Language Teacher Education Programs Research Articles

Learning English From a Critical, Intercultural Perspective: The Journey of Preservice Language Teachers

Critical language teaching education has become an inescapable endeavor for language teacher education programs. To contribute to this effort, this paper outlines the implementation of an English course from a critical, intercultural perspective, during the first semester of a language teacher education program in Colombia. It also reports the ways preservice teachers responded to this implementation as evidenced in data stemming from their oral and written outcomes and from course evaluations. Results indicate that this approach to language teaching allowed preservice teachers to affirm their multiple identities as they developed and strengthened their language skills in English. Data also indicate that looking at the world from a more critical perspective entailed contradictions and challenges for preservice teachers and the teacher educator.

EFL Preservice Teachers’ Technology Integration in Managing and Teaching Speaking Skills During Emergency Remote Teaching

This study aimed at investigating the EFL preservice teachers’ technology integration in managing and teaching speaking skills online during emergency remote teaching in Indonesia. This study employed a single case study approach by implementing an explanatory sequential mixed method design. The findings showed that even though the preservice teachers used various technology tools, they frequently implemented WhatsApp, YouTube, and Google Forms for classroom management and teaching speaking purposes. This study offers some implications to advance English language teacher education programs to prepare the future EFL preservice teachers in the post-pandemic era.

Eportfolio post tagging for student-teacher development

ABSTRACT This paper introduces an innovative practice: post tagging as a way to enhance the use of ePortfolios in foreign language teacher education programs. The ePortfolio system is a WordPress multi-author blog, and a student-teacher’s ePortfolio is a page comprised of the posts they have written. Tags are keywords for a post. In this innovation, ePortfolio post tags are matched with content learning areas in the teacher education program. When student-teachers tag a post, they first choose a relevant content area from the teacher education curriculum, e.g. Methods, and then select an appropriate tag or keyword from that area, e.g. Focus on form. Tagging has the following benefits. First, it can encourage student-teachers to reconcile pedagogical concepts from their teacher education program with their professional goals, teaching practice, and teaching beliefs. Second, tags can be used as a means to understand the types of pedagogical concepts that student-teachers deem important. Lastly, tagging can inform the teacher educators about how to improve their programs. On the other hand, using tags to match one’s reflective writing with pedagogical concepts does not come naturally to student-teachers and needs to be carefully introduced. The paper concludes by presenting some guidelines for using ePortfolios with tagging.

Conceptualizing Graduates Attributes (GAs) in English Language Teacher Education Programs in Oman During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study seeks to contribute to the incipient pool of research on graduate attributes (GAs) by reporting on a study of the GAs of Omani English language teacher (ELT) education programs and the role being played in this area by the Oman Authority for Academic Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Education (OAAAQA), formerly known as Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA). The study was qualitative and examined stakeholders’ perspectives and aspirations concerning the graduate attributes used in English language teacher education programs in Oman during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The data for the study was generated by (1) reviewing the pertinent literature, including OAAA’s documents and reports, and (2) interviewing online seven experts and practitioners from ELT programs in Oman. The findings reveal that the participants have diverse views of the GAs. Additionally, higher education institutions (or HEIs) encountered several common challenges with the mapping, actualizing, teaching, and assessing of GAs. Moreover, the existing GAs still need to be reviewed to fit the dynamic requirements of the labor market. The findings of the study have the potential to guide and support English teacher education providers in Oman in developing, reviewing, aligning, and mapping their GAs more effectively and impactfully.

Preservice EFL teachers’ online learning anxiety

With a prompt rise in the development of technology and with the advent of the internet in the 1990s, walls of classrooms have been demolished by the innovations of the current century. These developments also breathe new life into foreign language education and change the concept of the classroom while casting challenging roles for both learners and instructors, which ends up a new type of education on the stage of online education platforms. This brand-new way of foreign language learning has brought about extra anxiety in learners. In order to find out the reasons for foreign language anxiety, which affects learners’ process of foreign language learning in the online world, a total number of 75 undergraduate foreign language learners (n=75) who are taking online oral communication courses in the English Language Teacher Education Program (the Spring of the academic year 2019-2020) at Ondokuz Mayıs University in Turkey are involved in this research voluntarily. This study aims to investigate what kind of effects online learning has on foreign language learners’ anxiety in the process of online foreign language education, what the challenges are for online foreign language learners, how learners perceive online foreign language education, and what the learners' perceived reasons are for anxiety in an online foreign language learning environment through semi-structured interview forms. Certain significant factors which affect learners’ foreign language learning anxiety in an online world context have been determined. Some certain suggestions are made to alleviate the foreign language anxiety levels of the learners in online foreign language learning contexts.

