Second Language Teacher Education Research Articles

Revisiting an Anti-Machiavellian model for teacher education: A critical perspective

This study examines a borrowed concept from politics, that is, Machiavellian, in second language teacher education (SLTE), develops an anti-model to it, and explores teacher educators’ viewpoints about the developed model with an eye on critical aspects of teacher education, that is, Anti-Machiavellian. To do so, the literature on Machiavellian thoughts was studied thoroughly based on which a model was proposed and interview questions were constructed. Then, five Iranian expert teacher educators were selected based on non-random convenient sampling to attend individual extensive semi-structured interviews in which they discussed their opinions about the principles of Anti-Machiavellian SLTE. Adopting a thematic analysis, the data revealed that Anti-Machiavellian SLTE associates closely with critical teacher education where teacher education is context-specific, responsive to learners, dialogically engaging, reflective, and practical. The results of the in-depth interviews also indicated that Anti-Machiavellian SLTE is compatible with critical teacher education which, albeit widely advertised, is hard to practice.

Anglophone Literature in Second-Language Teacher Education: Curriculum Innovation through Intercultural Communication

Anglophone Literature in Second-Language Teacher Education: Curriculum Innovation through Intercultural Communication

The influence of emotional intelligence awareness on the teaching experiences of university teacher trainees: a quantitative and qualitative analysis

Educating prospective teachers is a complex and interdisciplinary effort, encompassing educational policies, core subject knowledge, and honing essential skills, attitudes, and behaviours necessary for effective classroom teaching. This study focuses on the initial stage of teacher development, exploring how pre-service university students perceive and understand emotional intelligence (EI) and its components, especially as they embark on internships in primary and secondary schools. The emotional dynamics in English language teaching classrooms, involving various emotions among students, teachers, parents, and colleagues are examined. The study underscores the importance of emotional expertise for both students and teachers in facilitating a productive teaching and learning process. A review of relevant literature reveals that while there is extensive research on emotions in teacher training, the emphasis has been primarily on general education, with limited focus on second-language teacher education. EI is seen as a critical factor in teachers' classroom management, pedagogical skills, and overall success within the profession. Additionally, studies on EI within English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education are relatively scarce but indicate a significant impact on teaching outcomes. This research employs a mixed-methods approach to investigate pre-service teachers' perceptions of EI. Quantitative data was collected through a survey questionnaire measuring participants' agreement with statements related to EI. Qualitative data was obtained through in-depth interviews with selected pre-service teachers. The study involved 32 pre-service university students enrolled in English language teacher education programs about to begin internships at primary and secondary schools in Poland.

The Scope of Second Language Teacher Education Research from 1980 to 2020: A Systematic Review

This paper presents a comprehensive and rigorous systematic review of the trajectories and challenges in Research Articles (RAs) of Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE) from 1980 to 2020. The RAs were carefully retrieved from two sources: (1) a pool of 100 top-tier journals based on SCImago Journal Ranking (SJR) in Linguistics and Language category and (2) seven well-known electronic databases. This study used thematic analysis. After conducting full-text screening and data extraction, each study was systematically coded for publication contents, themes, theories, and variable levels. Each study was further coded for methodological features, including research design, analyses, and sampling. The findings indicate a rapid and consistent growth in SLTE research with a notable emphasis on Teacher Professional Development Programs (TPDP), research in teacher education, psychology in teacher education, culture, knowledge-based teacher education, and CALL. In addition, analysis of the data revealed several trajectories, including fewer publications in teacher education journals compared to other journals, lack of adherence to a clear theoretical framework in 27% of the studies, limited use of software in qualitative studies, and underdeveloped themes that received little attention. This review sheds light on the most significant and emerging areas of research in the field, and the article concludes with implications for SLTE scholars, researchers, and practitioners.

Constructivism on an award‐bearing in‐service English language teacher education programme in Oman

AbstractWhile constructivism is generally valued in second language teacher education (SLTE) as it is thought to lead to deeper learning opportunities than an approach based on transmission, there are relatively few analyses of award‐bearing in‐service SLTE courses examining where they lie on the transmissive–constructivist continuum. Such an analysis is conducted here, of a BA TESOL Programme for in‐service English language teachers in Oman. Under consideration is the extent to which criteria for constructivism, such as learner‐centred instruction, context‐appropriate materials, authentic assessment opportunities, opportunities for reflection, action research, and collaborative learning were features of the course. Findings highlight that the programme was more constructivist than transmissive, and became increasingly constructivist over time. Guiding principles that may be of interest to SLTE programme designers elsewhere seeking to embed constructivism in their courses are presented.

