The present study adopted a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design to explore the status of nurturing creativity in Iranian EFL classrooms. A standard questionnaire was given to 214 public high school EFL teachers to rate the frequency of using creativity-nurturing strategies in their classrooms. While the curriculum policies stipulate creativity-nurturing strategies, the results suggested that the teachers do not frequently adopt the strategies. Further, interviews were conducted with the teachers to find out the factors hindering the teachers from using these strategies. Deductive thematic analysis of interview transcriptions led to the extraction of five themes regarded as attributes to the inability of Iranian EFL teachers to adopt creativity-nurturing strategies. The findings imply that the existence of performativity in Iranian EFL classrooms creates pressure and dilemma for EFL teachers to teach for creativity. Issues such as time, exams, and pressures of the curriculum strictly constrain the creativity-nurturing practices of these teachers. Generally, modifications need to be supported in various aspects of teaching English in Iran to help the teachers nurture creativity in the classrooms.
{"title":"Creativity-Nurturing Practices of Iranian EFL Teachers","authors":"Behrooz Kalantari, Mohammad Aliakbari, Reza Khany","doi":"10.55593/ej.27107a1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.27107a1","url":null,"abstract":"The present study adopted a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design to explore the status of nurturing creativity in Iranian EFL classrooms. A standard questionnaire was given to 214 public high school EFL teachers to rate the frequency of using creativity-nurturing strategies in their classrooms. While the curriculum policies stipulate creativity-nurturing strategies, the results suggested that the teachers do not frequently adopt the strategies. Further, interviews were conducted with the teachers to find out the factors hindering the teachers from using these strategies. Deductive thematic analysis of interview transcriptions led to the extraction of five themes regarded as attributes to the inability of Iranian EFL teachers to adopt creativity-nurturing strategies. The findings imply that the existence of performativity in Iranian EFL classrooms creates pressure and dilemma for EFL teachers to teach for creativity. Issues such as time, exams, and pressures of the curriculum strictly constrain the creativity-nurturing practices of these teachers. Generally, modifications need to be supported in various aspects of teaching English in Iran to help the teachers nurture creativity in the classrooms.","PeriodicalId":36927,"journal":{"name":"TESL-EJ","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135061918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
With business relations and international travel on the rise between China and English-speaking countries, the need for English teachers in China has also increased. One method of teaching English in China occurs through summer English camps. The research presented here examines the teacher, camp coordinator, student, and parent experience with a three-week summer English camp for kindergarten through grade eight students hosted by an international school in China. The objective of the study is to describe the lived experiences from the perspective of the various partners to examine whether the curriculum adequately meets their needs, whether children are improving their English skills, and whether the teachers are sufficiently prepared for their experiences. Findings suggest that all participants indicate a high level of satisfaction with the summer camp, especially the importance of relationships in English language learning. Some of the expressed concerns lead to recommendations for improvements. In this study, the practice of the summer English camp is linked to the current English as an additional language research, making this research relevant to a broad international audience. Not only are summer English camps in high demand in China, but in other countries around the world as well.
