Effectiveness of a deductive approach against and inductive approach in teaching passive voice in English grammar

Abstract

The present study aims at comparing the efficacy of a deductive approach against an inductive approach in the teaching of passive voice in English in a college context. The participants of this study were 36 second year psychology students from Universidad Austral de Chile in Puerto Montt, Chile. The students were divided into two groups that were taught the passive voice of simple past, simple present and simple future. One of the groups was taught using a deductive approach while the other was taught using an inductive approach. After the passive voice was taught a posttest was given in order to determine which approach proved more effective. The results seem to indicate a relevance of the deductive approach in the context studied but also of bias toward the deductive approach in the methodological design of the posttest. A re-evaluation of previous research indicated how the methodology used in certain inductive approaches can be affected by deduction.