English learning in and ut of school : A qualitative study of upper secondary school teachers' cognition

Sammanfattning: The prevalence of the English language in society today has made it possible for people to learn English in different situations and in different ways. Therefore, it was of interest to research upper secondary school teachers’ beliefs and experiences concerning how their students learn English in different situations in school and out of school and concerning their students’ motivation. It also becomes of interest to compare scientific results with teachers’ beliefs about learning, acquisition, motivation and teaching a second language to see whether misconceptions persist and potentially suggest implications for professional development. To understand teachers’ beliefs and experiences, a qualitative study of semi-structured interviews was conducted with five teachers of English at upper secondary school. The results showed that four out of five teachers found assignments that were of their students’ interest more beneficial for their English proficiency and motivation. Regarding students learning English in out-of-school contexts, the results showed that some teachers thought students got better English proficiency through such activities and some thought they had minimal effect. As to students’ motivation towards learning English in school and out of school, two of the five teachers found their students very motivated towards English in school, whereas all the teachers thought their students were motivated towards encountering English out of school. To research teacher cognition is important since teachers’ beliefs might have an impact on what they do in the classroom and therefore on the students’ learning experience.