Pre-service English Teachers Research Articles

Blended learning activities for training pre-service English teachers’ professionally focused speech and strategic learning competence

Blended learning activities for training pre-service English teachers’ professionally focused speech and strategic learning competence

Pre-Service English Language Teacher Readiness Before and After a Practicum Interrupted by the Pandemic

With a quantitative research design, the present study aims to explore the teacher readiness of pre-service foreign language teachers during the practicum in terms of their perceived teaching self-efficacies, attitudes towards teaching, and teaching motivations. In order to uncover changes in pre-service foreign language teachers' perceived teaching self-efficacies, attitudes towards teaching, and teaching motivations, two sets of quantitative data from 80 last year English Language Teaching students enrolled in a teaching practice class at a Turkish state university were collected through three different scales before and after the practicum period, which was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings revealed significant increases in the participants' perceived teaching self-efficacies and attitudes towards teaching at the end of the practicum. Moreover, the teaching motivations of the participants appeared to have changed towards more altruistic and intrinsic orientations at the end of the practicum. Considering the unique and unusual conditions emerged during the data collection period, the study sheds light on the cruciality of the practicum period in teacher education even in such crisis situations.

Pre-service English Teacher Perceptions of AI in Writing Skills

Pre-service English Teacher Perceptions of AI in Writing Skills

A Case Study of Pre-Service English Teachers in Reviewing an SFL-Oriented Academic Source Text

A Case Study of Pre-Service English Teachers in Reviewing an SFL-Oriented Academic Source Text

BEYOND FALLACIES: STRENGTHS AND QUALIFICATIONS FOR ENGLISH TEACHING PROFESSION IN INDONESIA

Proposing the idea of perception toward native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) and non-native English-speaking teachers (non-NESTs), this research was motivated by the historical changes from the ‘fallacies’ in finding the most suitable English teachers between the two categories to discussing their potential if those teachers collaborated in team teaching. This study aimed to reveal a) the top three language skills pre-service English teachers perceived to improve if taught by either NESTs or Indonesian English teachers and b) the priority list of qualifications to meet by them. The quantitative findings from a close-ended questionnaire involving 186 pre-service English teachers in the Department of English Education at an Indonesian university indicated that the respondents tend to view NESTs as good models to teach oral-aural skills such as listening, pronunciation, and speaking. On the other hand, Indonesian English teachers could better-supporting students in teaching written skills such as grammar, vocabulary, and writing skills, which are more related to accuracy and language features. For the second objective, our results indicated that our respondents agreed that the English teaching profession should have fair treatment. Both NESTs and Indonesian English teachers are required to have relevant academic qualifications, and teaching experiences were viewed.

A Corpus-based Study of Pragmatic Competence of English Preservice Teachers: Taking Error Types of Request Speech Act as an Example

A Corpus-based Study of Pragmatic Competence of English Preservice Teachers: Taking Error Types of Request Speech Act as an Example

Exploring pre-service English teachers’ digital competence in creating interactive instructional materials

The Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu) is critical in 21st-century education, which helps educators teach digital literacy to students. However, published empirical evidence regarding pre-service English teachers’ competence in creating interactive instructional materials with specific software applications remains scarce. This paper is grounded on the implementation of digital instructional courses at an Indonesian state university, aiming at developing pre-service EFL teachers’ digital competencies in designing interactive instructional materials using PowerPoint, Audacity, CapCut, Inknoe ClassPoint, Filmora, the Internet, and Canva (hereafter PACIFIC). The paper describes the pre-service English teachers’ self-reported abilities and challenges they encountered in designing the PACIFIC-based interactive teaching materials after completing these courses. Guided by the DigCompEdu framework, the primary data from six focus group interviews with a total number of 30 participants were analyzed by using thematic analysis. The study indicates that pre-service EFL teachers reported an adequate level of competencies in designing digital interactive instructional materials in four aspects of the DigCompEdu framework. They also reported several challenges encountered while creating the teaching materials, which mostly related to resources, such as internet connectivity and subscription access to the PACIFIC software. These findings highlight the critical need for better resource allocation and support to improve pre-service EFL teachers’ digital literacy and performance in designing digital teaching materials.

