Abstract:
This study was conducted to investigate English as a Foreign Language teachers’ beliefs and
practices in teaching and assessing students’ speaking skills at secondary schools in Bale Zone
and Robe Administrative Town Ethiopia. To this end, the study adopted both descriptive and
correlational research designs in which the data were collected through quantitative and
qualitative methods. Twenty-nine secondary schools in Bale Zone and Robe administrative
town were sampled as a study site. Then, 101 EFL teachers found in the selected secondary
schools were taken as a source of data using comprehensive sampling for the questionnaire;
random sampling for classroom observation, and purposive sampling for the interview.
Employing qualitative and quantitative approaches, data were collected using a questionnaire,
classroom observation, and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed
using descriptive statistics containing frequency, percentage, and mean. Two-tailed Pearson
correlation was also used to show the relationship between the variables. The qualitative data
were analyzed in thematic and quoted descriptions. The findings from the responses indicated
the respondent teachers have a positive belief in teaching and assessing speaking skills.
However, classroom observation results revealed EFL teachers’ practice of teaching and
assessing speaking skills contradict what they believe to be. The overall result indicated that
teachers were not teaching and assessing speaking skills according to language teaching
theories, methods, and mainly their beliefs. Based on the findings it is concluded that teachers’
beliefs regarding teaching and assessing speaking skills were found to be positive. The
correlation results also indicated a positive significant relationship between teachers’ beliefs
and their classroom practices. On the other hand, the qualitative result indicated that teachers’
belief and their classroom practices were inconsistent. Based on the findings,
recommendations were forwarded.
