English Language Teacher Training Program Research Articles

‘I Can Teach English More Confidently’: How Madrassas’ and Pesantrens’ English Teachers Perceived ELTT Program

The study sought to investigate the perception of English teachers in madrassas and pesantrens toward the English Language Teacher Training (ELTT) program they underwent for five months. A convergent mixed-method research design was used, comprising a set of questionnaires administered to thirty-two teachers across three cities, namely Banjarmasin, Metro, and Palembang. Subsequently, interviews were conducted with twelve teachers who participated in the study. Interactive data analysis was employed to analyze the results obtained from the questionnaires and interviews. The study found that numerous teachers reported receiving significant benefits in their teaching and learning skills after participating in the ELTT program, including a boost in self-esteem when delivering English language instruction and enhanced English teaching abilities. However, participants also highlighted internet connectivity and time management as major hurdles that required attention. Hence, it is recommended that the Ministry of Religious Affairs continues to implement the program since it provides teachers with opportunities to enhance their English teaching skills. Consequently, this will enable students to receive greater exposure to the English language, facilitating their learning process.

The Evaluation of the English Language Teacher Education Program in Turkey

<p style="text-align:justify">This study aims to evaluate the English language teacher training program which was put into practice in 2006, according to the views of lecturers and English teachers. This study aims to contribute to the studies on foreign language teaching by presenting an evaluation of teacher education, which is an important dimension of English as a foreign language teaching. The qualitative method was used in the study, which was designed in a descriptive survey model. The population of the research consists of 35 lecturers working at the English Language Teaching Department of different Education Faculties in the 2016-2017 academic year and 11 English teachers working in public schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education and who have not completed 5 years in the profession. NVIVO-11 program was used in the analysis of the data. The results of the study were compared with the 2018 English teacher education program renewed by the Council of Higher Education. English teachers and lecturers think that the content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and general culture courses in the teacher training program are insufficient. According to English teachers and lecturers the content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and general culture courses in the English language teacher education program are insufficient. Furthermore, English teachers stated that they could not apply what they learned during their training to real-life conditions. Therefore, they propose that the English language teacher training program should be revised considering the current conditions.</p>

The educational and technical courses in the ELT program in Turkey: Do they contribute to ICT skills?

The present study investigated the contribution of the educational and technical courses in the English Language Teacher Training Program (ELTTP) at universities in Turkey to the information and communication technologies (ICT) knowledge and skills of the students. The participants were 74 teachers/trainees who were attending their last year in the Faculty of Education at Uludag University or graduates of the ELTTP from nine different universities in Turkey. The data were collected by a Likert scale questionnaire by which teacher trainees were asked to rate each course that fell under the specific group of educational or technical courses that they attended during their education; and by interviews through which participants were asked to evaluate to what degree the technical courses contributed to their ICT-informed personal and professional development, and whether they felt ready to employ ICT in their classes as teachers. Results revealed that neither the educational nor the technical courses supported the ICT knowledge and skills of the participants at a satisfactory level, suggesting that the pedagogical knowledge that teacher trainees receive during their education is not in parallel with the technical knowledge that in fact should facilitate the implementation of pedagogical skills in the current age of technology. The present study speculated that the insufficient technical knowledge of the field and underdeveloped technical skills result in evasion of technology use and innovation in education. The study ended with suggestions related to teacher training programs and to the philosophies and approaches to English Language Teaching education.

Microteaching Experience in Distance English Language Teacher Training: A Case Study

The purpose of this single-subject case study was to document the experiences of a teacher trainee during a 12-week microteaching process in the Distance English Language Teacher Training program (DELT). The student teacher subject responded to questionnaires, submitted online dialogue journals, and answered open-ended questions before and after the practicum. An online interview was also conducted at the end of the practicum process. The analyses of the data suggested that distance EFL teacher trainees experienced a certain degree of foreign language teaching anxiety. It was also found that the microteaching practice in the program was useful for teacher candidates despite some problems. Assessment and evaluation via the e-portfolio system, on the other hand, was a satisfying system from the student teacher’s eyes. The analyses yielded to a brief explanation of the challenges and concerns of teacher trainees in distance context. Implications for the present and future distance teacher training programs chiefly focus on more guidance and support for the student teachers. The role of mentors are also vital for more fruitful teaching practice opportunities for the teacher candidates.

