Pre-service English Language Teachers Research Articles

Relocating assessment in pre-service teacher education: an emerging model from activity theory lens

ABSTRACT This empirical study aims to understand the assessment pedagogies used to support pre-service teachers’ assessment development in the post-pandemic. The study involved sixty 4th year English language pre-service teachers, and data were collected from interviews, practicum observation notes, field visit notes, and reflection papers. The study aimed to identify research-based pedagogical constructs that effectively contributed to pre-service teachers’ learning and practice of assessment in the practicum. Using an activity theory lens, the study developed a model that could be used in pre-service teacher assessment education across different contexts. The paper concludes by suggesting research and practice-oriented implementations for pre-service teacher education based on the identified pedagogical constructs. Also, it has important implications for developing effective assessment education for pre-service teachers, which can contribute to better student learning outcomes in the future.

印尼實習焦慮與英語實習教師之培訓:借鑑COVID-19大流行時的經驗

AbstractThe existing literature on practicum anxiety seldom scrutinises the preservice teachers’ experiences to uncover potential links between the sources of these anxieties and the conceptual frameworks they bring into their practicum journeys. This qualitative study interviewed five first-year preservice English language teachers in Indonesia amid COVID-19 lockdowns, exploring sources of their anxiety and coping strategies. The analysis revealed that, while their coping strategies align with those documented in prior international research, it also yielded novel insights. The preservice teachers in the study lacked conceptual frameworks to aid in translating the national ELT curriculum objectives into practice, did not mention utilising relevant professional literature for additional guidance, and appeared unfamiliar with the school culture at their practicum locations. Arguably, these factors are crucial for fostering a sense of ease during the practicum. Although the scope of this study is limited, its findings highlight the significance of this analysis and stress the necessity for more extensive investigations to gain a fuller understanding of the preservice practicum experience.

Raising pre-service English language teachers’ awareness of sustainable development goals through literary texts

Purpose This study aims to examine the outcome of an online project to inform preservice English language teachers regarding the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research method was used to understand participants’ overall knowledge. In total, 30 preservice teachers were selected from a larger pool after considering their grade point averages, sex, university affiliations and geographical backgrounds to ensure a balanced distribution and diversity. Qualitative data were collected through written productions, video recordings and a postproject survey. Findings Findings revealed that preservice teachers deepened their understanding of SDGs and adopted a positive attitude toward SDGs while increasing their pedagogical awareness and knowledge of teaching English in response to SDGs. They also regarded literary texts as a valuable resource for teaching SDGs. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that literary works are valuable for educating preservice teachers on integrating SDGs. A detailed overview of the project and its outcomes can guide practitioners and teacher educators in integrating SDGs into their education programs and English language teaching.

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.

Forming pre-service English language teachers’ competence in critical reading through authentic short stories

The article is devoted to the problem of developing critical reading competence and critical thinking skills of pre-service English language teachers by means of interactive teaching on the material of authentic short stories. The phenomenon of critical thinking is considered thoroughly, its definition is given, and its features are described. Critical thinking is defined as the process of using cognitive techniques and strategies with the purpose of skilful and active understanding and evaluation of observations, communication, information, and argumentation that increase the probability of obtaining the desired final result. The critical thinking skills are outlined, as well as the stages of their formation in correlation with the stages of interactive foreign language teaching. The definitions of critical reading and critical reading competence are worked out. It is established that critical reading is a process of reading which presupposes the use of reflection with the purpose of content evaluation and reasonable judgments in relation to it. Critical reading competence is defined as a person’s ability to read authentic texts of various genres with full understanding, analysis, and evaluation of their content; which is based on relevant abilities, skills, knowledge, and communication skills, in order to respond intelligently and adequately to what is read. The potential of using authentic short stories to develop critical reading competence of pre-service English language teachers has been explored. The difficulties of forming critical reading competence on the material of authentic short stories are considered. The methodology of teaching critical reading on the material of authentic short stories to pre-service English language teachers is suggested: the stages of developing critical reading skills are distinguished and described; the strategies and techniques of teaching critical reading on the material of authentic short stories with interactive method are presented.

