Tradition or modernism in grammar teaching: Deductive vs. inductive approaches

Abstract

This research is an investigation of the differences between inductive and deductive methods in teaching grammar to adult learners in terms of effectiveness on academical success. Another aim of the study is to investigate the perceptions of lecturers and adult learners about these two ways. The research was based on quantitative research design. 190 university students from various departments of a public university and 10 lecturers were assigned as participants. 190 university students were divided into two randomly as "inductive" and "deductive" groups. Student and lecturer feedback questionnaires, a pretest, four weeks of grammar instruction and a posttest were evaluated to get a deeper insight about the effectiveness of inductive and deductive ways on the academical success of adult learners. As a result the study reveals that when the academical success of the students are considered, deductive teaching of grammar is slightly more effective than inductive teaching although this difference is not significant according to statistical data. Another main finding of the study is that lecturers feel better when they teach grammar deductively. These findings suggest that in teaching grammar to adult learners, lecturers should be aware of the needs and perceptions of their students.