Using deductive and inductive methods in teaching past simple and past continuous tenses : the case study of first year Lao university students

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the deductive teaching
or the inductive teaching was more effective in helping students learn past
simple and past continuous tenses. The subjects of the study were 62 first year
students majoring in English at the National University of Laos.
They were divided into two groups. One was treated with the deductive teaching
whereas the other with the inductive teaching.
The results of the study indicated that both the deductive and the inductive teachings
were effective in promoting students' ability to learn past simple and past
continuous tenses (P< 0.000). The mean gained scores of the two groups are not
different (p> 0.679), which means that the two teaching techniques are equally
effective.