Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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Team teaching in Japan from the perspective of the ALTs, JTEs, and students
Andrea Johannes
Formal Proposal: Research Methods
Ohio University
11/22/09
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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1. INTRODUCTION
Native and non-native speaking teachers of English each have unique insights to bring to
the language learning classroom. The team teaching arrangement in Japan with a native speaker
teacher, usually referred to as either an Assistant English Teacher (AET) or Assistant Language
Teacher (ALT), and a Japanese English Teacher (JTE) working together to teach the students
English attempts to capitalize on the benefits of this combined insight. According to Brumby
and Wada (1990), team teaching in the Japanese context is defined as
a concerted endeavor made jointly by the Japanese Teacher of English (JTE) and the
assistant English teacher (AET) in an English language classroom in which the students,
the JTE and the AET are engaged in communicative activities (as cited in Wada and
Cuminos, 1994, p. 14).
The focus on communicative activities in Brumby and Wada’s (1990) definition (as cited
in Wada and Cuminos, 1994, p.14) is indicative of the revised Monbusho (Japanese Ministry of
Education) Course of Study’s initiative to replace the previously practiced grammar translation
method with a more communicative approach to teaching English (Ministry of Education,
Science, Sports and Culture, 1994, as cited in Crooks, 2001). In addition to the above mentioned
goal of improving foreign language education in Japan through the promotion of students’
communicative competence, team teaching was first introduced in Japan by the Ministry of
Education for the purpose of promoting internationalization and cultural exchange between
Japan and other countries (Mondbusho, 1994).
Team teaching first got its start in Japan with the Monbusho English Fellows (MEF)
program in 1977. However, the JET (Japanese Exchange and Teaching) Program, founded in
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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1987, which coordinates with the Japanese prefectural boards of education to employ native
speakers from countries such the U.S., the U.K., New Zealand and Australia to work as ALTs in
primary and secondary schools throughout Japan (Monbusho, 1994, p. 7), is currently the largest
team teaching organization in the country, with a recent estimate of 5,000 JETs employed in the
program (Clair, 2000, as cited in Crooks, 2001, p.32).
Yet, despite the JET Program’s efforts and Japanese Ministry of Education’s high
aspirations for team teaching, many problems ranging from cultural differences (Voci-Reed,
1994, p. 66 to lack of communication between the two teachers (Macedo, 2002, p. 39; Voci-Reed,
1994, p. 63) have emerged as a result of this teaching arrangement and have yet to be
satisfactorily resolved. The issue most prominently cited in the literature as plaguing effective
team teaching is that of role conflicts between the JTEs and ALTs (for examples see Mahoney,
2004, p. 225; Tajino & Walker,1998, p.182; Tajino & Tajino, 2000, p. 5). In fact, mismatches
between ALT and JTE perceptions of their roles and each other’s roles is a major source of
tension in a team teaching partnership and can lead to ineffective team teaching (Mahoney, 2004,
p. 231;Voci-Reed, 1994, p. 63). Therefore, this study is an attempt to contribute to the
improvement of team teaching in Japan through further exploration of the team teaching
arrangement in a Japanese high school from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs, and the students
with a focus on the JTEs’ and ALTs’ perceptions of their own roles and their partners’ roles as
well as students’ ideas about what constitutes each teacher’s role
2. AIMS/JUSTIFICATION
Working as an ALT for four years in a Japanese high school generated my interest in the
topic of team teaching in Japan. During my time in Japan, I encountered both successful and
unsuccessful team teaching situations. I witnessed firsthand how complications arose from
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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miscommunication or confusion over each person’s role in the team teaching arrangement. This
raised my awareness of the need for more research concerning the improvement of team teaching
in Japan. Therefore, my research strives to meet this need. It is my hope that the results of this
study will be beneficial to both team teaching partners (JTEs and ALTs) and the organizations
that employ those teachers by providing suggestions for improvement, further insight into which
aspects of team teaching are already effective, and identifying how students and teachers alike
are benefiting from this arrangement.
My research is also an attempt to fill a gap in the research which has been conducted thus
far on team teaching in Japan. Most of the studies either focus solely on the JTE’s perceptions of
team teaching (Scholefield, 1996 ; Tajino & Walker, 1998b), or are large scale studies which do
not match the ALTs with the JTEs (Macedo, 2002; Mahoney, 2004). Yet, matching the team
teaching partners would appear to result in a more accurate assessment of the problem.
Essentially, the concern lies in whether team teaching partners have the same or contradicting
expectations for each other's roles in the classrooms, thus leading to miscommunication and an
ineffective learning environment, rather than if ALTs and JTEs who are not members of the same
teaching team have conflicting perceptions of JTE and ALT roles. Additionally, as the data from
these studies has been collected primarily through questionnaires, there is no way to determine
whether or not the ALTs’ and JTEs’ perceptions of their roles match their actual classroom
practice. Moreover, in their study of JTEs’ perceptions of ALT and JTE roles, Tajino and Walker
(1998b, p. 192) reported that JTEs seem unsure of their role and even the necessity of their
presence in the classroom, so more research is needed on this topic. Furthermore, few studies
have been done concerning the students’ perceptions of team teaching. Thus, team teaching
research which considers the perspective of all three participants (JTEs, ALTs, and students) is
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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necessary (Fujimoto-Adamson, 2004, pp. 12-13). Therefore, I plan to conduct a case study of
team teaching in Japanese high school which examines the JTEs’, ALTs’, and the students’
perspectives of team teaching and matches the ALTs with the JTEs in order to compare how each
member of the partnership perceives his/her roles. In addition, my research will include teacher
and student interviews in order to achieve a more in-depth look at each member’s perceptions of
team teaching, and class observations to examine how teachers’ perceived roles match their
actual roles in the classroom and how students respond to team taught lessons.
3. LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
The team teaching arrangement in Japan, with a native speaker and a non-native speaker
working together to teach English to Japanese students, is a paradigm that has attracted a lot of
attention over the years due to its uniqueness and somewhat problematic nature. Many studies
have been conducted to determine how this teaching arrangement works and how it can be
further improved (for example, Mahoney, 2004; Tajino & Walker, 1998a; Tajino &Walker,
1998b; Scholefield, 1996; Struman, 1992; Yukawa, 1999). One issue often mentioned in the
literature is that of role conflicts between the two teachers (for example, Mahoney, 2004, p. 225;
Tajino&Walker, 1998b, p.182; Tajino & Tajino, 2000 p. 5). Therefore, the purpose of this
literature review is to give an overview of the team teaching situation in Japan with special focus
attributed to both teachers’ perceptions of their partner’s and their own roles. Thus, particular
attention is given to Mahoney’s (2004) investigation of mismatches in role perceptions between
the two teachers and Tajino and Walker’s (1998b) research concerning how the NNS teachers
define their role as well as the NS teacher’s role. In order to fully address the paradigm of team
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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teaching in Japan, this literature review seeks to address the following questions: 1.How is team
teaching defined in the Japanese context? 2. What is the history of team teaching in Japan? 3.
What are the issues concerning team teaching frequently cited in the literature? 4. How are each
teacher’s roles defined by the Japanese government and the Japan Exchange and Teaching
Program? 5. What have previous studies found concerning both teachers’ perceptions of their
roles? 6. What has previous research revealed regarding students’ perceptions of JTE and ALT
roles?
1. Team teaching defined
Johnson and Lobb (1959) claim team teaching is defined as “a group of two or more
persons assigned to the same students at the same time for instructional purposes in a particular
subject or a combination of subjects” (as cited in Bailey, Dale & Squire, 1992, p. 162). However,
Bailey et al. (1992) point out that team teaching can involve a variety of arrangements, such as
two teachers planning together in order to teach the same lesson to two different groups of
students and, therefore, is not limited to Johnson and Lobb's definition (pp. 62-163). It is
important to remember that each teaching situation is unique and may call for a team teaching
arrangement that is particular to the culture, the learning needs of the students, or the
requirements of the curriculum. For instance, Buckley (2000) claims that in team teaching “the
teachers should work together in setting goals for a course, designing a syllabus, preparing
individual lesson plans, actually teaching students together, and evaluating the results” (p.4).
However, this is not always the case in Japan as the ALT and the JTE are not awarded the same
level of status. The JTE has been certified to teach English by the board of education, where as
many ALTs are uncertified and have little or no educational background; therefore, they are not
permitted to teach without the supervision of a JTE. Moreover, the ALT typically doesn’t attend
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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every class, but rather visits periodically. These class visits can range from as many as five a
week to one a week or even one a month, with some ALTs working at more than one school
(Tanjino & Walker, 1998a). Thus, the ALTs’ schedule, the difference in status between the
teachers, and curriculum constraints often mean the ALT does not have much of a role in
constructing the syllabus or establishing the goals of a course as Buckley (2000) suggests (p.4).
Brumby and Wada (1990, as cited in Wada & Cuminos, 1994), however, offer a definition of
team teaching that is specific to the Japanese context. According to Brumby and Wada (1990),
Team teaching is a concerted endeavor made jointly by the Japanese Teacher of English
(JTE) and the assistant English teacher (AET) in an English language classroom in which
the students, the JTE and the AET are engaged in communicative activities (as cited in
Wada & Cuminos, 1994, p.14).