Yüksek Öğretimde Yazılı Öğretmen Dönütünü Anlama Üzerine Bir Çalışma: İngilizce Öğretmen Adaylarının Düşünce, Duygu ve Performansları

This study aimed to explore pre-service English language teacher’s performance in revising their writing assignments based on written teacher feedback. Moreover, the participants’ perceptions and emotions were investigated in addition to their writing self-efficacy levels. A total of 15 pre-service teachers took part in the study. Data were collected through teacher written feedback, students’ drafts, an open-ended survey and a semi-structured interview with the participants. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis tools were employed in the study. Quantitative data analysis results revealed that the participants were more successful in revising direct teacher feedback compared to indirect teacher feedback, and there was not a positive correlation between the participants’ feedback revision success and self-efficacy levels. The results of qualitative data analysis showed that the pre-service teachers were in favor of written teacher feedback and considered it a necessity for the L2 writing class. Moreover, they opted for indirect feedback and feedback on all errors. Finally, they experienced both positive and negative emotions although negative emotions were more prevalent.

Lesson Study: Does it work for personal development of pre-service ELT teachers?

This study is intended to document Lesson Study experience of six preservice English language teachers studying at a state university in Turkey and investigates its impact on their personal development as prospective language teachers. The large volume of data collected through unstructured interviews, semi-structured interviews, learning journals, classroom observation records and focus group interview during seven-month period was subjected to thematic and categorical analysis using qualitative analysis software. The results revealed that Lesson Study intervention contributed to the personal development of the participating preservice teachers significantly in variety of aspects especially in making critical teaching judgements and ensuring adaptable teaching in the classroom. The results further indicated that Lesson Study also led to the development in creative teaching, establishment of rapport with students, self-awareness, and self-confidence of the participants.

The Practicum Evaluation Conundrum: Perceptions of Preservice English Language Teachers and Their Mentors

The evaluation conundrum during teaching practicum concerning the criteria used and perception of them by faculty mentors, school mentors, and preservice teachers remains a critical concern in language teacher education. This multi-perspective research quantitatively investigates the viewpoints of preservice English teachers and their school and faculty mentors regarding the significance of the evaluation criteria set by the Ministry of National Education for evaluating preservice teachers’ teaching in teaching practicum. While all three groups considered the evaluation criteria to be significant—although at varying degrees—the faculty mentors ascribed greater importance to the evaluation criteria, compared to school mentors and preservice teachers, for both the evaluation criteria used by faculty mentors and school mentors. The study highlights the key role of evaluations and feedback provided by school and faculty mentors during teaching practicum despite higher degrees of significance attached to the evaluation criteria used by school mentors. The implications can inform policy and practice in language teacher education, promoting better outcomes for the preparation of future English language teachers in Türkiye.

Pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards artificial intelligence and its integration into EFL teaching and learning

Abstract Even though artificial intelligence (AI) is no new occurrence, with its beginnings dating back to the 1950s, its use has gained popularity worldwide, especially in recent years, and its presence and importance has grown in many areas of human lives, including education. Surveys conducted internationally have found generally positive attitudes of university students towards artificial intelligence (AI) and its inclusion into various fields of research and study. However, only few research probes have been conducted among students of philology and future language teachers. No such research has been conducted among university students or pre-service EFL teachers in Central Europe. This paper aims to fill this gap in educational research knowledge, as knowing teachers’ and teacher students’ attitudes towards AI can be a key factor in the success or failure of applying AI in education. Therefore, the aim of the study is to determine the level of knowledge and dominant attitudes towards AI in general, AI in learning/teaching EFL and the inclusion of AI in the teacher training curriculum among pre-service EFL teachers in Slovakia. To collect data from the respondents, a cross-sectional survey in the form of a KAP questionnaire was conducted in November-December 2022. 137 pre-service English language teachers responded to a pre-tested online questionnaire consisting of 19 closed-ended (5-point Likert scale) items and one open-ended question. Slovak EFL pre-service teachers were equally interested (38.67%) and uninterested (39.42%) in the ongoing discussion about AI in education. Overall, they self-reported having no (61.31%) or unsatisfactory (21.17%) understanding of the basic computational principles of AI. On the other hand, they were significantly more satisfied with their knowledge of AI-based applications for EFL teaching, which they considered adequate (35.04%). Nevertheless, almost half of the students (45.25%) rated their knowledge as inadequate. It was therefore encouraging to learn that 64.24% of the respondents agreed that AI education should be included in their university curriculum and had predominantly positive expectations of AI and its application in education. 63.50% of them agreed with the statement that AI will improve education in general (compared to only 18.98% who disagreed). They shared a predominantly positive attitude towards the incorporation of AI into EFL and showed their optimistic expectations regarding the impact of AI on teaching and learning English as a foreign language. Slovak EFL pre-service teachers did not express any concerns about the future of their profession. However, a majority of them (53.28%) agreed that EFL teachers might lose some of their skills when using AI in their practice and a significant number (42.33%) feared that AI would make EFL teaching less personal. These findings are consistent with previous research conducted internationally.

