Teacher Perceptions and Course Development: A Case Study

Abstract

Abstract

Writing is often a difficult skill for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. It is a complicated process which requires both syntactic and semantic knowledge and a great deal of effort to continuously practice (Watcharapunyawong & Usaha, 2013, p. 68). Thereby, the teaching and learning process requires the incorporation of different activities and techniques, and constant improvements of course content to meet both the course goals and needs of stakeholders.

Previous preliminary work (Piriyasilpa, 2015), which investigated teacher perceptions toward Thai students’ English essay writing, found that the perceived quality of student writing varies depending on the criteria set by the teacher; and these criteria were influenced by teacher perceptions and background. The present study made an in-depth analysis of teacher comments on students’ English essay writing as well as the course description. Based on these findings, this paper proposes the potential contents of the English essay writing course and marking rubrics for assessment.