L2 communication apprehension and communicative competence of pre-service English teachers

Communication in a foreign language is essential, and it requires an individual's competence in speaking skills. It needs to be improved to enhance an effective means of communication. The current study investigates the relationship between L2 communication apprehension and communicative competence of pre-service EFL teachers studying at a state university in Türkiye. The quantitative research approach focuses on understanding pre-service teachers' perceptions regarding communication apprehension and communicative competence. The study included 200 pre-service EFL teachers, with 146 female and 54 male participants. The age range of the participants was between 18 and 34. The results indicate that pre-service EFL teachers have varying levels of communication apprehension and are notably more apprehensive in certain situations. Additionally, the study found that perceived communication competence significantly influences communication apprehension. Some pedagogical strategies are discussed and suggested according to the findings of the study.

Applying cognitive grammar to the Count/Mass Distinction

Abstract This exploratory case study contributes to the ongoing “methodological consolidation” in Applied Cognitive Linguistics (Wirag et al. 2022). It does so by examining the relationship between pre-service English language teachers’ attitudes toward grammar teaching and their acceptance of an innovative pedagogical approach to the Count/Mass Distinction (CMD) inspired by Cognitive Grammar (CG). Eleven first-year college students at a teacher-training University College in Belgium participated in the study. A questionnaire was used to determine the participants’ beliefs about grammar and grammar teaching. Elements of a CG approach to the CMD were integrated into a lesson plan and presented to the participants. The participants were then divided into two random focus groups. The interviews followed a semi-structured format, and a thematic analysis was performed on the transcripts. The data suggests that the participants’ prior knowledge and experience, the ecological validity of the innovation, and their perceived capacity to integrate the resource into their practice, all affect their assessment of a CG-informed innovation, with the latter being the most likely to impede application. The study sheds light on how pre-service teachers’ beliefs impact the adoption of innovative pedagogical methods for teaching grammar and suggests ways to make CG more accessible to practitioners.

English Pre-Service Teachers' Decisions on Working as Bilingual Agents at Call Centers and Their Perspectives for Future Employment

Currently, there is a growing trend for pre-service language teachers to work as bilingual agents due to the increase in call centers as a means of customer service. This research investigates the reasons why pre-service language teachers, choose to work as bilingual agents in call centers instead of pursuing a career in education as teachers of foreign languages which is part of the essence of their professional training. The results indicate that the main reasons for their interest were related to payment, flexible schedules, opportunities to improve their communicative competencies in the target language and enhance their cultural awareness. When asked about their future employment prospects, they expressed a desire to become language teachers. However, a significant group is uncertain about their decision to become teachers, and some are more interested in continuing to work as call center agents. Following a mixed research design, the researcher developed the present study integrating qualitative and quantitative data for more reliable results. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, surveys and focus groups. Participants were 55 pre-service language teachers currently working as agents at a call center. The data was analysed using thematic analysis to identify categories that emerged. In addition, the research is comprehensively discussed, and the conclusions of the study are presented. The results obtained provide an opportunity for discussion and reflection on the conditions of teachers in educational contexts compared to other job offers.

Using a Semantic-Web Based Program for Developing Pre-Service English Language Teachers’ Teaching Competencies

Using a Semantic-Web Based Program for Developing Pre-Service English Language Teachers’ Teaching Competencies

Interaktionsprozesse in einem virtuellen Austauschprojekt – duoethnografische Reflexionen der begleitenden Lehrpersonen

In the discussion of international student mobility, virtual exchange(s) (VE) become increasingly important. Similar to on-site exchanges, VEs aim to provide students with an international experience and transcend geographical, social, and cultural boundaries. While students’ experiences with VEs have been presented repeatedly, this paper focuses on an aspect that features less prominently in the literature: the perceptions of a VE from the perspective of the facilitating team. We report on our experiences, interactions and reflections as supporting teacher educators in a VE project between German and New Zealand pre-service English teachers and New Zealand students of German. We employ the collaborative research approach of duoethnography to critically reflect on our experiences and practices with the VE as well as to portray our reflections on duoethnography as our chosen research approach. Our findings are based on continuous individual and collaborative written reflections throughout the project.

