Teacher's Roles

UNIVERSIDAD VERACRUZANA
FACULTAD DE IDIOMAS
TRABAJO RECEPCIONAL
Ttulo:
TEACHERS ROLES
Que para obtener el ttulo de:

LICENCIADO EN LENGUA INGLESA
PRESENTAN:
Araceli Guadalupe Durn
Ada La Guevara Castaeda
DIRECTORA:
Barbara Scholes Gillings
CO-DIRECTORA:
Patricia May Reidy Ryan
Septiembre 2013
ABSTRACT
This qualitative inquiry regarding the roles EFL teachers play in the classroom was
carried out at a University School of Languages in Xalapa. In order to collect data,
semi-structured interviews were used as the main research method to explore and
examine teachers perceptions about their practice. Subsequently, aspects of
Grounded Theory were adopted to analyze and interpret the gathered information.
By these means, it was discovered what teachers should do in the classroom, and
in contrast, what, in fact, they really do. In sum, as a result of this research, it was
possible to not only identify and understand the common roles teachers play in the
classroom, but also different roles that are not mentioned by the experts regarding
this topic.
Contents
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ 2
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 6
CHAPTER 1
ISSUES RELATED TO TEACHERS ROLES ..................................................................... 9
1. What is a role? .............................................................................................. 9

1.1 Related Terms ....................................................................................................... 9
2. Roles of Teachers ....................................................................................... 11

3. The roles of the foreign language teacher ................................................... 12
3.1 Assessor ............................................................................................................. 12
3.2 Manager or controller .......................................................................................... 13
3.3 Informer or information provider .......................................................................... 13
3.4 Monitor ................................................................................................................ 14
3.5 Organizer ............................................................................................................ 14
3.6 Participant ........................................................................................................... 14
3.7 Prompter ............................................................................................................. 15
3. 8 Resource ............................................................................................................ 15
3. 9 Counselor ........................................................................................................... 16
3.10 Facilitator........................................................................................................... 16
3.11 Motivator ........................................................................................................... 16
3.12 Model ................................................................................................................ 17
3.13 Diagnostician ..................................................................................................... 18
4. Factors that influence teachers roles .......................................................... 18

CHAPTER 2
METODOLOGY .............................................................................................................. 19
1. Methodology................................................................................................................. 19
2. Data collection methods ............................................................................................... 21
2.1 Interview ...................................................................................................... 21

2.2 Research Journal ......................................................................................... 22
3. Data Analysis ............................................................................................................... 22
4. Research context ......................................................................................................... 23
3
5. Participants .................................................................................................................. 23
5.1 Ernest .......................................................................................................... 23

5.2 Fer .............................................................................................................. 24
5.3 Cooper ......................................................................................................... 24
5.4 Marie ............................................................................................................ 24
5.5 Pauline ......................................................................................................... 24
5.6 Charlie ......................................................................................................... 25
6. Research Procedure .................................................................................................... 25
CHAPTER 3
EFL teachers perceptions regarding the roles they play in the classroom ....................... 27
1. Roles teachers play in the classroom ........................................................................... 27
1.1 Assessor ...................................................................................................... 27

1.2 Controller ..................................................................................................... 29
1.3 Provider ....................................................................................................... 31
1.4 Monitor ......................................................................................................... 33
1.5 Organizer ..................................................................................................... 33
1.6 Participant .................................................................................................... 34
1.7 Prompter ...................................................................................................... 35
1.8 Resource ..................................................................................................... 36
1.9 Counselor .................................................................................................... 36
1.10 Facilitator ................................................................................................... 37
1.11 Model ......................................................................................................... 39
1.12 Diagnostician ............................................................................................. 40
1.13 Parents ...................................................................................................... 41
1.14 Motivator .................................................................................................... 42
1.15 Psychologist / Mediator .............................................................................. 44
1.16 Comedian or clown .................................................................................... 45
1.17 Social worker ............................................................................................. 45
2. Roles teachers prefer to play in the classroom ............................................................. 46
2.1 Facilitator = Guide ........................................................................................ 46

2.2 Monitor or supervisor ................................................................................... 46
4
2.3 Manager ....................................................................................................... 47

2.4 Motivator ...................................................................................................... 47
2.5 Participant .................................................................................................... 47
3. Teachers feelings when required to play a new/different role than usual ...... 47
CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 50
Implications ........................................................................................................ 51
Limitations of this research study ....................................................................... 52
Further research ................................................................................................ 52
Personal reflection ............................................................................................. 52
APPENDIX 1 INTERVIEW GUIDE ................................................................................... 54
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 57
INTRODUCTION
Both students as well as teachers are important in the classroom. In a
metaphorical sense, Harmer (2007:107) states that the teacher is like a gardener,
because he/she plants the seeds and then watches them grow. According to this
metaphor the student is the fertile land, and the seed is the knowledge that is
planted by the teacher. He/she is considered as the gardener who takes care of
the students by performing different actions called roles. During his/her
professional life, a teacher plays a wide variety of roles, in different scenes, places,
and scenarios: in and outside the classroom, at the school, and even at home.
However, this study examined the roles teachers play in the classroom owing to
the fact that it was noticed that this issue had not been thoroughly investigated
before.
Rationale
Up to the present, the topic about teachers roles has been studied in a general
way. That is why we considered it necessary to study in depth, not just all the roles
teacher play, but the roles a foreign language teacher plays in the classroom.
This topic is very useful for both teacher trainers and mainly in-service teachers,
because it will help them to know more about the roles that perhaps they should
play, as well as the roles teachers may play due to the different situations that may
occur in the classroom. Therefore, the findings of this research may help teachers
to improve their practice.
Objectives
The aims of this inquiry were:
To discover the roles foreign language teachers play in the classroom at a

School of Languages.
To find out the perceptions teachers have about the roles they play in the
classroom.
To notice the factors that may influence teachers roles in the classroom.
To know how teachers feel when they perform these roles in the classroom.
Research questions
This research was based on the following questions:
Main research question
What is the nature of teachers perceptions concerning their roles?
The research was focused on this question, which covers all the aspects about the
topic, including the roles teachers play in the classroom, and the way they feel
about these. To discover the answer to this question the following sub-questions
were designed:
What roles do teachers play in the classroom?
What are the teachers perceptions of these roles?
Which role or roles do teachers prefer to play?
Do teachers feel comfortable when required to perform x role (s)?
Research Procedure
Chapter One: Reviewing the literature: Issues related to teachers roles discusses
some aspects related to teachers roles. Firstly, it includes a brief definition of what
a role is, as well as some other related terms. Secondly, the roles a university
teacher performs are mentioned. Thirdly, the roles a foreign language teacher
plays in the classroom are described. Finally, the factors that may influence the
performance of these roles are presented.
7
Chapter two: Methodology illustrates the qualitative approach used in this

research. This is followed by the data collection methods such as the semistructured interview and the research journal. Then, it includes the method used to
analyze the collected information. In addition, the research context and the
participants involved in this research are presented. Finally, the research
procedure followed to carry out this research is explained.
Chapter three: EFL teachers perceptions regarding the roles they play in the
classroom presents the findings based on the data obtained from the interviews.
The findings include the roles teachers play in the classroom as well as their
feelings when they perform these roles. Then, it presents the roles teachers prefer
to play as well as their feelings when required to play a new or different role.
Finally, the Conclusion summarizes the aims of this research and how it was
carried out and the important findings that were discovered. These are followed by
the implications and limitations of this study. Finally, a proposal for future research
is presented.
CHAPTER 1
ISSUES RELATED TO TEACHERS ROLES
This chapter provides information about what experts state regarding teachers
roles. It is divided into four sections. The first section is about the concept and
definition of role, as well as some related terms. In the second section, the profiles,
functions, attitudes, behaviors and roles that teachers are required to play in
Mexican universities are discussed. Then, in the third section, the concepts and
definitions of the usual roles that English teachers perform in the EFL classroom
are explained. Finally, some factors that may influence teachers roles such as
behaviors, attitudes and activities are explored.
1. What is a role?
In society, during our daily lives, we play different roles that differ from each other,
depending on the circumstances and the environments in which we live and work.
Some roles and behaviors are performed out of choice, others are hard to develop
when they are imposed (Vilar, 2003). For the purpose of this work, the roles
focused on are those that EFL teachers usually play in the classroom. According to
Hedge (2000) the term role is a word that has become very common in English
Language Teaching (ELT). It is used to indicate teachers and students
performances during a lesson or a series of lessons on a particular subject. In the
context of the classroom, both teachers and learners may have previous
knowledge or an idea about which are the most suitable actions that will define the
role each plays or develops.
1.1 Related Terms

