Abstract:
Policy guidelines in Sri Lanka prescribe how and for how long English
should be taught as a second language in primary education but
practices on the ground may deviate. Opportunities for teaching and
learning and pedagogy are key aspects of the process of learning.
Using a large-scale survey this paper addresses (i) how much time is
allocated to the teaching of English and how much time is lost, (ii)
how English teachers use their time in primary education classrooms
and (iii) the factors associated with student-centred learning and on
academic learning in general. Around a quarter of the class time is
lost through timetabling, teacher absenteeism, lesson start and
finish times and teacher off task activity. Teachers who spend more
time teaching in class are more likely to be in rural or estate schools
and in schools with more facilities, and to have attended the Primary
English Language Programme in the past. Teachers who spend more
time on student-centred activities are more likely to be teaching
Grade 3 than Grade 5, using remedial methods and holding an
official ‘appointment’ as an English teacher. Policy implications for
Sri Lanka are considered and points of comparison with policies and
practices elsewhere raised.
