Pre-service English Teacher Education Research Articles

Envisioning Pre-service English teacher education in Colombia as political action

This reflective article explores the need to revise the education of pre-service English teachers to place critical and political dimensions as central components in the education of future teachers. The author presents a brief critical overview of some key historical events in Colombia that have taken place mainly during the last sixty years. Two national educational proposals that aim to promote peaceful human relations and knowledge of the country’s historically violent past (Cátedra para la Paz and Estándares de Competencias Ciudadanas) are also described. Two complementary approaches to English teacher education are discussed as possible alternatives to enacting teacher education from a political and critical stance (Teacher Education for Social Justice and Critical Teacher Education). Finally, three trends in English teaching and research in Colombia are described as a way to illustrate some of the ways in which different scholars have enacted English teaching as part of a political and critical endeavor. The author concludes that in order to contribute to a more just, equitable, and peaceful country, pre-service English teacher programs must prepare prospective teachers committed to a process of social, cultural, and political transformation of the local realities of Colombia.

A Case Study of the Impacts of Teaching Practicum on the Self-Efficacy among Pre-service English Teachers

Teachers’ self-efficacy refers to the subjective evaluation and cognition of teachers on whether they can successfully achieve their teaching aims in specific teaching situations, including effectively complete teaching tasks, and promote the improvement of students’ learning compacity as well as their adherence to teaching beliefs. Teachers with elevated sense of self-efficacy are more likely to be conscientious about their students’ education. Teaching practicum is a crucial part of pre-service English teacher education, which is also deemed to be helpful in improving pre-service teachers’ eligibility to be qualified teachers. For pre-service English teachers, their teaching practicum experience is very vital to form and impact their self-efficacy. The past studies mainly focused on the effects of in-service teachers’ self-efficacy on language levels and teaching ability, this study takes pre-service English teachers as the research participants, through the ways of questionnaire and interview to collect the data and tries to figure out how to improve pre-service English teachers’ self-efficacy during the teaching practicum.

Development and application of an anti-racist approach in English language teaching: from theory to practice

ABSTRACT South Koreans have long perceived their country to be an ethnically homogenous nation despite the rapidly growing inflow of migration workers and international marriage migrants. Such perceptions foster negative attitudes towards people viewed as outsiders. To counter such attitudes, English teachers acknowledge the need to nurture respect for cultural diversity and recognition of pluralism in a globalized world in their study and address anti-racism in their regular English class. However, what and how to teach anti-racist pedagogy to students are not sufficiently studied in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. In this regard, this study aims to provide English teachers with step-by-step guidelines on how to prepare for and implement anti-racist pedagogy to the English language teaching in a pre-service English teacher education course in Korea. To achieve these pedagogical goals, I discussed the need of an anti-racist approach at school and provided the rationales and pedagogical practices for involving pre-service English teachers in certain activities that can raise awareness about issues of inequality, oppression and marginalization. Moreover, I suggested anti-racist teaching strategies for English teachers to implement in their classrooms and provide an opportunity to design their course and develop their teaching skills through a teaching practice experience.

“Thinking about drinking tea but not drinking tea”: Pre-service English teacher education during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkish EFL context

This phenomenological research aimed to investigate the reflections of 34 pre-service English teachers and 31 lecturers on distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. An online interview form was employed as data collection tool. The participants were sent the online form to collect their reflections on their online learning/teaching experiences during the pandemic. These reflections were analysed using phenomenological research steps. At the end of the analyses, distance education was found to be useful for improving the participants’ technological literacy skills and delivering theoretical courses. However, it was found to be inappropriate for practical courses such as teaching practicum and community service practices. Furthermore, the participants used various metaphors to define their online teaching/learning experiences like emergency exit, one-sided mirror, frozen lake, growing in a cage, driving a car, and sky. The participants mostly did not receive any training before using the online platform. In light of the findings, it can be claimed that necessary arrangements should be made to improve the quality of online learning platforms and both pre-service English teachers and their lecturers should receive training to benefit from distance education more effectively. In this way, pre-service English teachers can be better prepared for their future teaching in case of distance education.

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.