English Novice Teachers’ Beliefs on Teaching in Inclusive Classroom

To achieve educational objectives on inclusive class in Merdeka Curriculum setting, teachers should possess awareness of their personal beliefs. As the ones who play important roles in the classrooms, teachers have to decide what will be needed or what will work best for their students, including in the inclusive classes. Therefore, this qualitative study aims to find out English pre-service teachers' beliefs toward the implementation of inclusive class on Merdeka Curriculum. The data were collected by interviewing five English pre-service teachers who have conducted the inclusive class in their internship program. The results of this study indicated that the novice teachers have various beliefs; 1) concerning on the teachers’ important roles in the inclusive classes that they have to work harder than in general classes; 2) regarding the teachers’ skills to be possessed, they are planning and class management skills; 3) respecting the factors that lead them to be successful in the inclusive classes; and 4) relating to the training that might help them in conducting the inclusive classes.

Pre-Service English Teachers’ Experiences in Joining Kampus Mengajar Program

Kampus Mengajar is part of Merdeka Belajar-Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) initiatives introduced by the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia in early 2020. The objective is to enhance the quality of university graduates, enabling them to thrive in the era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and Society 5.0. Additionally, the program aims to elevate the professionalism of students aspiring to become teachers. The aim of this research was to explore the experiences of pre-service English teachers in joining this program. This study employed a qualitative method with a narrative approach. Eight students of the English Education Study Program at a university in Indonesia participated in Kampus Mengajar were interviewed. They were selected using a purposive sampling technique. The data were collected through interviews and documentation. The analysis of the data resulted in the identification of four themes. These themes encompassed the motivation for participating in Kampus Mengajar program, the various types of activities undertaken, the lessons gained from teaching and non-teaching activities, and the skills that were improved throughout the program. Based on the results of this study, the participants shared remarkably similar experiences aiming to enhance their skills as university graduates and prospective teachers.

PRE-SERVICE EFL TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS TEACHING ENGLISH IN METAVERSE

Recently, the studies on teaching English via virtual technologies have been increasing; however, to the author’s knowledge studies in the existing literature concerning the metaverse are still not at a desirable level. Thus, the aim of the study is to investigate the pre-service teachers’ views on incorporating metaverse into English language teaching. To accomplish this aim, 13 pre-service English language teachers are interviewed employing a focus group discussion. Purposive sampling is adopted to select the participants. The data gathered through the focus group discussion are analyzed using the content analysis. The findings of the study indicated that there were both positive and negative views of participants considering the incorporation of metaverse into English language teaching. Also, it was found that participants expressed some concerns about employing metaverse in teaching in Turkey for several reasons. In addition, most of the students advocated a balanced integration for applying the metaverse in their future teaching concepts, while some were opposed to it. In conclusion, this study can provide an up-to-date and comprehensive perspective on the issue of integrating metaverse in the field of English language teaching as well as offering insights, suggestions, and recommendations for future research.

Teaching Practicum: Learning Journey Platform for Promoting Pre-Service Teachers’ Instructional Skills

Teaching practicum provides an opportunity for pre-service teachers to enhance their teaching skills. This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological design method to investigate the role of teaching practice in enhancing the instructional skills of pre-service English teachers at the elementary school level. Three pre-service English teachers participated in the study. Data were collected from the participants through reflections on their teaching practicum experiences. The findings indicated that the pre-service teachers initially experienced strong emotions and assumptions when they began teaching, yet the quality of their teaching improved during the practice. Teaching practicum was further identified as an effective means to enhance the teaching skills of pre-service English teachers.

