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Reading is a powerful tool that could affect the students’ achievement personally and academically. Some researchers suggest that teachers are an important factor in developing students’ reading proficiency and teachers’ cognitions could be an influential factor in their teaching reading practices (Borg, 2006; Harrison, 2004; Anders et al., 2000). This study investigates English language teachers’ cognitions and practices about reading in L2 in the Malaysian context, including identifying the factors that influence their current cognitions and practices. The respondents were twelve English language secondary school teachers who have been teaching in secondary schools, and they ranged from trainees to experienced teachers. The data were obtained through stimulated recall interviews, semi-structured interviews, and related document analysis such as researcher’s field notes and teachers’ lesson plans. The research data showed that generally all of the teachers were positive towards reading. The factors affecting the teachers’ cognitions and practices of teaching L2 reading were identified as their home reading experiences, past learning experiences (in secondary schools and teacher education programmes) and current teaching contexts. However, there is a mismatch between their beliefs and practices. Despite their beliefs that reading is an active process, these teachers taught reading using traditional practices which were passive and mostly teacher-centred, and some teachers cited the teaching context as the most influential factor of their current practices. The findings also showed that whilst the novices and transition teachers’ practices were greatly affected by their teaching context, it also influenced the beliefs of the latter group of teachers. Finally, in order to be constructivist teachers who could facilitate and motivate students’ reading, they should take on the challenges of reconstructing their practices from teacher-centred and passive, to active. |