Assessing the Performance in EFL Teaching Practicum: Student Teachers’ Views

This study aims to find out whether pre-service EFL teachers are satisfied with the way their performance in teaching practice is measured. A questionnaire was developed to elicit student teachers’ views related to the components of the measurement policies employed in the two practicum courses at Anadolu University English Language Teacher Training program. It was given to 117 student teachers after piloting the questionnaire. Then, 12 student teachers were interviewed to support the quantitative findings. The results of the analyses showed that majority of the students were satisfied with their grades in teaching practicum. Furthermore, student teachers found certain criterion measures as effective means for assessing their performance such as planning-preparation, general organization, and assessment by university supervisors while assessment by cooperating teachers, writing observation and reflection reports, and assessment by peer teachers were found to be the least effective ones. The findings are discussed considering the current measurement policies and certain other practices about teaching practicum component of teacher education programs. Some suggestions for university supervisors, cooperating teachers, student teachers, and all other parties related to teaching practicum are also provided.

Idiographic roles of cooperating teachers as mentors in pre-service distance teacher education

This study aims to define the roles of cooperating teachers as mentors in the context of distance-learning teacher education. The participants included 358 cooperating teachers who mentored 4th-year student teachers in a Distance English Language Teacher Training Program in Turkey. To determine the roles that were perceived as mentoring roles by the cooperating teachers in the distance practicum, an inventory of 10 primary mentoring functions was constructed. These functions included five primary mentoring roles: ‘self-trainer’, ‘networker, ‘social supporter’, ‘academic supporter’, and ‘psychological supporter’. The results will contribute to an increased understanding of how cooperating teachers perceive their mentoring roles during distance practicums.

Blended learning: Investigating its potential in an English language teacher training program

<span>Although the benefits of blended learning have been well documented in educational research, relatively few studies have examined blended learning in language teacher education. This study discusses a blended learning approach for a teacher training program designed for in-service English language teachers, and investigates its effectiveness by comparing with a face to face MA Program in English Language teaching. The research involved 39 in-service English language teachers, with 12 studying in a blended course (i.e., they received face to face instruction in the classroom and used web-based materials) and 27 in a traditional classroom. Results indicated that there was no difference in content knowledge acquisition between teachers receiving blended instruction and teachers receiving face to face instruction.</span>

Achieving the Impossible? Teaching Practice component of a Pre-service Distance English Language Teacher Training Program in Turkey

The aim of this article is to describe the model developed for the teaching practice component of the pre-service Distance English Language Teacher Training Program (DELTT) at Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey. The steps taken to improve the model over a six-year period will be explained and the recent developments in the teaching practice area of the current program will be discussed in the light of recent research on learning and personal development. Lessons learned and the steps taken during this developmental process will be explored and recommendations for other programs concerned with the teaching practice component will be made.

Training English language student teachers to become teacher- researchers

The aim of this study is to understand what the student teachers studying at an English Language Teacher Training program understood from the concept of “teacher as researcher”. The study was carried out at micro-teaching experience at English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course. Lesson study approach was made use in order for the students to realize how data collected during the teaching process can enhance the lesson and their professional development. The results of the study indicated that the student teachers’ perception of the teacher as researcher concept and its constituents and its role in teaching changed.

A Blended Learning Model for Teaching Practice Course.

