Teaching Philosophy Statements: In‐Service ESL Teachers’ Practices and Beliefs

Abstract

In North American higher education settings, faculty are increasingly required to write teaching philosophy statements. In the field of English language teaching, there is a very narrow understanding of language teachers’ practices of writing teaching philosophy statements and their potential benefits to individuals and to the professionalization of the field. The present study examined the practices and beliefs of in‐service English as a second language (ESL) teachers toward the genre of teaching philosophy statements. A total of 197 ESL teachers, primarily from intensive English programs (52%) and college/university ESL‐based program (35%), completed a 42‐item questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions to elicit general information about their own teaching philosophy statements (i.e., format and contents) and their beliefs about the benefits of this practice. The findings led to the identification of preferred formats as well as core topics to include, such as personal beliefs about language learning and teaching, teaching approaches, and teachers’ roles in education. Furthermore, there was strong evidence that these in‐service ESL teachers value the ongoing practice of drafting their teaching philosophy statements for bureaucratic and reflective purposes. The article concludes with suggested guidelines for ESL teachers working worldwide who want to write their teaching philosophy for reflective and professional reasons.