A Study On The Middle School English Teachers’ Perceptions Of Affective Objective

After numerous trials and errors, the 21st century new curriculum reform has been implemented for more than ten years. As the concept of people-oriented education spread,the new curriculum pays increasing attention to students’ all-round development. Under the philosophy of the reform, education includes not only academic achievement, but also something that is good for students’ long-term development. Affective objective, as one of the five goals of English comprehensive ability, requires that English courses in the nine-year compulsory education are not only to educate students in the aspects of language knowledge and skills, but also cultivate their positive emotion and attitude.In order to explore the current status of the perception of affective objective among middle school English teachers, as well as improving the status of affective education, this study firstly reviews previous studies on affect in learning,affect in teaching and affect in Textbook Go for It. Then, a research is carried out among 32 English teachers in junior high schools as research objects by means of questionnaire and interview. At last, research data was analyzed by statistical software SPSS 19.0, from which we can learn the general situation of affective education in middle school English courses as well as influential factors than hinders the implementation. This survey is expected to answer three questions:1. How is teachers’ understanding of affective objective? And what causes the differences?2. How do English teachers implement affective objective based on the textbook Go for It? And what hinders the implementation of affective education?3. What measures can be taken to facilitate the implementation of affective objective?According to research results,it finds out that the majority(93.8%) of English teachers in middle schools have an understanding of affective objective though at different degrees. Over a half (66%) of English teachers believe that effective education is more than about the development of students’ personal effects. Instead,students’ interpersonal effects are indispensable in affective education,that is, it should involve students’development of both personal and interpersonal affective factors, such as caring students,arousing students’ interest in study and cultivating students’ senior social emotions. Then follow those with some (25%) who think affective education is only about students’interpersonal effects or students’ senior social emotions. Next come those with a few (9%)who believe that arousing students’ interests is all of what affective objective talked about.But none of them considers affective education just as caring students. Further, the differences of teachers’ understanding of affective education can be greatly influenced by teaching experience, that is, it has an extremely significant strong correlation with years of teaching (r=0.572>0.5, p=0.008<0.01). And it has an insignificant, moderate correlation with whether they have taken part in any curriculum training (0.3<r=0.315<0.5,p=0.176>0.05) and an insignificant weak one with their academic degree (0<r=0.261<0.3,p=0.266>0.05).Second, the survey also finds that affective objective has not gained much attention in schools for that over half of English teachers thought it a little ignored in middle school and about some (41%) believed that affective education had gain just a little attention and it is often sacrificed by 30 English teachers for the goal of getting higher scores. Moreover,only a few (13%) of English teachers among the participants elaborated the goal in their teaching syllabus and the rest of them exerted affective education in casual or without delicate plans but according to what is being taught. When implementing affective education in teaching, teachers’ emotional quality is considered the most influential obstacle, followed by social climate, the limitation of examination, teachers’ professional competence and the specific measures of implementing affective objective.Third, another findings reveals the most efficient measure of improving the status of affective objective English teachers think is creating environment where students can experience different emotions. Both of the measures of launching more activities and competitions to arouse students’ interests in English and helping students gain sense of respect and achievement are considered as the second effective ones. Then comes the solution of enhancing teachers’ personal charisma supported.According to research results, this research puts forward measures to better improve the status of the affective education, from different perspectives. First of all, since teachers are the front lines to ensure the carry-out of affective education, they should improve their understanding of affective objective by learning from experienced teachers and making reflection on daily teaching. Second, they should raise their emotional qualities. Third,teachers have to make a long-term plan to gradually improve their personal charisma in various aspects. Fourth, both teachers and school leaders have to systematically provide an in-class and after-class affective education system. Fifth, try to gain more supports from society over affective education. Last,there’s a need of building up a diversified assessment system.