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1

EFL teacher agency in mediating the socialisation of multilingual learners

100%

Rokita-Jaśkow J.

Glottodidactica

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2023

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vol. 50

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issue 1

191-212

EN

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers are seemingly ideally placed to mediate the successful socialisation of multilingual learners into the new school environment for two major reasons. Firstly, as they have effective command of both L1 and L2 and often have experience of living abroad, they tend to exhibit higher levels of openness to new situations, empathy and understanding of the difficulties faced by multilingual learners. Secondly, the English class can itself be a platform for mutual understanding where learners are able to develop both English communication skills and intercultural competence (cf. Hopp, Jakisch, Sturm, Becker & Thoma 2020; Krulatz, Neokleous & Dahl 2022). As English is the language of instruction, it also has the potential to maintain levels of multilingual competence among those learners who already speak English as their heritage language (Banasiak & Olpińska-Szkiełko 2021), e.g. migrant children returning from the UK/Ireland. Drawing on data from a larger project (Rokita-Jaśkow, Wolanin, Król-Gierat & Nosidlak 2022), which consisted of interviewing 23 primary school EFL teachers in various contexts, this paper analyses the possible factors that impact teacher agency in the socialisation of multilinguals. It has been found that teacher agency in that respect appears to stem from teachers’ plurilingual competence and prior teaching experience. Surprisingly, personal experiences of intercultural encounters (e.g. time spent living abroad) or verbalised empathy, had little impact on teacher agency. This finding implies that even language teachers find it difficult to put themselves in the position of the multilingual learner and need specialist training in order to work with multilingual learners, which may convey an important message for educational decision-makers with reference to the formulation of future teacher education guidelines and curricula.

2

Using Q methodology to investigate pre-service EFL teachers’ mindsets about teaching competences

88%

Irie K., Ryan S., Mercer S.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

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2018

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vol. 8

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issue 3

575-598

EN

This paper reports on a study investigating the mindsets of 51 pre-service teachers at an Austrian university using Q methodology. Despite the recent growth in interest in the concept of mindsets, little research has addressed the mindsets of teachers – most of it focusing on the mindsets of learners – and the research that does investigate teachers tends to focus on beliefs about learning or intelligence. This study offers a new perspective by focusing on teachers’ beliefs about their own teaching competences. A further aim of the study is to expand the methodological repertoire in language education researchers. This study considers the potential of Q methodology, a research approach used widely in social sciences and education, but, as yet, rare in this field. The data indicate that the most common mindset among the pre-service teachers is one based around a strong belief in the learnability of the more technical aspects of teaching, while interpersonal skills tend to be regarded as more of a natural talent fixed within the individual. One practical implication of this finding is that teacher education programmes may need to pay more attention to explicitly developing the interpersonal side of teaching. A further finding was that teacher mindsets are constructed through individuals’ management of various sets of implicit theories and tend not to conform to the established dichotomous model of mindsets.

3

Pre-Service English Teachers’ Narrative Identity

88%

ULUM Ö. G.

Journal of Education Culture and Society

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2020

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vol. 11

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issue 1

92-101

EN

Aim. This phenomenological study probes the experiences of pre-service English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in the practicum process. Thus, this paper aims at bringing a light to the effects of practicum experiences of pre-service EFL teachers on their professional identity. Methods. Based upon a narrative identity method, this phenomenological inquiry examines the experiences of pre-service EFL teachers (N= 20) in their practicum. A one-shot question was directed to the informants with the aim of clarifying their personal constructs. Results. Practicum has got a significant role in education faculties all over the world. The theories applied in teaching practicum are quite common and universal. However, the practices utilised in practicum may show variations among education faculties. Further, the practicum content, and the characteristics of teacher candidates and supervisors may cause practicum to be carried out in diverse ways. The practicum aspect of pre-service teacher education is contemporarily given significant emphasis all around the world. Further, the exact theory of practicum and the desired outcomes of the related practices are relatively identical in education faculties throughout the world. Nonetheless, the practicum practices represent diversities among institutions. Yet, the characteristics and experiences of pre-service teachers may lead the practicum to be carried out in diverse ways in dissimilar contexts. Conclusion. The results of the study suggest that teacher candidates developed both positive and negative cognitive constructs during their practicum. Related implications are provided to overcome the problems encountered during practicum, as well as to suggest ways to develop EFL pre-service teachers’ practicum process. Keywords: EFL teachers, pre-service EFL teachers, practicum, narrative identity, professional identity

4

DIGITAL LITERACY AMONG YOUNG LEARNERS: HOW DO EFL TEACHERS AND LEARNERS VIEW ITS BENEFITS AND BARRIERS?

88%

Mudra H.

Teaching English with Technology

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2020

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vol. 20

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issue 3

3-24

EN

The present study aims to explore perceptions of young learners and EFL teachers towards benefits and barriers of digital literacy. Eight young learners and five EFL teachers took part in this qualitative study. In-depth semi-structured interviews were employed to collect qualitative data. The results depict that there are benefits and barriers of digital literacy for young learners in learning English. The benefits of digital literacy include improving young learners’ writing, reading, listening, and speaking skills, getting used to authentic materials, increasing frequency of digital technology use, enhancing online collaboration between teacher-learners and learners-learners. However, this study reports that digital literacy also has some negative impact for young learners. Problems with weak signals which affect difficult internet access still remain a problem. Contents of online digital materials are not easy for young learners to interpret and convert into simple, self-regulated information. Moreover, digital literacy tools are considered to be expensive. These barriers might be influenced by other problems such as complexity of digital literacy tools, different comprehension levels among young learners, young learners and EFL teachers’ lack of digital literacy experiences. In conclusion, the results give valuable insights in how to go about integration of digital literacy tools for young learners.

