Situated learning in CALL teacher preparation programs: an ecological perspective to student-teachers’ agency

Abstract

This study draws on an ecological perspective on teacher agency to examine the role of the situated learning CALL environment in developing EFL student-teachers’ agency. The data were collected from eight student-teachers’ autobiographical narratives and the recoded class discussions. The deductive thematic analysis of the data showed that situated learning has a constructive role in developing the three dimensions of teacher agency, including iterational, practical-evaluative, and projective. The findings indicated that authentic context had various co-occurrences with teacher agency dimensions, showing the critical role of authentic context in developing student-teachers’ agency. Moreover, other situated learning components, including supplying authentic activities, having access to experts’ performances, developing multiple roles and perspectives, supporting collaborative construction of knowledge, promoting reflection, promoting articulation, and administrating coaching and scaffolding, had constructive roles in developing student-teachers’ agency. It is concluded that the components of the situated learning CALL environment can be beneficial to help student-teachers find an alternative context to practice their agency.