English Teacher Education Program Research Articles

Pre-service English teachers’ learning traits

The present study aimed to characterize a comprehensive learning profile of pre-service teachers at an English teacher education programme of a public university in Southeast Mexico. The learning attributes comprise their English entry level, learning strategies and styles, learning approaches, and learning preferences. The research design was non-experimental, descriptive transectional, with a single data collection procedure during the August 2023 term. Four learning scales and two placement tests were used to identify the predominant learning traits of the cohort studied. The results show a preference to use cognitive learning strategies more than any other type. In terms of learning styles, the findings show that most participants are primarily aural, but some students are bi- and even tri-oriented. In terms of their learning preferences, most students identified as analytical. Regarding learning approaches, most students typically employ a deep approach, which could be quite inadequate because they depend more on surface strategies.

The Notion of English as an International Language in a Selection of Teacher Education Programs in Colombia

English as an International Language (EIL) constitutes a paradigm for the teaching of English from a pluri-centric linguistic, cultural, and pedagogical approach. This article reports on the partial findings of a Comparative Case Study (CCS) conducted to assess the manifestation of the notion of EIL in the curriculum policy documents of a selection of initial teacher education programs in Colombia. Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) was applied to the curriculum policy documents of three English teacher education programs, and a descriptive account of the contents of these documents is given to support the reported assessment. The analysis revealed that the manifestation of EIL, whenever found, was mostly inferable in the documents of two programs in the functional dimension of EIL and in its dimension of Teacher Education, whereas one program’s document generally did not show manifestation of this paradigm.

INFORMAL DIGITAL LEARNING OF ENGLISH TO SUPPORT A FORMAL SPEAKING COURSE: EFL PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION IDEAS

This study aimed at exploring how English as a foreign language (hereafter, EFL) preservice teacher (hereafter, PSTs) who had no teaching experience perceived Informal Digital Learning of English (hereafter, IDLE) and their IDLE implementation ideas for their future students’ out-of-class activities to support formal classroom instruction. The researchers employed a basic qualitative design to understand the participants’ perceptions and implementation ideas. The data were gathered through interviews and document analysis, and subsequently, 14 EFL PSTs with no prior teaching experience were recruited using a purposive sampling strategy. The data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. The findings give new insights that the participants had positive perceptions towards IDLE and had various implementation ideas of IDLE for their future students, mostly through disrupting Web 2.0 technology tools, even though they had no teaching experience using technology. Two implications for English educators and teacher education programs are highlighted in this article: changing teachers’ mindsets towards EFL learning and the insertion of IDLE as a topic into pedagogy courses.

Enhancing English Learning in Arab Israeli Teacher Education

This research explores the profound importance of incorporating the mother tongue in English Teacher Education programs, aiming to uncover potential benefits and challenges. The study provides insights for educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers by scrutinizing motivation, cultural relevance, and language acquisition impact. Embracing the mother tongue holds the potential to create a more effective and engaging learning environment for English language learners. The research involves an in-depth analysis of how the mother tongue acts as a bridge for complex linguistic concepts, making the learning experience more accessible. Simultaneously, challenges are acknowledged, considering potential misconceptions and the need for effective pedagogical strategies. In essence, this study contributes substantively to the discourse on language education, providing evidence-based insights into the mother tongue in English teacher education programs. The expected outcomes guide the refinement of language learning strategies, empowering educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers to optimize teacher education programs for linguistic proficiency and cultural resonance among English language learners, utilizing a qualitative case study approach.

Challenges of ICT Teachers in Integrating Digital Literacy Post-COVID-19 Curriculum Revisions in Thailand’s English Teacher Education Programs

After the curriculum reforms from 2021 to 2023, public universities in Thailand have been adapting to integrate ICT and digital literacy into their teaching. This research explores the changes experienced by ICT teachers when integrating digital literacy with student teachers in English teacher education programs after the pandemic. During COVID-19, online learning was mandatory, necessitating significant adjustments. This study also investigates the challenges associated with these changes. The participants were six teachers from six public universities with firsthand experience with the revised curriculum from 2021 to 2023. Semi-structured interviews were used as the research instrument. The interview data were grouped into themes according to the degree of change and challenges encountered by the teachers. The findings showed four levels of changes due to the curriculum reforms: changing course names, descriptions, topics, and assessments. Along with these changes, the teachers faced several challenges: selecting appropriate ICT resources, insufficient digital literacy knowledge, the need for pedagogical adjustments, insufficient training and support, infrastructure limitations, and time constraints. The study suggests that universities should offer ongoing professional development to help teachers keep up with the changing digital literacy landscape. Additionally, institutional infrastructure and support need improvement. Teacher education programs should incorporate comprehensive training on using ICT in teaching, emphasizing practical applications. Future research should study the effectiveness of professional development models in enhancing teachers’ ICT skills and their ability to integrate technology into their teaching. It should also identify the impact of collaborative teaching approaches on ICT integration in teacher education programs.