5

An Exploration of Teaching Practices of Private, Public, and Public-Private EFL Teachers in Iran

88%

Gholami J., Sarkhosh M., Abdi H.

Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability

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2016

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vol. 18

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issue 1

16-33

EN

This study investigates the practices of public (high) school, private language institute, and public-private teachers. In particular, it aims at addressing the role of contextual factors, the variations teachers introduce to cope with them, and the degree of sustainable behaviour among these three groups of teachers. High school teachers consisted of those who taught only in high schools and the ones teaching both in high schools and private language institutes. For this purpose, classroom practices of 60 EFL teachers (N=20 per group) with 3 to 6 years of teaching experience and BA degree in TEF) were compared in terms of group/pair work, teacher talking time, L1 use, questioning, corrective feedback, and coverage of language skills. The findings of the study indicate that a significant difference exists among these three groups of teachers in terms of their practices. It is noteworthy that in the same teaching context of high school, the practices of teachers with and without private language teaching experience are significantly dissimilar except in the duration of pair/group work activities and the rates of repetition and explicit correction. This study suggests that high school EFL teachers with teaching experience in private language institutes subscribe more closely to the tenets of communicative language teaching and thus can act as powerful agents of sustainable language teaching in Iranian public schools.

6

EFL TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE OF THE USE AND DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING (CALL) MATERIALS

88%

Dashtestani R.

Teaching English with Technology

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2014

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vol. 14

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issue 2

3-26

EN

Even though there are a plethora of CALL materials available to EFL teachers nowadays, very limited attention has been directed toward the issue that most EFL teachers are merely the consumers of CALL materials. The main challenge is to equip EFL teachers with the required CALL materials development skills to enable them to be contributors to CALL materials development (Motteram, 2011). Accordingly, this research was carried out to unravel the current challenges and difficulties in enabling EFL teachers to acquire CALL materials development and implementation skills. Three groups of EFL stakeholders, i.e. EFL teachers (n=208) who taught English at universities, schools, and language teaching institutions, teacher educators (n=15) who were university instructors and educated MA and PhD students of TEFL, and teacher trainers (n=32) who mainly prepared EFL teachers for teaching at private language teaching institutions, were identified and participated in this study. The findings of in-depth interviews and questionnaires confirmed that the three groups of participants had positive attitudes toward the use of CALL materials and development of CALL materials by EFL teachers while teacher educators had slightly more positive attitudes. It was further illustrated that the EFL teachers did not have the required basic skills to develop or use CALL materials. In addition, there are some impediments to the development of CALL materials by EFL teachers. Moreover, the findings of observations and interviews indicated that CALL materials development is not a part of teacher education/training programs in Iran and the EFL teachers do not use CALL materials in their EFL courses. Finally, the participants proposed some strategies based on which EFL teachers would be able to obtain the necessary skills to develop and use CALL materials.

7

Exploring EFL Teachers’ Perspectives of Professional Knowledge and Teaching Efficacy in Vocational High Schools

88%

Tzu-Ching Chen K., Chia-Li Chen S.

The New Educational Review

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2013

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vol. 34

270-279

EN

The presented study was conducted to investigate vocational high school EFL teachers’ professional knowledge and teaching efficacy from teachers’ perspectives. Data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed by frequency distribution, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation and stepwise regression. The results indicated that teachers have higher performance on professionalism and attitude to professional knowledge; teaching and class management in teaching efficacy. A significantly positive correlation was found between EFL teachers’ professional knowledge and teacher efficacy. Teachers reported that professional skills, professionalism, and attitude in professional knowledge were significant predictors of teaching efficacy. Professional knowledge helps to shape effective teaching.

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EFL Teachers’ Reflective Teaching: A study of its Determinants, Consequences, and Obstacles

75%

Tabassi F., Ghanizadeh A., Beigi P. G.

Polish Psychological Bulletin

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2020

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vol. 51

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issue 3

9

Teachers’ Perceptions, Experiences, and Challenges of Incorporating Justice in English as a Foreign Language Classrooms

75%

Estaji M., Zhaleh K.

Polish Psychological Bulletin

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2021

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vol. 52

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issue 3

Refine search results

EFL teacher agency in mediating the socialisation of multilingual learners

Using Q methodology to investigate pre-service EFL teachers’ mindsets about teaching competences

Pre-Service English Teachers’ Narrative Identity

DIGITAL LITERACY AMONG YOUNG LEARNERS: HOW DO EFL TEACHERS AND LEARNERS VIEW ITS BENEFITS AND BARRIERS?

An Exploration of Teaching Practices of Private, Public, and Public-Private EFL Teachers in Iran

EFL TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE OF THE USE AND DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING (CALL) MATERIALS

Exploring EFL Teachers’ Perspectives of Professional Knowledge and Teaching Efficacy in Vocational High Schools

EFL Teachers’ Reflective Teaching: A study of its Determinants, Consequences, and Obstacles

Teachers’ Perceptions, Experiences, and Challenges of Incorporating Justice in English as a Foreign Language Classrooms