Changing Teachers' Task Perceptions as a Vehicle for Improving FL Instruction

Abstract

eighties the United States. Millions of dollars were poured into attempts of improving students' learning by increasing their test scores.1 The results of the reform were lackluster at best In too many cases, scores declined or remained the same and little, if anything, changed the way taught or students learned. The milieu of schools was unaltered (see, for instance, articles by Glickman; O'Neil; and Orlich). Now the profession is inundated with the call to restructure education. Authors and editors such as Brandt, Elmore, and Murphy suggest the failure of school reform has been replaced with the hope of educational restructuring. Lewis succinctly describes this latest phenomenon: restructuring is a 'attitude,' one that recognizes the current system of schooling does not work for a significant number of children and young people and will not provide experiences that ensure excellent opportunities for all young people as they move toward leadership of society the 21st century (14). In the area of foreign language instruction specifically, reform proposals suggest that a longer period of foreign language study and a foreign language requirement for all will alleviate American's scandalous incompetence language learning (see, for instance Boyer, Keamrns and Doyle; and the NationalCommission on Excellence Education). Raimes suggests there to be increasing evidence professional journals and at professional conferences that the focus of second language instruction is moving from themes of patterns, drills, rules, accuracy, and sequence to those of communication, functions, use, and reality. Furthermore, the young but rapidly growing discipline of second language learning and teaching is beginning to ideas and notions about foreign and second language teaching. To be sure, there is activity to improve education, general, and second language instruction, particular. Yet, there is great trepidation as to the extent to which can occur at any level, any subject matter, at the present time. One major concern is the simple fact that real involves changes conceptions and role behaviors-alterations beliefs about not only what the process involves, but what the process itself entails. Fullan, contends change is usually not introduced a way that takes into account the subjective reality of teachers (35). In fact, Lortie's contention almost twenty years ago is still relevant today: in balance, we have too few studies which explore the subjective world of terms of their conceptions of what is salient (490). And the subjective world of foreign language remains relatively unexplored. For instance, after reviewing ten years (1977-1987) of the ACTFL Annual bibliography, Bernhardt and Hammadou conclude the research base foreign language education is comprised essentially of the perceptions of foreign language educators. Up until now, the field has relied on the discussions among experienced foreign language educators about the educational needs of foreign language as the experts have perceived them, rather than on the principled collection of data and information (293). Although recent attempts urge the investigation of language classroom learning environments (see, for instance, Chaudron; Ellis; Peck and van Lier), U.S. foreign language and their workplace remain woefully understudied. Nonetheless, Fullan suggests that beliefs are one of the dimensions relevant to the educational process and need to be investigated, documented, and discussed: Many innovations entail changes some aspects of educationalbeliefs, teaching behaviors, use of material, and more (41). The significance of beliefs cannot be denied / overlooked because they guide and inform both teaching