Conceptual framework to understand language teacher identities

Language teacher identity (LTI) has recently become a prominent theme in the second language teacher education (SLTE) research because teacher identities play a major role in teachers’ learning-to-teach processes and instructional practices. Teacher identity refers to teachers’ dynamic self-conception and imagination of themselves as teachers, which shifts as they participate in varying communities, interact with other individuals, and position themselves (and are positioned by others) in social contexts. Therefore, it casts an influence upon a wide array of matters, ranging from how language teachers learn to perform their profession, how they practice theory and theorize their practice, how they educate their students, and how they interact and collaborate with their colleagues in their social setting. This paper offers a conceptual framework for LTI that explicates the interrelationships between teacher identity and these core constructs: teacher learning, teacher cognition, teachers’ participation in communities of practice, contextual factors, teacher biographies, and teacher emotions.

Locally- and globally-oriented L2 teacher education research: A synchronic analysis of topics and research methodologies

Research in second language teacher education (SLTE) is critical for making short- and long-term policies and decisions about SLTE programs, materials, methods, etc. Therefore, it is essential to know the “what,” “how,” and “where” of SLTE research. Hence, the purpose of this synchronic study was to investigate research topics (what) and the research methodologies (how) of SLTE papers published in international and Iranian journals (where) between 2014 and 2020. To that end, we investigated a corpus, including 100 articles, consisting of 50 SLTE papers published in seven international journals and 50 SLTE papers published in seven Iranian journals. Results indicated that while there were significant differences in using qualitative and quantitative research methodologies by SLTE papers published in international and Iranian journals, there were no significant differences in using mixed methods in those journals. Moreover, results showed that the most frequent SLTE topics addressed in the papers published in international and Iranian journals were teacher professional development, teacher psychology, teacher identity, teacher cognition, teacher belief, teacher knowledge, practitioner research, teacher education design, sociocultural theory, teacher practice, and teacher and culture. However, there were no significant differences in SLTE topics addressed in the SLTE papers published in international and Iranian journals.

Operationalizing reflective practice in second language teacher education (SLTE)

Reflective practice in the field of TESOL has been warmly embraced in many teacher education and development programs worldwide. However, one of the important issues that is still not clear to many educators is how reflection should be implemented. In this article, I argue that one of the reasons for the confusion about operationalizing reflective practice is that most of the existing approaches that have blossomed since the 1990s are restrictive. Thus, a more holistic approach to reflection should be adopted through the framework for reflecting on practice in SLTE.

An exploratory investigation into EFL teacher educators’ approaches to develop EFL teachers’ ability to teach for creativity

While creativity is believed to be a characteristic of qualified English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers, research on how EFL teacher educators develop teachers’ ability in second language teacher education (SLTE) programs to teach for creativity is sadly lacking. Hence, the purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore Iranian EFL teacher educators’ approaches in preparing EFL teachers to teach for creativity. To that end, through a descriptive narrative design, the autobiographical narratives of seven Iranian EFL teacher educators were collected and analyzed through deductive thematic analysis procedures. The findings indicated that teacher educators draw on teachers’ content knowledge; knowledge of creative learning environments, teaching methods, and creativity evaluation; and teachers’ autonomy, creativity-related traits, and reflectivity. The paper concludes with proposing four concepts (knowledge, autonomy, traits, and reflection) that EFL teacher educators may use to improve EFL teachers’ ability to teach for creativity. The findings suggest that although these four concepts are central to contributing to teaching for creativity, teacher educators should be cognizant of teachers’ flexibility and reflection of their prior experiences and conflation of domain-specific and domain-general traits.

Enhancing Pre-Service EFL Teachers’ Teaching Skill through Teacher Training: A Case Study of a University in Thailand

EFL teacher training for pre-service teachers plays a vital role in second language teacher education (SLTE). In Thailand, pre-service EFL teacher training benefits in helping student-teachers gain confidence before going to their practicum. This study investigates the effects of the pre-service EFL teacher training in a university in Thailand. The pre-service teachers’ perceptions towards the EFL training were also examined. Participants were 30 pre-service teachers currently studying in English Learning Management Program in the university at the research site. Research method applied training program evaluation (Owen & Rogers, 1999), and a 24-hour EFL training program was implemented. An experienced trainer in EFL was invited to provide the EFL training during the whole training course. Data collection gained was from: 1) an evaluation form, 2) a questionnaire, and 3) a student reflection sheet. Data analysis employed percentage, means, and S.D. for quantitative whereas grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1999) was applied for qualitative data. Three major findings revealed that: 1) the effects of the pre-service EFL teacher training was very high; 2) the participants showed changes in all areas of EFL knowledge and experience provided after the training; and 3) the participants viewed five factors which included training contents, knowledge and experience, training activities, training process, and the trainer that affected the training. However, the findings indicated that the critical problem of the study was time limitation of the training course. This study has shed light on the significant role of EFL training for pre-service EFL teachers before their practicum as the findings showed positive change in their motivation and attitude for their teaching practice.