This definition places an emphasis on the importance of communicative activities (Wada and
Cuminos, 1994, p. 14) and is reflective of the revised Monbusho (Japanese Ministry of
Education) Course of Study which calls for teachers to move away from the grammar translation
method toward a more communicative approach to teaching English (Monbusho, 1994, as cited
in Crooks, 2001, p.32).
The concept of team teaching in Japan, with a native speaker teacher and a Japanese
English Teacher working together to teach the students, was introduced by the Ministry of
Education in an attempt to promote internationalization in Japan, allow for a cultural exchange
between Japan and other countries, and contribute to the improvement of foreign language
education (Monbusho, 1994, p. 6).
2. History of English education and team teaching in Japan
Team teaching in Japan began with the Monbusho English Fellows (MEF) program in
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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1977, which invited Americans to Japan to serve as assistants to English Teacher Consultants
working for various prefectural boards of education. This group was followed by the British
English Teachers Scheme (BETS) in 1978. In this program, 20 participants from Britain came to
Japan to assist their JTE counterparts in teaching English to secondary school students. As the
participants in these programs grew in number, the Ministry of Education and the Ministries of
Foreign Affairs collaborated to recruit more members and combine the two groups into one
program which then in 1987 became the JET Program. At its introduction in 1987, 817 teachers
from numerous countries such as the U.S., the U.K., and Australia came to Japan to work as
Assistant Language Teachers (Monbusho, 1994, p. 7). However, a recent estimate places the
number of JETs working in Japan at around 5,500, indicating that the number of foreigners
teaching English in Japan has greatly increased (Clair, 2000, as cited in Crooks 2001, p. 32).
Additionally, since the JET Program began, other smaller or privately owned programs such as
Interact and the Chiba Wisconsin Program have also employed ALTs from English speaking
countries in Japanese high schools.
3. Team teaching problems
Despite “apparent” widespread popularity of team teaching in Japan and the fact that
team teaching programs have been in place for more than 30 years, many problems with team
teaching still exist. In fact, lack of communication between ALTs and JTEs (Macedo, 2002, p.
39; Voci- Reed, 1994, p. 63), cultural differences (Voci-Reed, 1994, p. 66), insufficient or nonexistent team teaching training for JTEs, and the prevalence of ALTs with no background in
education and/or limited knowledge of English grammar (Macedo, 2002, p. 13-31; Tanabe, 1990,
as cited in Tajino & Walker, 1998b, p.183) are among of the many challenges to team teaching
frequently cited in the literature. Another issue repeatedly mentioned is uncertainty over how to
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effectively utilize the ALT (Browne & Evans, 1994, p.18; Tajino & Walker, 1998b, p. 180;
Macedo, 2002, p. 31). This has led to ALT complaints that JTEs have relegated their role to that
of the tape recorder (Tanabe, 1990, as cited in Tajino and Walker, 1998b, p. 183; Kobayashi,
2001, as cited in Macedo, p.17), with the ALT simply being used to read from the text while the
students repeat after her/him. This situation stems from one of the most prevalent problems cited
in team teaching literature (for examples see Mahoney, 2004; Tajino & Walker, 1998a, p.182;
Tajino & Tajino, 2000, p. 5), confusion/conflicts over which role(s) each teacher should assume
in the team teaching relationship. In fact, Voci-Reed (1994, p. 63) identifies conflicts between the
school and JTEs’ perceptions of the ALT role(s), versus the ALT’s perception of his/her role(s) as
the most significant stress factor affecting ALTs. Clearly mismatches in how ALTs and JTEs
perceive their own and their partner's roles in the classroom is a major issue plaguing successful
team teaching.
4. Team teaching roles defined by the Japanese government and the JET Program
In the 1994 Handbook for Team Teaching, issued to ALTs upon entering the country, the
Japanese Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (Monbusho) outlines the ALT’s
duties and provides guidelines for how team teaching should be conducted in Japanese secondary
schools. According to Monbusho (1994) the ALT should:
1. Assist with classes taught by the JTL
2. Assist with the preparation of supplementary teaching materials
3. Assist with language training/practice for JTLs
4. Assist with the instruction of “English/French/German Speaking Societies” and other
extracurricular activities.
5. Provide Language information for Teacher’s Consultants and JTLs
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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6. Assist with English/German/French speech contests
7. Assist with other duties specified by the participant’s host institution
More specifically, the duties of the ALT at school are to assist the JTL in developing
students’ communicative abilities in the language and to serve as a cultural resource
person so that students can develop a capacity for understanding foreign culture and
customs. (p. 8)
Another important duty of the ALT is to help the JTEs improve their English abilities through
daily interaction (Monbusho, 1994, p. 8). With regards to guidelines for team teaching, The
Ministry of Education suggests the JTE and ALT work together to plan the lessons before each
class. In addition, both the JTE and the ALT should evaluate the effectiveness of each lesson and
discuss possible improvements (Monbusho, 1994, p. 17-18).
The JET Program’s General Information Handbook (CLAIR, 2009), distributed to ALTs
before arrival in Japan, also provides similar guidelines for ALTs; however in contrast to
Monbusho (1994), the JET Program’s guidelines for the role of the ALT are slightly less specific,
indicating the ALT must remain flexible as each school/teacher may have different expectations
for how the ALTs can contribute to the class (CLAIR, 2009, p. 91). In fact, the handbook refers
to a specific case of a JTE who is hesitant to teach with an ALT and suggests in this situation the
ALT “be patient and build your role gradually in class,” (CLAIR, 2009, p. 93), thus implying the
ALT’s role is not rigidly defined but can, to some degree, be constructed by the ALT to adapt to
each teaching situation. However, the handbook does indicate one important role of the ALT is
to motivate students to communicate in English and thereby promote interest in learning English
(CLAIR, 2009, p. 91). It also explicitly states, “the ALT is an assistant to the Japanese teacher in
the classroom. The ALT should not, therefore, be expected to conduct classes alone, nor be the
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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main teacher” (CLAIR, 2009, p. 91). Additionally, the JET Program recommends the ALT
utilize the JTE as a resource to determine the students’ learning styles and proficiency levels
(CLAIR, 2009, p. 93), thus suggesting both the JTE and ALT should have an understanding of
their students’ learning needs and comfort levels in the classroom.
Although both the government and the JET Program have outlined the ALT’s duties,
confusion still exists over the roles of the ALT and the JTE in the classroom (Browne & Evans,
1994, p. 18; Mahoney, 2004, 225; Tajino & Walker, 1998b, p.182; Tajino & Tajino, 2000, p. 5;
Voci-Reed, 1994, p. 63), which raises the question of how closely either the ALT or the JTE
follow these guidelines and how accessible the guidelines are to both teaching partners. In fact,
JTEs may have to contact their local board of education for a copy of the 1994 Monbusho’s
Handbook for Team Teaching (Mahoney, 2004, p. 230) and while the JET Program’s General
Information Handbook (CLAIR, 2009) is made available through the JET website, it is unclear
as to whether a copy is sent to schools hosting ALTs. Additionally, role confusion may stem
from the fact that, aside from some sample teaching plans in the Monbusho (1994) team teaching
guide which suggest ways the JTE and ALT can each contribute to the class, neither handbook
provides provide clear guidelines for how the ALT should assist the JTE in teaching English
(Clair, 2009; Monbusho; 2009). Moreover, neither handbook lists the JTE’s duties. In fact, such
a list is not readily available to either the ALT or the JTE (Mahoney, 2004, p. 230). This
partiality toward specifying roles for the ALT rather than the JTE may be due to the fact that
unlike the JTE, ALTs are not certified teachers in Japan (Tajino & Walker, 1998a, p. 113). Yet in
team teaching, don't both actors need to know their parts? While as the JET Program cautions, it
is difficult to specify teaching roles since each teaching situation is unique (CLAIR, 2009, p. 91),
having a list of suggested roles that each teacher could fill, which is accessible to both the ALT
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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and the JTE, might alleviate some of the confusion over who should do what in the classroom.
5. Teachers’ Perceptions of ALT and JTE Roles
To offer insight into one of the major issues in team teaching, several studies concerning
teachers’ perceptions of their own and their partner’s roles have been conducted (for example,
Mahoney, 2004; Tajino & Walker, 1998a; Scholefield, 1996). Tajino and Walker (1998b)
address this issue in their study by attempting to define the role of the JTE. To achieve this aim
they administered anonymous questionnaires to 20 junior high school JTEs and 18 senior high
school JTEs concerning their views on TT and their perceptions of the JTE and the ALTs’ role.
On the questionnaires, teachers were provided with list of potential JTE and ALT roles and asked
to use a Likert scale to express the degree to which they agreed or disagreed that each role
belonged to the JTE or the ALT. Additional items inquired into which skills the JTEs felt each
teacher could most help the students with and how necessary each member of the team teaching
relationship was to the class. The results from the study revealed both groups felt that the role of
the ALT is to interact with students while the JTE provides grammatical instruction (p. 186). The
JTEs also expected the ALT to teach students about other cultures, provide an enjoyable learning
environment (p. 191), and help students communicate in English. Additionally, the majority of
JTEs indicated that the ALT would be still needed in the classroom even if the JTE was highly
proficient in English, which Tajino and Walker (1998b) suggest gives evidence the ALT may no
longer be just a “human tape recorder” (p. 191). In fact, teaching pronunciation was ranked as 7th
out of 10 in the high school JTEs' expectations for ALTs (p.188). However, few JTEs indicated
teaching grammar or offering study tips for learning English as a role belonging to the ALT.