Research: “The students are only getting more diverse”: Cultivating Culturally Infused Teaching and Learning with Preservice Teachers in a Professional Learning Community

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have potential as a collaborative model at facilitating culturally relevant/sustainable (CRS) pedagogical practices with preservice teachers. This article presents the results of a study examining the experiences of preservice English educators in a model PLC aimed at fostering understandings of CRS pedagogies with preservice educators. Monthly virtual PLC sessions were conducted over the course of four months, focused on developing an understanding of CRS pedagogies with six preservice educators. Transcripts from PLC sessions and individual interviews were examined through a qualitative case-study analysis to determine themes that emerged from participant experiences. Analysis revealed three themes as central to preservice teachers’ experiences in the model PLC: (1) need for sense of community in the PLC, (2) apprehension regarding perceived administrative response, and (3) enthusiasm for attempting CRS practices in the classroom. PLCs centered on developing CRS practices with preservice educators may aid English teacher education programs in preparing teachers to educate students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

English as a lingua franca, world Englishes, and the preparation of language teachers: An awareness‐raising experience in an English teacher education program in Colombia

AbstractThis study builds on previous research (Galloway & Rose, 2018) that underlines the necessity of raising awareness of distinct kinds of English among prospective English instructors in expanding circle nations. The participants were exposed to these themes through a series of student‐led presentations that used English as a lingua franca and World Englishes as a theoretical foundation. The data were gathered through student reports, individual reflections, and semi‐structured interviews and were evaluated thematically. The findings demonstrated a development of new perspectives and understandings, a sense of contribution of the theme of World Englishes to teacher professional development, and the participants' positioning as equally skilled users of English. Thus, the study discusses the possibilities and challenges of gradually incorporating English as a lingua franca and World Englishes in the preparation of prospective English teachers.

Teaching Practicums During the Pandemic in an Initial English Teacher Education Program: The Preservice Teachers’ Perspective

In an initial English teacher education program at a Chilean institution, early and professional practicums were re-invented during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the continuity of this process. This study analyzed the context and conditions under which these practicums unfolded and how the process influenced participants’ pedagogical and professional knowledge development. Forty-two preservice English language teachers undergoing early and professional practicums online throughout 2020–2021 answered an online questionnaire which was analyzed through descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings revealed preservice teachers’ problems, strengths, weaknesses, and challenges while interacting with pupils, cooperating teachers, and supervisors, as well as the development of some pedagogical and professional knowledge. The findings may serve to make adaptations to increasingly challenging teaching contexts.

Inquiry and Research Skills for Language Teachers by Kenan Dikilitaş and Ali Bostancioğlu

Published in 2019, Inquiry and Research Skills for Language Teachers is written to assist teacher educators in the design of research methodology courses in English teacher education programs. Conceived in the authors’ conviction that most research courses do not succeed in empowering teachers’ professional practices, the book resorts to Exploratory Practice to configure an approach that appeals to the interrogation of pre-service teachers’ attitudes and beliefs toward research to increase engagement and foster inquiry skills. In the book, Kenan Dikilitaş and Ali Bostancioğlu lay out a step-by-step guide for teacher educators to design research courses that are more connected to the realities of future teachers, in the hopes of achieving a long-lasting effect on teachers’ professional identities. The book addresses an audience that is familiar with the challenges teachers face when trying to bridge the gap between theory and practice and implement evidence-based teaching.