{"title":"Summer English Camp in China: Importance of Relationships in English Language Learning","authors":"Helen Lepp Friesen","doi":"10.55593/ej.27107a4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.27107a4","url":null,"abstract":"With business relations and international travel on the rise between China and English-speaking countries, the need for English teachers in China has also increased. One method of teaching English in China occurs through summer English camps. The research presented here examines the teacher, camp coordinator, student, and parent experience with a three-week summer English camp for kindergarten through grade eight students hosted by an international school in China. The objective of the study is to describe the lived experiences from the perspective of the various partners to examine whether the curriculum adequately meets their needs, whether children are improving their English skills, and whether the teachers are sufficiently prepared for their experiences. Findings suggest that all participants indicate a high level of satisfaction with the summer camp, especially the importance of relationships in English language learning. Some of the expressed concerns lead to recommendations for improvements. In this study, the practice of the summer English camp is linked to the current English as an additional language research, making this research relevant to a broad international audience. Not only are summer English camps in high demand in China, but in other countries around the world as well.","PeriodicalId":36927,"journal":{"name":"TESL-EJ","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135112000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
While reading circles have been utilized to promote extensive reading in many educational settings, studies on higher levels of reading engagement in under-researched, English-as-a-foreign-language contexts are still in their infancy. Therefore, the current study examines the factors that increase learners’ levels of engagement in extensive reading tasks. I used learner diaries to collect data from 60 undergraduate students (ages 19–23) learning English as a foreign language in Mali. The findings suggested that cohesive groups with positive norms, behavioral changes during the task (e.g., investing an exceptional effort to achieve a significant learning goal, such as reading an entire story or a novel), and enjoyment after completing a reading task corresponded with these learners’ high engagement levels in extensive reading. Although the findings of this study are specific to one group of language learners, they can still be applied to plan classroom interventions in other EFL contexts to promote learners’ reading engagement.
{"title":"Reading Circles: Triggers for Increased Engagement of EFL Learners in Extensive Reading","authors":"Kadidja Koné","doi":"10.55593/ej.27107a2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.27107a2","url":null,"abstract":"While reading circles have been utilized to promote extensive reading in many educational settings, studies on higher levels of reading engagement in under-researched, English-as-a-foreign-language contexts are still in their infancy. Therefore, the current study examines the factors that increase learners’ levels of engagement in extensive reading tasks. I used learner diaries to collect data from 60 undergraduate students (ages 19–23) learning English as a foreign language in Mali. The findings suggested that cohesive groups with positive norms, behavioral changes during the task (e.g., investing an exceptional effort to achieve a significant learning goal, such as reading an entire story or a novel), and enjoyment after completing a reading task corresponded with these learners’ high engagement levels in extensive reading. Although the findings of this study are specific to one group of language learners, they can still be applied to plan classroom interventions in other EFL contexts to promote learners’ reading engagement.","PeriodicalId":36927,"journal":{"name":"TESL-EJ","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135112004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) students’ willingness to communicate (WTC) is required both in face-to-face (F2F) and online learning. While literature had extensively explored students’ WTC factors in F2F learning, studies on students’ WTC factors in online learning were still limited. Hence, this exploratory factor analysis (EFA) study aimed at investigating the interplays among learner agency, learner beliefs, growth language mindset, and teacher autonomy support as predictors of students’ WTC in online learning by testing eight formulated hypotheses about the possible interplays. Using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), we carried out the study with 367 EFL students from several universities in Indonesia who had experienced online English classes and invited them to voluntarily respond to an online survey questionnaire using a Google form. The results demonstrated positive and significant relationships among the variables, indicating that learner agency, learner beliefs, growth language mindset, and teacher autonomy support are significant predictors of WTC in online learning. EFL teachers might use the results of this study as a consideration to proactively encourage students’ WTC in online learning. Future research directions and other pedagogical implications are also discussed.
