Abstract
In a postgraduate course for teachers of English as a foreign language in secondary school, teacher trainees were introduced to simulations through the use of flipped learning and simulation design. The objective of the present fieldwork was to determine whether designing simulation scenarios based on literature which delves into human rights was effective in introducing teacher trainees to the use of simulations in secondary education. To achieve this, the flipped model was followed, and theoretical considerations of simulations were analyzed on the part of the teacher trainees outside of class whereas practice was done in class. This article presents the findings of the qualitative analysis of postgraduate students’ perceptions with results that show that designing simulation scenarios based on reading texts on human rights can be a powerful tool for their future students. By designing simulation scenarios, the teacher trainees could see simulations potential to use the foreign language purposefully at the time affective learning and empathy were sought through the literary pieces on human rights.
Highlights
Today’s demands for highly qualified and versatile teachers in Europe, in accordance with the Bologna Declaration (1999), calls for the development of curriculum design inspired by social-constructivist principles because learners are expected to acquire specific knowledge and to develop generic competences that will enable them to “face the challenges of the new millennium, together with an awareness of shared values and belonging to a common social and cultural space.” (Bologna Declaration, 1999, p. 1) This context justifies the need for a methodological change in teaching practices as stated in the founding of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)
The teacher trainees’ reflections on using simulations as a learning tool, the use of literature to enhance students’ awareness of human rights, and students’ spontaneous affective learning, show that teachers perceived the potential of simulations as an effective tool to teach language and literature, with the added value of building social awareness
The teacher trainees found themselves immersed in the simulation design dynamics
Summary
Today’s demands for highly qualified and versatile teachers in Europe, in accordance with the Bologna Declaration (1999), calls for the development of curriculum design inspired by social-constructivist principles because learners are expected to acquire specific knowledge and to develop generic competences that will enable them to “face the challenges of the new millennium, together with an awareness of shared values and belonging to a common social and cultural space.” (Bologna Declaration, 1999, p. 1) This context justifies the need for a methodological change in teaching practices as stated in the founding of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). 1) This context justifies the need for a methodological change in teaching practices as stated in the founding of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Learning by doing becomes the cornerstone of learning experience that was advocated by Dewey (1938) and the responsibility of teacher training for secondary education to provide the necessary practice and innovation in teaching methods. Teachers need to be trained to become more resourceful professionals, using active teaching and learning methodologies in general and simulations in particular. Despite its relatively short tradition, simulation has taken root as a teaching and learning strategy within the foreign language classroom in line with this change of paradigm in education. Simulations foster the development of professional competences such as teamwork, negotiation, decision making, and the development of interpersonal relationships (Ekker, 2004; Ekker & Sutherland, 2009, among others)
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