Indonesian Pre-service English Teacher Education Students’ English-speaking Anxiety in Asking Questions

There is a recognized need to investigate the factors contributing to speaking anxiety when asking questions in class from the viewpoint of fifteen Indonesian pre-service English teachers. Several studies have documented students' speaking anxiety from elementary school to the university level. Despite the wealth of research on this topic, there is a gap in the literature related to exploring the factors contributing to speaking anxiety among Indonesian pre-service English teachers when asking questions in the classroom. To fulfil the gap in the literature, the present study aimed to investigate the factors contributing to speaking anxiety when asking questions in class from the viewpoint of fifteen Indonesian pre-service English teachers. The study included a qualitative approach that employed semi-structured interviews to obtain information from the participants. The data from the semi-structured interviews were then analyzed using thematic analysis to identify the themes that emerged from the participant's responses. The study's results revealed three factors contributing to anxiety when asking questions in class among Indonesian pre-service English teachers: psychological, educational, and socio-cultural factors. Psychological factors included a lack of confidence and negative attitudes towards asking an unqualified question. Educational factors included previous experiences when asking questions, which left them with trauma and a lack of familiarity with the dialogic classroom atmosphere. Finally, socio-cultural factors, such as shyness and traditional cultural values and beliefs about asking questions of the lecturers, were also identified as contributing to pre-service English teachers' anxiety.

Revisiting Thompson’s Multicultural Disposition Index in preservice English teacher education in Indonesia

Despite the growing body of literature recognizing the importance of multicultural education in the 21st Century, little is known about the preservice English teachers’ (PSETs) multicultural disposition (MD) in the Indonesian setting. This survey study examined the Multicultural Dispositions Index (MDI) of PSETs. The 22 items of Thompson’s (2009a) MDI scales with four dimensions, i.e., cross-cultural competence, multicultural worldview, knowledge of professional and personal self, and professional skills and commitment, were adopted to explore the PSET MDI in this study. It was a nine-type self-report scale. The study involved 185 PSETs (aged 17–22 years; 146 females and 39 males) from one of well-established teacher education universities in Indonesia. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis was conducted to confirm the underlying MDI dimensions. The findings showed that the PSETs MDI was best represented by 18 items that emerged into the same four dimensions. It means the PSETs in Indonesia possess the four dimensions of multicultural dispositions, facilitating them to navigate school-level multicultural education. Four items from the original 22 items of MDI must be due to the cross-loading and low factor loading since the value was found to be more than 0.50. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that the MDI be revised when used in the Indonesian multicultural context.

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 Effectiveness of In-Person versus Online Instruction in the Pre-service Teacher Preparation Programme

In reference to the reflective nature of the methodological design of the current pre-service English teacher education program at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, considerable challenges related to teacher-education were noted during the emergency online switch. For this reason, the theory/practice connections, typically strengthened via the practical, experiential and reflective components of university teacher-education programs, were put to the test. The research is aimed at identifying the challenges of the online switch and focuses on comparison of the effectiveness of in-person versus online instruction in the pre-service English teacher preparation program. The research questions seek to examine whether teacher-training sessions online are more demanding and challenging, and potentially less effective (as perceived by the respondents), compared to the in-person teacher-training practices. The study results offer a valuable insight into the teacher-trainees’ perceptions of the challenges and effectiveness of the online English teacher-training course implementation in comparison with the in-person mode.

Preservice English Language Teacher Education in the Anthropocene

The new geological epoch, the Anthropocene reveals the negative impacts of human activities on the environment, which makes environmental education significant to deal with the negative effects of people on the environment and sustain the environment for the future of the world. As a branch of education, English language teaching (ELT) can contribute to environmental education in schools. For an effective environmental education in ELT, English language teachers should have enough knowledge on environmental issues and environmental awareness. One way for them to achieve this is preservice English language teacher education. The literature review indicated that any English language teacher education program (ELTEP) was not evaluated with an anthropocentric perspective. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the new ELTEP of Turkey with an anthropocentric perspective. It was designed as a qualitative study. The data was collected from the new ELTEP of Turkey and was content analyzed. The findings of the study have shown that environmental education is integrated with the new ELTEP through community services and sustainable development and education courses. The findings of the study were discussed and suggestions for further studies were made.

Initial English language teacher education: the effects of a module on teacher research

ABSTRACT Framed in action research, the authors investigated the perceptions and experiences of a cohort of student-teachers as they learned about and explored for the first time teacher research in a self-contained module as part of a four-year pre-service or initial English language teacher education (IELTE) programme in southern Argentina. The module, ‘Research in English Language Teaching’, ran from March–November 2018. It was led by a teacher educator based in Argentina and a UK-based colleague who acted as an external academic advisor. Drawing on qualitative research, data collection strategies included: the tutor’s journal; student-teachers’ journals; assignments; research proposals; report drafts; presentations; group discussions; interactions between the tutors; and end-of-course interviews. The findings show that the module had a positive effect on student-teachers’ identity, their English language proficiency, and the role of reflection in feedback processes. The student-teachers appreciated teacher research as reflective practice and as a source of professional development.