THE ORIGINS OF INDONESIAN EFL TEACHERS’ IDEOLOGICAL BELIEFS ABOUT ENGLISH AND ELT

The last three decades or so have seen a proliferation of studies into second language (L2) teachers’ cognition, encompassing their thinking, knowledge, and belief. However, studies are lacking into the origins (or sources) of L2 teachers’ beliefs especially ideological beliefs. This paper reports a subset of findings from a study investigating the beliefs and classroom practices of secondary school EFL teachers in Indonesia. Aiming to reveal ideological beliefs about English and ELT held by the teachers and the perceived origins of such beliefs, the paper draws on data obtained from a total of 16 interviews. Data analysis revealed that the teachers held beliefs that reflect several categories of English language ideologies prevalent in the ELT setting. These ideological beliefs were perceived to originate from several factors such as schoolteacher’s talk about English, schoolteacher’s classroom practice, undergraduate education, graduate education, fellow teachers, colleagues in an English teacher forum, and textbooks used for teaching. The paper concludes with implications for English teacher education programs and suggestions for future research

An examination into pre-Service English-as-a-Foreign-Language teachers’ Self-Perceived technological-Pedagogical-Content-knowledge

A literature review indicates that no research has been conducted to date to examine pre-service English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ self-perceived technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). Therefore, this study explores pre-service EFL teachers’ (PSEFLTs) self-perceived TPACK, to understand whether it changes in line with their year of study and their views on the probable contribution of the pre-service English teacher education program to their TPACK. The findings obtained from the analysis of the data collected from a 36-item EFL TPACK questionnaire, conducted by performing descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and a post hoc analysis, revealed that the level of PSEFLTs’ technological knowledge was the highest, while their content knowledge was the lowest. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in 28 items between the PSEFLTs’ TPACK, resulting from the responses of the second-year students. The content analysis of the qualitative data gathered from telephone interviews demonstrated that even though the interviewees overwhelmingly regarded their TPACK level as high, they suggested that the curriculum for this program could be enriched by adding a course to it on the use of technology in EFL teaching.

English Language Teacher Educators’ critical professional identity constructions and negotiations

ABSTRACT This study sought to examine how professional identities of English Language Teacher Educators (ELTEs) evolved considering current socio-political factors surrounding Teaching English as an International Language (TEIL) in Colombia. This in-depth research examined how a group of 5 non-native ELTEs constructed and transformed their identity in an English Teacher Education programme. It is framed by an interpretive paradigm and a critical action research approach. Interviews, a series of small group study events, and ELTEs' reflective reports were the three approaches employed to collect the data. The main finding of this investigation showed a certain degree of change in participants' professional identities.

Affordances of digital technology for English pronunciation teaching

This study examines the view of Brazilian teachers of English on the affordances of digital technology to teach pronunciation. An online survey was conducted with a group of 42 in-service teachers. All of them held an undergraduate degree from an English Teacher education program. The participants completed a background questionnaire that also included questions that aimed at identifying: (a) what the participants recognize as relevant digital resources for pronunciation teaching and learning; (b) the role played by digital resources in their pronunciation teaching practices, and (c) their perspectives on the affordances and limitations of digital resources for pronunciation teaching. The results bring insights about the affordances of digital technology for pronunciation teaching and about gaps in teacher education regarding pronunciation teaching aided by digital resources.
 Keywords: pronunciation teaching. digital technologies. teacher education. English teaching.

Pronunciation pedagogy in English as a foreign language teacher education programs in Vietnam

Abstract Pronunciation has gained significant attention in the field of English language teaching, with recent studies examining pronunciation representation in textbooks, classroom practices, teachers’ beliefs, and learners’ perceptions. However, research into teachers learning to teach English pronunciation is only beginning to emerge. The current study extends this line of enquiry by investigating the preparation of 20 Vietnamese English teachers to teach pronunciation. The study also examined the teachers’ perceptions of how Vietnamese teacher education could further assist teachers in teaching pronunciation. Qualitative data sources included academic transcripts, a questionnaire, and individual semi-structured interviews to examine the teacher-participants’ pronunciation pedagogy training and their beliefs about effective pronunciation teacher preparation. The findings showed that the teachers were insufficiently trained but reported being confident in their ability to teach English pronunciation. The participants also proposed several changes to be made to Vietnamese English teacher education programs for teachers to teach pronunciation more effectively.

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>

Effects of value and interest intervention on EFL student teachers' research motivation in the Chinese context.

Language teacher research is conducive to the development of teachers' teaching skills and professional careers. Thus, many English teacher education programs require student teachers to do research. However, some empirical findings suggest that English as a foreign language (EFL) student teachers lack research motivation. Consequently, finding suitable interventions to increase their research motivation has become increasingly necessary. In light of the importance of research motivation intervention, this study involved designing an experiment to identify the effect of a value and interest intervention including the sharing of positive research experiences to improve student teachers' research motivation. Quantitative questionnaires and qualitative semi-structured interviews were used to gather evidence on the change in student teachers' research motivation during the intervention. The interview data revealed that student teachers' research motivation was influenced by their belief in the value of research to their teaching practice. The experiment results suggested that student teachers' intrinsic and extrinsic research motivations both increased after the intervention. However, the intervention was not effective in curbing their failure avoidance tendency. Pedagogical implications of the results are discussed at the end of this article.