Materials use in language classrooms: A research agenda

AbstractHow language learners and teachers actually usepedagogical materialsin classrooms is a ‘groundbreaking’ subject of applied linguistics inquiry (Tarone, 2014, p. 653), referred to in this research agenda article asmaterials use. We begin with a theoretically-oriented overview of language education scholarship on pedagogical materials (henceforthmaterials). Then, we focus on seven qualitative research tasks across three thematic areas, namelymaterials useand: (A) language pedagogy, (B) classroom interaction, and (C) language diversity, culture, and power. The first section on pedagogy outlines research tasks on: (1) the roles of materials in classrooms, (2) the influences of materials on practicing educators’ expertise, and (3) how language teacher education programmes address materials use. The second section on classroom interaction proposes inquiry into: (4) polysemiotic patterns of materials-in-interaction, and (5) the expected and unexpected outcomes of materials regarding students’ target language use. The third section focuses on: (6) teachers’ and learners’ responses to diverse linguistic varieties and cultures represented in materials, and (7) instructional materials used in language policy and planning endeavours. Throughout this article we reference interdisciplinary connections to curriculum studies, cultural studies, sociology, and materials scholarship in general education. The seven research tasks are critical next steps for understandingmaterials use– a vast new field that promises to advance language education practice and theory.

‘We just learned from each other’: ESOL pre-service teachers learning to use digital tools across coursework and student teaching

ABSTRACT Although educators can use digital tools to meet emergent bilingual students’ unique needs, language teachers generally feel unprepared to use technology with students, and language teacher education programs face challenges in implementing technology. This study uses ethnographic methods to explore 12 pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) experiences learning about digital tools in ways intended to support emergent bilingual students. I interviewed the PSTs and observed their participation across student teaching and a concurrent practicum course, and I analyzed these data through the lens of activity theory. PSTs perceived that their participation in teacher education was characterised by a shared responsibility where all the PSTs, their teacher educator, and mentor teachers contributed new knowledge about digital tools. The co-construction of knowledge afforded the PSTs opportunities to learn in the moment, and many described their learning as ‘playing around’. This study has implications for teacher education programs and theory related to teacher learning. Through shared responsibility and playfulness, all educational stakeholders can take on roles as learners and experts where they leverage one another’s experiences and contributions to support PSTs’ instructional practices, challenging traditional roles between PSTs and their multiple mentors.

Predicting pre-service English language teachers’ intentions to use augmented reality

Augmented Reality (AR) is a new-generation technology that shows video, picture, and animated 3 D objects over real-life scenes. Despite AR’s prevalence around the world, language teacher education programs are not prompt in the integration of digital educational tools. The present study explored the factors that predict pre-service English teachers’ intentions to use AR in their future language classes. For this purpose, a correlational research design was applied. The participants were exposed to an implementation process which included training on creating AR experiences as well as developing a stand-alone AR application and a discussion session on AR in language classes. Next, a 5-point Likert-type scale of Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) was administered to pre-service English teachers (n = 141). Results indicated that attitude with a very high impact from perceived usefulness was the most significant predictor of participants’ intentions to use AR. On the other hand, facilitating conditions and ease of use were the least impactful factors. The findings offer implications for teacher educators, curriculum designers, teacher education program developers and teachers.

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.

A Retrospective Narrative Study of Pre-Service Teachers' Language Barrier Experiences in International Teaching Practicum

The present retrospective narrative study reported in this article explores the international teaching practicum program has become a new trend in a lot of university-based English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher education programs, particularly in Southeast Asian countries. This phenomenon led to the high demand for university-based EFL teacher education programs of having international networking which aims to give more cross-cultural understanding and experience for the pre-service teachers in teaching EFL abroad. This retrospective narrative case study aims to investigate the language socialization experiences and challenges of two Indonesian pre-service EFL teachers during the teaching practicum program in Thailand. The data was collected through participants’ teaching practicum documents and semi-structured interviews. Grounded in a retrospective narrative study and Relational Turning Point Events (RTPEs) theoretical framework, this study is hoped to provide a better understanding of the EFL teaching development, particularly for preparing pre-service teachers for intercultural teaching practicum.