The aim of the present study is to introduce a blended learning environment and a model for pre-service teaching practice course in English Language Teacher Training Program at Anadolu University. It is supposed that providing a blended learning environment for teaching practice course would improve the practice and contribute to the professional growth of pre-service teachers. Since it will increase the contact hours among students and university supervisors and facilitate peer feedback among pre-service teachers, which in turn, create a productive learning environment for them. Thus, the present paper aimed at providing a blended learning model for teaching practice courses at teacher training institutions and give impetus for the researchers or instructors who would like to implement blended learning in their own teaching environments. Additionally, the present study intends to contribute expanded understanding to the way blending the learning environments, and contribute additional understanding to the knowledge base about the implementation of blended learning for a teaching practice course. Finally, through illustrating a blended learning environment for teaching practice course, it is hoped that this study might contribute to the growing body of knowledge of blended delivery and blended learning in higher education.

An e-class application in a Distance English Language Teacher Training program (DELTT): Turkish learners' perceptions

This study focuses on a synchronous e-class project which was developed to increase the effectiveness of a second year advanced reading course within the Distance English Language Teacher Training (DELTT) program in Turkey. The aim of the study is to explore the perceptions of learners who participated in the e-class application and the impact of it on their success in their studies. From 675 second year learners in the DELTT program, 26 were selected as the subjects of this study. The perceptions of the e-class participants were gathered from diaries they kept for each e-class session. Three main categories of perceptions emerged from the analysis of these diaries. These are learner attitudes about the application of the e-class, about group work activities used and about various technological aspects. The conclusion drawn from the data is that in spite of some concerns, Turkish learners perceived the e-class to be a very efficient way of conducting reading classes. A statistical analysis of exam scores supported participant perceptions and revealed that an e-class application can be as effective as the traditional face-to-face classroom mode. The findings suggest that an e-class could be used to increase the effectiveness of the distance teacher training program and has further implications for training future teachers.

Developing Pre‐service English Teachers’ Competencies for Integration of Technology in Language Classrooms in Kazakhstan

This article discusses the implementation of the “Information and Communication Technologies in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning” course conducted as a component of the pre‐service English language teacher training program in the Buketov Karaganda State University, Kazakhstan. The course was introduced in 2003. The central objective of the course is to develop pre‐service language teachers’ capacity to effectively integrate technology in language teaching and learning in their own classrooms. In this article, the authors briefly discuss the history of computer‐assisted language teaching and learning, and describe their course, as well as preliminary results from their evaluation of the implementation of the course over the last three years. Their experience from the course implementation suggests that trainee teachers not only developed some useful skills to use technology with their own students, but also developed an understanding that information technology is a necessary tool in contemporary second‐language education. Comment former les futurs professeurs d’anglais à acquérir les compétences nécessaires pour intégrer la technologie dans les classes de langue au Kazakhstan Cet article examine la mise en place du cours “Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication dans l’enseignement et l’apprentissage des langues étrangères"qui fait partie du programme de formation initiale des professeurs d’anglais à l’Université d’Etat Buketov Karaganda au Kazakhstan. Ce cours a été mis en place en 2003. L’objectif central de ce cours est d’aider les futurs professeurs de langue à acquérir les capacités nécessaires pour intégrer concrètement la technologie dans l’enseignement et l’apprentissage des langues dans leurs classes. L’article décrit brièvement l’histoire de l’enseignement et de l’apprentissage des langues assistés par ordinateur et décrit notre cours. Nous examinons aussi brièvement les premiers résultats de notre évaluation de la mise en route du cours depuis trois ans. Le vécu de la mise en place de ce cours nous amène à penser que les futurs enseignants ont non seulement acquis des compétences utiles leur permettant d’utiliser la technologie avec leurs propres élèves mais ont aussi acquis la conviction que les TICEs sont un outil nécessaire aujourd’hui pour l’enseignement d’une langue seconde. Kompetenzentwicklung bei Englisch‐Lehrer‐Praktikanten zur Integration von Technologie in den Sprachunterricht in Kasachstan In diesem Beitrag wird der Einbau des “Informations‐ und Kommunikationstechnologie Kurses in das Lehren und Lernen von Fremdsprachen” als Teil der Ausbildung von Lehrerpraktikanten für Englisch an der Buketov Karaganda Landesuniversität in Kasachstan dargestellt. Der Kurs wurde im Jahr 2003 eingeführt. Sein zentrales Anliegen ist, die Fähigkeit von Lehrer‐Praktikanten zur effektiven Integration von Technologie in das Lehren und Lernen von Fremdsprachen in ihrem Unterricht zu entwickeln. Nach einer kurzen Darstellung der Geschichte der Computerunterstützung des Fremdsprachenunterrichts wird der eigene Lehrgang beschrieben. Darauf folgt eine Aufzählung der vorausgegangenen Ergebnisse der Kurseinführung während der letzten drei Jahre. Nach unserer Erfahrung entwickeln auszubildende Lehrer mit ihren Schülern nicht nur nützliche Fähigkeiten bei der Anwendung von Technologie sondern gewinnen auch die Erkenntnis, dass Informationstechnologie eine notwendige Unterstützung für einen zeitgemäßen Fremdsprachenunterricht darstellt. Cómo formar a los futuros profesores de inglés para adquirir las competencias necesarias para integrar la tecnología en las clases de idiomas en Kazajstán Este artículo trata de la puesta en marcha del curso “Tecnologías de la Información y de la Comunicación en la enseñanza/aprendizaje de idiomas” que forma parte de la malla curricular en la formación inicial de los profesores de inglés de la Universidad de Estado Buketov Karaganda en Kazajstán. Este curso fue introducido en 2003. El objetivo central de este curso es el de ayudar a los futuros profesores de lengua a adquirir las capacidades necesarias para integrar concretamente la tecnología en la enseñanza/aprendizaje de idiomas en sus aulas. El artículo hace una breve reseña de la historia de la enseñanza/aprendizaje de idiomas asistidos por ordenador y ofrece una descripción de nuestro curso. Estudiamos también brevemente los primeros resultados de nuestra evaluación de la instalación y del desarrollo del curso en los últimos tres años. La vivencia de esta fase nos induce a pensar que los futuros docentes no sólo han adquirido competencias útiles que les permiten utilizar la tecnología con sus propios alumnos sino también una comprensión de la necesidad de las TICs como herramientas imprescindibles en la enseñanza de las lenguas segundas.