Integrating technology in English language teaching through a community of practice in the Sultanate of Oman: implications for policy implementation

Much has been written, published, and presented about the important role and uses of technology in English language teaching (ELT) today and the effect it can have on students’ learning. The present qualitative study is an intervention, which attempted to explore the integration of technology among 11 public school English language teachers in the Sultanate of Oman through the use of community of practice (CoP). As the first in the region, this qualitative study triangulated data using a focus group interview and reflective journals. Three themes emerged from the data analysis. Despite certain challenges, the findings were generally positive and encouraging, and revealed that if a CoP is effectively utilized to the fullest to integrate technology in ELT, it can facilitate policy implementation and Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE) in the Sultanate of Oman, the neighboring Gulf Cooperation Council countries, some Asian and Far Eastern countries, and beyond.

현대영어교육에 게재된 영어교사교육 관련 연구 분석

This paper analyzed 28 articles on English teacher education out of 413 articles published in Modern English Education over the past 10 years since it was first indexed in the Korea Citation Index, to investigate the trend and characteristics of research on English teacher education in the journal. The articles were categorized and analyzed according to subject (teacher status and school level), research methodology, and research theme. The findings are as follows: Pre-service elementary school teachers were less studied than in-service elementary school teachers, pre-service and in-service secondary school teachers; quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies were employed in similar proportions across the studies; among eight research themes including teacher competence, teacher identity, and teacher training program, teacher cognition was the most studied. These findings show that the journal reflects changes in the field of second language teacher education (SLTE) and the key issues in research on SLTE.

“This is why students feel lost when they go into teaching practice”: English Language Teachers’ Views on their Initial Teacher Education

The last 20-25 years have seen a significant shift in the views about what teachers need to know to be able to teach. This shift has led to new developments in the theory of second language teacher education (SLTE) and a growth in research in this area. One area of research concerns the attitudes and expectations of those learning to become teachers. While most studies in this area focus on teacher education programmes in BANA countries, this article looks at data from student teachers studying in Russia and Uzbekistan. The study employed a quantitative and qualitative research design, using a researcher-designed on-line questionnaire. Through snowball sampling, data from 161 students and recent graduates in the two countries were collected, analysed, and compared to investigate the content of SLTE programmes. The study identified what the novice teachers felt were the strengths and weaknesses of their programme, and what changes they would like to see. Results showed that while the respondents were mainly satisfied with their methodology, and theoretical linguistics courses, they felt the need for more practice, both teaching and language practice. The data also revealed that, in Uzbekistan in particular, the idea of global English struggles to take hold as native-speaker models remain the norm. The implications of the study underline the need for SLTE to explicitly link theory to practice and to promote the idea of varieties of English, rather than focus on native-speaker norms.

Second Language Teacher Education in Response to Local Needs: Preservice Teachers of English Learning to Teach Diverse Learners in Communities

Second language teacher education (SLTE) has changed its focus from cognitive to sociocultural perspectives. By considering located SLTE and community learning, this qualitative study was conducted to explore how preservice teachers of English as a foreign language learned to teach in response to learning needs in a Vietnamese city. Data sources for the study were written assignments produced by preservice teachers and in‐depth interviews with them. Through their engagement in the local community, the preservice teachers identified nine groups of adult learners who were not able to gain access to English learning in the formal schooling system. Those learners sought to learn English not only to meet their personal and professional needs but also to contribute to socioeconomic development of the local community. Based on the findings regarding the local learners’ needs and characteristics, the preservice teachers developed pedagogical practices appropriate to each specific group of learners and suggested that university‐based SLTE programmes should embrace diverse learners and community‐based teacher learning. The study substantiates the concept of located SLTE and offers some implications for SLTE in response to local needs.

Recursive Reflective Reports: Embedded Assessment in PBL Courses for Second Language Teacher Education

This conceptual article begins with a general definition of reflection and the soft skills of PBL: collaboration, agency, and metacognition. Then it presents theoretical frameworks for reflection from second language teacher education (SLTE) (Farrell, 2015; Pennington & Richards, 2016) and illustrates six types of reflection with examples from the field of SLTE. The article features a reflective self- and peer-assessment instrument, utilized in a graduate SLTE program. The standard yet flexible template of the reflective teaching report (RTR) allows these teacher educators to interact with their students’ development in the soft skills and the content of the SLTE knowledge base. As a recursive tool, instructors use it at the end of each module in most of the courses. Its embedded, recurrent positioning in the program’s curriculum system is displayed in diagrams. Data from the program are provided to show how items in the shared RTR template support the types of reflection encouraged theoretically in the field of SLTE and PBL. The reliability and validity of this reflective report is discussed in the context of language assessment qualities of usefulness (Bachman & Palmer, 1996).