There are several terms related to roles that are very important for understanding
the nature of teachers roles. Some of these are the following:
Role Conflict is when there seems to be confusion about what teachers are
supposed to do in the classroom. This happens when the teacher cannot
distinguish between the roles he plays in the classroom and the role of examiner or
administrator of a test to determine students qualifications (McDonough & Shaw,
1993).
Role Networks are an arranged system where roles depend on an administrative

system. It refers to the roles that are related to the level of responsibility and
authority within the group of people working in a place (McDonough & Shaw,
1993). Vilar (2003: 3) describes this organization as role relationship, which
refers to the way individuals behave when cast in an opposing or complementary
role.
Role Expectations refer to the correct and suitable actions expected from the
individual as part of a role that has been given by the institution, organization, etc.
That is, the roles authorities expect teachers to perform (Vilar, 2003).
Role Set refers to the individuals and groups of people who interact with you in a
place or in your daily life (McDonough & Shaw, 1993). For example, the teacher in
the school interacts with his or her students and everyone who works at this
particular place: headmaster, senior teacher, technicians, other teachers in the
school, other English teachers and secretaries (McDonough & Shaw, 1993: 286).
However, for Vilar (2003) these people not only interact with the individual, but also
influence the way the individual acts or behaves in various situations.
In addition, Handy (1985 in McDonough & Shaw, 1993) includes more concepts
related to role such as role ambiguity, role overload, and role stress.
Regarding the concept of role ambiguity, it happens when the teacher is unsure
about the action and/or behavior other people expect from him/her in a specific
situation. Role overload is caused when the professor cannot play all the roles
expected of him/her due to the number. It could be when he/she has many
10
responsibilities, tasks in the school, inside and outside the classroom and is unable
to accomplish them. As a result, this could cause role stress, which is divided by
Handy (1985) into role pressure and role strain.
2. Roles of Teachers
In a school, a variety of roles are performed and expected of a learner and a
teacher. In the case of a student, he/she is expected to behave in a good manner,
cooperate with the activities carried out in the classroom, address the teacher and
other students with respect, etc. A teacher is expected to keep the order inside the
classroom, to teach, to act as a guide, etc. Some experts consider that the teacher
has the right to give orders or make decisions concerning students (Vilar, 2003).
Perhaps the most important role of a teacher is that of creating and maintaining
quality in education (Leu, 2005). Quality in education has been an issue of
research in many countries including Mexico. According to Leu (2005), the teacher
plays an important role in the quality of education. In order to achieve high quality
learning, teachers should take advantage of their professional attitudes, energy,
and motivation, in combination with their teaching skills (Leu, 2005:22). According
to Reyes (N.D.) the teacher should have a theoretical framework in education (1);
conduct research and carry out innovative activities; develop teaching and learning
strategies and motivate students; assess the learning and provide advice, as well
as help students to gain knowledge. However, for Neira (N.D.), university teachers
should also develop the intellectual abilities of their students, and should not only
be learning facilitators, but also teachers who help learners to form their identity as
university students.
As a result, in the classroom many roles, behaviors, actions are expected from the
teacher who develops and/or plays diverse kinds of roles according to the needs of
his or her students. Vilar (2003) in her study mentions that a teacher has two main
roles or functions in a classroom: the enabling or managerial function and the
instructional function. In the first one the teacher:
11
creates the conditions under which learning can take place: the
social side of teaching; and in the second the teacher is the socalled instructor, to impart, by a variety of means, knowledge to
their learners: the task-oriented side of teaching.
(Vilar, 2003:4)
Vilar (2003) also mentions that in a class the teacher can perform both at the same
time and that it is not easy to separate them from one another. However, these are
only two roles. There are many more which will be discussed in more detail in the
following section.
3. The roles of the foreign language teacher

In the EFL field, teachers are required to play different roles, but for the purpose of
this study, we will focus only on those performed in the classroom such as
assessor, informer, manager, monitor, organizer, participant, prompter, resource,
counselor, facilitator, motivator, model, diagnostician, parent/ friend and tutor.
3.1 Assessor
The assessment of the students is an important task the teacher has to develop
because as an assessor the teacher has the role of evaluator of the student
(Harden & Crosby, 2000). This may be carried out by means of classroom
observation or formal methods such as quizzes, tests and examinations. Mapstone
(1996 in Harden & Crosby 2000: 11) states that good teachers know how they
must assess their students learning. Although sometimes teachers are able to
play their roles perfectly, there are times when they may not be good examiners.
Owing to this, some institutions have a specialized staff of teachers who are
knowledgeable and who understand assessment issues (Harden & Crosby, 2000).
For Harmer, the teacher as assessor has to offer the student feedback, correct
mistakes and grade students (McDonough & Christopher, 1993).
12
3.2 Manager or controller

The teacher who acts as a manager is responsible for controlling students by
establishing the rules, routines and things that are usually done in the classroom
(Spratt, 2005). When teachers play the role of controller, it means that they are in
charge of the class and the activities that take place in the classroom and are
frequently leading from the front (Harmer, 2007:108). As Harmer (2007)
mentions, controllers do not just try to control the class, but they also take the
register, tell students things, organize drills, read aloud and in other various ways
exemplify the qualities of a teacher-fronted classroom (Harmer, 2007:108). Most
of the teachers who perceive their job as transmitters of knowledge to their
students do not prefer this role. One of the main disadvantages of this role is that
the opportunities for students to speak are reduced because the class works as a
whole group, and only some of them have the opportunity to say something. In
addition, the performance of this role could affect the classroom atmosphere.
However, this role can function in a good way when explanations are given, and
the teacher organizes question and answer activities (Harmer, 2007:109). It is
considered one of the most common roles although some teachers fail when trying
to perform it.
3.3 Informer or information provider
The teacher who acts as an informer provides the necessary information when
presenting a new topic and explains the activity that will be carried out during the
lesson (Spratt, 2005). Generally, the teacher is responsible for giving students the
information, knowledge and understanding of a subject according to the level of
students. In addition, the importance of this role is that the teacher provides the
information that may not be common in text books, and makes a connection
between the information given and the context of Language Learning and Teaching
(Harden & Crosby, 2000).
13
3.4 Monitor
The teacher plays the monitor role when he/she checks that all the activities are
going well in the classroom when students are working on their own or in groups
(Spratt, 2005). During the monitoring, the teacher checks abilities, fluency,
pronunciation and can see also if students have problems with something specific
(vocabulary, structures, etc).
3.5 Organizer
More than just giving classes; the teacher needs to know what to do first and what
to do after. For this reason, when being an organizer, it is important that the
teacher plans classes and the mechanics of the lesson. Watkins (2005) adds that
in this role the teacher has to take into account the different factors of the context
he/she is working in, for example:
How many people will work in a group? Which students will work
effectively together? What instructions do students need? How can
you make instructions clear will an example and/or a
demonstration help? How long should an activity take? Where will
students sit? What will you do about late arrivals to the class?
(Watkins, 2005: 18)
3.6 Participant
When students are carrying out different activities in the classroom it is very
common that the teacher is situated at the back or sitting at his/her desk just
allowing the students to perform the activities, intervening from time to time, giving
feedback and correcting mistakes only when it is necessary. However, there are
moments when teachers also could attach themselves to the activities, that is, as a
participant. An advantage of the teacher being a participant is that students can
feel more secure and enjoy the activities with their teacher. An important
disadvantage would be that when the teacher takes the role of participant, he/she
can lead or take over the activity, preventing students from participating freely
(Harmer, 2007). Generally, according to Sprat (2005:145) the teacher makes sure
all the learners are taking part in the activities.
14
3.7 Prompter
Harmer (2007:109) affirms that:
when students lose the thread in some activities such as role
plays, the teacher has to hold back and let the students work
things out by themselves or encourage them forward in a discreet
and supportive way. If the teacher opts for the latter he/she is
adopting a kind of prompting role.
In this kind of situation he/she wants to help, but does not want, at that stage, to
take charge. When a teacher prompts, he/she needs to do it sensitively and
encouragingly, but, above all, with discretion. If the teacher is too firm, he/she risks
taking initiative away from the student. If, on the other hand, he/she is too retiring,
he/she may not supply the right amount of encouragement (Harmer, 2007). That is,
when the teacher performs the role of prompter he/she helps students to recall and
answer a question. An example is mentioned by Hedge (2000):
Teacher-Do you remember how we described Mr. Birlinds
character yesterday? We said he was Student-Yes, he was a
hypocrite; he was unfeeling, cold
(Hedge, 2000: 29)
3. 8 Resource
Teachers act as a resource when students need the help of the teacher. That is,
when students ask how to say or write words or sentences, need to know the
meaning of unknown words or simply ask for information during the different
activities they carry out in the classroom (Hedge, 2000). Spratt (2005: 145)
summarizes this by stating that the teacher can be used by learners for help and
advice.
15
3. 9 Counselor
The role of the teacher as a counselor could appear or sound like a psychologist or
therapist, but it is not. As Fremman (2011) mentions, a counselor in the classroom
is able to know how to deal with learning situations. It could be some problems with
one or more of the four abilities (speaking, listening, writing, reading), or more
specific situations regarding pronunciation or grammar problems. In these cases,
the teacher as a counselor needs to be very clever to understand and to give the
required support to the students, who are having certain problems with the target
language (Freeman, 2011). In addition, the teacher should help their students to
make them aware they are able to find a solution to their own learning problems
(Dash, 2008). At the beginning, students depend on the teacher, but students may
learn from the teacher and continue practicing and studying to eventually become
more independent and autonomous.
3.10 Facilitator
The role of the teacher as a facilitator consists in encouraging and facilitating the
students with the necessary tools and support in order to be more autonomous,
and focused on the difficulties (Barrows & Tamblyn 1980; Davis & Harden
1999).This role is important because in the constructivism approach to learning,
that means knowledge is constructed in the mind of the student and is constantly
involving (Brooks & Brooks, 1993 in Harden & Crosby, 2000: 10). It is the teacher
as a facilitator who has to facilitate that process, but above all, to act as a guide to
students by creating appropriate situations in order to acquire the desired
knowledge (Dash, 2008), however, he/she does not have to act like an information
provider (Harden & Crosby, 2000: 10).
3.11 Motivator
Motivation is an important aspect the teacher needs to consider in the classroom
and obviously with the students. Motivation is defined by Harmer (2007:98) as
some kind of internal drive which pushes someone to do things in order to achieve
something. However, the motivation concept is divided into two: intrinsic
16
motivation which comes from inside the person, and extrinsic, that is, motivation
which comes from the outside. In the latter, it is the teacher who has to push and
help foster students motivation thereby being a motivator. Extrinsic motivation is
enhanced by the teacher by means of different ways. Regarding this, Harmer
(2007) refers to five: the first one is affection. Students can feel motivated if they
perceive that the teacher cares about them. The second one is achievement,
students tend to feel motivated by success, and therefore it is the teacher as a
motivator who has to encourage students to want to learn through hard work and
effort. The third one is attitude, students need to feel confidence and to know that
the teacher is a prepared person who knows what he/she is doing. It refers to the
attitude the teacher shows to the students regarding his/her job. The fourth way
Harmer (2007) considers are activities, the teacher as a motivator needs to use
activities which students enjoy, taking into account students learning styles and
also that the activities are related to what the teacher is teaching. The last one is
agency which means to give a kind of power to the students to make decisions
about what they want or need for homework, for example. Thus achieving that,
students become more autonomous and take responsibility for their own learning.
As Harmer (2007:102) affirms, the more we empower them and give them agency,
the more likely they are to stay motivated over a long period.
The teacher as a motivator has to do everything possible to achieve students that

