Guiding Teachers to Respond to Individual Differences in the Affective Domain

Abstract

ABSTRACT Contemporary psychological findings indicate that the attitudinal/motivational variable is probably the single most important factor in academic success. This article describes an attempt to respond to the need for sensitizing prospective foreign language teachers to problems encountered by individual foreign language learners. The investigation of a viable approach for responding to this need was a doctoral study of the possible uses of simulation in the training of foreign language teachers. A series of realistic problem‐solving incidents was devised and presented to a group of undergraduate methods students. The problems focused on the affective domain, particularly attitude, motivation, and discipline. Selection of these three areas was based on a frequency count of perceived problems identified by inexperienced teachers and student teachers. Intended primarily for persons involved in teacher training, the article includes a structured procedural format for designing and implementing a simulation exercise.