There is no sequence or hierarchy in the processes. Teachers may start the process anywhere in the framework as long as it is reasonable. It depends on
teachers’ beliefs and understanding, articulated or not, and the reality of the context and teachers’ knowledge about their students. However, articulating
beliefs and defining the context are put on the bottom as the foundation for other processes.
1. Defining the Context
Before sketching a course design, teachers need to define the context of the learners. Designing a course requires them to define all possible information
about the context as much as they can to make decisions about the course itself Graves, 2000: 13. Furthermore, Graves proposes various aspects of context that
needs to be defined. They are people, time, physical setting, teaching resources, and nature of the course and institution.
People Physical Setting
Time
students how many, age, gender,
cultures, other languages, purposes, education,
profession, experience,
other stakeholders school administrators,
parents, funders, community location of school:
convenience, setting
classroom: size, furniture light, noise
always same classroom? how many hours
total over what span of time
how often class meets
for how long each time
day of week, time of day
where fits in schedule of
students students’
timeliness
Nature of Course and Institution
Teaching Resources
typepurpose of course mandatory, open enrollment
relation to currentprevious courses
prescribed curriculum or not required tests or not
materials available required text?
develop own materials? equipment: cassettes
video, photocopying clerical support
Table 2.1: Factors to Consider in Defining the Context
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
Those aspects mentioned above are used by teachers as resources and constraints to consider their decisions. It can be seen as part of pre-course needs
assessment. More information about the context enables teachers to decide and plan an effective course easier. Furthermore, Richards 2001: 90 talks about the
diversity of the contexts for language programs. The success of a program is often determined by the particular variables found in every specific situation.
A teacher wants to design a course, for example. Before he decides the content, objectives, and so on, he needs to know how long the course will be, who
the students are, what is their backgrounds knowledge, what the purpose is, where it is conducted, etc. Those are the context that helps and support the teacher in
designing a course. During the observation of the context, Graves 2000: 21 says that
challenges may be found. Furthermore, Graves states that more challenges are found when teachers have more information about the context. The challenges
may include teacher’s lack of experience, too small class, different level of each learner, and so on. This is called problematizing. Problematizing concerns with
making choices and deciding what the best solution to the challenges is. Problematizing helps teachers to design and teach a course better.
2. Articulating Beliefs