become and feel motivated. The teacher cannot forget that all students are
different and therefore they learn and are motivated in different ways. Harmer
(2007) mentions some ways, by means of activities, that motivate students.
However, it does not mean that the teacher must use only these to motivate his/her
students.
3.12 Model
The teacher needs to be a model for the students. It means that the teacher should
exemplify what students should carry out or learn. This role is essential in the EFL
field because students learn from the teacher, from what the teacher shares with
17
them (experience, knowledge, behaviors, etc). Therefore, it is also relevant to state

that students learn by observation and imitation (Harden & Crosby, 2000:9).
3.13 Diagnostician
This role is very important in the teaching field. According to Spratt (2005: 145) the
teacher acts as a diagnostician when he/she is able to recognize the cause of
learners difficulties. That is, the teacher has to discover why students do not learn
as easily as others or why a topic is difficult for them. Consequently, the teacher is
an essential element in the teaching and learning process.
4. Factors that influence teachers roles

Studies have revealed that:
Teachers beliefs influence their awareness, teaching attitude,
teaching methods and teaching policies. Teachers beliefs also
strongly influence teaching behavior and, finally, learners
development.
(Mustapha, 2006: 1)
That is, teachers beliefs are essential in the teaching and learning process.
According to Vilar (2003), task-related factors also influence teacher roles. The
roles that are performed during the class should be according to the goals of the
lesson, type of tasks, and the topics that are taught. In addition, for Brown (2007:
99), some factors that influence teachers roles are the contexts of learning and
teaching such as the age and proficiency levels of students, and the socio-cultural,
political and institutional contexts.
In conclusion, there are many roles that a foreign language teacher has to play in
the classroom. There are roles with different characteristics as well as behaviors,
attitudes, perceptions and factors that influence the performance of these roles.
The aspects already mentioned in this chapter are based on the point of view of
diverse authors and the knowledge of experts in the EFL field. The methods used
to carry out this inquiry are described below.
18
CHAPTER 2
METHODOLOGY
Methodology is one of the most significant chapters in this research. It is divided
into six sections. The first deals with the qualitative methodology used in this
research. The second deals with the methods used to collect the data. The third
describes the data collection and analysis processes. The fourth presents the
research context. The fifth provides information about the participants involved in
this research. Finally, the sixth details the research procedure.
1. Methodology
The issue explored in this inquiry is teachers roles. This refers to the actions
each teacher as an individual develops or plays during his/her practice. This case
study was based on qualitative research, which we chose in order to expand
knowledge and to obtain information that could provide a better understanding of
teachers roles.
First of all we have to define qualitative research. According to Mark (2005)

Qualitative research is a type of scientific research. In general
terms, scientific research consists of an investigation that: seeks
answers to a question, systematically uses a predefined set of
procedures to answer the question, collects evidence, produces
findings that were not determined in advance, produces findings
that are applicable beyond the immediate boundaries of the study.
(Mark, 2005:1)
In contrast to quantitative research that begins from a hypothesis, the qualitative
approach is employed when the researcher has no personally formulated
expectations or preconceived
assumptions.
Qualitative
research
is used
particularly to identify expectations about the topic under study; it is useful to

identify relevant and interesting aspects about an issue. This is mentioned by
Patton (1985) who states that:
19
Qualitative research is an effort to understand situations in their

uniqueness as part of a particular context and the interactions
there. This understanding is an end in itself, so that it is not
attempting to predict what may happen in the future necessarily,
but to understand the nature of that setting.
(Patton, 1985: 1)
In other words, it means that:
qualitative researchers study things in their natural context,
trying to make sense of, or to interpret phenomena in terms of the
meanings people bring to them.
(Denzin & Lincoln, 2003 in Davies, 2007:10)
There are many types of qualitative research including the case study, grounded
theory, phenomenology, ethnography and narrative studies. For the purpose of this
research, a case study was conducted. First of all it is important to define what a
case study is; a case study is a specific instance that is frequently designed to
illustrate a more general principle (Nisbet & Watt 1984:72 in Cohen 2007: 253).
Adelman (1980) also says that it is the study of an instance in action (Adelman
1980 in Cohen 2007: 272). This research was carried out at a University where
there were several elements that needed to be taken into consideration such as
the context and the participants characteristics and backgrounds, among others.
Hitchcock (1995) mentions:
Case studies are set in temporal, geographical, organizational,

institutional and other contexts that enable boundaries to be drawn
around the case; they can be defined with reference to
characteristics defined by individuals and groups involved; and
they can be defined by participants roles and functions in the
case.
(Hitchcock & Hughes 1995: 319 in Cohen 2007: 253)
Bearing in mind this definition, not only teachers roles were examined, but also the
roles that teachers are likely to play in a University School of Languages were
20
identified. According to Joyce (n. d: para.1) a case study focuses on individuals or

small groups to draw conclusions about them in a specific context. A case study
attempts to describe and explore the behavior of participants in order to
understand the research question. In this study, attention was focused on the
teachers, the roles they may play in the classroom, and their perceptions about the
different roles they play.
2. Data collection methods

Qualitative research makes use of different methods to develop an investigation,
but for the current study only two of these methods were used: interviews and a
research journal.
2.1 Interview
Hannan (2007) and Denzin (2003) consider the interview as a conversation
between the researcher and the respondent. However, for Denzin (2003) it means
more than that. He considers that the interview is the art of asking questions and
listening (Denzin, 2003:36). According to Kvale (1996) the interview is perhaps the
most commonly used method to conduct qualitative research. In addition,
interviews are considered to be a valid source of information. In this research we
did not just ask and listen, we were also looking for veracity and real information
from a real context.
There are three major types of interviews, taking into account the way in which
each is developed and carried out: structured interviews, unstructured interviews
and semi-structured interviews (Hannan, 2007). According to Hannan (2007), the
structured interview is suitable when the researcher wants to focus and know
certain aspects and information from the interviewee. In this type of interview the
researcher has the questions organized from general to specific aspects according
to what he/ she wants to know. In contrast, the unstructured interview is conducted
using general ideas about the topic of the interview. The aim of this type of
interview is that relevant topic points come up in a natural way when the interview
21
is carried out. It is used when the researcher really needs to discover what the
interviewee thinks through the development of empathy and trust. The third sort of
interview is called semi-structured which has some arranged questions, but they do
not have a planned answer. This interview may develop in several ways and it is
flexible because the researcher and the respondent can decide what topic they
discuss first and then which next. Consequently, this research employed a semistructured interview because this technique is good for obtaining information about
peoples behavior and perceptions and for encouraging long and complex
responses (Hannan, 2007). It was used in order to obtain information about the
participants perceptions of their roles as English teachers.
2.2 Research Journal

