Tamil Language Teachers’ Teaching Practices for Factual Type Essays in Tamil National Type Schools in Malaysia

Abstract

The effectiveness of classroom teaching is highly dependent on educators’ adept use of efficient teaching strategies and techniques that cater to students’ diverse abilities and intellectual capacities. Significantly, there is a research gap in the comprehensive examination of the teaching practices of Tamil language teachers and knowledge regarding strategies and techniques for teaching Tamil essays in Malaysian primary schools. Bridging this gap is important for a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics involved in Tamil language education, providing valuable insights that can inform and improve teaching practice in primary school classrooms. Therefore, the current study aims to explore and analyze Tamil language teachers’ teaching strategies and techniques for factual-type essays in Tamil National Type Schools. The participants were six Tamil school teachers from the state of Negeri Sembilan. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews. The qualitative findings reveal a predominant teacher-centered approach in the instructional strategies that Tamil language teachers employ for essay writing. The study findings also reveal that while all participants commonly utilize discussion and question-and-answer techniques in imparting essay writing skills, there is a concurrent lack of awareness among them regarding the importance of diversifying teaching techniques.