{"title":"Learners’ Agency, Beliefs, Mindsets and Teacher Autonomy as Predictors of Willingness to Communicate in Online Learning","authors":"Suci Nugrah Amalia, Radina Anggun Nurisma, Utami Widiati, Lastika Ary Prihandoko","doi":"10.55593/ej.27107a3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.27107a3","url":null,"abstract":"English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) students’ willingness to communicate (WTC) is required both in face-to-face (F2F) and online learning. While literature had extensively explored students’ WTC factors in F2F learning, studies on students’ WTC factors in online learning were still limited. Hence, this exploratory factor analysis (EFA) study aimed at investigating the interplays among learner agency, learner beliefs, growth language mindset, and teacher autonomy support as predictors of students’ WTC in online learning by testing eight formulated hypotheses about the possible interplays. Using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), we carried out the study with 367 EFL students from several universities in Indonesia who had experienced online English classes and invited them to voluntarily respond to an online survey questionnaire using a Google form. The results demonstrated positive and significant relationships among the variables, indicating that learner agency, learner beliefs, growth language mindset, and teacher autonomy support are significant predictors of WTC in online learning. EFL teachers might use the results of this study as a consideration to proactively encourage students’ WTC in online learning. Future research directions and other pedagogical implications are also discussed.","PeriodicalId":36927,"journal":{"name":"TESL-EJ","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135112001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
With the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing popularity of video-conferencing software such as Zoom, the move to online and /or hybrid teaching has never been more rapid. With this change, however, maintaining presence in the classroom has become a great challenge simply because of the nature of online teaching. Presence is a teaching quality that enables the teacher to ‘own the room’ and create an atmosphere of focus and inspiration. With the loss of face-to-face contact and the diminution of body language that online teaching entails, the teacher has to rely more and more on their own voice to hold presence in the class. While voice has always been an important tool in the teacher’s expressive armoury, it takes on a more central role in online teaching and can be the only element that connects teachers to students. Yet many teachers still front classes where voice audio quality is severely restricted due in part to poor choice of microphone and setups on their behalf. In this article I will discuss the notion of presence in online classrooms with regard to voice, and show how teachers can maintain and manipulate this feature in order to retain appeal for students.
{"title":"The Power of the Voice in Facilitating and Maintaining Online Presence in the Era of Zoom and Teams","authors":"Michael Cribb","doi":"10.55593/ej.27106int","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.27106int","url":null,"abstract":"With the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing popularity of video-conferencing software such as Zoom, the move to online and /or hybrid teaching has never been more rapid. With this change, however, maintaining presence in the classroom has become a great challenge simply because of the nature of online teaching. Presence is a teaching quality that enables the teacher to ‘own the room’ and create an atmosphere of focus and inspiration. With the loss of face-to-face contact and the diminution of body language that online teaching entails, the teacher has to rely more and more on their own voice to hold presence in the class. While voice has always been an important tool in the teacher’s expressive armoury, it takes on a more central role in online teaching and can be the only element that connects teachers to students. Yet many teachers still front classes where voice audio quality is severely restricted due in part to poor choice of microphone and setups on their behalf. In this article I will discuss the notion of presence in online classrooms with regard to voice, and show how teachers can maintain and manipulate this feature in order to retain appeal for students.","PeriodicalId":36927,"journal":{"name":"TESL-EJ","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135347847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pedagogical reasoning, as one of the major components of teacher knowledge base, is crucially important in teacher education. Motivated by the dearth of research in this area, this study investigated the pedagogical reasoning of four novice language teachers in relation to speaking instruction in order to further our understanding of language teacher cognition. For this purpose, a qualitative approach was adopted and classroom observations and post-observation stimulated recall interviews were conducted over a period of eight months. The analysis of the data related to pedagogical reasoning episodes and reasoning complexity indicated that novice teachers employed varied pedagogical arguments for different aspects of teaching speaking to justify their pedagogical decisions, which included instruction-based, students-based, teacher-based, and context-based arguments. The findings also pointed to the developmental changes in terms of the complexity and comprehensiveness of novice teachers’ pedagogical reasoning. Although they initially tended to focus primarily on the subject matter and instructional activities, their reasoning gradually expanded to include students’ cognitive and affective characteristics. The findings of this study contribute to the research on the teacher knowledge base and cognition. Having a clear understanding of novice teachers’ pedagogical reasoning and how they utilize it to explain their classroom practices provides us with valuable insights into the process of learning to teach.