TRACKING THE CULTURE OF LEARNING AND READINESS FOR LEARNER AUTONOMY IN A TURKISH CONTEXT

This study aims to investigate ELT student teachers’ culture of learning and their readiness for becoming autonomous and promoting their students’ learner autonomy in a Turkish context. Data were collected through two questionnaires (Culture of Learning Questionnaire and Learner Autonomy Readiness Questionnaires) and semi-structured interviews. The questionnaires were completed by 110 fourth-year student teachers of English who were studying at a Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE) program of a university in Turkey. Interviews were conducted with 23 volunteer participants for deeper understanding of the constructs investigated. Findings indicate that the participants did not come from a learning environment in which autonomy was fostered. However, they indicate their readiness to take some responsibility for their own language learning and implementing more autonomous activities outside the classrooms. In terms of their becoming teachers in the future, they are not fully ready for promoting learner autonomy among their future students, but they consider learner autonomy important and plan to take small steps to create an autonomy-supportive environment.

The Role of Computer-Supported Discussion for Language Teacher Education: What Do the Students Say?

This paper will report on findings from the author's on-going study of the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) to support postgraduate second-language teacher education. Students enrolled in a distance education CALL course used web-based conferencing to support both required and optional computer-based assignments. Transcripts of their online communication were analyzed to determine what they discussed and whether social cohesion was enhanced through use of CMC. Findings from the study are reported according to organizing categories of social interaction and different tasks that can affect online communicative exchanges. More broadly, the article discusses curriculum design features and their implications for technology-enhanced instructional practice.

The ‘subject’ of Freeman & Johnson’s reconceived knowledge base of second language teacher education

This article focuses on reframing the ‘who’ of second language teacher education (SLTE), building on the framework laid out by Freeman and Johnson (FJ) in 1998 with particular attention to their notion of the teacher-as-learner. The first half of this article is conceptual, outlining one way I have found helpful for engaging with this notion since first encountering the framework some twenty years ago. The second half, being more substantive in focus, risks misinterpretation without this broader perspective: propositional ‘who’s’ that lack relevance on their own, not least in the way I see FJ’s call to engage with ‘the who of teaching’, and a focus on not just the individual, but also the context, goals, and background from which one comes to take up that role. This includes a discussion of the teacher-subject as an increasingly communicatively-complex, conflicted-compliant, and collaboratively-creative agent within the kinds of spaces that their roles can be realized against emerging contexts for ELT.

Bildung as an essential disposition in becoming a reflective practitioner: practical application of philosophical hermeneutics to second language teacher education

For a few decades, reflective practice has been employed in second language teacher education (SLTE) as ‘a means by which practitioners can develop a greater level of self-awareness about the nature and impact of their performance, an awareness that creates opportunities for professional growth and development’. Dewey, who initiated the concept of reflective thinking in teacher education, emphasized one’s attitudes toward engagement in reflective process. One such disposition is open-mindedness, ‘a willingness to entertain different perspectives… and acknowledgement of the limitations of one’s own perspectives’. Regarding this concept of open-mindedness, Gadamer, who established philosophical hermeneutics, provided profound insights by using the German word Bildung, which is often translated as education, culture, or self-cultivation. Through this concept, Gadamer emphasized not only one’s open and introspective disposition toward new experience but also one’s mode of being. This paper explores this notion of Bildung and examines its possible practical application to SLTE in combination with reflective practice. Referring to Grondin’s notion that education is to raise true questions, I will argue for the importance of nurturing Bildung of preservice second language teachers and of second language teacher educators.

Designing and Evaluating the Use of Smartphones to Facilitate Online Testing in Second-Language Teacher Education (SLTE): An Auto-Ethnographic Study

This paper reports on an auto-ethnographic study aiming to identify insights into the practice of using smartphone to facilitate online testing in context of second language teacher education (SLTE). In total of fifty-four pre-service teachers participated in the study. Two methods were employed to collect data, including observation and written-reflection. Additional data gathered from interview and students’ activity logs on the website were also used to triangulate the data collected through the initial methods. A thematic analysis were carried out to analyse the qualitative data. Findings of the study show that smartphone is viable as an electronic tool to facilitate online testing in SLTE context. More importantly, the use of Moodle as an online test platform fits both the teacher and the students’ needs on several aspects such as design, test structure, and online test activity. The study also highlights benefits and challenges of employing sequential and multiple attempt test modes and delayed feedback on online tests. Implications of the findings on the practice of online testing using smartphone in context of SLTE and further research in the field are also discussed.