ERIC Number: EJ1162712
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0015-718X
EISSN: N/A
Students' and Instructors' Perceived Value of Language and Content Curricular Goals
Mills, Nicole; Moulton, Samuel T.
Foreign Language Annals, v50 n4 p717-733 Win 2017
Universities across the country are experiencing a decline in the number of undergraduates choosing to major in the humanities in general, and similar trends have been observed specifically in the study of foreign languages (FLs), cultures, and literatures. The educational and social psychological literature has explored uptake, or a student's decision to enroll in a course, by evaluating how beliefs can guide both thoughts and actions (Jarvis, 2009; Omrod, 2011; Taylor & Mardsen, 2014). To explore this topic, undergraduates who were enrolled in FL courses and instructors teaching those courses were asked to rate the value of language and content-oriented goals to determine the learning outcomes that students valued and how they converged or diverged from instructors' course goals. The findings reveal areas of alignment and misalignment in students' and instructors' perceptions of the value of particular learning outcomes. Compared to instructors, students more greatly valued learning about cultural practices, discourse competence, grammar, and interpretive communication skills. Students who were enrolled in and instructors who were teaching advanced courses valued different goals than did their counterparts in introductory courses. Implications for departments and educators are discussed
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Majors (Students), Humanities, Cultural Education, Literature, Decision Making, Student Attitudes, Language Teachers, College Faculty, Teacher Attitudes, Grammar, Communication Skills, Outcomes of Education, Educational Objectives, Course Content, Course Evaluation, Cultural Awareness, Advanced Courses, Introductory Courses
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A