A journal was used to write a variety of issues related to the research being carried
out. Firstly, it was used to describe the continuous process for developing this
research. Secondly, it was useful to write important notes about references related
to this research. Thirdly, it was used to illustrate the content of relevant articles and
books that were useful to carry out this inquiry, and finally, it was used as a
reference when writing this research.
3. Data Analysis
One of the most important approaches to qualitative research is Grounded theory.
This approach was innovated by the Sociologists Glaser and Strauss in the 1960s.
Strauss and Corbin (1990) state that grounded theory derives systematically from
the collection and analysis of data related to a phenomenon. Denzin and Lincoln
(1998) define it as a methodology used for developing and producing theory from
data and evidence analysis. In this study, firstly, the data was collected through
recorded interviews; secondly, these interviews were transcribed. Then the
transcriptions of the interviews were analyzed in order to generate theory that is
grounded in the teachers responses (Gillham, 2000). This analysis is
characterized by employing two approaches: the constant comparative method and
theoretical elaboration. The constant comparative method is used by the
22
researcher to collect, code and analyze data, as well as to verify the findings at the
same time. The theoretical elaboration approach is used to discover the categories
revealed by the data (Vasilachis, 2006). In the analysis process the relevant
information was identified, while at the same time it was classified into different and
possible categories to be used in the research.
4. Research context
This inquiry was carried out at a university in Xalapa, Veracruz, in particular at the
School of Languages that has been implementing and adopting a new educational
model called MEIF (Flexible and Integral Educational Model) since 2008. The most
significant aims of this model are to promote students autonomy, as well as their
interaction with the student community of other Schools to complement their
knowledge in their professional field. As a result, the main role of the teacher has
changed from that of a traditional teacher to that of a facilitator.
5. Participants
In order to explore and achieve an understanding about the teachers roles and
their perceptions, the participants of this study were six EFL teachers. The majority
of them had studied at this school. Nowadays, they give classes in all the
semesters at this School. Most of these teachers have more than fifteen years of
experience in teaching EFL. In order to respect their anonymity their real names
were changed.
5.1 Ernest
Ernest studied the BA in English Language and has a Diploma in TEFL at this
School of Languages. He obtained the Certificate of Teaching English from
Cambridge University. He went to the United States where he obtained a Masters
Degree in 2006. At present, he is studying a Ph.D. In terms of teaching experience
he has worked at a number of different schools such as elementary schools,
middle schools, high schools, as well as in private English Language Institutes in
23
both Mexico and the United States. He has worked at this particular university in
Mexico since 2008.
5.2 Fer
Fer studied the BA in English Language at this Mexican university. He studied the
Masters in Spanish, Linguistics, Culture and Literature in Spanish Language in San
Jose State University in San Jose, California. In terms of teaching experience he
worked first in primary and high schools in the United States for ten years. At this
Mexican university, he has worked at the School of Literature teaching subjects
such as Spanish phonology and phonetics. At present, he works at the School of
Languages where he teaches many subjects related to the English language. He
has worked here for six years.
5.3 Cooper
Cooper studied the BA at this School of Languages. He obtained the Masters in
Teaching English as a Foreign Language. In terms of teaching experience, he
began working at this School in 2002. He started to give classes when he was
studying the sixth semester of his BA degree in prestigious primary schools and
universities.
5.4 Marie
Marie has a TEFL diploma and Masters degree. She has been teaching for about
fifteen years. She has taught all levels, as well as students of different ages. She is
the English coordinator of a primary school. She is also teaching here at the
School of Languages as a teacher of different subjects related to the teaching
area.
5.5 Pauline
Pauline is a native English speaker. She studied English and Spanish in Chicago.
She has a Masters Degree in Mexican History and a MSc in TEFL. She has also
24
taught English at a U.S. university. She has been teaching at this school for about
30 years.
5.6 Charlie
Charlie studied the BA in English Language at this school. Then, he studied the
Masters in Education and now he is studying a Ph. D. He started to give classes in
Junior high schools on Saturdays when he was in the second semester of the BA.
He has worked at this School of Languages for fifteen years teaching from
beginner to advanced levels.
6. Research Procedure
First of all, a considerable amount of literature about teachers roles by different
authors was reviewed. A variety of definitions regarding different teachers roles
that are developed in the classroom were found, including significant related
issues. Relevant information, considered as necessary, was selected in order to
understand, defend and support our work.
Although we had useful information for this work, it was not enough because we
needed to obtain real results from a specific context. Therefore, we decided to
interview teachers in order to discover their perceptions about their actual roles. A
research interview guide was designed for this purpose (Appendix 1). This
included: the specific interview questions asked about the roles teachers play in
the classroom, the roles they prefer to play, and their feelings when required to
play a new or a different role. Six teachers were selected to answer these
questions taking into account how good teachers they are and their experience as
teachers. We approached these teachers when they were in their classrooms or in
the corridors of the School of Languages. The appointments were arranged with
them according to their availability.
The interview was piloted first with a teacher at the School of Languages. While
interviewing the teacher it became apparent that it was necessary to change some
25
questions in order to complement the interview, therefore some questions were

checked and modified. Finally, six English teachers were interviewed and their
answers recorded in the classrooms at this School of Languages on different days.
The interview process lasted approximately a month. Although nothing was
promised to them, they agreed to cooperate in the development of our research.
However, it was necessary to adopt pseudonyms for the participants in order to
protect their identity and privacy.
The interviews were transcribed and analyzed word by word, underlining what
seemed to be important for this research. That is, by using Grounded Theory.
Interesting information was found by searching for the answers to our research
questions. From these answers categories and subcategories emerged. Then,
information about these categories and extracts from the interviews were selected
and written in the form of a table in order to compare and contrast the findings in
the data. It was very useful when writing our chapter called Findings by comparing
what were the best extracts to represent the different perceptions of the teachers.
In addition, as some interviews were carried out in Spanish, it was decided to
translate the extracts that seemed to be significant for the research from Spanish
to English so that the reader could understand what was said by the participants.
26
CHAPTER 3
EFL teachers perceptions regarding the roles they play in the
classroom
In this chapter, the findings which give response to the five research sub-questions
are discussed. What roles do teachers play? What are teachers perceptions of
these roles? Which role or roles does the teacher prefer to play? How does the
teacher feel when asked to perform a new role? In addition, this chapter presents
the collections of categories that were found. The first collection is about the roles
teachers perform in the classroom. The second collection is about the roles
teachers prefer to play in the classroom, and the third collection is about the
teachers feelings when required to play a new or a different role in the classroom.
1. Roles teachers play in the classroom

Most of the teachers point out that students expect the teacher to have certain
characteristics and to behave in an appropriate manner, but at the same time they
expect them to develop certain or specific roles with them during the class.
According to the findings in the data, the teacher seems to be the person who
develops and plays a variety of roles during the class. Students want a teacher to
perform different and necessary roles in the classroom such as a model, a
resource person, a controller, an organizer, a provider and even a psychologist or
a role that is not mentioned by experts, a social worker.
1.1 Assessor
Most of the teachers seem to play the assessor role in the classroom as part of
their job as a teacher. According to the data, they seem to be aware of this as a
task or as a role, as they give and check assignments, as well as give feedback to
students. As Ernest claims in representation of what most teachers believe.
27
Its one of the roles of the teachers. It is one of the tasks that
teachers have to perform in the classroom, thats part of his work,
he has to be there. Students work, they give you the work and you
give them feedback.
(E/I1/26/09/12)
In addition, many teachers point out the importance of this role for teachers and
students. According to the data, the performance of this role, when checking
assignments, seems to be a tool to notice what students did not understand in the
class and what needs to be explained again. Many teachers give the impression of
taking advantage of the observation of students performance in the classroom and
they give feedback face to face. As Fer highlights:
The feedback is important because in this way you can clarify

students doubts and if something is not very clear you can explain
it again. I do it when I see how students work is.
(F/I1/10/10/12) [Translation]
Some teachers suggest that students ask if they have doubts, if something is not
clear, but also to ask why they are wrong. As Cooper mentions I always tell them:
when you make mistakes, ask why you are wrong (Co/I1/19/10/12) [Translation].
Regarding this, some teachers maintain that this role is very important to develop
because in this way you can see the performance of each student. The teachers
seem to feel satisfaction and happiness when performing it because they can help
their students to correct future mistakes and to improve their English. As Marie
mentions:
that is something important if you want to see, if you want to
check the performance of your students and how good they are
doing or not. So, in order to, I have to check how they are
performing during the class and its necessary to provide them with
feedback and so I agree with that. It is something important for
your students.
(M/I1/22/10/12)
Therefore, this role appears to be essential when learning a foreign language
especially for acquiring all the skills students need such as speaking, reading,
28
listening and writing. According to the data, sometimes the teacher provides
students with feedback or simply points out what is wrong in their assignments.
This way of checking students writing offers students the opportunity to correct
their mistakes by themselves; as a result students become their own assessors. As
Fer states:
At the beginning of the course, I give keys to students and I tell

them what the keys mean. When I ask them to do their writings, I
give them back with these keys and students should correct their
mistakes. So, they provide themselves with feedback.
Some teachers believe that it is better to provide students with feedback as soon
as possible because students may take advantage of this and correct their
mistakes. However, sometimes, although the teacher carries out his/her work as
an assessor, some of the students do not correct their mistakes. They just see their
grades on their assignments and they do no more. This is something that teachers
do not like and they become angry. As Pauline claims:
I think, you should deal with it as soon as you can do it, the faster
the turnaround hopefully the more beneficial for the students. But it
always makes me really mad when I give students back their work
and they only look at the grade. They only look at the grades and
they dont look for the mistakes or they dont look for the
corrections. So, they just: ok! Thats over and ignore it.
(P/I1/23/10/12)
Interestingly, these actions seem to confirm how the experts define teachers as an
assessor (cf. chapter 1: 3.1).
1.2 Controller
According to the findings in the data, the teacher is a manager. That means that he
or she is in charge of the class. The teacher as a manager needs to have the
control of the class developing in this manner the role as a controller that is played
in different ways. Some teachers are controllers just at particular moments during
the class, for example, when the students work in teams with projects. Every
29
teacher has his/her own style to play the role as a controller. For example Marie
mentions:
I organize the way I will work in the class. I plan different kinds of
activities. I assign them to my students to work individually, in pairs
or teams. In that way I can control them.
(M/I1/22/10/12)
Marie uses her planning to control the class by using plenty of activities. It may be
a good way to satisfy students learning styles, for instance when students who do
not like to work by themselves work with other classmates. At the same time the
teacher can control the class and create a good atmosphere in the classroom.
Regarding the students behaviors some teachers do not consider it necessary to
control the students, as Ernest says, I dont have problems controlling the class. I
think all students here in the school behave very well (E/I1/26/09/12). As we know,
the context in which these teachers work is a university means, that students are
more responsible and they behave in an appropriate manner because of their age,
that is why the teacher does not need to be a strict controller in the sense of
behavior, only when the activities are being carried out. As Ernest also mentions,
the teacher needs to be in control all the time even when he just lets students do
whatever they are supposed to do (E/I1/26/09/12).
The same stance is summarized by Cooper, but he also considers the moments in
which students have the control:
I think there must be the control always, but there are moments in
which the student is going to have the control of some activities.
For example, some projects that they have to do in teams for the
following class or the following week.
(Co/I1/19/10/12)[Translation]
30
In a classroom it is very important to be in control, not only of the class, but when
to give the students the opportunity to take control during their activities, in an
independent way (cf. chapter 1: 3.2).
1.3 Provider
According to the findings in the data, the teacher as provider gives students
information and material. As an information provider, the teacher is aware that
students want a teacher who can provide knowledge, explain any topic in front of
the class and give good examples. Generally, they expect the teacher to have an
excellent language level so that the teacher can communicate to them what he/
she knows about any topic in a good way. According to the teachers perceptions
Ernest mentions, students expect someone who has a good level of English and
can convey to them the information that he or she has (E/I1/26/09/12).
Although the teacher seems to be the person who possesses and shares with
students what he/she knows, students are the ones who decide what they learn or
not from him/her. For this reason, the teacher may not consider him/herself a
transmitter of knowledge:
I dont believe that the role of the teacher is some kind of
transmitter of knowledge. I dont think so. I think you got the
knowledge, you share with them but you cant really transmit it, you
know you just share what you have and they decide what they take
from you or not...
(E/I1/26/09/12)
However, the teacher as a material provider gives students the appropriate
material according to the topics of the syllabus, as Cooper points out:
The teacher also should be a provider when we talk about