Uncovering Digital Competence in Language Instruction: A Study of Pre-Service English Teachers in Saudi Arabi

the role of technology as a catalyst for change and development has become irrefutable in various language learning settings. However, not all language teachers are mindful about using technology in their language teaching practices, owing to their lack of adequate digital competencies. The purpose of this research is to promote digital competencies and related components among the study participants. This investigation applies the Framework of Competency Profile for digital teachers. The results were obtained by quantitative analysis, using data collected from a sample of 151 language learners, all enrolled in BA English language programmes across 8 universities in Saudi Arabia. These learners are considered pre-service English language teachers, as they are near graduation. The findings demonstrated participants’ highest and lowest digital competences, leading the researcher to identify practical implications, particularly regarding how to conduct training to compensate for low competencies. The findings also revealed that there is no correlation between levels of study and digital competencies. There was also no influence of gender on digital competencies. From these findings, the researcher concluded that the identification of competencies is essential for instructors, educators, administrators, and policymakers, in order to design more effective and appropriate training programmes for teachers in each context. Finally, the findings provided realistic analysis of the components and sub-components related to digital competencies among the target audience.

Examining the Role of Digital Tools in Pre-service English Language Teachers Self-efficacy in Writing

Writing is regarded as one of the most challenging skills for language learners due to its multifaceted nature. Similarly, writing instruction involves a composite skill set varying from teaching structural knowledge to linking ideas logically through using appropriate lexicon and cohesive devices. Like many other EFL learners, most students with intensive English instruction at Turkish universities often report difficulties in their in-class and extracurricular writing tasks, and they do not feel a sense of achievement and self-efficacy in writing in English as a foreign language (L2). Through this study, the researchers provided 35 English preparatory students with 6-week writing instruction integrating digital tools to examine the effectiveness of this intervention in promoting the students' self-efficacy levels and sense of achievement in L2 writing. The study adopted a mixed-methods research model in which the Self-Efficacy Writing Scale (SEWS) created by Bruning et al. (2013) is used as the quantitative data tool, and the interview and minute paper techniques as the qualitative data tools. The study's findings revealed that digital-tool-supported writing instruction had promising impacts on fostering students’ self-efficacy in L2 writing, leading to gains in their ideation, use of writing conventions, and self-regulation abilities. The qualitative findings also suggested that digital tools empowered them as writers in L2 and led to improvements in their perceived sense of achievement in writing tasks.

TÜRKİYE'DE İNGİLİZ DİLİ EĞİTİMİNİN SORUNLARI ÜZERİNE KAPSAMLI BİR ARAŞTIRMA: İNGİLİZCE ÖĞRETMEN ADAYLARININ GÖRÜŞLERİ

The current study aimed to investigate the problems of English language teaching in Turkey from the perspectives of pre-service English language teachers. For this aim, qualitative data were collected from fifteen 4th year pre-service language teachers. Open-ended questions, individual interviews and group discussions were used in the data collection process. Based on the content analysis technique, themes and categories were formed. According to the participants, there are problems with teacher education program, teachers, learners, assessment, curriculum, and context in English language teaching in Turkey. Excessive number of education faculties and teacher candidates, no standardization among ELT departments, divergence between theory and practice, insufficient teaching practicum, absence of assessing communicative skills in YKS, unvaried assessment tools, washback effect, test anxiety, course hours, inflexible curriculum, lack of extracurricular activities, inappropriate course books, non-communicative activities, high amount of L1 use, lack of teacher autonomy, demotivation, unwillingness, fear of making mistakes and anxiety, lack of interaction, lack of self-confidence, discipline issues, crowded classes, inadequate physical and technological resources, and audit gap were among some of the problems of English language teaching in Turkey. The findings were discussed in line with the previous findings and educational implications were offered.