According to Tajino and Walker (1998b), these results may reflect the ALTs' lack of training in
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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these areas or the perception that JTEs are better suited to these roles (p. 189). An awareness of
students’ feelings and trouble areas in learning English, lesson planning, creating materials for
teaching the text, designing tests and evaluating students ranked high on the JTEs’ list of
perceptions of their own roles (p.189). Additionally, the JTEs felt that both ALTs and JTEs
could most help students with speaking and listening skills as opposed to reading and writing
skills (p. 190). The most noteworthy result is that nearly 40% of the JTEs working at high
schools said the JTE was not needed in the classroom if the ALT was proficient in Japanese,
which Tajino and Walker (1998b) believe points to the possibility that JTEs have pigeon-holed
themselves into the role of the interpreter, implying a lack of confidence in their importance to
the class and denying themselves the other possible roles the TT paradigm allows (p.192). These
findings indicate the role of the JTE in the classroom needs to be redefined to find a suitable
place for the JTE in the TT arrangement and to help JTEs better meet the needs of their students
(p. 192).
Scholefield’s (1996) study also explores JTEs’ perceptions of ALTs by examining
evaluation forms completed by 121 JTEs from 31 junior high schools concerning the
performance of two visiting ALTs over a two year period. In concordance with the JTEs
surveyed in Tajino and Walker’s (1998a) study, the JTEs in Scholefield’s (1996) study also
emphasized the role of the ALT as a cultural informant (p. 21). In addition, the JTEs implied
student motivator and classroom manager as potential ALT roles (p. 16); however, these roles
were not addressed by the JTEs in Tajino and Walker’s study (1998b). This is most likely due to
the fact that Tajino and Walker (1998b) did not provide such roles as options on their
questionnaire. The two most significant findings to emerge from Scholefield's (1996) study are
the value both students and teachers placed on ALTs having a friendly and encouraging
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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personality and the necessity (from the JTE's standpoint) of the ALT being flexible. Both
findings are in line with the General Informational Handbook’s (CLAIR, 2009) guidelines for
the ALT.
Although Tajino and Walker’s (1998b) findings provide useful insight into the team
teaching paradigm by suggesting the need for more research concerning the place of the JTE in
the classroom and both studies (Scholefield, 1996; Tajino & Walker, 1998b) identify potential
ALT roles from the perspectives of the JTEs, they neglect to consider the perspectives of the
other members in the team teaching relationship—the ALTs. To gain a true understanding of
how role confusion manifests itself in TT, the perspectives of both teachers need to be explored.
Fortunately, Mahoney’s (2004) study attempts to address this gap in the research.
Claiming previous studies failed to alleviate problems in the TT relationship because they did not
consider how mismatches between JTEs’ and ALTs' perceptions of their ideal roles versus their
actual roles can affect TT, Mahoney (2004) conducted a study which explores both the JTEs’ and
the ALTs' perceptions of their own roles and their partner's roles. The results come from
Mahoney’s (2004) analysis of one open-ended question in a questionnaire administered by
Monbusho in 1999 to 971 ALTs and 431 JTEs working in secondary schools. This question
required the ALT and the JTE to describe their own roles and their partner’s roles, a format
Mahoney (2004) claims is an improvement over the multiple choice questionnaires administered
only to JTEs (p. 225), such as the questionnaire in Tajino and Walker’s (1998b) study.
Mahoney (2004) found several mismatches between JTEs’ and ALTs' role perceptions.
Firstly, while a little over 50% of junior and senior high ALTs cited facilitating conversations and
modeling pronunciation as their main role, 41% of junior high JTEs and 33% of high school
JTEs felt the ALT was to serve as a cultural informant (p. 229). Mahoney (2004) suggests this
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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may result from the fact that Monbusho’s Team Teaching Handbook lists language related duties
before cultural ones, potentially causing confusion over which role is a priority (Mahoney, 2004,
p. 230). Similarly, findings from other research (Scholefield, 1996; Tajino & Walker, 1998a) in
which JTEs placed the ALT in the cultural informant role serve to strengthen Mahoney’s (2004)
claim that conflicts over whether ALTs should be utilized as a language resources or models of
foreign culture are a major point of tension in TT relationships (p. 231). However, it is important
to note that none of the studies (Mahoney, 2004; Scholefield, 1996; Tajino & Walker, 1998b)
limited the ALTs’ role solely to that of cultural informant, suggesting instead additional roles that
the ALT should fill.
Another role conflict concerns the issue of equality. While the ALTs felt both partners
should have equal roles in the classroom (Mahoney, 20004, p. 231), the JTEs indicated the ALT
should either be the main teacher or the assistant (Mahoney, 2004, p.234-235). This goes against
both Monbusho and JET guidelines (CLAIR, 2009; Monbusho, 1994) and has led some ALTs in
Mahoney’s (2004) study to complain that they either have too much or too little control in the
classroom. As a solution to this problem, some of the ALTs suggested the roles of each teacher
should not be too rigidly defined (p. 233-231). Thus, while ALTs and JTEs seem to have some
disagreements regarding how they perceive each other’s roles, JTEs, ALTs and the JET handbook
all seem to be in agreement that such roles should remain flexible (Mahoney, 2004; Scholefield,
1996; CLAIR, 2009).
Another discrepancy between the ALTs and JTEs was that ALTs ranked disciplining
students as one of the most important roles of the JTE, but senior high JTEs designated it 6th on
the list of JTE roles and junior high JTEs placed it in 19th position (Mahoney, 2004, p. 237).
Therefore, while Scholefield’s (1996) JTEs were willing to relinquish this role to the ALT and
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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Mahoney’s (2004) JTEs did not indicate a strong preference for this role, the ALTs in his study
insisted this role belongs to the JTEs (p. 237). Mahoney (2004) points out that this is likely
because Monbusho guidelines discourage ALTs from assuming the role of disciplinarian (p. 237),
but it also brings up the question of who is filling this role if neither partner seems eager to claim
it.
Additionally, ALTs cited translator as the number one role of the JTE where most JTEs
indicated “'Explainer, intermediator'” (Mahoney, 2004, p. 239) as their most important role. This
suggests that as Tajino & Walker (1998b) point out, JTEs may indeed be limiting themselves to
this role (p.192).
Furthermore, while JTEs expressed the necessity of knowing students’ proficiency levels
and language learning difficulties, few ALTs acknowledged this role (Mahoney, 2004, p. 240).
This is contrary to the advice given in the JET teaching manual (CLAIR, 2009) and can strain the
TT relationship (Mahoney, 2004, p. 40).
Similarly, in line with the other studies (, 1998b; Scholefield, 1996), the JTEs saw the
ALT in the role of student motivator; however, the ALTs indicated both teachers should fill this
role (Mahoney, 2004, p. 240). Therefore, while JTEs can help ALTs motivate the students,
perhaps ALTs can assist in shouldering the burden of providing support and guidance for lower
level students. These may be potential roles for both partners to explore in the future, especially
the JTEs who, according to Tajino and Walker (1998b), currently have a somewhat ambivalent
role in the classroom.
It is also important to note that as in Tajino and Walker’s (1998b) study, the JTEs did not
emphasize the importance of the ALT as a pronunciation guide (Mahoney, 2004), providing
further support for Tajino and Walker's (1998b) claim that the ALT is no longer just a “tape
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
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recorder” (p. 191); however, Mahoney’s (2004) ALTs placed themselves in this undesirable role.
This suggests that what JTEs claim to be the ALTs’ role may not actually reflect what happens in
the classrooms. As Mahoney’s (2004) data consisted solely of comments from questionnaires,
Mahoney was not able to investigate this point; therefore, classroom based research is needed to
determine if JTE and ALTs’ perceptions of their roles is mirrored in actual classroom practice.
Additionally, while Mahoney (2004) clearly proved that mismatches do exist between ALTs and
JTEs’ perceptions of their own and their partner’s roles, he did not match the JTEs with the ALTs,
so it is difficult to determine if ALTs and JTEs who actually teach together have conflicting
views of their roles or if the views belong to random JTEs and ALTs from different schools
throughout Japan. In order to determine why conflicts between team members exist, a more indepth study which matches ALTs to JTEs and explores classroom practice needs to be conducted.