material, but always directed to something especially of what we
see in the unit or to look for certain material for students.
31
Interestingly, to be a provider is to give students necessary and useful tools, which

really will help them, by means of different kinds of activities and exercises which
also could focus on specific necessities as Marie says:
I usually provide them with extra material or I focus my attention on
those specific necessities. If we are talking about grammar
sometimes I work with different kinds of exercises that could help
my students. In case they need to speak more, I provide them with
more activities focused on speaking and things like that. So, I
provide them with the necessary resources to make them perform
better in the class and of course improve their weaknesses.
(M/I1/22/10/12)
As we can see, Marie does more than just give extra material. She seems to
emphasize she plays this role because of the necessities of their students, and she
tries to improve their weaknesses. This could mean that this role could be
influenced by students necessities. This role implies many aspects depending on
teachers styles to carry out this role. For example, Cooper mentions how he
prepares his material in order to provide students with useful worksheets, in my
case, I do worksheets which I adapt myself from some books (Co/I1/19/10/12)
[Translation]. The activities and exercises vary according to the teacher. Regarding
the manner in which the material is provided Cooper says:
We have to facilitate the material printed, by internet or in other

way that really means usefulness for them. It should be a material
which has something very significant that they should learn in a
significant way.
As Cooper highlights, the importance of being a provider is that students can
improve their learning by means of the material provided. Sometimes teachers
would like to do more for the students, but because of the short period of time (they
are not semesters, but trimesters) and the syllabus that they must cover in this
time, it is not possible as Cooper highlights:
32
We cant digress very much not even in dynamics, games or many

extra things that we would like to share with students. For this
reason, it is necessary to guide them, it is necessary to facilitate
the material to them.
(Co/I1/19/10/12) [Translation]
In this extract the teacher seems not to be satisfied with having to play this role as
he would like to do more. That is why some teachers try to help students by
facilitating them the necessary material any way they can. In conclusion, the
teacher as provider is not just a provider of information (c.f. chapter 1: 3.3) but also
a material provider.
1.4 Monitor
Another important role played by the teacher in the classroom is the role of a
monitor, which consists of checking that students work in a good manner during
the class according to Spratt (2005). Ernest also defined this role as:
Somebody supervising work not doing the work, just making sure
that the others are doing good work he just lets students do
whatever are supposed to do, stand up, move around, talk, etc.
You are the person supervising, making sure that things are
happening in the way they should be happening
(E/I1/26/09/12)
As Ernest highlights to be a monitor does not mean to be sitting in the corner or at
the desk just observing what students do, to be a monitor consists in walking
around the classroom checking students work. A good monitor should talk to the
students, and check if they have doubts and try to resolve them at the moment if it
is possible. It is to check that students are developing their work in a good way,
helping them at any time they need it (c.f. chapter 1:3.4).
1.5 Organizer
This role seems to be one of the most principal roles teachers assume in the
classroom. The teacher plans his/her class by organizing what he/she is going to
do first and what he/she is going to after with his/her students, including the
33
appropriate activities. As Marie maintains, as a teacher you need to organize the

way you work in the classroom and the activities you use in the class
(M/I1/22/10/12). This teacher appears to take into account how students are going
to participate in the activities.
Some of the teachers seem to be active teachers because of the different ways
they organize their students. For example, Fer considers, in your class you have
to organize your students in different ways, in small groups, trios and pairs
(F/I1/10/10/12) [Translation]. When organizing the way to work in class with
different activities, working in pairs or teams, as Fer says, teachers also have to
consider many aspects such as the students language level, skills and abilities so
that students may help each other. As Cooper states:
Sometimes I form groups by using cards, when there are activities

with cards, but I always make sure that in each group there is at
least one student with high abilities and skills to do certain things,
so that these students can help their classmates.
In sum, the teacher as an organizer takes into account the context, that is, the kind
of students he/she has, how many students there are, the atmosphere in the
classroom, the appropriate instructions, etc. as Watkins (2005) mentions (c.f.
chapter 1: 3.7).
1.6 Participant
The teacher in the classroom is also a participant because he/she takes part in
some activities with his/her students. As Fer affirms, Im a participant in many
activities; I take part in the activities as if I were one more student (F/I1/10/10/12)
[Translation]. Some teachers consider this role is necessary and other teachers are
aware that students expect them to be a participant. In addition, in this way they
can work with students more directly, together like a team as Ernest mentions that,
with the students I think that is what they expect from me some kind of team
worker (E/I1/26/09/12). What Ernest tries to explain is that sometimes students
34
expect the teacher to assume this role and thus be one of them - an active
participant. In addition, however, they should monitor students, give feedback at
the moment, and help them to learn. According to this Ernest states, I believe
more in collaborative work, working together in order to achieve aims
(E/I1/26/09/12).
Some teachers like Ernest consider this role as collaborative work in order to
develop, in this case, language competence. This role seems to be significant due
to the fact that direct interaction between teacher - student in any activity or
exercise seems to help the students. It gives the opportunity to the teacher to
monitor and check specific aspects such as pronunciation, grammatical structures,
or any mistake that could appear during practice, and correct students at the
moment. By being a participant, the teacher can help the student to improve and to
learn better. This role could be influenced by teachers beliefs as he believes in
working as a team (c.f. chapter 1:4).
1.7 Prompter
The teacher as a prompter encourages students without them realizing it.
According to the data the teacher seems to elicit information from students in order
to activate students schemata and to help students participate in class. The
performance of this role seems to be influenced by students characteristics. As
Marie maintains:
If I have passive students and if those students dont want to
participate, I try to be a prompter for example, and I try to elicit
information from them.
(M/I1/22/10/12)
In conclusion, this role seems to be significant to help to recall what students
already know or have seen and heard before about any topic, as Hedge (2000)
describes (cf. chapter 1: 3.7).
35
1.8 Resource
Teachers are aware of the performance of this role, as Ernest states, I think you
are a resource, youve got the knowledge, you share with them what you know
(E/I1/26/09/12). As this extract highlights, the teacher is who has ample knowledge
which is shared with the students in class. However, also if they have questions or
need to know something specific even when there is not something clear enough.
It is when the teacher plays this role. This finding seems to be consist with what
Spratt (2005) summarizes (cf. chapter 1: 3.8)
1.9 Counselor
Interestingly, this role seems to be very important in the classroom. Some teachers
perform this role to help and talk to their students when they have problems,
especially with their language learning. It could be when the teacher realizes that
students are not performing very well in the class and the teacher decides to talk to
them, to find out why they are not carrying out their assignments as they should.
So, the teacher offers his/her help to them, as Ernest points out:
I am always there to help, so when I notice that somebody has

problems I say hey! You can come to me. Sometimes you have to
go and talk to them and tell them. Hey, is this your best? It is not
enough. You have to do it much better than this.
(E/I1/26/09/12)
In this extract, the teacher sounds as if he would make students feel they have to
make a major effort to improve their language learning. However, the teacher feels
uneasy when he has to make students think of their responsibilities in their own
learning as students, because this is not a role that he likes.
I dont think is my job to remind the student is responsible for
the learning .I dont think that is a role that I like, reminding
students of the responsibilities
(E/I1/26/09/12)
36
To summarize, these actions as a counselor seem to be consistent with what

Freeman (2011) states regarding this role (cf. chapter 1:.3.9).
1.10 Facilitator
The role as a facilitator or guide seems to be performed in a significant way in the
classroom. Teachers think that the main role they should play at this level, in the
university, is a facilitator, as Cooper mentions:
In the professional aspect, I believe that the teacher, at least what

is currently MEIF should be a facilitator of knowledge. That is what
the teacher must be.
Because of the model and the level (university students) teachers consider this is
the most played role, because as Charlie affirms: the role is the facilitator, the
teacher is not there to explain but facilitate students learning (Ch/I1/29/10/12).
What Charlie tries to take into consideration is the level, because it is supposed
that the students are more responsible and autonomous at this age. So, it is
expected from them. The teacher as a facilitator tries to solve or to make clear the
different doubts or questions students could have, and provides the required
information. As Marie expresses:
If students have doubts or questions, I try to give them an answer

and in case I dont know the answer I usually resolve doubts or
questions by looking for the information, or for example I say: ok, I
dont know the answer, but Im going to check it. That is what I
usually do.
(M/I1/22/10/12)
In this case, we have to consider that the teacher does not know everything. So, as
Marie mentions above, if she does not know something, she tries to look for it,
perhaps not at the moment, but as soon as possible she gives the student the
answer or tells them what they wanted to know. However, an important aspect
when assuming this role is that students are the people who should put into
37
practice their autonomy and to be responsible for their own learning. For this
reason, the teacher just has to be a guide.
According to the findings in the data, the teacher seems to be the person who
guides students to learn the right things, but also the most important things in the
easiest way possible to obtain the desired results. The performance of this role
could be influenced by the short period of time (trimesters). As Cooper mentions:
The teacher has to guide students in order to learn what is useful