Teacher Educators’ Funds of Knowledge for the Preparation of Future Teachers

The aim of this qualitative study is to examine the funds of knowledge that a group of teacher educators drew on as means of professional development and quality provision. The study was carried out with 13 teacher educators working at a pre-service English language teacher education (ELTE) programme in Argentina. Data were collected between 2014 and 2019 by means of interviews and an arts-based form instrument called significant circle. Findings show that the teacher educators deployed a wide range of individual-based as well as community-based funds of knowledge to enhance their knowledge of English language teaching and evidence-based practice. Based on the findings, a taxonomy is proposed to understand teacher educators’ funds of knowledge.

Designing a Pre-Service ELT Methods Course and Use of Case Method Analysis

This paper aims to show the design and implementation of an English Language Teaching (ELT) methods course based on five conditions. Four were related to research on ELT methods: There is no single best method; there are numerous methods that exist in the literature; the claim that ELT is in a post-method era, and teachers need to be better informed of learning theories to further understand teaching methods. The fifth condition was based on a pedagogic rational that implementation of course materials must be socially mediated, through discussion and critical analysis. The paper outlines a theory to method to practice syllabus design of a 15-week, 90-minute course to 14 pre-service English teacher education majors at a university in Japan. Collaborative case method analysis was used to give students opportunities to analyze real classroom events that go beyond lectures and contents in the textbook. Students discussed the case in collaboration, and tried to apply what they learned in the course in their analysis. Results of a two-part questionnaire to learn students’ views on course content and use of case method analysis were given. Outcomes showed students felt they could make connections to learning theories and methods, and that case method analysis was beneficial in their teacher learning. The research contributes to designing an ELT methods syllabus and using case study method analysis. Although the outcomes from the course of 14 students were positive, further research in using the design of the course is encouraged to strengthen the findings.

Can writing for publication improve student-teachers’ English (L2) language proficiency?

ABSTRACT This report is part of a larger collaborative action research-based study examining the relationship between writing for publication, English language proficiency, and motivation in pre-service English language teacher education. Data come 171 book review drafts completed by 57 student-teachers as part of their coursework in Argentinian teacher education institutions. Quantitative analysis shows that student-teachers’ English language proficiency improved in terms of textual organisation, academic vocabulary use, and grammar. The findings may encourage teacher educators to engage pre-service student-teachers in writing for publication initiatives in order to promote authentic and meaningful writing experiences.

The Implementation of WebQuest-supported Critical Thinking Instruction in Pre-service English Teacher Education: The Turkish Context

Critical thinking, a vital skill for the 21st century, has become a desirable educational outcome by educators. Promoting students’ critical thinking has been a concern in various educational settings and the role of teachers is considered to be the most significant factor for successful instructional implementations. The present study aims to examine the effects of WebQuest-supported critical thinking instruction on the critical thinking disposition levels of Turkish pre-service teachers (PTs) of English and to determine whether receiving WebQuest-supported critical thinking instruction leads to a change in the PTs’ understanding of critical thinking. Data were collected from 60 freshman PTs studying at a state university in Istanbul, Turkey. Thirty PTs were assigned to the experimental group and received WebQuest-supported critical thinking instruction, while 30 PTs were assigned to the control group and received traditional text-only instruction. The study lasted seven weeks and data were collected by means of the Turkish version of the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory and semi-structured focus group interviews conducted before and after the treatment. Findings revealed that the WebQuest-supported critical thinking instruction produced statistically significant differences in the PTs’ critical thinking disposition levels and the PTs demonstrated clearer awareness of critical thinking at the end of the study.

ELF-awareness in Pre-service English Language Teacher Education: A Case Study from Turkey

Ingilizcenin dunya dili olarak tasidigi rol hic kuskusuz ki Ingiliz Dili Egitimi ve Ingiliz Dili Egitimi ogretmen yetistirme programlari gibi bircok alanda son derece onem tasimaktadir. Ingilizce ogretiminde geleneksel yaklasimlarin yani sira Ingilizcenin gunumuzde edinmis oldugu ortak dil rolune uygun yeni yaklasimlara ihtiyac duyulmaktadir. Bu ihtiyac Ingilizce ogretmeni yetistirme programinda da dogrudan yeni yaklasimlar edinilmesi gerektigini ortaya koymaktadir. Ogretmen adaylarinin Ingilizceyi “standart dil” olarak ogretmek yerine “ortak dil” olarak ogretmeleri ve bu konunun gerektirdigi birtakim yaklasimlari edinmeleri ve bu baglamda farkindalik kazanmalari, ogretmen yetistirme programinda yeni bakis acilari kazanilmasi ihtiyacini beraberinde getirmistir. Bu calisma, hizmet oncesi Ingilizce ogretmeni yetistirme programi bunyesinde bulunan yabanci dil ogretmen adaylarinin Ortak Dil Olarak Ingilizce (ODI) yaklasiminin farkindaligini yaratarak, beraberlerinde getirdikleri kaliplasmis inanc sistemlerini yansitici ogrenme teknikleri vasitasiyla sorgulayarak global ve sosyal farkindaliklarini gelistirmeyi hedeflemektedir. Bu baglamda, daha once hizmet ici egitim programinda uygulanmis olan bir modelin hizmet oncesi ogretmen yetistirme programindaki yansimalari incelenmistir. Calismanin bulgulari gostermektedir ki, ogretmen adaylarinin ODI egitim oncesi ve sonrasi algilari goze carpan oranda degisiklik gostermistir. Sonuclar gostermektedir ki, yabanci dil ogretmen yetistirme programlari ODI bilincini yaratmaya ve gelistirmeye yonelik ders iceriklerini adapte etme veya bu hususla ilgili ders ekleyerek bu konunun onemini mufredatlarina yansitmalari son derece onemlidir. Bu hususta baska hizmet oncesi ogretmen yetistirme programlarinda da benzer calismalar da yurutulebilir.