Incorporating innovative Global Englishes-oriented activities into classroom instruction: voices from pre-service English teachers in Thailand

ABSTRACT The English language has become a global language utilized by speakers of diverse cultural backgrounds and various first languages. This sociolinguistic transformation calls for a new paradigm shift in English language teaching. To address the gap, this qualitative study explored (1) the development of Thai pre-service English teachers’ awareness of the diversity of English after participating in three Global Englishes (GE)-oriented activities within and outside the classroom, and (2) their attitudes toward implementing GE-oriented pedagogies. The findings from written reflections and semi-structured interviews revealed that the pre-service English teachers reportedly became more open to using local English and admitted the existence of the diversity and complexity of English compared to the traditional Anglophone English. The findings also indicated that the activities had a direct connection and significant influence on developing pre-service English teachers’ linguistic awareness and positive attitudes toward the implementation of GE in English language pedagogy. In addition, a few implications with regard to GE-oriented pedagogies are proposed at the end of this paper.

Exploring TPACK Barriers of EFL Junior High School Pre-service Teachers: Narrative Inquiry

Technology, content, and pedagogy must have a meaningful relationship with each other so that Pre-service English Teachers' literacy can be connected to a variety of semiotic modes beyond written language. Interaction with a greater variety of texts in a variety of modes, media, and environments highlights the need for tools to assess English language instructors' TPACK when it comes to educating students in multimodal literacy. Several pre-service English teachers in EFL classes utilize the use of word wall media for learning. This research aims to identify the obstacles faced by pre-service teachers in utilizing TPACK to teach EFL English at a private university in East Java, Indonesia. By adapting the interview framework (Creswell, 2018), which consists of four discussion targets, including pre-service teachers' beliefs regarding the practice of using TPACK, which is applied in learning activities in junior high schools. This narrative qualitative method (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) uses semi-structured interviews as its instrument. Systematically using Widodo's (2014) thematic analysis to analyze qualitative data. The findings show that there are many obstacles faced by pre-service teachers and students in implementing learning using TPACK in EFL classes, to be effective for their future teachers, pre-service skills.

Pre-service English teachers’ beliefs and practices in the use of digital technology: the case of a technology-enhanced teacher preparation course in South Korea

ABSTRACT Even though many teacher education programs have evolved to include technology courses to meet the growing demand for technology integration in education, many of them tend to treat technology as an add-on entity and teach technology skills in isolation. Focusing on the case of 29 pre-service English teachers in South Korea, this study aims to qualitatively examine how a semester-long teacher preparation course designed to provide pre-service teachers with adequate training and design-based experiences for implementing technology in their content areas influences pre-service teachers’ beliefs and practices in the integration of digital technology. The findings of the paper show that pre-service teachers’ perceptions and self-efficacy beliefs about technology integration in teaching are strongly influenced by their experiences of exploring different technology options and engaging in hands-on experiences related to technology integration. Based on the findings, the paper argues that a technology-integrated teacher preparation course that involves various hands-on experiences helps pre-service teachers enhance their self-efficacy beliefs in technology integration; in turn, this enables them to use digital technologies in more innovative and creative ways.

Pre-Service English Teachers’ Challenges of Teaching Practicum in Teaching Assistance (AjarMi) Program

This study aims to find out pre-service English teachers’ challenges of teaching practicum and how they overcome them. Interviews as the instruments used in this study and employed multiple case studies. Pre-service English teachers who participated in AJARMI program in the academic year 2022–2023 served as the study's subjects. Three PSETs participated in interviews. The findings of this study were analyzed using thematic analysis. The PSETs faced challenges related to students' behaviour, preparation of instructional materials, and mentoring. Then they handled them with organizing lessons, acting as an assertive teacher, devising a backup plan, and adapting to the school system.Keywords: Pre-service English Teachers, Teaching Practicum