Understanding the impact of teaching systemic functional grammar in initial English language teacher education

Darío Luis Banegas

doi:10.1111/ijal.12346

Abstract

AbstractThe role of systemic functional grammar (SFG) is usually investigated in postgraduate courses and in‐service programmes with experienced teachers. In contrast, this study examines the impact of SFG on student‐teachers’ professional development in a pre‐service second language teacher education programme in Argentina. Framed in teacher research and ecological perspectives, a tutor examined the perceptions of a group of student‐teachers during the course of an academic year in a mandatory SFG module which favoured content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and metalinguistic knowledge. Data were collected through student‐teachers’ evaluations, summaries of group discussions, coursework samples, and whole class discussions as inherent parts of the module dynamics. Student‐teachers’ perceptions indicated that SFG had a positive effect on content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.

Highlights

In teacher education programmes, applied linguistics can be incorporated through different forms such as reading material or modules that examine language and education
The aim of this study is to examine the impact that an systemic functional grammar (SFG) module aimed at teaching the English language as a system (Liu & Nelson, 2016) had in an initial English language teacher education (IELTE) programme in southern Argentina, and the extent to which SFG can strengthen student-teachers’ content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)
Thematic analysis of the different data sources is organised around four interrelated domains which signal the impact of SFG on student-teachers’ CK and PCK: topics, reading material, activities, and student-teachers’ practices

Summary

Introduction

In teacher education programmes, applied linguistics can be incorporated through different forms such as reading material or modules that examine language and education. The aim of this study is to examine the impact that an SFG module aimed at teaching the English language as a system (Liu & Nelson, 2016) had in an initial English language teacher education (IELTE) programme in southern Argentina, and the extent to which SFG can strengthen student-teachers’ content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). To this effect, I first ground the work on SFG and language teacher knowledge base at pre-service level with a particular focus on content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. I discuss the findings under the light of the proposed theoretical background and put forward implications for further studies

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Discussion

Conclusion