for them. We have to share useful things with them because as
you know, they arent semesters but almost trimesters.
These findings seem to be consistent with what Dash (2008) states (cf. chapter 1:
3.10). Although, it is noteworthy that most of the teachers like to play this role in the
classroom, some of them consider that it is much harder than just being a
traditional teacher. Consequently, some teachers have to make a mixture of the
traditional teacher and the teacher as a facilitator because of the educational
system students come from. As Charlie mentions:
Unfortunately, students come from a system in which they dont
know the autonomy. So, there is a drastic change when they start
the university and the teacher should be in part a traditional
teacher.
(Ch/I1/29/10/12) [Translation]
Interestingly, some teachers would like to perform this role completely. However,
as students are not independent in their own learning at this level, this role is
assumed partially. As Pauline states:
I would love to be a facilitator, but even though I want to do it, it
doesnt work with all people. So, I can only do it partially because
some of the others need me to push or to constantly be at the back
to remind them.
(P/I1/23/10/12)
38
1.11 Model
The teacher also develops the role as a model in the classroom, which means to
exemplify what students have to do as Ernest says:
sometimes we as teachers tend to talk a lot, talk and talk and its
boring and many times it is much better to show students what you
expect them to do. So, sometimes simply you act out or role play
what you want to do so they can get the picture. I think it is a good
strategy.
(E/I1/26/09/12)
More than a role, Ernest highlights that to be a model is a good strategy. As a
result, students can understand and do the activities much better because of the
example of the teacher. As Marie mentions, if you provide them with the model,
that is easier for them. They can perform better (M/I1/22/10/12).
The importance of this role is that students can develop all the skills and
competences needed in their career with the teachers help. Therefore, he/she
should show the student how to do the activities or develop certain skills when
learning a language. As Fer affirms in representation of what other teachers
considered, It is very important, especially when you are working with a language
class (F/I1/10/10/12) [Translation]. Fer highlights this because as we know when a
foreign language is studied, it is necessary to have language proficiency. For
example, when speaking, it is necessary to have good pronunciation, to know
about phonemes and articulation. Regarding this, Fer maintains that he model[s]
the articulation and phonemes three or four times, then I give examples and I also
use reading activities to practice (F/I1/10/10/12) [Translation].
What this teacher does is an excellent example of what a teacher as a model does
in the classroom. First of all, he shows the manner of articulation more than once.
Then, he gives plenty of examples to students. Finally, when students are reading
the teacher could realize if students can pronounce the words correctly. If it is not
39
the correct pronunciation, the teacher corrects at the moment, and models again if
it is necessary. These actions seem to confirm what is stated by Harden and
Crosby, (2000) (cf. chapter 1: 3.12).
1.12 Diagnostician
This could sound like something medical, but it is not. This term is also used in the
classroom. The teacher as a diagnostician has to be able to detect the necessities
or deficiencies students could have and try to give a solution or support. There are
several ways to notice the necessities or deficiencies as Cooper affirms:
Tasks are a way, I've always told my students that the purpose of
the task is not to stress them or complicate their lives, but that they
detect or that I realize where they have certain weaknesses and
work on that, then that is one way. Other one is when I ask them to
take part, sometimes I ask volunteers, but sometimes by the way
you are seen by the pupil, like they bend their head or turn their
sight you realize that they are not dealing very well, or that it is
hard for them. And already in a particular way I ask certain persons
and detect if they dealt with it or not, if they have any mistakes or
not, this is way is how I notice it.
(Co/I1/19/10/12)(Translation)
As we could see in the last extract, to diagnose the faults that could exist in the
students learning, it is important to implement strategies. As Cooper mentioned, it
can also be done through activities, although not so directly. Teachers could use
different strategies or activities, but there are some times in the classroom when
nothing works and students do not ask anything. That is when the teachers need to
use alternatives such as Pauline mentions: They dont really tell you when they
have doubts. You have to go through the back door (P/I1/23/10/12). Pauline
focuses on something that is very common in the classroom; students do not show
or say they need help. To know what is happening to the students and their
learning is part of the role of a diagnostician. It is when the teacher should
investigate in fact what is happening, as Pauline mentioned go through the back
door which means finding an alternative route to understand the students.
40
On the one hand there are teachers who develop this role or try to develop it in
different ways; on the other hand there are some that do not do it completely or do
not give it too much importance as Ernest affirms:
I have to confess that I do not do that a lot. We have to follow a

syllabus in all the courses. There are a number of items/ elements
in your syllabus you have to cover so in that respect you know if
students have other needs if they want to learn other things if they
are more interested maybe in some other stuff you still have to
cover that syllabus you still have to cover certain lessons,
vocabulary, grammar structures etc.
(E/I1/26/09/12)
We could see the disadvantages of playing the role of a diagnostician, mainly the
syllabus which includes different contents that has to be covered in a specific time.
With this pressure it is difficult for some teachers to develop this role.
1.13 Parents
Most of the teachers consider they are seen as a paternal or a maternal figure. So
they seem to take advantage of this and negotiate the learning process with
students as parents do. As Cooper states:
The student sees you as a paternal figure or as a relative. For

example when students do not hand their homework in or a
project, they ask you to have a new opportunity and I give them
one, two or three days to hand it in.
Despite the fact there are students that want to submit their assignments, there are
those students who do not want to assume their responsibility as students at all.
For this reason, the teacher sometimes needs to remind students of their
assignments and responsibilities as if she were a mother. As Pauline mentions:
in some ways the teachers have to be the parents, in other
ways, they have to be the brother and sister. Some of the students
41
need me to push, be like a mother or to constantly be at the back

to remind them what they should do.
(P/I1/23/10/12)
Although some teachers seem to play this role, it seems that is not always
performed. An obvious difference between the role as a biological parent and as a
teacher as parent, is that the former can oblige their children to obey them, but the
second cannot force their students to do or hand in their assignments, attend
classes everyday or to be on time. As Cooper points out:
Regarding the paternal figure, I have always said that we cannot

advise students more than is allowed as a teacher. We cannot
force them to take their responsibility as students because you can
get into trouble.
Generally, according to the data, the teacher cannot be a parent at all, as Cooper
highlights in the last extract the teacher cannot force the student like a real parent,
but just as a person who pushes, reminds or gives an advice to the students and
perhaps a bit of comprehension.
1.14 Motivator
Motivation is an essential factor in the classroom. This role is developed in different
ways in the university that depends on the teacher as Cooper mentions:
I always motivate them, and come with the ok, Hello! Good
morning! How are you today? Hey! Excellent! Thats good! For this
activity I need a beautiful girl, a beautiful girl this morning. Good do
it! A handsome boy? No handsome boys today. Oh my goodness!
Ok, at least a boy. I always try to find expressions which motivate
them.
(Co/I1/19/10/12)
This extract illustrates that to motivate, teachers do not need to do big or elaborate
things to do it; Cooper does it with simple and daily words and phrases. He
motivates his students by the way he says hello and asks participants to do an
42
activity or exercise. That is the way Cooper motivates. However, as we mentioned

previously, each teacher has his/her own perception and style to motivate. As
Ernest describes:
I try to encourage them to participate. I try to make them feel

participation is important. I just talk to them. I believe the best kind
of motivation comes from them. You have to be intrinsically
motivated and I just try to make my classes as interesting as
possible, as relevant as possible, as meaningful as possible
(E/I1/26/09/12)
There is not just one way to motivate, as we can see in the extract above, Ernest
motivates in a different manner to Cooper. Cooper motivates by using a greeting or
a phrase whereas Ernest prefers motivation to come as a result of his classes
which he tries to make interesting and relevant to the students. There are other
teachers who prefer to plan their classes in a specific way, using several kinds of
activities in order to motivate the student to participate and to work as Marie says:
I usually try to plan my class, first based on different kinds of

activities because in that way I make my students be active in my
class. I try to promote participation in my class by designing
activities where they have to participate a lot like discussions,
debates, asking questions about what they have been studying or
about things that we see in the class.
(M/I1/22/10/12)
Marie illustrates that by using different kinds of activities, it is possible to motivate

students, but also to keep them active in the classroom. All this is based on
planning and in the variety of activities related to the topics that are seen in class.
Motivation is necessary, not just when students have to work, it is also very
important to consider when students are wrong in any activity or exercise as
Cooper affirms:
When they are wrong I say to them: ok, thats not the answer, not
at all but thats good, and if someone did it well: excellent! Good!
43
Right! Go ahead! That sort of motivation is interesting for the

student. They are encouraged to get ahead.
In the extract above, Cooper shows us that it is very important to motivate
students, not just when they work well, but especially when they are wrong. That is,
teachers should encourage students, not just to work, but to learn in an appropriate
manner. As Pauline mentions:
I use every piece of imagination and creativity, I push, I pull, I yell, I

scream, I beg, everything I can think to motivate in the different
ways I can: positive, negative, punishment, charisma, anything I
can think, and if it works once it doesnt mean it will work again.
So, Im continually changing and trying everything I can think of. I
have to pull them, push them, remind them, to get them involved in
any way I can, thats why I try to find out what theyre interested in.
I try to do things that they get more interested in, not just normal
homework or whatever.
(P/I1/23/10/12)
Pauline remarks that as a teacher, it is indispensable to try any form of motivation
with students, using imagination, creativity and checking what functions or not.
Teachers need to constantly reinvent themselves in situations that occur in the
classroom, and include motivation.
In addition to the roles before mentioned and documented in the literature review,
new roles or roles that are not mentioned by experts were found during the
research and data analysis. These roles are described below:
1.15 Psychologist / Mediator
Some of the teachers assume the role of a psychologist or as a mediator because
of possible problems that may arise between students that may hurt their feelings.
For example when students use nicknames for each other or when students make
fun of others. As Cooper points out:
44
The teacher acts as a psychologist because sometimes students

give their classmates a nickname or they make fun of others when
they make mistakes. So, they hurt their classmates feelings and
even I have had students that have cried. Then, you have to talk
with both, the person who offended and the person offended.
In this extract, the teacher seems to perform these roles satisfactorily when
emotions are high in the classroom. It seems therefore, that the teachers roles not
only have to do with cognition and teaching and learning, but also with the
emotional dimension of a classroom. That is when mediation plays an important
role in the classroom when trying to maintain the peace, respect and solve the
perceived problems. (cf. chapter 1: 1.15). The teacher feels uneasy when the rules
are not respected and students make fun of others.
1.16 Comedian or clown
Interestingly, this is one of the roles performed at this level at this Language
School. Some teachers have emphasized that they tell jokes or use funny
expressions for students in order to avoid boring classes and to make their
students laugh. As Cooper affirms:
I consider myself a comedian or a clown because I tell them jokes

and I make them laugh. I tell my students jokes or expressions that
sound funny in English. Thats what I do and my principal role in
the class.
In this extract, it would appear that Cooper feels happy performing this role. He
likes to create a pleasant classroom atmosphere. This may imply that teachers
should have a good sense of humor, and that learning in the classroom should be
fun in order to make things memorable for the students.
1.17 Social worker