6. Students’ Perceptions of ALT and JTE Roles
Another under-explored area of team teaching is the students’ perspectives. In fact, few
studies concerning how team teaching and each teacher’s roles are perceived by students have
been conducted (for example, Miyazato, 2001; Tajino & Walker, 1998a). In an effort to
determine whether a mismatch between students’ expectations of team taught lessons and their
teachers’ (ALTs and JTEs) perceptions of the students’ expectations exists, Tajino and Walker
(1998b) administered a questionnaire containing 21 items to 151 students in a senior high school
in Japan (52 males and 92 females). All of the students were enrolled in an International Cultural
Studies Course and attended two team-taught classes per week. An identical questionnaire was
then distributed to the seven JTEs and two ALTs who team taught the students. The teachers
were asked to fill in the questionnaire according to how they thought the students would answer
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
18
the same questions. Tajino and Walker (1998b) found students felt the ALTs would be the most
able to help them improve their speaking and listening skill where as the JTE was best suited to
helping students improve their reading and writing skills (p.119)
A comparison of the results from the teachers’ and the students’ questionnaire showed
that the students also rated speaking 3rd out of four as a skill that the JTE could help them
improve, where as the teachers assumed the students would rate this as a skill the JTE would
least be able to help the students with (p. 120). Thus, Tajino and Walker (1998a) suggest that
although the JTEs may not be aware of it, from the students’ perspective, teaching speaking is a
role the JTEs can certainly fulfill (p. 121) The JTEs in Tajino and Walker’s (1998b) study,
however, did seem aware of this potential JTE role. This contradiction between the teachers in
both studies may indicate that not all JTEs are comfortable with this role or confident enough to
assume it when a native speaker is also present, yet the students seem to feel the JTE is capable
of teaching them how to speak (Tajino & Walker, 1998a) and thus have carved out a place for the
JTE in the classroom. The students also indicated they expected the JTE to have an
understanding of their comfort levels and difficulties in learning English, to teach the students
grammar and to help them learn “how to study English” (p. 121). The ALT on the other hand was
expected to help students communicate in English and improve their pronunciation, and teach
students about foreign cultures (p. 121). These findings are consistent with the JTEs in Tajino
and Walker’s (1998b) study. It seems that the JTEs in each of the previous investigations
(Mahoney, 2004; Tajino & Walker, 1998b; Scholefield, 1996) concur with the students that
cultural informant is an important role for the ALT. At the same time, however, the students’
response also supports the ALT in Mahoney’s (2004) study by indicating that ALT’s role to teach
pronunciation (Tajino & Walker, 1998a, p. 121). Thus, while Mahoney’s teachers were unable to
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
19
resolve the conflict over which role should have the most prominence, students in Tajino and
Walker’s (1998b) investigation found both roles significant. Interestingly, the students also
expected both teachers to contribute to making the class enjoyable (p.122). This contradicts the
JTEs’ assumption in Tajino and Walker (1998b) that such a role belongs solely to the ALT.
Therefore, contrary to what the Tajino and Walker (1998b) JTEs believed, the JTEs do appear to
have a role in the classroom. According to the students, the JTEs are need to provide empathy
for their learning situations, teach grammar and speaking, show students how to study English
and make class enjoyable for the students (Tajino & Walker, 1998a). These are important and
necessary roles to fill.
While Scholefield’s (1996) JTEs evaluated their students’ impressions of the ALT, with
the exception of Miyszato (2001) and Tajino and Walker (1998a), none of the studies (Mahoney,
2004; Tajino & Walker, 1998b; Scholefield, 1996) directly consult the students to determine their
perceptions of team teaching. However, shouldn’t the students be almost the most important
members to consult as they are the ones most affected by an unsuccessful team teaching
relationship? Tajino and Walker (1998a) suggest students should actually be considered as a
third member of the team (p. 192), yet the previous research neglects to emphasize the
significance of the students in the team teaching equation. Clearly more team teaching research
is needed which considers the perspective of all three participants, JTEs, ALTs, and students
(Fujimoto-Adamson, 2004, pp. 12-13).
Although previous research has explored JTE and ALT’s perceptions of their own and
their partner’s roles, several gaps in the research remain. As of yet, no studies have been
conducted which examine mismatches within team teaching partnerships, or in which results
derived from questionnaires are followed up by class observations to determine if teacher’s
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
20
comments on the questionnaire match their actual classroom practice. Additionally, previous
research presents an unbalanced view of team teaching with an emphasis placed on JTE
perceptions of team teaching, sometimes to the exclusion of ALT perceptions and often to the
total neglect students’ viewpoints. Therefore, the purpose of my study is not only to further
investigate JTE and ALT role confusion in order to determine if my findings are consistent with
those of pervious research, but also to fill the gaps in the research. I intend to probe deeper into
the problem by matching ALTs with JTEs to see if mismatches really do exist between JTEs and
ALTs who teach together and whether JTEs’ and ALTs’ perceptions of their own and their
partner’s roles are also played out in the classrooms. Additionally, I hope to follow FujimotoAdamson’s (2004) suggestion and examine team teaching from the perspective of all the
participants: the JTEs, the ALTs and the much neglected students. Further research into ALT and
JTE roles from the perspective of all three participants should reveal additional roles for the ALT
and hopefully suggest a place for the JTE in the classroom which satisfies all three members of
the teaching team.
4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Review of the literature reveals several gaps in previous team teaching research. Therefore,
the following questions will be explored in this study in order to address those gaps:
1. How do ALTs and JTEs perceive team teaching?
2. Is there a mismatch in how ALTs and JTEs perceive their own and their partner's roles?
3. How do ALTs’ and JTEs’ perceptions of their roles compare to actual classroom practice?
4. How do students perceive team teaching and the roles of the ALT and the JTE?
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
21
5. METHODOLOGY
a. Subjects
My study will be conducted at a Japanese high school in Chiba Prefecture with 973
students (460 boys and 513 girls). My participants will consist of 2-two native English speaking
Assistant Language Teachers from the Chiba Wisconsin Program, 12 Japanese English Teachers
with varying degrees of team teaching experience and 115 high school students, ages ranging
from 15-18. Both ALTs have more than two years of team teaching experience at the current
school. The JTEs and ALTs were recruited with the help of a contact at the high school. A signup sheet explaining the research project was distributed to teachers asking for volunteers to
participate in each phase of the study. The students were recruited by their homeroom teachers.
Forty of the student participants are in their first year of high school and belong to homeroom 1A.
These students are taking English I, a team taught test preparation class. Second year students
from homeroom 2A, who are taking Daily English, a team taught course that focuses on
improving students’ daily conversation skills, represent thirty-eight of the student participants.
The final thirty-seven participants are third year students from homeroom 3A. The 3A
participants are taking Current English, a team taught class which focuses on developing the
students’ skills in the four areas (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and prepares students
to participate in debates on various topics.
b. Materials/Instruments
i. Questionnaires
Each participant will receive a separate questionnaire specific to the category he/she
belongs to (JTE, ALT, student). The student questionnaires will be anonymous; however, in the
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
22
case of the ALT and JTE surveys, each teacher will personally receive a questionnaire with an
individualized code at the top. The codes will allow me match the ALT and JTE teams, yet will
also provide more anonymity for the teachers. The ALT and the JTE questionnaires are similar
but not identical as there are specific questions directed to each group. The JTE questionnaire
addresses the following categories: basic demographic information, team teaching roles, lesson
planning, skill areas covered in team taught lessons, the relationship between the JTE and the
ALT, and government guidelines/training for JTEs and ALTs. The ALT questionnaire contains
the same categories along with an additional category-- the relationship between the ALT and the
students. Items on the questionnaires are based on previous studies. For example, items 1.1 -1.4,
2.1-2.9, 2.11 and 4.1-4.4 on the JTE questionnaire come from Tajino and Walker’s (1998b) study
and statements 2.12-2.14 are from Tajino and Walker (1998a). Additionally, while items 1.3 and
7.3-7.4 originate from Macedo (2002), items 2.3 and 4.3 come from Bailey, Dale, and Squire’s
(1992) research. Similarly, questions 1.1-1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2-72.-2.9, 4.1-4.4 on the ALT
questionnaire are derived from Tajino and Walker (1998b) and questions 2.10-2.12 are from
Tajino and Walker (1998a). Statements 2.13-2.14, however, were inspired by Mahoney’s (2004)
research which revealed that some ALTs feel they either have too much or too little
responsibility in their workplace. Finally, questions 1.4, 8.2-8.7 are based on Macedo’s (2002)
questionnaire and items 2.2 and 7.7 are from Bailey et al. (1992). Both questionnaires consist
mainly of statements which utilize a Likert scale. The remaining questions are ranked items,
multiple choice questions and open ended questions. Unlike the teacher's survey, the student’s
questionnaire will be translated into Japanese. Additionally, the questionnaires only require
students to use a Likert scale to indicate the degree to which they agree or disagree with certain
statements about team teaching and a ranking system to indicate their expectations for which
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
23
skills team taught classes can help them improve. Questions i-6, 8-13, and 15-26 are from
Tajino and Walker’s (1998a) student questionnaire.
ii. Class Observations
In order to determine if teachers’ stated roles on the questionnaires match their actual
roles in the classroom, I will observe and video record four different types of team taught classes.
These class observations should also allow me to further investigate students’ perceptions of
team teaching. A class observation check list containing an event sampling chart and categories
outlining specific elements in the lesson to take note of will guide these semi-structured class
observations. The event sampling chart contains the eleven suggested JTE and ALT roles
explored in Tajino and Walker’s (1998b) study. I will use this chart to make a tally mark anytime
the ALT or the JTE assumes one of those roles during the class and, therefore, determine which
roles the ALT and JTE most frequently act out in the class. This check list will also provide
space for me to make field notes on any interesting findings that emerge from the observations.