Influence of Self-Assessment on the English Language Learning Process

Assessment is considered to be a reliable and valid means through which the effects of both teaching and learning can be measured. The lack of research studies in relation to self-assessment in the English Language Teacher Education Program (henceforth ELT Education Program) targeted in this study evidence that no policy determines how learners can self-assess their learning process. For that reason, we conducted this qualitative-descriptive case study that relies on principles of postmodern perspectives and constructivist theories that advocate the construction of learners' knowledge. The main objective was to determine how self-assessment influences the language learning process of a group of students from the ELT Education Program. To respond to this inquiry, we collected data through student reflective journals, focus group discussion commentaries, and an interview to analyze participants' reflections upon their English learning process. The results showed a positive response from students towards reflection. According to their comments, self-assessment evaluates more profound aspects of the self, such as autonomy, self-recognition, critical thinking, persistence, and self-efficacy. They also highlighted the role of reflective journals and focus group discussions as facilitators to self-evaluate deeply and promote collective reflection.

Towards Harmonisation of Language Teacher Education Programmes in Malawi: An Analysis of Language Teacher Programmes

This study aims at analysing language teacher education programmes from three secondary school teacher training institutions in Malawi. It also discusses the possibility of having a consolidated language teacher education programme for all institutions. The data were generated through document analysis of the language teacher education programmes and route maps. The data shows that the three programmes have a four-part kind of teacher programme which has courses in education foundation, teaching methodology, content and teaching practice. The courses offered are basically similar in all the three institutions with minor differences, especially in terms of the number of courses and the level at which they are offered. Considering the fact that these three institutions aim at producing teachers that will handle the secondary school English curriculum there is a possibility of having a consolidated language teacher education programme.

Student teachers’ knowledge production processes within socially just educational principles and practices in Brazil

ABSTRACT This article analyses how themes and problematisations concerning social justice presented in a pre-service English language teacher education programme in São Paulo, Brazil, resonate in student teachers’ knowledge production processes. To do so, the case study is presented in two parts. The first one examines the theoretical foundations and the organisation of two specific courses on language teaching methodology, courses whose epistemological approach aligns with decoloniality and narrative documentation of learning experiences. In the second part, essays produced by student teachers enrolled in these courses are analysed thematically to discuss evidence of how the course resonates on student teachers’ knowledge of more culturally sensitive and socially relevant educational principles and practices. This double-folded analysis reveals the transversality of social justice principles and practices in student teachers’ process of becoming English language teachers and language educators with a sense of belonging to all-embracing commitments of the profession.

The journey of a critical-oriented ELT curriculum and the identities of teacher educators: a collaborative and analytic autoethnography

ABSTRACT The field of second language teacher education has recently focused on issues of social justice through different interventions in language teaching preparation programmes and the analysis of the identity formation of pre-service and in-service language teachers. However, little is known about the identities of teacher educators in second language teacher education programmes. This article, adopting a social justice and critical perspective, retrospectively focuses on the 28-year journey of an English language teaching preparation BA Programme and the identity of three teacher educators (the co-authors of this article) who have been part of the programme. Zooming in on the views and identity negotiation of these three teacher educators through autoethnographic vignettes, this study analyzes the original design and the two consecutive renewals/reforms of the aforementioned BA programme at a public university located in Oaxaca, the most culturally and linguistically diverse state in Mexico (Author 1). Pursuant to the article’s autoethnographic methodology, by which the researcher or author explores her/his own personal experience as having relevance to the community at large, the purpose of this article is to explore the impact of ELT curricular reforms on the identity of the three teacher educators and the connection between identity and issues of social justice.

Striving to cope: The quest for social justice in initial teacher education in Uruguay

ABSTRACT This research project sought to comprehend how a group of graduates from an Initial Foreign Language Teacher Education (IFLTE) programme in a national teacher education college in Uruguay constructed a personal stance towards social justice as a result of having completed a curriculum intending to promote such a stance. Data were collected through document analysis, a survey, and semi-structured interviews. Results disclosed an inherent difficulty in graduates’ efforts to construct such a stance. Findings also seem to indicate the need for a reconsideration of the curriculum experience, particularly. This implies not only reconfiguring the curriculum, but also repositioning social justice at the theoretical and practical levels.

Chilean EFL student teachers and social justice: ambiguity and uncertainties in understanding their professional pedagogical responsibility

ABSTRACT Professional pedagogical responsibility (PPR) for teachers does not only mean to meet deadlines or attend meetings, but also to be conscious of how their actions can contribute to challenging inequities in society. Thus, it is imperative that teachers of English embrace the responsibility of teaching English as a tool to promote social justice. This article reports on a qualitative study to understand how seven pre-service teachers developed a sense of PPR and to what extent participants’ discourse revealed a sense of social justice. Data were collected through a number of semi-structured interviews that required participants to reflect on different practicum experiences and expectations for their future work as teachers of English. The results demonstrated different degrees of PPR ranging from resistance to high levels of agency. These different degrees were shaped by personal drives such as preservice teachers’ motives for teaching English, but also by social and contextual factors such as expectations and requirements of the practicum. The outcomes also suggested that most preservice teachers were unaware of their role as change agents. The paper concludes with implications on how the integration of a social justice perspective in initial English language teacher education programmes can strengthen their professional responsibility.