{"title":"Pedagogical Reasoning for Speaking Instruction: A Longitudinal Study of Novice Language Teachers’ Cognition","authors":"Zia Tajeddin, Aso Biri, Hamid Allami","doi":"10.55593/ej.27106s6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.27106s6","url":null,"abstract":"Pedagogical reasoning, as one of the major components of teacher knowledge base, is crucially important in teacher education. Motivated by the dearth of research in this area, this study investigated the pedagogical reasoning of four novice language teachers in relation to speaking instruction in order to further our understanding of language teacher cognition. For this purpose, a qualitative approach was adopted and classroom observations and post-observation stimulated recall interviews were conducted over a period of eight months. The analysis of the data related to pedagogical reasoning episodes and reasoning complexity indicated that novice teachers employed varied pedagogical arguments for different aspects of teaching speaking to justify their pedagogical decisions, which included instruction-based, students-based, teacher-based, and context-based arguments. The findings also pointed to the developmental changes in terms of the complexity and comprehensiveness of novice teachers’ pedagogical reasoning. Although they initially tended to focus primarily on the subject matter and instructional activities, their reasoning gradually expanded to include students’ cognitive and affective characteristics. The findings of this study contribute to the research on the teacher knowledge base and cognition. Having a clear understanding of novice teachers’ pedagogical reasoning and how they utilize it to explain their classroom practices provides us with valuable insights into the process of learning to teach.","PeriodicalId":36927,"journal":{"name":"TESL-EJ","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134996974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Within the last two decades, theorizing and research on language teaching and teachers have witnessed a fundamental shift of attention and orientation towards socio-cognitive aspects of teaching. This epistemic shift has been paralleled by the global reach of the English language, inspiring scholars to call for a paradigm shift in Applied Linguistics to drift away from Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) to Global Englishes (GE) Language Teaching (GELT). While the expanding body of the literature on GE pedagogy has focused on different aspects of this fundamental transformation, teachers’ voices and cognitions have been often neglected in such discussions, despite their being an important element involved in the process. Against this backdrop, and guided by an activity-theoretic perspective as its analytical framework, the present qualitative study explored two Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ cognitions about GE and GELT using semi-structured interview, stimulated recall protocol, and non-participant classroom observation. Despite differences in the cognitions of our participants regarding GELT, the results generally indicated that both teachers tended to prioritize the use of standard American or British English in their teaching practice, bearing testimony to the fact that there is still a theory-practice schism between disciplinary reality and folk reality when it comes to GE-related issues in the English language teaching (ELT) enterprise. Our analysis offers a depiction of the challenges related to introducing GELT into the curriculum. The results are deliberated in relation to the feasibility of GE-oriented pedagogy, questioning whether it is achievable or is merely an idealistic notion. Implications of the findings for second language teacher education are discussed in the end.
{"title":"Unpacking Novice English Language Teachers’ Cognitions about Global Englishes Pedagogy: An Activity-Theoretic Analysis","authors":"Seyyed-Foad Behzadpoor, Behzad Mansouri","doi":"10.55593/ej.27106s9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.27106s9","url":null,"abstract":"Within the last two decades, theorizing and research on language teaching and teachers have witnessed a fundamental shift of attention and orientation towards socio-cognitive aspects of teaching. This epistemic shift has been paralleled by the global reach of the English language, inspiring scholars to call for a paradigm shift in Applied Linguistics to drift away from Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) to Global Englishes (GE) Language Teaching (GELT). While the expanding body of the literature on GE pedagogy has focused on different aspects of this fundamental transformation, teachers’ voices and cognitions have been often neglected in such discussions, despite their being an important element involved in the process. Against this backdrop, and guided by an activity-theoretic perspective as its analytical framework, the present qualitative study explored two Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ cognitions about GE and GELT using semi-structured interview, stimulated recall protocol, and non-participant classroom observation. Despite differences in the cognitions of our participants regarding GELT, the results generally indicated that both teachers tended to prioritize the use of standard American or British English in their teaching practice, bearing testimony to the fact that there is