本研究旨在探討一位高中英文教師對於英語教學的信念及其對教學行為的影響。本研究以北台灣某一公立高中英文教師為例，進行個案研究。本研究承接晚進英語教學研究中之質性研究派典，採質性之資料收集及分析法，以觀察，訪談，文件分析為主，以期對於該英文教師之信念及教學能有整體的瞭解。研究進行為期五個月。研究重點如下：一是找出受訪英文教師教學信念的主要特徵及其對於教學行為的影響；二是探討該英文教師教學信念及教學行為之間是否存有歧異，並探討造成歧異之因。
從該教師對英語、教學、及學習的信念，以及實際課堂教學結果顯示，該教師的信念及其教學反映出目前外語教學的趨勢，並呈現溝通式教學的特色。本研究的主要發現如下所述。針對第一個研究問題，研究發現指出該受訪英文教師教學信念影響其教學行為有五大特徵，即：〈一〉重視教學上情意之考量 (affective variables)，〈二〉彈性的教學策略及方法 (flexibility)，〈三〉以學生為中心的教學導向 (learner-centeredness)，〈四〉強調情境式學習 (contextualization)，以及〈五〉語言知識與語用功能並重 (form & function)。針對第二項研究問題方面，研究結果顯示該教師的教學信念與其教學行為整體而言一致。然而其中仍存在些微歧異，如傳統式教學的應用，而非全然溝通式教學；課堂上70-80% 的英文使用率，而非100% 全英文式教學；以及課堂上較多時間分配於語言知識的教導。研究者分析該受訪英文教師之教學信念及教學行為，辨認出學生因素（如學生程度，學習態度等等），及整體英語教學環境（如通用於各學生程度的教材課程，不足的教學時數，大班制教學，重文法的考試），為影響該教師實踐其教學理想及理念之主因。
最後，研究者依據研究發現，分別對英語教學，英語教學環境，及英語師資培育提出建議。對英語教學的建議是：教師應激發學生學習動機及興趣，採用聽說讀寫兼備、以學生為主導、彈性的教學策略，並培養教師自我語用能力以提升溝通式教學的適切性，以及縮小師生間有關英語學習認知的差距以提高英語教學及學習成效。對英語教學環境的建議是：英語教學學者與政策單位應合作以改善整體教學環境，以提昇教師教學成效並確保學生受教品質。對師資培育的建議是：師資培育單位應提供英語教師實際有效的教學方法，並訓練英語教師反思其教學信念及行為。

This study aimed to explore an English teacher’s beliefs about teaching English to senior high school students in Taiwan and discussed how these beliefs influenced the teacher’s classroom practice. The researcher subsumed this study under the recent tendency in ESL/EFL research to use qualitative methods to capture a holistic understanding of an English teacher’s thinking and action. Data collection for this study occurred over five months. The sources of data included semi-structured interviews, beliefs inventories, lesson plans, classroom observations followed by post-observation interviews, teaching materials, and the researcher’s reflective journal. The analysis focused on (a) the characteristics of the teacher’s beliefs about English teaching and the influence they had on her classroom practice, (b) the incongruency between her beliefs and classroom practice and the causes of the discrepancy.
Drawing on the comprehensive findings on the teacher’s beliefs about the English language, teaching, learning, and actual classroom practice, it was found that the teacher’s teaching beliefs and approach reflected current trends in foreign language pedagogy, and were highly compatible with the principles of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). The teacher’s beliefs and practice were identified into five categories: (a) emphasis on affective variables, such as motives, interests, and anxiety; (b) flexibility in teaching approaches and performance; (c) learner-centeredness with the view to addressing to student variables; (d) teaching English in a contextualized way; and (e) focusing on both form and function to ensure students’ communicative competence. Data showed a great consistency between the teacher’s beliefs and her actual practice. However, some minor inconsistencies were also identified. These inconsistencies included a mixture of traditional methods (instead of completely CLT) applied in her actual practice, an average of 70-80% of English utilization in her daily instruction (instead of all English instruction), and a greater proportion of class time spent developing students’ basic linguistic ability (focusing on “form” mainly). Causes of the inconsistencies were identified as (a) influences of student variables such as students’ ability, learning attitudes, etc.; and (b) educational contexts which caused some constraints such as a common syllabus for students of all proficiency levels, insufficient instruction hours, large size classes, or grammar-based examinations.
Findings of this research provide several pedagogical implications for English teaching, the English teaching contexts, and English teacher education in Taiwan. For English teaching, it is suggested that English teachers should (a) induce students’ interests or motives in learning English; (b) designate creative communicative activities in flexible and learner-centered instruction to ensure students’ communicative competence with all four language skills; (c) constantly self-update teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and strategic or sociolinguistic competence to conduct a communicative class; and (d) minimize possible discrepancy between teachers’ and students’ beliefs to increase teaching/learning effectiveness. For the English teaching contexts, it is recommended that English educators work together with policy makers to create a supportive and optimal teaching environment to enhance the teaching/learning effectiveness. For English teacher education, either preservice or inservice programs should compensate for the lack of instruction in effective and workable teaching practice and help/guide teachers to reflect upon their own teaching practice.

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