Exploring Preparation of Pre-Service Teachers’ English Proficiency and Pedagogy: Stories from an EFL Teacher Education Program

Many English teachers today are non-native speakers of English graduating from Pre-service English Teacher Education (PETE) programs in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. They undertake their teaching career in a strategic but challenging linguistic and educational situation. This paper reports findings from such a situation based on a qualitative case study of a PETE program at an Indonesian university that aimed to explore the nature of curriculum provision in preparation to develop pre-service teachers’ English proficiency and pedagogy. Data were collected from pre-service teachers, teacher educators, and program administrator using interviews, focus groups, and classroom observations. Results of data analyses revealed a nature of curriculum provision that is inadequately supportive in preparing pre-service teachers’ English proficiency and pedagogy. It is represented in three emerging themes: inadequacy of English proficiency in learning to teach English, lack of balance between theory and practice, and inadequate facilitation for contextual and integrated learning experience.

Pre-Service English Language Teacher Education and the First Years of Teaching: Perspectives from Cyprus

ABSTRACTThis study examined the effectiveness of pre-service education in Cyprus, in preparing primary teachers to teach English in primary state schools. A survey and follow up interviews were employed to investigate the following: a) Novice teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness to teach English after completing a 4-year Teacher Education program, and b) Challenges encountered during induction years in relation to English language teaching (ELT). Findings point to the inadequacy of pre-service education in Cyprus, in this regard, and call for the reconceptualization of the current practices for preparing primary teachers for the actualities of ELT in state schools.

Enhancing Intercultural Competence Using Multi-Cultural Literature in Culture Classes for Pre-service English Teachers

This article discussed the need for culture education for pre-service English teachers in an ever increasingly globalized and consequently multi-cultural world. Instruction on culture should be expanded from the gaining knowledge to the formation of attitudes and acquisition of intercultural competence. This classroom-based study aims to propose a new direction to which pre-service English teacher education should advance in terms of the intercultural communicative competence. Intercultural communicative competence has to be integrated into the curriculum for the prospective teachers. Based on Rodriguez (2013), this paper makes recommendations for the effective use of muli-cultural literature in enhancing intercultural communicative competence of pre-service English teachers. This classroom-based action research was conducted with English education major students registered for the American and British culture course in 2018. This study suggested that a culture class should rectify its direction in the cultural awareness education and proposed a teaching procedure which integrates reading multi-cultural literary texts into the intercultural communicative competence, following the sequence of decoding, text information building, and reader-model construction (Koda, 2010). In the three cycles, the students have shown that they gained knowledge about the culture, formulated the attitude, and acquired the skills. The multi-cultural literature was a good starting point to a new direction although any generalization should be made with caution.

Project-Based Learning Experience in the Construction of Intercultural Knowledge

In accordance with the changing scope of culture learning (CL), i.e., intercultural knowledge development, since the 1990s onwards, this study intends to explore the potential of CL through project work concerning intercultural knowledge construction and its experiences within a preservice English teacher education. In other words, the research employs project-based learning (PBL) as a tool to incorporate the principles of constructivism and experiential education. This study modified Stoller’s (1997) PBL model into a seven-step sequence, which was embedded in the midst of a CL course for eight weeks. The study used three data sources collected from eleven participants: group projects, weekly journals, and post-project written reflections. The results are as follows. First, students showed intercultural knowledge construction by: 1) producing four projects, each for a cultural topic of Korean, American, and other international cultures; and 2) expressing they built deep intercultural knowledge, understood the interwoven nature of culture, and developed genuine interest in the cultures. Second, the study identified four perceived PBL’s benefits: metacognitive skills practice, language practice, student-centered active learning, and integration of PBL theory and practice. Finally, PBL’s challenges were identified: many time-consuming tasks, insufficient language competence, unfamiliar cultural topics, and being unaccustomed to student-centeredness.