still a theory-practice schism between disciplinary reality and folk reality when it comes to GE-related issues in the English language teaching (ELT) enterprise. Our analysis offers a depiction of the challenges related to introducing GELT into the curriculum. The results are deliberated in relation to the feasibility of GE-oriented pedagogy, questioning whether it is achievable or is merely an idealistic notion. Implications of the findings for second language teacher education are discussed in the end.","PeriodicalId":36927,"journal":{"name":"TESL-EJ","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134996813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Grounded in Vygotskian sociocultural theory, we propose a novel methodology for second language teacher cognition research called dialogic restorying. We exemplify this methodological innovation by presenting a qualitative longitudinal project in which we prompted L2 teachers to revisit and restory what Veresov (2017) calls “dramatic moments” extracted from reflections they wrote throughout their learning-to-teach experiences in a 2-year MA TESL program (see Johnson, Verity, & Childs, 2020; 2023). These practicing teachers engaged in dialogic restorying with the interviewer by reflecting on the importance of these dramatic moments and their continuing influence on how they orient to teaching in their current instructional contexts two to three years after graduation. Mutual engagement in dialogic restorying not only allowed access into these L2 teachers’ perceptions of the significance of their learning-to-teach experiences but also opened up the potential for these interviews to be meaningful encounters that continued to have developmental value for the teacher-participants. We contend that dialogic restorying yields important longitudinal insights into L2 teachers’ developmental trajectories while also bringing to the surface the importance of recognizing the mediational influence that research methodology can, and from our perspective, should have on participants in investigations of L2 teacher development across the career span.
{"title":"Dialogic Restorying: A Novel Methodology for Provoking Second Language Teacher Development Across the Career Span","authors":"Jacob Ricker, Karen E. Johnson","doi":"10.55593/ej.27106s5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.27106s5","url":null,"abstract":"Grounded in Vygotskian sociocultural theory, we propose a novel methodology for second language teacher cognition research called dialogic restorying. We exemplify this methodological innovation by presenting a qualitative longitudinal project in which we prompted L2 teachers to revisit and restory what Veresov (2017) calls “dramatic moments” extracted from reflections they wrote throughout their learning-to-teach experiences in a 2-year MA TESL program (see Johnson, Verity, & Childs, 2020; 2023). These practicing teachers engaged in dialogic restorying with the interviewer by reflecting on the importance of these dramatic moments and their continuing influence on how they orient to teaching in their current instructional contexts two to three years after graduation. Mutual engagement in dialogic restorying not only allowed access into these L2 teachers’ perceptions of the significance of their learning-to-teach experiences but also opened up the potential for these interviews to be meaningful encounters that continued to have developmental value for the teacher-participants. We contend that dialogic restorying yields important longitudinal insights into L2 teachers’ developmental trajectories while also bringing to the surface the importance of recognizing the mediational influence that research methodology can, and from our perspective, should have on participants in investigations of L2 teacher development across the career span.","PeriodicalId":36927,"journal":{"name":"TESL-EJ","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134997165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
While research on second language teacher cognition (SLTC) has significantly developed over the past three decades, this line of inquiry has not paid adequate attention to material development/evaluation as compared to the key role that materials play in teachers’ daily practice. In response to this gap, in this study we adopted the theoretical stance of teacher maxims as part of SLTC, and explored eight Iranian English language teachers’ maxims in relation to material evaluation. Data were collected from a researcher-adapted questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed based on content analysis. Data analyses revealed that the teachers evaluated their implemented material in light of both positive and negative aspects, with the positive sides being more pedagogical and the negative dimensions being more institutional and sociocultural. Additionally, the teachers’ maxims indicated that materials should not only serve pedagogical issues, but they should also embrace emotions and sociocultural particularities so that educational stakeholders, especially students, develop socio-educational capitals. Based on the findings, we provide implications for teacher educators to run professional development courses that embrace personal, interpersonal, and sociocultural particularities in the courses to enhance teachers’ awareness of the role materials play in their SLTC growth
