation that depended on field notes was initially used to identify the practices used by EFL teachers in writing classes. Seven teachers were observed for this purpose. To find out the degree to which those practices were used by the other members of the sample, a self report form was developed and teachers were required to specify the frequency of their use of the different practices identified through unstructured observation. An open-ended question in that form required teachers to report any other practices they use in writing instruction. Finally, a semi-structured interview was used to elicit teachers' practical arguments/ reasons/ justifications for using each of those practices in teaching writing and inferring the tacit beliefs embodied in those practical arguments. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and then analyzed qualitatively under certain themes that emerged through an initial overview of the transcribed data. The sample of the study consisted of 32 female teachers in secondary schools in Al Batinah South Region. Teachers' practices and inferred tacit beliefs reveal that teachers' main focus of attention in teaching writing is primarily on accuracy. Writing seems to be taught as a product not as a process. The aim of teaching writing is believed to be training learners to write grammatically correct sentences. Intensive drilling of the sentences constituting the paragraph was believed to reduce errors and facilitate written work checking by the teachers themselves. This was also believed to be essential for preparing learners for the final exam whose marking system prioritized accuracy. Implications in teaching writing in Oman were finally pointed out and recommendations for further research were also made.
