영어몰입교육에 대한 인식 연구

Abstract

Recently the government has been trying to pursue new directions in English language education by re-emphasizing the importance of English ability in this globalization era. One such direction is the introduction of English immersion programs into public primary schools, and several primary schools throughout Korea have been pilot-operating English immersion programs. Furthermore, the implementation of immersion programs in all public primary schools seems to be expected although the government has not yet announced it publicly. Regarding this state of affairs, it is urgent at this point to identify and examine problems with implementing English immersion programs and to assess what improvements can be made. Recognizing the need for such research, the present study has sought to investigate the perceptions of primary school teachers, students, and parents about the introduction of English immersion programs in public primary schools. Particularly, it examined the perceptions of those teachers, students, and parents who have been involved in the immersion programs at public schools, and compared them with the perceptions of those who have not been exposed to immersion programs yet. The specific research questions of the present study are as follows: (1) How do teachers in immersion schools and those in non-immersion schools perceive the English immersion programs, and how do their perceptions differ?; (2) How do students in immersion schools and those in non-immersion schools perceive the English immersion programs, and how do their perceptions differ?; and (3) How do parents in immersion schools and those in non-immersion schools perceive the English immersion programs, and how do their perceptions differ? To answer these research questions, 53 teachers, 184 students, and 120 parents in immersion primary schools and 123 teachers, 267 students, and 150 parents in non-immersion primary schools were asked to participate in the study. The data was collected through both quantitative and qualitative approaches. For the quantitative approach, the participants were asked to respond to a questionnaire consisting of multiple-choice items and Likert-scale items. The reliability and construct validity of the Likert-scale items were examined through reliability analysis and factor analysis, respectively. For the qualitative approach, five primary school teachers (all female; three from immersion schools and two from non-immersion schools) were asked to participate in in-depth interviews with the researcher. The pedagogical implications based on the major findings from statistical analyses for the quantitative data and interpretive analyses for the qualitative data can be made as follows. First, it can be suggested that teachers should not feel overwhelmed by the pressure of teaching immersion classes, but rather encourage themselves to develop a positive attitude towards contributing to the implementation of immersion programs in Korea. Second, there seems to be an urgent need for establishing systematic and comprehensive curricula of immersion programs for public primary schools. Third, it seems necessary that policy decision-makers and administrators gather opinions from teachers, students, and parents before making an important decision on directions for future English education. Lastly, teachers should be provided with systematic in-service teacher training programs that help them improve their English ability as well as their teaching skills. In conclusion, settling English immersion programs down successfully in primary schools requires strong beliefs and trust from teachers, students, and parents in the English education policies. Such beliefs and trust will generate positive results in providing quality English education for all students.