VIETNAMESE EFL INSTRUCTORS’ PERCEPTIONS OF CASE-BASED LEARNING IN A COMMUNICATION COURSE

Thuy Tran, Diem Thai

Abstract


This article presents a qualitative research study that aims to evaluate the use of the case-based learning (CBL) method in an English communication course at a Vietnamese university from the perspective of instructors. The study collected data from three instructors who tried the CBL method in a communication course. The findings show that the instructors perceived CBL as an effective pedagogical method that enhances involvement, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills among students. The instructors also reported that CBL contributed to the development of the students' confidence and motivation in communicating with others in English as well as their intercultural competence. However, the study highlights several challenges in using this method, including the amount of time and effort required to create appropriate scenarios, potential limitations in students' language proficiency, and the need for ongoing support for instructors to facilitate this method effectively. The study suggests that CBL is an effective approach to teaching English communication courses and recommends further support and resources for instructors to implement this approach successfully.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter


Keywords


case-based learning, critical thinking, communication course, EFL students

Full Text:

PDF

References


Beck, J. (2007). An exploration of the relationship between case study methodology and learning style preference. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 18(3), 423–430.

Carlson, J. & Schodt, D. (1995) Economic instruction beyond the lecture: Case teaching and learning of economic theory. Journal of Economic Education, 26(1), 17–29.

Doran, J., Healy, M., McCutcheon, M., & O'Callaghan, S. (2011). Adapting case-based teaching to large class settings: An action research approach. Accounting Education, 20(3), 245-263.

Erskine, J., Leenders, M., & Mauffette-Leenders, L. (1998). Teaching with cases. London/Ont., Canada: Richard Ivey School of Business/The University of Western Ontario.

Esteban, A. A., Canado, M. J. P. (2004). Making the case method work in teaching Business English: A case study. English for Specific Purposes, 23(2), 137–161.

Harrington, H. L. & Garrison, J. W. (1992). Cases as shared inquiry: A dialogical model of teacher preparation. American Educational Research Journal, 29(4), 715–735.

Heitzmann, R. (2008). Case study instruction in teacher education: Opportunity to develop students' critical thinking, school smarts and decision making. Education, 128(4), 523-542

Hemphill, M. A., R Richards, K. A., Gaudreault, K. L., & Templin, T. J. (2015). Pre-service teacher perspectives of case-based learning in physical education teacher education. European Physical Education Review, 21(4), 432–450. doi:10.1177/1356336x15579402

Jackson, J. (2004). Case-based teaching in a bilingual context: Perceptions of business faculty in Hong Kong. English for Specific Purposes, 23(3), 213-232.

Jennings, D. (1996). Strategic management and the case method. Journal of Management Development, 15(9), 4–12.

Jiménez Raya, M. & Vieira, F. (2015). Enhancing autonomy in language education: A case-based approach to teacher and learner development. New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

Kelch, K. & Malupa-Kim, M. (2014). Implementing case studies in language teacher education and professional development. ORTESOL Journal, 31, 10-18.

Kleinfeld, J. (1992) Learning to talk like a teacher. In: Shulman JH (ed.) Case Methods in Teacher Education (pp.33–49). New York: Teachers College Press.

Lee, S.-H., Lee, J., Liu, X., Bonk, C. J., & Magjuka, R. J. (2009). A review of case-based learning practices in an online MBA program: A program-level case study. Educational Technology & Society, 12 (3), 178–190.

Lincoln, Y. S. & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. New York: Sage.

Marcus, G., Taylor, R., & Ellis, R. A. (2004). Implications for the design of online case based learning activities based on the student blended learning experience. In R. Atkinson, C. McBeath, D. Jonas-Dwyer, & R. Phillips (Eds.), Beyond the comfort zone: Proceedings of the 21st ASCILITE Conference (pp. 557–586). Perth, Western Australia.

Merseth, K. K. (1999). A rationale for case-based pedagogy in teacher education [foreword]. In M. A. Lundeberg, B. B. Levin, & H. L. Harrington (Eds.), Who learns what from cases and how? The research base for teaching and learning with cases (pp. ix- xv). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Newson, T. A., & Delatte, N. J. (2011). Case methods in civil engineering teaching. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 38, 1016-1030.

Richards, A. K., Hemphill, M. A., Templin, T. J., & Eubank, A. M. (2012). Student-authored case studies as a learning tool in physical education teacher education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 47-52.

Rovegno, I. & Dolly, J. (2006) Constructivist perspectives on learning. In: Kirk D, Macdonald D and O’Sullivan M (eds) The Handbook of Physical Education (pp.242–261). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Snyder, P., & McWilliam, P. J. (1999). Evaluating the efficacy of case method instruction findings from preservice training in family-centered care. Journal of Early Intervention, 22(2), 114-125.

Veal, M. L. & Taylor, M. (1995) A case for teaching about assessment. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance 66(1), 54–59.

Williams, M. (2004). Exploring the effects of a multimedia case-based learning environment in pre-service science teacher education in Jamaica. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Twente, The Netherlands.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejals.v6i1.429

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The research works published in this journal are free to be accessed. They can be shared (copied and redistributed in any medium or format) and\or adapted (remixed, transformed, and built upon the material for any purpose, commercially and\or not commercially) under the following terms: attribution (appropriate credit must be given indicating original authors, research work name and publication name mentioning if changes were made) and without adding additional restrictions (without restricting others from doing anything the actual license permits). Authors retain the full copyright of their published research works and cannot revoke these freedoms as long as the license terms are followed.

Copyright © 2018-2023. European Journal of Applied Linguistics Studies (ISSN 2602 - 0254 / ISSN-L 2602 - 0254). All rights reserved.


This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library. All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and standards formulated by Budapest Open Access Initiative (2002), the Bethesda Statement on Open Access Publishing (2003) and Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities (2003) and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Copyrights of the published research works are retained by authors.