For the class observations, I plan to attend English I and English II, classes which focus on
preparing first and second year students for the college entrance exams. I will also observe
Current English and Daily English. These are non-test preparation classes so the curriculum is
less constrained and the ALTs do more of the planning. Observing a variety of classes should
provide a broader view of the various team teaching situations at the school.
iii. Interviews
I will conduct audio recorded semi-structured/stimulated recall interviews with the two
ALTs and the four Japanese teachers whose classes I observed. The purpose of these interviews
is for the teachers to further elaborate on their comments from the questionnaires and to reflect
on the team taught lessons I observed. I will also conduct semi-structured video-recorded focus
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
24
group interviews with 4-6 students from each of the classes that took the questionnaire and were
observed.
c. Procedure
First I plan to pilot my questionnaire to several non-participants to identify any
problematic or ambiguous questions. Next I will send the piloted questionnaires to each of the 14
teachers (12 JTEs and 2 ALTs) by mail. In order to keep the amount of data manageable, I have
chosen to distribute the student questionnaires to only three of the five classes of students I will
observe (Class 1A, 2A, and 3A). I will ask the JTEs and ALTs who teach those designated
classes to administer the questionnaires to the students during class time and then collect them. If
there is time, I will request that all the questionnaires be returned to me by mail; however, if time
is limited, I will collect the questionnaires myself when I arrive in Japan. Upon arriving in Japan,
I will observe and video-record five team taught classes. See the following observation schedule
below:
Friday, December 4th:
1st period: ALT1/JTE1 3A (Current English)
2nd period: ALT1/JTE2 2A (English II, English course)
Monday, December 7th:
5th period: ALT2/JTE1 2H (English II, Science course)
Tuesday, December 8th:
1st period: ALT1/JTE3 2A (Daily English, English course)
Wednesday, December 9th:
1st period: ALT 1/JTE 4 1A (English I, English course)
2nd period: ALT 1/JTE 3 2A (Daily English, English course)
After I have read over the questionnaire and conducted the class observations, I will
prepare a list of interview questions based on the results. These questions will be distributed to
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
25
the four JTE and the two ALTs whose classes I observed so they can prepare for the interviews.
However, the list of questions is just a general guide for the direction the interview will go in and
will not limit me to asking solely those questions. These semi-structured interviews will be
conducted individually and audio recorded. During the interviews, I will utilize the method of
stimulated recall by playing clips from the class observations to help the teachers recall the
specific parts of the lesson which my questions pertain to. Then, I will conduct semi-structured
focus group interviews with 4-6 students from each of the three classes surveyed which will
amount to three focus group interviews and will allow the students to further elaborate on the
results of the questionnaires. Finally, the data will be transcribed and analyzed.
d. Type of Data
My study will consist of both qualitative and quantitative data. The quantitative data will
come from the Likert scale items on the questionnaire that require participants to use a scale of
1-5, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree, to rate their responses.
Additional quantitative data will result from the ranked questionnaire items that ask participants
to use a scale of 1-4 to rank their expectations for team teaching with 1carrying the highest
expectations and 4 the lowest. Finally, qualitative data will also be obtained from an event
sampling chart used during the class observations to tally the number of times each teacher
assumes one of the eleven teaching roles listed in Tajino and Walker’s (1998a) study and from a
calculation of the ratio of JTE teaching to ALT teaching also suggested by Tajino and Walker
(1998b) . The qualitative data, on the other hand, will come from open-ended questions on the
teacher questionnaires, teacher and student interviews, and field notes from the class
observations.
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
26
6. ANALYSIS
Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize and analyze the qualitative data from the
Likert scale and ranked items on the questionnaire as well as the event sampling data from the
class observations. For instance, looking at the mean score from ALT, JTE, and students’
responses concerning ALT and JTE roles and the standard deviation amongst these scores will
determine if the JTEs and ALTs share the same ideas about which role each teacher should fill or
if there are some mismatches as Mahoney (2004) suggests. In addition, this will also reveal
whether the students have the same ideas about ALT and JTE roles as their teachers. These
scores can then be compared with the results from the event sampling tallies to find out if teacher
and students suggested roles for JTEs and ALTs match what actually happens in the classroom.
The same process can be applied to analyzing the results from the ranked items on the
questionnaires. On the other hand, a content analysis will be applied to the qualitative data. A
coding system will be utilized to identify information pertaining to the research questions in the
transcribed data from the class observations and the interviews as well as qualitative data from
the open ended items on the questionnaires. To further analyze the data, findings from this study
will be compared to the findings of other studies conducted on team teaching in Japan (see
Tajino & Walker 1998a; Tajino & Walker 1998a; Mahoney, 2004; Scholefield, 1996). This will
allow me to explore how my results either compare or differ from those studies and attempt to
offer possible explanations to account for any differences or similarities.
7. LIMITATIONS
My study is limited by its sample size. As I am only conducting my research at one
school, I have few participants; therefore, it will be difficult to determine if the results from my
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
27
study are only representative of that particular school or if they can be applied to other team
teaching situations. Additionally, due to the nature of team teaching in Japan with schools hiring
only one or two ALTs and spreading those ALTs out as much as possible by asking one ALT to
teach with several different Japanese English teachers throughout the day, the JTEs in my study
greatly outnumber the ALTs. This means the results may be more representative of JTE's
perspectives on team teaching and the results from the JTEs may vary more than the results from
the ALTs. Also because of time constraints, I will only be able to conduct follow up interviews
for the students' questionnaires with four to six students from each of the classes that were
surveyed; therefore, the student interviews may not be accurate representations of the views of
all the students from each of the classes that filled out the questionnaire. Additionally, only the
teachers who agreed to do the class observations have volunteered to be interviewed so the
questionnaires are the only materials that can account for each teacher’s perspective of team
teaching. Furthermore, I will only be able to observe one of the team taught classes twice so I
may encounter what Dornyei (2007) refers to as the observer effect. In other words, the teachers
and students in the class may behave differently because they are not accustomed the presence of
a researcher in the classroom. Finally, the small size of my study and my intention to match the
ALTs with the JTEs may cause teachers to be hesitant to express their true opinions on the
questionnaires and in the interviews, in fear that their comments might be identifiable by their
coworkers.
8. EXPECTED FINDINGS
Similar to Mahoney (2004), I expect to find some mismatches between how each member
of the team perceives his/her own role(s) in the classroom and his/her partner’s role(s). These
mismatches sometimes lead to dissatisfaction with the way a class was conducted or with the
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
28
overall attitude towards team teaching. I also expect to find that, while there might be some
confusion over roles, ALTs, JTEs and students’ feelings towards team teaching are generally
positive, as has been found in previous studies (Tanjino & Walker, 1998a; Tajino & Walker,
1998b; Scholefield, 1996).
9. CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS
Team teaching in Japan with a native and non-native speaker working together to teach
English is a unique arrangement which can be beneficial to students and teachers alike and serve
as a model for other language programs around the world. However, if team teaching in Japan is
to continue, certain persistent problems interfering with the effectiveness of this venture need to
be addressed and resolved. One of the major challenges to team teaching is the conflict between
how JTEs and ALTs view their own and their partner’s roles (Mahoney, 2004, p.225; Tajino &
Walker, 1998b, p.182; Tajino & Tajino, 2000, p. 5). This role confusion not only strains the
team teaching relationship (Mahoney, 2004, p. 231;Voci-Reed, 1994, p. 63), but also can result
in the JTEs feeling unsure of their place in team taught classes (Tajino & Walker, 1998 b, p. 192).
Furthermore, the over-emphasis of previous research on the relationship between the two
teachers in the team teaching partnership has neglected to consider students’ perception of team
teaching. Yet, the students are the ones who most stand to either benefit from a successful team
teaching partnership or suffer as a result of ineffective team teaching. Therefore, this study
explores team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of all three members in the team: the
ALTs, the JTEs, and the students. The results of this study may have various implications for
team teaching programs in Japan. For instance, if the results from this study support Mahoney’s
(2004) findings that mismatches between JTE and ALT role perceptions do exist and further
reveal that those mismatches exist within team teaching partnerships, this will indicate that
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
29
perhaps Monbusho needs to provide clearer guidelines for each teacher’s roles and ensure that
those guidelines are available to both ALTs and JTEs, or that more team teaching training is
needed to help teachers communicate about their role expectations. Furthermore, an examination
of students and teachers’ role perceptions for ALTs and JTEs may reveal a suitable role for the
JTE in the classroom. Thus, this research will serve to offer possible solutions for improvements
to the team teaching arrangement and hopefully contribute to more effective team teaching in the
future and a continuation of team teaching programs in Japan.
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
30
References
CLAIR (2009) General Informational Handbook. Tokyo: The Council of Local Authorities for
International Relations.
Bailey, K.M., Dale, T., & Squire, B. (1992). Some reflections on collaborative language
teaching. In Nunan, D. (Ed). Collaborative Language Learning and Teaching, 162-178.
Buckley, F.J. (2000) Team teaching: What, why, and how? London: Sage Publications.
Crooks, A. (2001). Professional development and the JET Program: Insights and solutions
based on Sendai City Program. JALT Journal, 23(1), 31-46.
Browne, C., & Evans, B. The ALT as cultural informant: A catalyst for Developing
Student's foundations for team learning. In M. Wada & T. Cominos (Eds), Studies in
TeamTeaching, 17-28. Tokyo: Kenkyusha.
Fujimoto-Adamson, N. (2004) Localizing team-teaching research. Asian EFL Journal, 6 (2), 116. Retrieved August 28, 2009, from http://www.asian-efljournal.com/Article_5_June_nfa_2004.pdf
Macedo, A. 2002: Team-teaching: Who should really be in charge? A look at reverse vs.
traditional team-teaching. Unpublished MA thesis, University of Birmingham. Retrieved
August 24, 2009, from http://www.cels.bham.ac.uk/resources/essays/macedodiss.pdf
Mahoney, S. (2004). Role controversy among team teachers in the JET Programme. JALT
Journal, 6 (2), 223-244.
Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (Monbusho). (1994). Handbook for team
teaching. Tokyo: Gyosei Corporation.
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Miyazato, Kyoko. (2001) Team teaching and Japanese learner’s motivation. The Language
Teacher Online, 25 (11), 33-35. Retrieved August 26, 2009, from
http://www.jaltpublications.org/tlt/articles/2001/11/miyazato
Scholefield,W. (1996). What do JTEs Really Want? JALT Journal (18)1, 7-25.
Struman, P. (1992). Team teaching: A case study from Japan. In Nunan, D. (Ed.), Collaborative
Language Learning and Teaching, 141-161.
Tajino, A., & Tajino, Y. (2000) Native and non-native: What can they offer? Lesson from team
teaching in Japan. ELT Journal 54 (1), 3-11.
Tajino, A., & Walker, L. (1998a) Perspectives on team teaching by students and teachers:
Exploring foundations for team learning. Language, Culture and Curriculum (11), 113131.
Tajino, A., & Walker, L. (1998b) Teachers roles in a team taught lesson: the perspectives of
Japanese Teachers. Studies in the Humanities and Sciences 38/2: 179-198. Hiroshima:
Hiroshima Shudo University.
Voci-Reed, E. (1994). Stress factors in the team teaching relationship. In M. Wada & T.
Cominos (Eds.), Studies in Team Teaching, 61-71. Tokyo: Kenkyusha.
Yukawa, E. (1994). Team teaching changes in teaching routines in a Japanese high school
reading classroom, In M. Wada & T. Cominos (Eds.), Studies in Team Teaching 42-60.
Tokyo: Kenkyusha.
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
32
Appendix A
Research Project: Team Teaching from the Perspective of the JTE, ALT and the Students
Dear students,
Hello, my name is Andrea Johannes and I am a graduate student in the Linguistics Department at
Ohio University in America. I am conducting a study to find out what students, Assistant
Language Teachers and Japanese English Teachers think of team teaching. I would like your
help with my research project. If you chose to participate in this study, you will be asked to
complete a questionnaire, participate in video recorded class observations and be interviewed.
These interviews will be video recorded. This study will be conducted from November 23rd to
December 18th.
This letter will explains any risks or benefits involved in a participating in this study so you can
make an informed decision about whether or not to participate. Please be aware that your
decision to participate in this study should be entirely voluntary. Your grade in this class will not
be affected if you chose not to participate in this study.
Risks and Discomforts
There is the possibility that some information about your learning preferences might
unintentionally become known to persons other than the teacher administering the questionnaire.
Benefits
The results of this study will be made available to the school or any interested teachers. My
research should provide insight into the team teaching situation at Sosa High School. I hope to
offer information about what aspects of team teaching at Sosa High School are currently
effective, what aspects can be further improved upon, and provide possible suggestions for
improvement. This study will hopefully lead to more effective language instruction at your
school.
Confidentiality and Records
To protect your privacy, you will not be asked to write your name on the questionnaire. All
responses on the questionnaires and from the interviews are confidential. Raw data will only be
handled by the researcher. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the researcher at
johaaa26@yahoo.com.
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding this study, please contact Andrea Johannes at (740) 274 0826
(johaaa26@yahoo.com) or Christopher Thompson at 740-593-0666 (thompsoc@ohiou.edu).
If you have any questions regarding your rights as a research participant, please contact Jo Ellen
Sherow, Director of Research Compliance, Ohio University, (740)593-0664.
Consent to participate in the study
Completion and return of this survey implies your consent to use any data collected from this
study for research purposes.
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
33
Team Teaching Questionnaire for Students
Directions: There is no “right” or “wrong” way to respond to the statements below. I am
interested in knowing what you think so please give an honest response to each statement. Thank
you for your assistance.
Background Information:
i)Date:
ii)Sex: M/F
iii)Year in high school: 1st/2nd/3rd Age:
iv) Class:
JTE means Japanese Teacher of English, ALT means Assistant Language Teacher
Please circle your answers:
(5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree 1=strongly disagree)
Strongly
Neutral
Agree
Strongly
Disagree
1. I like English.
5
4
3
2
1
2. Acquiring the ability to
communicate in English is important.
5
4
3
2
1
3. I like the team-taught classes with an ALT
better than the classes with a JTE only.
5
4
3
2
1
4. Having an ALT in class motivates me to study English.
5
4
3
2
1
5. I think team-taught classes are more useful
in improving our English skills than classes
taught by the JTE only.
5
4
3
2
1
6. I am shy about speaking with the ALT.
5
4
3
2
1
7. I often ask the ALT questions and/or speak
with him/her after class.
5
4
3
2
1
8. I would prefer the ALT to ask me a question
rather than the JTE.
5
4
3
2
1
9. I feel tense and nervous when the ALT asks
me a question.
5
4
3
2
1
10. I enjoy studying English more than I used to
because we have an ALT.
5
4
3
2
1
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
34
(5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree 1=strongly disagree)
11. My English skills have improved because
5
4
we have an ALT.
a. My reading skills in particular (have improved)
5
4
b. My writing skills in particular.
5
4
c. My listening skills in particular.
5
4
d. My speaking skills in particular.
5
4
12. If the ALT speaks Japanese well, we don't need
a JTE.
3
2
1
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
5
4
3
2
1
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
5
4
3
2
1
5
5
5
4
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
14. I like the ALT who teaches this class.
5
4
3
2
1
15. I like the JTE who teaches this class.
5
4
3
2
1
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
5
4
3
2
1
5
5
5
4
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
17. If the JTE speaks English well, we don't need
an ALT.
5
4
3
2
1
18. We should have more team-taught classes.
5
4
3
2
1
13. What do you expect the ALT to do?
a. Explain foreign cultures/customs
b. Teach grammar
c. Teach pronunciation
d. Help me improve my conversational skills
e. Understand our feelings and problems
concerning English
f. In addition to English, use Japanese when
necessary
g. Create an enjoyable classroom atmosphere
h. Teach me how to study English
i. Other: ___________________
16. What do you expect the JTE to do?
a. Explain foreign cultures/customs
b. Teach grammar
c. Teach pronunciation
d. Help me improve my conversational skills
e. Understand our feelings and problems
concerning English
f.. In addition to English, use Japanese when
necessary
g. Create an enjoyable classroom atmosphere
h. Teach me how to study English
i. Other:___________________
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
35
(5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree 1=strongly disagree)
19. I feel that I am a full member of my team-taught
classes, not just a spectator.
5
4
3
2
1
20. I am afraid to speak up in class because
I may lose face if I make a mistake
5
4
3
2
1
21. The NET and JTE seem to work together well.
5
4
3
2
1
22. Who is usually the main teacher of your team-taught
class, the JTE or the ALT?
Please circle:
JTE
ALT
806040- 200100% 79% 59% 39%
19%
23. What's the ratio of JTE teaching to ALT
teaching in your team taught class.
24. What do you think the above ratio should be?
50-50
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
25. What skills do you most expect the JTE to help you improve?
(Please RANK them from 1 to 4)
a. Reading ( )
b. Writing ( )
c. Listening ( )
d. Speaking ( )
26. What skills do you most expect the ALT to help you improve?
(Please RANK them from 1 to 4)
a. Reading ( )
b. Writing ( )
c. Listening ( )
d. Speaking ( )
Thank you for your cooperation. The results will be available July 2010. If you have any
questions or would like to make any further comments about team teaching in Japan, please
contact me.
Contact Information:
Address: Andrea Johannes
35 Wolfe St. Apt. 31
Athens, OH 45701, U.S.A.
E-mail: johaaa26@yahoo.com
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
36
Appendix B
Team Teaching Questionnaire for Assistant Language Teachers of English
Hello, my name is Andrea Johannes and I am a graduate student in the Linguistics Department at
Ohio University. I am conducting a survey to find out what Assistant Language Teachers think
about team teaching. This survey will help us learn what you already like about team teaching
and what can be improved so everyone can have a beneficial learning experience. I would like to
ask you to help me with my research by completing this survey. To protect your privacy, you
will not be asked to put your name on the survey. Your responses to the statements will remain
anonymous, however the results of this survey will be used for research proposes. For instance,
when the research is reported you may be referred to as ALT1 or Team 1. There is no “right” or
“wrong” way to respond to the statements below. I am interested in knowing what you think so
please give an honest response to each statement. Please place your completed questionnaire in
the envelope which has been provided for you with a numerical code at the top. Please note:
your questionnaire should not go in the envelope with your name on it. Also please make
sure to sign the Ohio University Consent Form and place that in the second envelope which has
your name at the top. Please return both envelops to Ms. Burke. The results of the survey will be
available July 2010. If you have any questions or would like to make any further comments
about team teaching in Japan, please contact me. Thank you for your assistance.
Contact Information:
Address: Andrea Johannes
35 Wolfe St. Apt. 31
Athens, OH 45701, U.S.A.