Although the social worker concept is used in a different context, it seems to be
used when teaching a language. Interestingly, some teachers consider it is
45
necessary to perform the role of a social worker in the classroom depending on the
situation. As Marie points out:
When you are in front of the group you are required to adopt many
roles sometimes as a social worker. It depends on the situation
and the kind of students you have and also the class.
(M/I1/22/10/12)
In this extract, Marie emphasizes that this role could be influenced by any situation
created in the classroom, but also by students characteristics. It would appear that
this role is performed in the sense that a teacher as a social worker provides help
and support for students who need it.
2. Roles teachers prefer to play in the classroom

According to the findings in the data, some teachers like to play all the roles
because they think they are part of their teaching practice, and part of human life.
However, there are roles that they prefer to perform more than others in the
classroom. The roles they prefer are monitor, facilitator, manager, motivator,
participant, provider and friend.
2.1 Facilitator = Guide
This is a role that the majority of teachers prefer to play in the classroom. They
show their preference because they like to guide students learning and promote
students autonomy. The participants consider this role is their favorite and they
love to perform it. As Ernest mentions, facilitator is my favorite role because I feel
happy playing that role (E/I1/26/09/12).Teachers prefer to play this role because
they like it, moreover they feel comfortable and happy as Ernest confirms in
representation of the others.
2.2 Monitor or supervisor

According to the findings in the data, some of the participants prefer this role
because they mention it is part of their work as teachers, but also it is one of the
46
roles in which they feel comfortable. As Ernest maintains: I think that I prefer to
play the role of a supervisor because it is the one I feel comfortable with
(E/I1/26/09/12). In this extract, it seems that teachers perform this role because
apart from being one they like, it provides them with a pleasant feeling when
playing it.
2.3 Manager
Apart from being one of the principal roles, it is a role some teachers prefer to play
in the classroom. They prefer to be leaders in the classroom and to maintain
everything under control in order to have a successful class. As Charlie mentions:
I prefer to be the person who manages everything in the classroom
(Ch/I1/29/10/12) [Translation]. In this extract, it could seem that teachers like to be
the person who is responsible for controlling students behavior in the classroom
and for maintaining respect between them. As a result, teachers and students
create a pleasant classroom environment.
2.4 Motivator
This is another role some teachers prefer to play in the classroom. As Fer states: I
like to promote motivation taking into account students own learning progress, so
that students feel more confident (F/I1/10/10/12) [Translation]
2.5 Participant
Some teachers state their preference for this role. They have mentioned they like
to be involved in the classroom activities as if they were students. As Fer points
out, Well, I prefer to be a person who takes part in many activities because I like
to participate with them as if I were one more student (F/I1/10/10/12) [Translation].
3. Teachers feelings when required to play a new/different role than

usual
According to the findings in the data, teachers feel comfortable with most of the
roles they play or have to play in the classroom at this School of Languages.
47
However, there are some roles which make them feel uncomfortable, uneasy, etc.
Therefore, in this section, teachers feelings when they have to play new, different
or unexpected roles are discussed.
There are some teachers who feel uncomfortable with certain roles because they
consider that these roles are not part of their personality as Fer states:
Well, in general I feel comfortable. I could say that there are some
roles which are not very natural for me because they have nothing
to do even with my personality or my own abilities. I cannot say
they are difficult for me but I can say that they are not natural for
me.
We found that there are specific situations which teachers feel very uneasy, one
of those is when he/she has to control the students in a very strict manner. The
teachers affirm that:
To discipline the students is sometimes something very

uncomfortable for me. I am against that, because it has nothing to
do with my personality. For example: become serious and much
less tell students off. When I discipline someone I do not even tell
off, I prefer to do it more like a friendly suggestion. So it bothers
me having to act (discipline) because you cannot let go, but I try to
do it in a friendly way.
In relation to this Cooper also mentions:
When I have to act in a very strict manner with my students, I feel
uncomfortable with them, I feel sorry but there are times when you
have to do it.
Marie also affirms:
Sometimes its necessary to assume these kinds of attitudes
(strict, controller). I feel ok assuming these roles because they are
necessary to assume them in that way.
(M/I1/22/10/12)
48
Finally teacher Pauline says:

I dont like to be strict with my students but if nothing else works, it
is my last resort
(P/I1/23/10/12)
In the previous extracts it could be noticed that to be very strict or extremely

controlling is not completely agreeable for the teachers. Although for some of them
it is considered as the last resource or that it is something necessary, in fact most
of the teachers prefer doing it in a nice way, by suggesting or giving advice.
When Teachers are required to play a new role (unexpected role) in the classroom
because of the circumstances or necessities, on the one hand teachers tend to feel
surprised as Cooper highlights:
There are situations that balance me out, which at the moment I do

not know how to act. But after a couple of minutes to process and
think, something comes to your mind and then you try to gives the
best solution to those unexpected situations
On the other hand, although there are unexpected situations in the classroom
which could make teachers feel uneasy, some teachers prefer to take advantage of
unexpected situations in a very positive way as Pauline says
It is great! Because if you can surprise them, I feel ok. I think
experience helps me a lot to assume any unexpected situation in a
successful way
(P/I1/23/10/12)
Teachers are aware that there will always be unexpected situations. However, they
know, they should face them, in the best way possible so as to benefit the students
and their learning. It should be noted also that the experience gained by teachers
through the years of teaching helps them to know how to deal with unexpected or
unusual situations in the best way.
49
CONCLUSION
By means of this qualitative inquiry, we discovered, explored and examined EFL

university teachers perceptions regarding the roles they play in the classroom, the
roles teachers prefer to play, as well as the feelings when they perform these or
new unexpected roles. We decided to work with these specific teachers because
apart from being excellent people and teachers, they have a lot of teaching
experience. Therefore, we formulated some questions in order to obtain an answer
to the main question, which was:
What is the nature of teachers perceptions concerning their roles?
This question was used to explore and discover the roles teachers play in the
classroom, but at the same time their perceptions about these roles. From this
main question, four more questions emerged:
1. What roles do teachers play in the classroom?
2. What are the teachers perceptions of these roles?
3. Which role or roles do teachers prefer to play?
4. Do teachers feel comfortable when required to perform x role (s)?
Firstly, we chose six different teachers from the School of Languages to be
interviewed, to obtain information about the roles they play in the classroom, their
role preferences, and their feelings regarding these. After comparing the data
collected, we realized that not all the roles mentioned by experts are played in the
classroom. Teachers prefer some roles more than others, because of many
factors, mainly due to their personality (they consider that there are some roles
that are not compatible with their personality), and the way they feel with these
roles (comfortable or uneasy).
Thanks to this research we could discover that teachers do not feel comfortable
with some of the roles they play in the classroom, in the same way through the
data we could find some roles are not as well known or mentioned by authors, but
they are played in the classroom.
50
The findings were divided into 3 collections of categories which were then divided
into subcategories.
The first collection of categories was called The roles teachers play in the
classroom. It consists of seventeen categories which describe the roles teachers
perform inside the classroom. They are aware of the roles they play in the
classroom and most of the teachers agree the roles are part of their professional
life. Most of the teachers state their positive and negative feelings when
performing these roles and the factors that influence the performance of them. It is
important to mention that four of these subcategories are roles found in the data,
but they are not documented by experts in the first chapter of this research. They
are the roles as parent, psychologist or mediator, comedian or clown and social
worker.
The second collection of categories was called The roles teachers prefer to play
in the classroom which mentions the roles teachers prefer to perform in the
classroom. They are the roles as facilitator or guide, monitor or supervisor,
manager, motivator and participant. Teachers expressed their personal preference
for these roles because not only are they related to their personality and the
situation created in the classroom, but also to the way they feel. That is, they feel
comfortable and happy playing these roles.
Finally, the third collection of categories is called Teachers feelings when
required to play a new /different role than usual. Most of the teachers describe
they feel uncomfortable or uneasy when they have to perform roles that they
usually do not play, due to an unexpected situation in the classroom or that simply
are not natural for them.
Implications
As the educational system is changing, it is very important teachers be aware of
the roles they should play in the classroom. As well as to be updated with these
kind of topics, in this case with roles, to know how to assume them, in what
situations to perform them, and to know the factors that may influence these roles.
It is necessary that teachers know and learn there are more roles than the
51
traditional ones. If they know more about the roles they can develop or employ in
the classroom, they will be able to help their students and their learning.
Limitations of this research study