{"title":"English Language Teachers’ Maxims in Evaluating Materials: A Case Study from Iran","authors":"Mostafa Nazari, Sedigheh Karimpour, Ismail Xodabande","doi":"10.55593/ej.27106s4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.27106s4","url":null,"abstract":"While research on second language teacher cognition (SLTC) has significantly developed over the past three decades, this line of inquiry has not paid adequate attention to material development/evaluation as compared to the key role that materials play in teachers’ daily practice. In response to this gap, in this study we adopted the theoretical stance of teacher maxims as part of SLTC, and explored eight Iranian English language teachers’ maxims in relation to material evaluation. Data were collected from a researcher-adapted questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed based on content analysis. Data analyses revealed that the teachers evaluated their implemented material in light of both positive and negative aspects, with the positive sides being more pedagogical and the negative dimensions being more institutional and sociocultural. Additionally, the teachers’ maxims indicated that materials should not only serve pedagogical issues, but they should also embrace emotions and sociocultural particularities so that educational stakeholders, especially students, develop socio-educational capitals. Based on the findings, we provide implications for teacher educators to run professional development courses that embrace personal, interpersonal, and sociocultural particularities in the courses to enhance teachers’ awareness of the role materials play in their SLTC growth","PeriodicalId":36927,"journal":{"name":"TESL-EJ","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134996972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fariba Ziaabadi, Mohammad N. Karimi, Mohammad R. Hashemi
Despite English teachers’ acknowledgement of the plurality of English and the emergence of different varieties of the language, the actual manifestations of this plurality and the associated principles do not seem to be equally embraced in their classroom approach. Against this background, this study investigated Iranian English teachers’ conceptions of English as an International Language (EIL) and their corresponding instructional practices through semi-structured interviews and non-participant classroom observations. Drawing upon the theory of planned behavior (TPB), as the theoretical/analytical framework, the researchers explored the participant teachers’ behavioral, normative, and control beliefs underlying their intentions and actual classroom practices with regard to EIL. Findings revealed that although the teachers acknowledged the importance of raising learners’ awareness of EIL in different aspects of their language use, they still leaned towards standard American or British English in their actual instructional practices. Such propensity was informed by their attitudes toward the inclusion of EIL principles, their perceptions of the existing social pressures, and their perceived difficulty of adopting an EIL-aware pedagogy. Moreover, the participant teachers’ actual classroom instructions were found to be incongruent with their beliefs about the importance of raising students’ awareness regarding different English varieties. Implications for language teacher education are discussed.
{"title":"English Teachers’ Conceptions of EIL, the Associated Principles and Corresponding Instructional Practices: A Theory of Planned Behavior Analysis","authors":"Fariba Ziaabadi, Mohammad N. Karimi, Mohammad R. Hashemi","doi":"10.55593/ej.27106s8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.27106s8","url":null,"abstract":"Despite English teachers’ acknowledgement of the plurality of English and the emergence of different varieties of the language, the actual manifestations of this plurality and the associated principles do not seem to be equally embraced in their classroom approach. Against this background, this study investigated Iranian English teachers’ conceptions of English as an International Language (EIL) and their corresponding instructional practices through semi-structured interviews and non-participant classroom observations. Drawing upon the theory of planned behavior (TPB), as the theoretical/analytical framework, the researchers explored the participant teachers’ behavioral, normative, and control beliefs underlying their intentions and actual classroom practices with regard to EIL. Findings revealed that although the teachers acknowledged the importance of raising learners’ awareness of EIL in different aspects of their language use, they still leaned towards standard American or British English in their actual instructional practices. Such propensity was informed by their attitudes toward the inclusion of EIL principles, their perceptions of the existing social pressures, and their perceived difficulty of adopting an EIL-aware pedagogy. Moreover, the participant teachers’ actual classroom instructions were found to be incongruent with their beliefs about the importance of raising students’ awareness regarding different English varieties. Implications for language teacher education are discussed.","PeriodicalId":36927,"journal":{"name":"TESL-EJ","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134996973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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