Exploring EFL Students’ Speaking Anxiety of English Teacher Education Program at One Public University in Jambi

Speaking is one of the most difficult skills in language learning particularly in learning English as a foreign language. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the issues of speaking anxiety, the factors influencing their speaking anxiety, and the strategies they employed to alleviate the anxiety at one English teacher education program in Jambi, Indonesia. In order to collect the data, a semi-structured interview was employed and guided by an interview protocol to stimulate the participants in answering the questions during the interview. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we only had access to invite 12 students to participate in our study-they were nine male and three female student teachers. To select the participants, we employed purposive sampling with a convenience case strategy. Through thematic analysis (Braun and Clark, 2006), we identified three major themes of factors influencing the participants’ speaking anxiety, including 1) language barrier (Grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and fluency); 2) psychological issues (low motivation, and personality); and 3) learning proponents (lecturers, classmates, and unfamiliar topic). To alleviate their anxiety, the participants have undertaken strategies, such as 1) self-management (self-practice and doing positive activities) and 2) getting-help strategies (friends’ help and motivation).

Pre-service teachers’ investments in English and construction of professional identity in the Indonesian context

This study explored the pre-service teachers (PSTs) professional identity construction during their teacher education training at a private university in Central Java, Indonesia. It particularly investigated their understanding of the teaching profession and their professional identity, guided by two research questions: 1) what have been the influential aspects of the Indonesian pre-service teachers’ investment in the teaching profession? and 2) what professional identities do the PSTs (re)construct during their teacher education training? A qualitative case study was adopted as the design of this study. Data of this study were collected using an open-ended questionnaire and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Participants of this study are eleven PSTs of a private university in Central Java. The obtained data were analyzed by using the theoretical grounding of situated learning, professional identity, and investments. An interpretive approach and thematic analysis were adopted in coding and analyzing the PSTs’ open-ended questionnaire responses and narrative accounts obtained from the interviews. It is found that most aspects of PSTs’ construction of professional identity are their continuous learning participation and contemplation during their training in the English teacher education (ETE) program and their dynamic inner dialogue with their two selves (i.e. the student-self and the teacher-self) during the teaching practicum at school. These influential aspects lead to the emerging professional identity of the PSTs as caring, motivational, pleasant, and empathetic teachers. This result implies the need to emphasize the acquisition of teacher identity and reflective teaching at the heart of teacher education.

Narratives about Being and Becoming English Language Teachers in an ELT Education Program

This article presents an analysis of the narratives written by four pre-service English language teachers (PELTs) during the last semester of their undergraduate program. The study aims to understand the constructions related to being and becoming PELTs and the possible contributions that the English language teacher (ELT) education program provided to shape those identities. The narratives were reconstructed from two narrative frames written by the PELTs and their responses to a narrative interview. The results reveal how participants (re)signify their profession from their experiences in the program, the teaching practicum, and other settings. PELTs construct and consolidate their professional identity initially from a technical perspective. However, their experiences and the guidance of some teacher educators transformed their view of education into a more critical and informed perspective. In conclusion, professional identity could potentially be formed and changed based on the experiences provided throughout the PELTs’ education. Considering this, initial English teacher education programs should establish strategies that contribute to this end from the beginning of undergraduate studies.

School and social educational vulnerability in Chile: experiences and preparedness of novice teachers of English

ABSTRACT Drawing on Sen’s notion of social justice in the Capability Approach, this paper examines the experiences of a group of novice teachers from English teacher education programmes working in marginalised schools in Chile. Through open-ended surveys and interviews, I investigated how new teachers navigate their first teaching years in contexts of educational vulnerability, how they perceive their teacher education programs and preparation to work in such school contexts, and how they balance the interplay between unfreedoms and the exercise of freedoms to teach students at social risk. The findings reveal the impact of contextless English teacher education programs and how these trigger future teacher motivation to develop a deeper understanding of educational vulnerability and their freedom to move away from language teaching issues to accommodate their teaching based on their care and commitment to their students. This paper closes by making a call for the importance of a grassroots approach in the development of English teacher education programs designed with members of marginalised communities.