E-mail: johaaa26@yahoo.com
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
37
I. Background Information:
1.1 Years of teaching experience before coming to Japan: ____yrs. Please list what classes you taught.
___________________________________________________________________
1.2 Years of experience as an ALT teacher: ________yrs.
1.3 Years of experience team teaching: ___yrs.
1.4 I team teach _____________times a week with the JTE (s) at my school.
1.5 Please list the classes you team teach. _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
II. Team Teaching and Roles
Note: JTE means Japanese Teacher of English, ALT means Assistant Language Teacher
Directions: Please circle your answers:
(5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree 1=strongly disagree)
2.1 For your Students, Team Teaching:
a) is useful for motivating students to study English
5
4
3
2
1
b) increases the student's interest to communicate in English
5
4
3
2
1
c) increases the students' desire to communicate in English
5
4
3
2
1
d) reduces the anxiety or complex students may have toward
5
4
3
2
1
e) is a good opportunity to improve reading skills
5
4
3
2
1
f) is a good opportunity to improve writing skills
5
4
3
2
1
g) is a good opportunity to improve listening skills
5
4
3
2
1
h) is a good opportunity to improve speaking skills
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
a) help students experience foreign culture and customs
5
4
3
2
1
b) grammar instruction
5
4
3
2
1
c) pronunciation instruction
5
4
3
2
1
d) improve students' conversation and communication skills
5
4
3
2
1
e) understand the student's feelings or learning difficulties
5
4
3
2
1
f) when needed explain differences between Japanese and English
5
4
3
2
1
g) create a comfortable classroom atmosphere
5
4
3
2
1
h) teach how to study English
5
4
3
2
1
i) help with planning the class
5
4
3
2
1
j) help with preparation and evaluation of the text and test materials
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
non-Japanese people
2.2 Team teaching is an effective way to teach languages.
2.3 What do you expect your role as the ALT to be?
k) Please write any other role not mentioned here: (
)
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
38
(5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree 1=strongly disagree)
2.4 If the AET speaks Japanese well, a JTE isn't needed.
5
4
3
2
1
a) help students experience foreign culture and customs
5
4
3
2
1
b) grammar instruction
5
4
3
2
1
c) pronunciation instruction
5
4
3
2
1
d) improve student's conversation and communication skills
5
4
3
2
1
e) understand the student's feelings or learning difficulties
5
4
3
2
1
f) when needed explain to differences between Japanese and English
5
4
3
2
1
g) teach how to study English
5
4
3
2
1
h) planning the classrooms
5
4
3
2
1
i) preparation and evaluation of text and test materials
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
2.6 If the JTE speaks English well, an AET isn't needed.
5
4
3
2
1
2.7 The students, as well as the teachers, are involved equally as
members of the team teaching class
5
4
3
2
1
2.8 My strengths and weaknesses in teaching English are complimented
by my team teaching partner.
5
4
3
2
1
2.5 What do you expect the JTE to do?
k) Please write any other role not mentioned here: (
)
2.9 Of the five following types of Team Teaching classes, which is ideal?
(Please circle your answer)
a) JTE plays the leading role; ALT the secondary role
b) ALT plays the leading role, the JTE the secondary role
c) JTE and ALT each have their own distinct roles
d) JTE and ALT teach together on completely equal terms
e) JTE, ALT, and students work together to create the class
2.10 Who is usually the main teacher of your team-taught class? (Please circle)
(Please circle the letter corresponding to your choice)
2.11 What's the ratio of JTE teaching to ALT teaching
in your team taught class.
2.12 What do you think the above ratio should be?
Ratio: 8060100% 79%
A.
B.
A.
B.
JTE
ALT
4059%
C.
2039%
D.
C.
D.
50-50
0
19%
E.
E.
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
39
(5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree 1=strongly disagree)
2.13 I do not have enough teaching responsibilities at this school.
5
4
3
2
1
2.14 I have too many teaching responsibilities at this school.
5
4
3
2
1
2.15 Classroom management should be the responsibility of:
(Please circle one) The JTE only
The ALT only
Both the JTE and the ALT
III. Team teaching and Planning
3.1 Circle one of the following:
a) The JTE and I always plan the team taught lessons together
b) I plan all the lessons
c) The JTE plans all the lessons
d) The JTE and I take turns planning the lessons (sometimes the JTE plans and sometimes I plan)
e) The JTE and I each plan separate parts of the lesson
3.2 The JTE listens to my suggestions for class activities.
5
4
3
2
1
3.3 The JTE incorporates my suggestions for class activities into the
lesson plan.
5
4
3
2
1
3.4 I incorporate the JTEs suggestions for class activities into the
lesson plan.
5
4
3
2
1
3.5 The JTE and I evaluate the effectiveness of our lesson plans after we teach together.
(Circle one) frequently
occasionally
rarely
never
IV. Team Teaching Skill Areas
4.1 Which of the following Communicative Competencies (abilities) do you expect the Team Teaching
class to improve the most? (Please rank in order form 1 to 4)
a) Grammatical Competence (e.g. making correct sentences)
( )
b) Socio-linguistic Competence (e.g. using English which is appropriate to a given situation)
( )
c) Strategic competence (e.g. able to transmit meaning with limited vocabulary)
( )
d) Discourse competence (e.g. able to converse coherently)
( )
4.2 Which of the following language skills do you expect the Team Teaching class to improve most?
(Please RANK in order from 1 to 4)
a) Reading
( )
b) Writing
( )
c) Listening
( )
d) Speaking
( )
4.3 As an ALT yourself, which of the following skills do you think help is most expected from you in
the Team Teaching class? (Please RANK in order from 1 to 4)
a) Reading
( )
b) Writing
( )
c) Listening
( )
d) Speaking
( )
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
40
4.4 Which of the following skills do you expect help from the JTE in the Team Teaching class (Please
RANK in order from 1 to 4)
a) Reading
( )
b) Writing
( )
c) Listening
( )
d) Speaking
( )
V. Relationship between JTE and ALT
5.1 Cultural differences between myself and the JTE interfere with communication.
(Circle one) frequently
occasionally
rarely
never
5.2 I interact with the JTE outside of class.
(Circle one) frequently
occasionally
VI. Relationship between Students and the ALT
6.1 I interact with the students during class.
(Circle one) frequently
occasionally
rarely
never
rarely
never
6.2 I interact with the students outside of class. (Examples of outside interaction: talking in your office,
eating lunch together, directing ESS club, coaching students for speech contests)
(Circle one) frequently
occasionally
rarely
never
VII. Government Guidelines and Training for Team Teaching
(5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree 1=strongly disagree)
7.1 My host organization has provided me with clear guidelines as to
to what my role is in team taught classes.
5
4
3
2
1
7.2 My host organization has provided me with clear guidelines as to
what the JTE’s role is in team taught classes.
5
4
3
2
1
7.3 ALTs and JTE should be provided with clear guidelines as to what
their roles should be in the classroom.
5
4
3
2
1
7.4 The roles of the ALT and JTE should remain flexible.
5
4
3
2
1
7.5 The amount of team teaching training I have received has been
satisfactory.
5
4
3
2
1
7.6 Do you decide which JTE you will team teach with? (Circle one)
Yes / No
7.7 Only teachers themselves should decide whether or not to enter into
a team teaching arrangement.
5
4
3
2
1
7.8 The teachers (JTEs and ALTs) should be the ones to decide with
whom they want to team teach.
5
4
3
2
1
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
41
VIII. Open Ended Questions
8.1 Please describe the ideal team teaching situation.
8.2 What are the advantages and disadvantages of your team teaching situation?
8.3 What have you learned from teaching with the JTE?
8.4 How are you utilized as an ALT at your school?
8.5 How could the school utilize you in a more effective way?
8.6 What were your expectations of teaching English in Japan before coming here?
8.7 Have those expectations changed since arriving in Japan? (Circle one: Yes/No). If you answered
“yes,” please explain how those expectations have changed.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Survey questions from: Tajino &Walker (1998a); Tajino & Walker (1998b); Bailey, Dale, & Squire, B. (1992), Macedo (2002).
Appendix C
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
42
Team Teaching Questionnaire for Japanese Teachers of English (J-237)
Hello, my name is Andrea Johannes and I am a graduate student in the Linguistics Department at
Ohio University. I am conducting a survey to find out what Assistant Language Teachers think
about team teaching. This survey will help us learn what you already like about team teaching
and what can be improved so everyone can have a beneficial learning experience. I would like to
ask you to help me with my research by completing this survey. To protect your privacy, you
will not be asked to put your name on the survey. Your responses to the statements will remain
anonymous, however the results of this survey will be used for research proposes. For instance,
when the research is reported you may be referred to as ALT1 or Team 1. There is no “right” or
“wrong” way to respond to the statements below. I am interested in knowing what you think so
please give an honest response to each statement. Please place your completed questionnaire in
the envelope which has been provided for you with a numerical code at the top. Please note:
your questionnaire should not go in the envelope with your name on it. Also please make
sure to sign the Ohio University Consent Form and place that in the second envelope which has
your name at the top. Please return both envelops to Ms. Burke. The results of the survey will be
available July 2010. If you have any questions or would like to make any further comments
about team teaching in Japan, please contact me. Thank you for your assistance.
Contact Information:
Address: Andrea Johannes
35 Wolfe St. Apt. 31
Athens, OH 45701, U.S.A.
