A Case Study On English Grammar Teaching Design In Junior High School From The Perspective Of Teaching-Learning-Assessment Integration

Both the General Senior High School English Curriculum Standards(2017 Edition)(MOE,2020)and English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education(2022 Edition)(MOE,2022)stress Teaching-Learning-Assessment Integration(TLAI).It indicates that assessment is significant to both teaching and learning.However,there still exist some problems,like teachers’ less attention to assessment and improper assessment in teaching.Grammar teaching is an important part in English teaching,but some teachers still hold fast to traditional grammar teaching method like explaining grammatical rules directly and do not attach importance to the meaning and use of grammar.These problems may lead teachers to assess students’ mastery of grammatical forms in class,ignoring their understanding of meaning and use of grammar.Therefore,in order to clarify the current situation of teachers’ assessment of students’ learning in grammar lessons,this study investigates teachers’ grammar teaching design from the perspective of TLAI.Based on the theory of TLAI,Backward Design Theory and the Three-Dimensional Grammar Framework,this study selects two case teachers from F Junior High School.One is Teacher Z who is a middle-aged female teacher with 20 years’ teaching experience,and the other is Teacher L who is an elder male teacher with 30 years’ teaching experience.In attempt to find out how the case teachers conduct English grammar teaching design from the perspective of TLAI as well as the difficulties that they may have and causes of their difficulties,this study employs the following research methods to collect the data: classroom observation and interview on the teachers.Two research questions are to be answered:(1)How do the two case teachers conduct the English grammar teaching design from the perspective of Teaching-Learning-Assessment Integration(TLAI)?(2)What difficulties do the case teachers meet in English grammar teaching design from the perspective of TLAI?What may be the causes of their difficulties?The findings show:(1)Both case teachers make assessment on students’ learning in grammar teaching.Their assessment content mainly focus on students’ mastery of grammatical form and meaning.The two case teachers mainly employ teacher assessment,such as teacher asking questions,making comments and making teacher-guided discussion.Between the two case teachers,there are some differences.Teacher Z emphasizes the assessment on students’ mastery of grammatical meaning while Teacher L focuses on the assessment on the grammatical form.The reason is that Teacher Z guides students to learn in a more communicative way,while Teacher L makes less T-Ss interaction in teaching.Teacher Z employs the means of assessment more actively than Teacher L,and the total amount of assessment in Teacher L’s lesson is much less than Teacher Z’s due to his teaching belief that the most effective grammar teaching method is grammatical explanation.(2)The main difficulties that the two case teachers have include: lack in the knowledge of TLAI and the diversified means of assessment in grammar teaching.The reasons are their insufficient theoretical understanding of TLAI and inadequate upgraded assessment skills.They also have their individual difficulties.Teacher Z sometimes feels difficult to decide what to assess and how to assess properly.Teacher L complains that class time is limited,and he can’t spend much time assessing students’ learning.This study offers following suggestions for the teachers on TLAI-based grammar teaching design:(1)It is necessary for teachers to update grammar teaching belief,so that they can keep pace with the requirements of English Curriculum Standards.(2)Make close study of textbooks so as to understand the textbook writers’ intention.(3)Understand students’ grammar learning needs.(4)Set clear learning objectives based on textbook analysis and student analysis so as to provide a basis for teachers to determine assessment objectives and select proper assessment content and means.(5)Study English Curriculum Standards and achieve in-depth understanding of the implication of TLAI and implement it in teaching.