Should English Language Teaching Undergraduate Programs in Turkey be Restructured? Views of Pre-Service English Language Teachers

English language teachers in Turkey are officially entitled to teach at any level (from kindergarten to university) and any age group; however, it has been repeatedly argued that teaching English to young learners is different from teaching English to teenagers and/or adults as they require diverse skills, competences, qualifications and expertise (Bland, 2019; Enever, 2014; Gungor, 2020; Linse, 2005; Öztürk Aydın, 2019; Rich, 2019). Moving from this line of reasoning, this study, first of all, aims to investigate whether ELT undergraduate programs in Turkey need to be restructured from the perspectives of pre-service English language teachers. Closely related to this aim, this study also intends to identify the degree to which their undergraduate training prepares pre-service English language teachers (PSTs) for the different school levels they are to work at. With these two complementary aims in mind, this study has employed a qualitative research paradigm. 192 senior pre-service English language teachers who take practicum courses and study at the English Language Teaching (ELT) programs of 14 different state and private universities in Turkey have participated in this study. The data for the study has been collected via an online survey form and a focus group interview. The findings show that ELT undergraduate programs prepare PSTs satisfactorily to work at primary and secondary level schools from the perspectives of PSTs. However, PSTs believe that their undergraduate program cannot prepare them as satisfactorily to work at pre-primary school, high school and university levels. Furthermore, almost half of the PSTs agree that ELT undergraduate programs within Education Faculties should be restructured as ‘ELT for young learners’ and ‘ELT for teenagers/adults’.

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.

Preservice English Teachers’ Preparedness to Teach: Stakeholders’ Perceptions in Teaching Practicum

Preservice English language teachers (PSTs) realize and shape their perceptions regarding preparedness to teach during their education. However, being prepared to teach is complex and multifaceted and requires individual factors and interaction with context and other people. Therefore, understanding it from stakeholders’ lens is needed. Within a descriptive and exploratory design, one-on-one, semistructured interviews were conducted with 8 faculty advisors (FAs) and 11 cooperating teachers (CTs) supervising PSTs in primary, secondary, and high schools in a northwestern city in Türkiye. The data collected in teaching practicum stage of field experience was coded and categorized via constant comparison method of analysis. The FAs, except for few issues, regarded the PSTs as unprepared to teach, while the CTs did as prepared to teach. The emergence of a perception gap could show lack of common understanding and mismatch between the stakeholders’ perceptions regarding their standards of and approaches toward high-quality teacher preparation.

Pre-service English Language Teachers’ 21st Century Skills: A Mixed-methods Study on Digital Literacy

Despite an increasing number of studies on pre-service teachers' digital literacy, there are few studies on pre-service English teachers, especially regarding samples, methodology, and including variables. Hence, this study recruits more participants from different institutions and studies the effects of 5 variables. The participants were 186 pre-service teachers. The quantitative data were collected via the Digital Literacy Scale and analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 25.0 via independent samples t-test and one-way variance analysis. The qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed by Descriptive Analysis. The findings showed that the participants had a medium to high level of digital literacy, while they reported higher levels in the interviews. The analysis of the survey indicated that the most used device and year of digital platform use had a significant effect on the participants’ digital literacy levels. The interview results combined with the survey implied that the vital point in digital literacy training is to ensure "learning how to exploit digital skills" rather than learning all the available tools, applications, and resources.

DYNAMICS OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ EMPLOYABILITY IN 21ST-CENTURY NIGERIA: A FOCUS ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN EKITI STATE

This research sought to investigate the dynamics involved in employing pre-service English language teachers in public secondary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Specifically, the research investigated the dynamics involved assessment of the applicants’ pedagogical skills, personality and classroom management traits in a 21st-century paradigm. The secondary data emanated from the Practical Teaching Assessment Rating Scale (PTARC) and Oral Competence Test (OCT) on 114 unemployed English language teachers. Four research questions and two hypotheses were formulated and raised to guide the research respectively. The research population consisted of 1,050 graduate English language teachers from Ekiti State University, Ado- Ekiti, College of Education, Ikere Ekiti and the affiliated degree programme of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Ekiti State, selected 114 English language teachers for the examination. The sample size of 114 was derived from the selection process aforementioned. The findings of the study revealed that the English language teachers were employable based on impressive performance in oral and theoretical assessments. The research provides recommendations on the need to include digital interactive courses in oral communication and instruction in spoken English while emphasizing earner-friendly strategies of teaching in Ekiti State public secondary schools

Technology Acceptance among English Pre-service Teachers: A Path Analysis Approach

Incorporating technology in English language teaching practices has the potential to generate more lively and captivating learning experiences for learners. The challenge lies in adequately equipping pre-service English language teachers with the skills to seamlessly incorporate technology in their teaching methods and improve students' academic performance, despite their favorable perception of its usefulness. The study aimed to shed light on the factors that contribute to pre-service teachers' acceptance of technology and to determine the applicability of the Technology Acceptance Model in the context of English language Teaching (ELT). For this study, the framework developed by Teo (2009) was utilized. The participants were 286 English pre-service teachers. The study identified 21 pairs of factors that positively and significantly affect technology acceptance, with Perceived Usefulness having the highest correlation coefficient and Facilitating Conditions having the lowest.   The path analysis of the technology acceptance model revealed that while the model was a good fit for this study, there were two non-significant paths. Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness were found to directly affect technology acceptance, while Technological Complexity and Facilitating Conditions had indirect effects through Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness. The results of this study showed that interventions to improve technology acceptance amongst pre-service teachers should take into account direct and indirect factors.

English language pre-service teachers’ perspectives on TED Talks as an educational support.

The study examines the potential educational value of TED (technology, entertainment, and design) Talks as supplementary resources in the form of an assignment for teaching English as a foreign language in a teacher education context. Three questions guided our research: (1) What are English language pre-service teachers’ perspectives on the use of TED Talks in a course for teacher education? (2) What are the problems uttered by English language pre-service teachers on the use of TED Talks in a course for teacher education? (3) What are English language pre-service teachers’ suggestions for improving the use of TED Talks as educational support? The data for this case study were collected by means of an open-ended survey questionnaire prepared by the researchers. Sixty-one first-grade university students majoring in teaching English as a foreign language participated in this study as a part of their regular listening and pronunciation course for a semester. The data were analyzed using a simple thematic analysis. The results revealed a number of factors affecting the pre-service teachers’ perspectives on the use of TED Talks in a course for teacher education. Varying, interesting, and informative content, exposure to various accents, listening and pronunciation practice outside the class, embracing a positive mindset, and being granted the autonomy to choose the video to watch each week were among the most frequently mentioned positive factors, while workload, time constraints, and difficulty finding a suitable video to watch were among the most frequently mentioned negative ones. Implications for integrating TED Talks into language teacher education and foreign language teaching were discussed.

Exploring the role of an IBT-based Informal teaching practice at an edutainment centre on pre-service English language teachers

The field experience in teacher education programs is limited to the formal teaching at assigned schools. However, there is a need for opportunities for pre-service teachers to practice teaching in other learning contexts. This multiple instrumental case study explored the role of an Inquiry-based Teaching-based informal teaching practice at an edutainment center on a group of 23 pre-service English language teachers. The data were collected through one-on-one semi-structured interviews, retrospective reflection papers and focus group interview. Findings showed that pre-service English language teachers gained valuable insights into different ways of managing the classroom and sustaining interaction with children. Furthermore, they increased their teacher awareness and became more autonomous teachers. The findings of this study have implications for teacher education program designers and teacher educators seeking to enhance the field experience of pre-service teachers.