E-mail: johaaa26@yahoo.com
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
43
I. Background Information: (J-237)
Directions: Please fill in the blanks with the correct information.
1.1 Years of experience as an English teacher: ________yrs.
1.2 Years of experience team teaching: ___yrs.
1.3 I team teach _____________times a week with the ALT (s) at my school.
1.4 Please list the classes you team teach. ___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
II. Team Teaching and Roles (Note: JTE means Japanese Teacher of English, ALT means Assistant
Language Teacher)
Directions: Please circle your answers: (5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree
1=strongly disagree)
2.1 For your Students, Team Teaching:
a) is useful for motivating students to study English
5
4
3
2
1
b) increases the student's interest to communicate in English
5
4
3
2
1
c) increases the students' desire to communicate in English
5
4
3
2
1
d) reduces the anxiety or complex students may have
5
4
3
2
1
e) is a good opportunity to improve reading skills
5
4
3
2
1
f) is a good opportunity to improve writing skills
5
4
3
2
1
g) is a good opportunity to improve listening skills
5
4
3
2
1
h) is a good opportunity to improve speaking skills
5
4
3
2
1
a) classes are more enjoyable
5
4
3
2
1
b) classes are more fun
5
4
3
2
1
c) classes are easier
5
4
3
2
1
d) classes have more learning
5
4
3
2
1
e) classes are more stressful
5
4
3
2
1
f) classes require more preparation
5
4
3
2
1
g) is a good opportunity to improve your English language skills
5
4
3
2
1
h) makes you feel uneasy about speaking English in front of the students
5
4
3
2
1
i) classes should be avoided if possible
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
toward non-Japanese people
2.2 As a JTE, compared to other teaching situations, Team Teaching:
2.3 Team teaching is an effective way to teach languages.
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
44
(5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree 1=strongly disagree)
2.4 What do you expect the AET to do?
a) help students experience foreign culture and customs
5
4
3
2
1
b) grammar instruction
5
4
3
2
1
c) pronunciation instruction
5
4
3
2
1
d) improve students' conversation and communication skills
5
4
3
2
1
e) understand the student's feelings or learning difficulties
5
4
3
2
1
f) when needed explain differences between Japanese and English
5
4
3
2
1
g) create a comfortable classroom atmosphere
5
4
3
2
1
h) teach how to study English
5
4
3
2
1
i) help with planning the class
5
4
3
2
1
j) help with preparation and evaluation of the text and test materials
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
a) help students experience foreign culture and customs
5
4
3
2
1
b) grammar instruction
5
4
3
2
1
c) pronunciation instruction
5
4
3
2
1
d) improve student's conversation and communication skills
5
4
3
2
1
e) understand the student's feelings or learning difficulties
5
4
3
2
1
f) when needed explain to differences between Japanese and English
5
4
3
2
1
g) create a comfortable classroom environment
5
4
3
2
1
h) teach how to study English
5
4
3
2
1
i) plan the class
5
4
3
2
1
j) preparation and evaluation of text and test materials
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
2.7 I feel comfortable using English in class.
5
4
3
2
1
2.8 If the JTE speaks English well, an AET isn't needed.
5
4
3
2
1
2.9 The students, as well as the teachers, are involved equally as members of
the team teaching class.
5
4
3
2
1
k) Please write any other role not mentioned here: (
)
2.5 If the AET speaks Japanese well, a JTE isn't needed.
2.6 What do you expect your role as a JTE to be?
k) Please write any other role not mentioned here: (
)
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
45
2.10 My strengths and weaknesses in teaching English are complimented by
my team teaching partner.
5
4
3
2
1
2.11 Of the following types of Team Teaching classes, which is ideal?
(Please circle your answer)
a) JTE plays the leading role; ALT the secondary role
b) ALT plays the leading role, the JTE the secondary role
c) JTE and ALT each have their own distinct roles
d) JTE and ALT teach together on completely equal terms
e) JTE, ALT and students work together to create the class
2.12 Who is usually the main teacher of your team-taught classes: (Please circle) JTE ALT
Ratio: 8060(Please circle the letter corresponding to your choice)
100% 79%
2.13 What's the ratio of JTE teaching to ALT
A.
B.
teaching in your team taught class.
50-50
4059%
C.
2039%
D.
C.
D.
2.14 What do you think the above ratio should be?
A.
B.
2.15 Classroom management should be the responsibility of:
(Please circle one)
The JTE only
The ALT only
Both the JTE and the ALT
019%
E.
E.
III. Team teaching and Planning
3.1 Circle one of the following:
a)The ALT and I always plan the team taught lessons together
b)I plan all the lessons
c)The ALT plans all the lessons
d)The ALT and I take turns planning the lessons (sometimes the ALT plans and sometimes I plan)
e) The ALT and I each plan separate parts of the lesson
(5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree 1=strongly disagree)
3.2 I incorporate the ALTs suggestions for class activities into the lesson plan.
5
4
3
2
1
3.3 I utilize the ALTs ideas or teaching methods, even when the ALT is not
present in class.
5
4
3
2
1
3.4 The ALT listens to my suggestions for class activities.
5
4
3
2
1
3.5 The ALT incorporates my suggestions for class activities into the
lesson plan.
5
4
3
2
1
3.6 The ALT and I evaluate the effectiveness of our lesson plans after we teach together.
(Circle one) frequently
occasionally
rarely
never
IV. Team Teaching Skill Areas
4.1 Which of the following Communicative Competencies (abilities) do you expect the Team Teaching
class to improve the most? (Please rank in order form 1 to 4)
a) Grammatical Competence (e.g. making correct sentences)
( )
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
46
b) Socio-linguistic Competence (e.g. using English which is appropriate to a given situation) ( )
c) Strategic competence (e.g. able to transmit meaning with limited vocabulary)
( )
d) Discourse competence (e.g. able to converse coherently)
( )
4.2 Which of the following language skills do you expect the Team Teaching class to improve most?
(Please RANK in order from 1 to 4)
a) Reading
( )
b) Writing
( )
c) Listening
( )
d) Speaking
( )
4.3 As a JTE yourself, which of the following skills do you think help is most expected from you in the
Team Teaching class? (Please RANK in order from 1 to 4)
a) Reading
( )
b) Writing
( )
c) Listening
( )
d) Speaking
( )
4.4 Which of the following skills do you expect help from the AET in the Team Teaching class (Please
(Please RANK in order from 1 to 4)
a) Reading
( )
b) Writing
( )
c) Listening
( )
d) Speaking
( )
V. Relationship between JTE and ALT
5.1 Cultural differences between myself and the AL T interfere with communication.
(Circle one) frequently
occasionally
rarely
never
5.2 I interact with the ALT outside of class.
(Circle one) frequently
occasionally
rarely never
(5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree 1=strongly disagree)
5.3 I am satisfied with the amount of interaction that takes place between
the ALT and the students during class.
5
4
3
2
1
VI. Government Guidelines and Training for Team Teaching
6.1 Monbusho has provided me with clear guidelines as to what my role(s)
is/are in team taught classes.
5
4
3
2
1
6.2 Monbusho has provided me with clear guidelines as to what the ALT’s
role(s) is/are in team taught classes.
5
4
3
2
1
6.3 ALTs and JTEs should be provided with clear guidelines as to what their
roles should be in the classroom.
5
4
3
2
1
6.4 The roles of the ALT and JTE should remain flexible.
5
4
3
2
1
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
47
6.5 The amount of team teaching training I have received has been satisfactory. 5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
6.9 The teachers (JTEs and ALTs) should be the ones to decide with whom they 5
want to team teach with.
4
3
2
1
6.6 Do you decide whether or not you will team teach? (Circle one) Yes / No
6.7 Do you decide which ALT you will team teach with? (Circle one) Yes / No
6.8 Only teachers themselves should decide whether or not to enter into a team
teaching arrangement.
VII. Open Ended Questions
7.1 Please describe the ideal team teaching situation.
7.2What are the advantages and disadvantages of your team-teaching situation?
7.3 What have you learned from teaching with the ALT?
7.4 How are the ALTs utilized at your school?
7.5 How do students respond when the ALT comes to the classroom?
7.6 How is the atmosphere in the classroom different in solo lessons than in team taught lessons?
Thank you for your cooperation.
Questions from: Tajino &Walker (1998a); Tajino & Walker (1998b); Bailey, Dale, & Squire, B. (1992); Macedo (2002).
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
48
Appendix D
Observation Check List/Field Notes
Demographics
Class:
JTE:
ALT:
Number of students:
Males:
Roles
JTE Tally
help students experience
foreign culture and customs
grammar instruction
improve student's conversation
and communication skills
improve student's conversation
and communication skills
understand the student's
feelings or learning difficulties
when needed explain to
differences between Japanese
and English
teach how to study English
planning the classrooms
preparation and evaluation of
text and test materials
classroom management
motivate students
other
Tajino & Walker (1998a)
Class objectives:
Sequence of the lesson:
Females:
ALT Tally
Team teaching in Japan from the perspectives of the ALTs, JTEs and the students
49
Ratio of JTE teaching to ALT teaching (Tajino & Walker, 1998b):
Observation Check List/Field Notes (Continued)
Team teaching structure used:
Good points of the lesson:
Points that could be improved:
Student response to the lesson:
Do the roles each teacher fulfilled math the teacher’s stated roles on their questionnaires?
Additional notes/observations: