Perceptions and Practices of Teachers in a Private Institution on the Use of Online Games in the ESL Classroom for Sri Lankan Young Adults: A Case study.

Abstract

Catering to students with various learning styles in a language classroom is a challenging task and one way to overcome this is to apply Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence theory (1983). Using online games is a technique which supports different intelligences while actively involving students in the process of learning via scaffolding and interaction as explained by Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory (1978). However, most studies related to games are based on young learners because ‘playing’ is a term frequently related to them. Moreover, most of them are mainly quantitative studies exploring the effectiveness of using games. Furthermore, in-depth studies on using online games to teach young adults have not been conducted in Sri Lanka possibly due to the involvement of numerous facilities. Having recognized these research gaps, this study is designed as a qualitative explanatory case study incorporating a single-embedded case design. The objectives are to investigate perceptions of teachers and their reflections of the classroom practice via interviews. Triangulation of these data was performed via seven-hour observations of their classroom practice and via informal discussions with their students. This study contributes valuable insights for teaching English using online games, developing curricula tailor-made for young adults and for teacher training. The study was conducted in a private institution in the western province with a purposive sample of three, female teachers (age 25-36), who are conducting the Diploma in English. This nine-month course covers the band A1 to B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages. The young adults enrolled are from middle-class families and are aged between 18-25 years. For the purpose of students’ retention, the institution encourages the teachers to teach interactively via using games. Finally, it was revealed that these teachers frequently use online games because they are convenient and they allow a broader space of interaction.