A Preliminary Evaluation of the Distance English Language Teacher Training Program (Delttp) in Anadolu University, Turkey

This paper presents a preliminary evaluation of a relatively new interactive distance learning model for training English language teachers in Turkey. The Distance English Language Teacher Training Program (DELTTP) was established as a result of the contractual agreement between the Ministry of National Education and Eskisehir Anadolu University, Turkey in 2000, whose goal is to train a sufficient number of EFL teachers, in the shortest time possible, without abandoning the high quality of professional training provided heretofore (AOF, 2006). In order to seek objective information regarding their current status as well as to obtain opinion data concerning their perceptions of the adequacy of their education, 2004 and 2005 graduates of the DELTTP Program were administered questionnaires. Four interviews were conducted with different stakeholders. The results and statistics indicate that DELTTP is presently unable to train English teachers of the desired number and in a short period of time due to a variety of factors; however, the program has been successful in maintaining a high standard of quality and has not abandoned the essentials needed for foreign language teacher education.

Building a Synchronous Virtual Classroom in a Distance English Language Teacher Training (DELTT) Program in Turkey

This paper reports a synchronous project, “the virtual classroom” prepared for the Distance English Language Teacher Training (DELTT) Program. The process of developing the synchronous project and the interface with its specific components were reported with examples and supported by theoretical background from the related literature. The evaluation of the project concludes that the virtual classroom facilitated increased authentic interaction and encouraged learners to become more autonomous. When the group of students who prefer the traditional classroom, however, was considered a blended approach which consists of both virtual classroom and traditional face-to-face classroom was suggested as the most efficient way for Turkish EFL learners.

A novice instructional scenario writer's principles for internet supported learning: An example from testing and evaluation course

In this paper, the principles that govern the development of the instructional scenarios of Testing and Evaluation in English course of Distance English Language Teacher Training (DELTT) Program are presented. Firstly, the program and the course are described briefly. Then the major underlying principles are presented with reference to the related literature and examples from the course are provided.