The Impact of the Continuum of an Education Programme on Pre-service Teachers’ Beliefs about English Language Education

Research background: Teachers’ beliefs play an important role in the way they teach and meet their students’ needs. Researching pre-established pre-service teachers’ beliefs gives evidence that they might impede pre-service teachers’ compliance with pre-service education. Gap in knowledge and Purpose of the study: Many studies have produced contradictory findings in terms of prospective change in pre-established pre-service teachers’ beliefs caused by the impact of pre-service education study programmes. Therefore, this study addresses the gap by enriching this field with research findings reinforcing the potential impact of the study programme on changes in pre-service teachers’ beliefs on effective English language teaching and learning expressed across different years of the study programme. Methods: The study uses the results of questionnaires completed by 99 randomly selected pre-service teachers enrolled in an English language teaching study programme provided by the Faculty of Education, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. In addition, the study participants’ database was expanded using bootstrapping to enhance the results obtained by applying statistical methods. Findings and Value added: The results showed statistically significant differences among different years of the study programme within the continuum of their English language teacher education thus indicating the potential impact of the programme. The impact of the study programme led to pre-service teachers’ raised awareness and some modifications in their pre-established beliefs based on the learnt and acquired knowledge and gained practical teaching experiences during the practicums in higher grades of the study. The findings suggest that teacher educators and policymakers should be aware of pre-service teachers’ beliefs when adopting new strategies for reconceptualising and/ or modifying language teacher education programmes.

Pre- and In-service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs: A Case Study of an English Language Teacher Education Programme in Albania

This study explores self-efficacy beliefs of pre- and in-service teachers enrolled at an English language teacher (ELT) education programme in a non-public university in Albania. Self-efficacy was assessed overall and in three dimensions: the use of instructional strategies, student engagement, and classroom management. It also investigates possible relationships between experience in teaching and teacher efficacy beliefs. The 51 participants in the study are all students at the ELT education programme, who are at the same time either pre- or in-service teachers. The data were collected through a teacher efficacy questionnaire delivered via Google forms, and descriptive, comparative, and correlational analyses were performed. The results revealed high rates of the respondents’ overall efficacy perceptions in teaching efficacy and each of its three dimensions. No significant correlation was found between the participants’ teaching experience and their self-efficacy or between their teaching experience and self-efficacy dimensions. Despite limitations, the study has implications for the ELT teacher education programme and suggests future directions for research in the sources of and aspects that influence teacher efficacy beliefs.

Comparing English language teacher education programs in Turkey and Finland

The quality and qualifications of teachers reflect the quality of education and the success of students accordingly, and particular attention needs to be given to pre-service teacher training as it is the primary step towards professionalization. Keeping this point in mind, English language teacher education programs (ELTEPs) seem to be a worthwhile research area. There is an increasing number of studies addressing ELTEPs in Turkey. Yet, comparative data on Turkey’s ELTEPs and those of other countries remain relatively limited. Reasoning from the mentioned reasons, the study aims to analyze ELTEPs in Finland and Turkey based on five criteria; student selection, curriculum, practicum hours, graduation prerequisites and recruitment of teachers. Comparative in essence, the data were composed of documents indicating ELTEPs in both countries. For this qualitative research, basically, document analysis and content analysis were applied. As for the findings, one can count student selection, pre-service teaching practice and recruitment of teachers different from each other. More significantly, teachers in Finland are highly respected, trusted and have a high degree of autonomy in their work from the start of their profession. In the light of such comparative studies, Turkey needs to establish its unique model and enhance the quality of teacher education by taking the strengths of ELTEPs in different countries.

Learning to Teach

Microteaching is a learning activity from which preservice teachers (PSTs) learn to teach either individually, in pairs or in groups. Thanks to its merits, it has been widely used in teacher education. The paper investigates a specific case of four PSTs conducting microteaching in groups of three as an obligatory component of an English language teacher education programme in a leading higher education institution in Vietnam. Informed by activity theory within the sociocultural perspective, the paper elucidates the learning process of these four PSTs through reflection on their microteaching sessions in their third year to shed light on the application and development of teaching knowledge and skills, peer scaffolding, contradictions within the activity system of the PSTs and their teacher identity construction. The last aspect is considered the contribution of the current study to fulfill a research gap since identity construction through microteaching has rarely been studied before.