During this research we did not experience an important limitation at all. Perhaps
we had a little difficulty with finding information about roles, but with effort, we did
our best to seek and obtain the necessary information. Furthermore, we were well
supported by our supervisor. In addition, it is important to underline that the
Teachers very kindly accepted to be interviewed, gave us their time, and shared
with us their experience as Teachers of this institution.
Further research
As time passes, the educational system at the School of Languages could change
and improve. As a result, the roles teacher play in the classroom could be various
or diverse and would be assumed in different or better ways in order to provide
students with a high-quality education. Therefore, Teachers roles are an important
and extensive issue to further research at the School of Languages or in other
research contexts. As is stated by experts, teachers play a wide variety of roles,
not just inside, but also outside the classroom. This study focuses on the roles
teachers play in the classroom, but it could be appropriate to investigate the roles
teachers perform outside the classroom, as well as to find out their perceptions
about these roles and the factors that influence their performance because the
perceptions and factors could be different.
Personal reflection
In general, being researchers was a good experience. Although carrying out
research can be hard and tedious it was an ideal opportunity to achieve an
understanding about the roles teachers play in the classroom, how they assume
these roles and in which situations teachers perform each role. Regarding the
collection of data we did not have any difficulties because teachers made
themselves available. They were willing to help and collaborate with their opinions
and perceptions about their roles. Regarding the analysis process, it has to be
52
mentioned that it was a little bit confusing and difficult for us to define the
collections of categories, but also to decide the order of these categories. It is
important to mention that the roles our director and coordinator played were
essential to complete this process successfully, as well as in the whole research
process.
As we were carrying out this research, we realized that it is not easy to be a

university English teacher because many roles are played in just one class. For
this reason, teachers have to know how to assume these roles appropriately, but
also how to act when unexpected situations arise in the classroom. It is important
to point out that the performance of these roles depends greatly on the context and
the situations teachers face in the classroom.
53
APPENDIX 1 INTERVIEW GUIDE

What roles What actions/ roles do you think are expected of you as a
do
teacher in the classroom?
teachers
play?
What do you think about these roles, for example do you

agree or disagree with any of them?
Do you feel comfortable or uneasy performing these

roles/ actions?
Are there times in the classroom when you feel you have
to act in a way that you do not like?
In what situations?*
What do you think about checking work and giving

feedback to students? Do you agree or disagree?
Why or why not?
How do you encourage students to play an active role in
classroom activities?
is it important for you?
Why or why not?
How do you control the class?
Do you think the teacher must be in control of the class at
all times? Why or why not?
What do you think about exemplifying what Ss should do or
learn?*
What do you do WHEN YOU identify the necessities/

difficulties of your students?
What do you do to help them and improve their
learning? (if students have specific problems with
one or some of the 4 abilities)
What do you do to help Ss with a specific problem?
54
What do you do when your Ss do not want to do or participate

in the activities in the classroom?
When your Ss have doubts or questions how do you solve

them?
Do you do anything else than just solving them? For
example, do you give them extra exercises, material? **
What do you do when your Ss are working in their
activities?
What actions do you usually develop in the classroom?*

Which role
or roles
does the
teacher
prefer to
play?
What are
teachers
perception
s of these
roles?
Does the
teacher
feel
comfortabl
e when
required to
perform
X roles?
How does
Are there any actions that you prefer to carry out more than
others?
Which ones?
Why do you prefer to carry out these roles/actions?
Do you think students characteristics influence on your

actions/roles?
Do you think there are actions that work in a better way than
others? Why? Which ones? Examples
How do you feel about the roles/actions you are demanded
or need to play in the classroom?
How do you feel when you have to act in a very strict way with
your students?
How do you feel when you have to act in a different way than
usual because of an unexpected situation?
How do you feel when particular situations ask you to act in a

55
the teacher
feel when
asked to
perform a
new role?
new way?
If you do not know how to act in a specific situation, what do
you do in these cases?
How do you face with these situations?
56
REFERENCES
Cohen, L. (2007). Research Methods in Education, USA and Canada: Routledge.
Dash, N. (2008). Roles of a Teacher.
http://www.egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/25705/1/Unit6.pdf
Davies, M. (2007). Doing a successful research project: using qualitative or
quantitative methods, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Denzin, N. (2003). Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials, London: Sage.
Denzin, N. and Lincoln, (1998). Collecting and interpreting qualitative
materials, London: Sage
Dimitrios, T. (1999). The classroom: Forum or Arena? / Smiotique appliqu 3
(article)
Gillham, B.(2000) Case Study Research Methods, London: Continuum.
Hannan, A. (2007). Interviews in education research, Faculty of Education,
University of Plymouth,
Harden, R and Crosby, J. (2000). AMEE Medical education guide No. 20.
Published in Medical Teacher. (article)
Harmer, J. (2007). How to teach English. Harlow, UK: Pearson education
(Longman)
Hedge, T. (2000). Teaching and learning in the language classroom.USA: Oxford
University Press.
http://webdelprofesor.ula.ve/cjuridicas/neirae/pdf/ensayos/8docenteuniversitario.pd
f
http://www.ehow.com/how_6682338_do-case-studies-qualitative-research.html (15
Agosto 2012)
Kvale, S. (1996). Interviews. An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing,
Thousand Oaks (CA): Sage.
Larsen Freeman, D. and Anderson, M. (2011). Techniques and principles in
language teaching (3rd Ed) .Oxford, UK: Oxford University press
Leu, E.(2005). The Role of Teachers, Schools, and Communities in Quality
Education: A Review of the Literature
57
http://gec.fhi360.org/publications/GEC/GEC%20WP%201Role%20of%20Teachers.
pdf retrieved 15-09-2012.
Mack, N. (2005). Qualitative Research Methods: a data collectors field guide,
Family Health International
McDonough, J. and Shaw, C. (1993). Materials and methods in ELT: A teachers
guide. Oxford, UK: Blackwell
Mulhall, A. (2003) Journal of Advanced Nursing. Norfolk, UK.
Mustapha, X. (2006) "Beliefs about Language Learning of Foreign LanguageMajor University Students," Australian Journal of Teacher Education: Vol. 31: Iss.
2, Article 5. Available at: http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol31/iss2/5
Neira, E. (n. d). Perfil del buen docente universitario
Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods (2nd ed.).
Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Reyes, M. (n. d). Perfil ideal del profesor universitario: una gua para detectar
necesidades de formacin.
Spratt, M. (2005). The TKT Teaching Knowledge Test Course. United Kingdom:
Cambridge University Press
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory
procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/25705
Vasilachis, I. (2006). Estrategias de investigacin cualitativa. Barcelona: Gedisa
Vilar, E. (2003). Roles of teachers a case study based on: Diary of a language
teacher. http://www.uji.es/bin/publ/edicions/jfi6/teachers.pdf
Watkins, P. (2005). Learning to Teach English. Delta Publishing. Pdf.
58

Teacher&#39;s Roles

Transféré par

Informations du document

Description originale:

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Teacher&#39;s Roles

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

UNIVERSIDAD VERACRUZANA

Que para obtener el ttulo de:

1. What is a role? .............................................................................................. 9

2. Roles of Teachers ....................................................................................... 11

4. Factors that influence teachers roles .......................................................... 18

2.1 Interview ...................................................................................................... 21

5.1 Ernest .......................................................................................................... 23

1.1 Assessor ...................................................................................................... 27

2.1 Facilitator = Guide ........................................................................................ 46

2.3 Manager ....................................................................................................... 47

To discover the roles foreign language teachers play in the classroom at a

What roles do teachers play in the classroom?

What are the teachers perceptions of these roles?

Which role or roles do teachers prefer to play?

Do teachers feel comfortable when required to perform x role (s)?

Chapter two: Methodology illustrates the qualitative approach used in this

1.1 Related Terms

Role Networks are an arranged system where roles depend on an administrative

3. The roles of the foreign language teacher

3.2 Manager or controller

The teacher as a motivator has to do everything possible to achieve students that

them (experience, knowledge, behaviors, etc). Therefore, it is also relevant to state

4. Factors that influence teachers roles

First of all we have to define qualitative research. According to Mark (2005)

particularly to identify expectations about the topic under study; it is useful to

Qualitative research is an effort to understand situations in their

Case studies are set in temporal, geographical, organizational,

identified. According to Joyce (n. d: para.1) a case study focuses on individuals or

2. Data collection methods

2.2 Research Journal

questions in order to complement the interview, therefore some questions were

1. Roles teachers play in the classroom

The feedback is important because in this way you can clarify

At the beginning of the course, I give keys to students and I tell

The teacher also should be a provider when we talk about

Interestingly, to be a provider is to give students necessary and useful tools, which

We have to facilitate the material printed, by internet or in other

We cant digress very much not even in dynamics, games or many

appropriate activities. As Marie maintains, as a teacher you need to organize the

Sometimes I form groups by using cards, when there are activities

I am always there to help, so when I notice that somebody has

To summarize, these actions as a counselor seem to be consistent with what

In the professional aspect, I believe that the teacher, at least what

If students have doubts or questions, I try to give them an answer

The teacher has to guide students in order to learn what is useful

I have to confess that I do not do that a lot. We have to follow a

The student sees you as a paternal figure or as a relative. For

need me to push, be like a mother or to constantly be at the back

Regarding the paternal figure, I have always said that we cannot

activity or exercise. That is the way Cooper motivates. However, as we mentioned

I try to encourage them to participate. I try to make them feel

I usually try to plan my class, first based on different kinds of

Marie illustrates that by using different kinds of activities, it is possible to motivate

Right! Go ahead! That sort of motivation is interesting for the

I use every piece of imagination and creativity, I push, I pull, I yell, I

The teacher acts as a psychologist because sometimes students

I consider myself a comedian or a clown because I tell them jokes

1.17 Social worker

2. Roles teachers prefer to play in the classroom

2.2 Monitor or supervisor

3. Teachers feelings when required to play a new/different role than

To discipline the students is sometimes something very

Finally teacher Pauline says:

Teacher's Roles

Teacher's Roles