Conventional flipped learning instructional models are operated in a blended learning environment online and offline. In contrast, this study moved onto fully online systems and explored how a sense of presence worked for students’ learning outcomes at university English writing courses. The two research questions for this study are: 1) What is the relationship between a sense of presence (teaching, cognitive, social presence) and learning outcomes (group cohesion, class satisfaction)? and 2) What are the variables among a sense of presence that affect group cohesion and class satisfaction? For the purposes of this study, 46 university students from English composition courses answered student questionnaires in the spring of 2021. Correlation and multiple-regression analyses were conducted to look into the relationships among the variables. Additionally, focus-group interviews were conducted and teaching journals were analyzed. The major findings were revealed as follows: Firstly, a sense of presence was significantly related to group cohesion and satisfaction. Secondly, social presence and cognitive presence only had a predictive power of group cohesion. Thirdly, cognitive presence and teaching presence were significant predictors of class satisfaction. Pedagogical implications are discussed for those interested in applying flipped learning in a fully online setting.

This study is aimed at investigating the effects of flipped learning on self-directed learning attitude in the college setting. For the aim, this study tried to see if there are meaningful changes in learners’ self-directed learning attitude over time. With the research aim in mind, an elective university class of 47 students was observed for 15 weeks. A survey questionnaire was developed from Guglielmino(1977)’s characteristics of self-directed learning attitude, and four characteristics were finally used for this study: Openness, self-directedness, responsibility, and passion for learning. The questionnaire was administered twice in the 5th and 14th weeks, followed by in-depth interviews with 9 participants. A non-parametric test for repeated t-test, Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test was used for data analysis. The research findings are as follows. First, the results of the questionnaire indicated that there were statistically meaningful changes in all 4 characteristics of learners’ self-directed learning attitude before and after flipped learning. Second, the analysis of in-depth interviews revealed that students felt positive about their flipped learning since it provided them with great opportunities to develop and strengthen their self-directed learning attitude. Implications and suggestions for further research are provided.

The purpose of this study was to develop English writing instruction models in order to improve 1st grade high school students’ writing ability under the communicative framework. A writing pattern ‘describing pictures and making an inference’ was utilized to develop writing instruction models and lesson plans. In order to accommodate a wider range of teachers’ needs in high school, the study took into consideration two teaching conditions, learner proficiency levels (high, mid, and low) and skill integration (listening, writing, and reading, writing) in the development process. A total of five English writing instruction models and lesson plans for different teaching conditions were developed using two chapters extracted from two textbooks. The characteristics of the newly developed models and lesson plans were provided so that teachers can easily modify them for their own needs in the practice. Further, the writing pattern ‘describing pictures and making an inference’ turned out to be quite adaptable to real teaching conditions and seemed to contribute to enhancing students’ creativity as well as their writing skills. At the end, study limitations were discussed.

The purpose of this study was to analyze writing activities of 1st grade middle school English textbooks based on the achievement standards of the 2009 revised National Curriculum and provide suggestions for improvements of textbooks. In this study, seven textbooks out of twelve were selected and their writing activities were analyzed as to whether they stick to the guidelines of the 2009 revised National Curriculum. For this purpose, specific focuses of the current study were 1) to look into writing activities based on achievement standards stipulated in the 2009 revised National Curriculum, and 2) to investigate the ratio of integrated writing activities to separate writing activities ones. The results of the analysis revealed that most of the writing activities seemed suitable based on learners’ real-life situations for achievements standards; however, the types of writing activities were rather simple, mainly focusing on given words. Next, there were not only separate writing activities but also a variety of integrated activities such as listening-writing, speaking-writing, and reading-writing activities. At the end of the paper, a few suggestions were provided to improve the qualities of writing activities in the textbooks.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the overall effectiveness of the English immersion program of a Korean University. In order to achieve the ultimate purpose of the current project, researchers describe the educational principles and curriculum in detail and provide an overall evaluation of the program. The three-week English immersion program in winter 2008 was designed to help students satisfy their graduation requirement and improve their general English proficiency such as listening, reading and writing abilities, by providing them with an immersion English program. To check if there is any improvement after the program, students' achievement was measured by TOEIC both before and after the program. Students' responses from questionnaires were used to identify their needs and satisfaction toward the program. On the basis of the extensive evaluation of the program, it was found that students' needs are more complicated and a re-setting of the program goal is mandatory to reflect students' varied needs and wants as a better program in the future.

To date almost no research has been reported on language teachers" assessment practices in university, with the belief that those practices are up to teachers" individual decision-making as part of instruction. The present study investigated the long-ignored English teachers" assessment practices (testing and grading) through university student perception indices, found in the questionnaire and interviews, by looking at how students feel about their teacher"s current assessment practices. The research findings revealed that students were concerned about their teachers" low quality of tests, absence of communication channels for checking test results and grades with teachers, and undemocratic testing ambience. Implications for future research and assessment were suggested to look for possibilities of bringing in critical language testing (CLT) to the university classroom.

Given the crucial role of teachers’ forming and modifying a curriculum in a school system, it was questioned if the results obtained from an analysis of learners’ needs could serve the ultimate goal of meeting students’ needs and desires in their language learning. For the grand research question, needs were sought from both parties (111 students and 5 teachers) through the survey and interview research design and elaborated for the potential differences and their underlying reasons. The research findings indicated that, first, needs for the current curriculum were not agreed upon between the two education agents. Students wanted to have more practical characteristics of a curriculum with an addition of courses improving communication skills and an increased interaction with foreign teachers. However, teachers were on a different agenda in the pursuit of a program renewal. The distinctive themes found from the interviews with teachers were in the following: 1) doubts over the worthiness of students’ needs, 2) tenacity to their specialty in the teaching, and 3) anxiety and pressure for changing needs in institution and society. It was concluded that teachers’ needs were better met with students’ needs being left outside the decision-making process, which has been a long-lived ideological problem at a university.

Past 20 years have witnessed the shift of focus in language teaching from teacher-oriented to learner-centered approach. Although there have been several research studies on cooperative learning, they were limited to the defining of its constructs and pedagogical values, and the surveying of teachers’ beliefs and their practices at school. This paper looks into the experiences that a teacher had in the attempt to change her teaching practice with cooperative learning techniques applied in an EFL reading class. It was also an effort to improve from her previous teaching method which had been grammar-translation mixed with a task-based approach. The process of a teacher’s implementation of a newly adopted class approach including decision-making, operating, interpreting/reflecting is shared through the first-person action research. Various data sources were presented to assess the legitimacy of accepting cooperative learning via group work as a valuable, viable instructional method in the real language classroom. A detailed description of a teacher’s experiences in the self-transforming process is provided along with guidelines to make classrooms successful cooperative language learning places.

The current research aims to enhance the quality of general English in the university by providing level-specific cultural curriculum and instruction based on students’ needs. This study utilized various research analysis methods such as literature-document and survey/interview. In the questionnaire respondents (a sample of 393 university students) showed that class hours per week and the number of semesters were appropriate, but that more interesting and level-specific instruction was needed. It was also suggested that more elective courses should be available after the completion of general English courses. Based on these results, this research study developed 4-tiered level-specific cultural curriculum. The newly proposed curriculum reported in this study encompasses its specific implementation plans, starting with standards, goals, and language functions for each level, ways to offer remedial and intensive courses at each level and elective courses after the completion of the general courses. This new plan initiative requires an extensive revision of existing curriculums and an application of dynamic evaluation methods. Accordingly, the results of the research project will present an important curricular and instructional model to other universities interested in providing level-specific English programs in the effort of maximizing the students’ learning.