scholarly journals Bringing languages to life: A longitudinal study of the development of creative practice in student teachers of modern languages

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-39
Author(s):  
Bethan Hulse

This article reports the findings of a longitudinal study exploring the process of learning to teach modern languages in the changing landscape of teacher education. It employs a postmodern critical ethnographic methodology to examine the experiences of a group of student teachers over the course of a one-year postgraduate teacher education programme in England. The focus is on how experiences in university and in school encourage or discourage the development of creativity. The schools inspectorate, Ofsted, is critical of lifeless teaching which fails to inspire young people to learn languages. However, the pressures of ‘performative’ requirements act as a discouragement to creativity. The data indicates that whilst student teachers express a desire to be more creative, they find it difficult to implement their ideas in school. A post-structuralist analysis of Marx’s theory of alienation is employed to argue that the early formation of professional identity is a process of acquiescence to oppressive external structures over which individuals have no control. The study concludes that it is possible to create spaces where the temporary suspension of alienation can allow individuals to put life back into language learning.

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 17-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margareta Ekborg ◽  
Mats Areskoug

This paper reports on a longitudinal study on how student teachers’ understanding of the greenhouse effect developed through a teacher education programme in mathematics and science for pupils aged 7-13. All student teachers, who were accepted to the programme one year, were followed trough 2.5 years of the programme. The student teachers took science courses in which they were taught about the greenhouse effect.Data was collected by questionnaires three times. The results show that a majority of the student teachers developed an adequate understanding of the greenhouse effect during the teaching programme. Several of the students developed further in the second science course. However a rather big group of students with poor understanding did not develop any further in the second science course and no one demonstrated full understanding. Different ways of collecting data and categorising responses affected how the students’ understanding was interpreted.


Author(s):  
Darshana Sharma

Teaching Practice is widely recognised as the sine-qua-non of any teacher education programme. It is a component in the teacher preparation programme where prospective teachers are provided with an opportunity to put their theoretical studies into practice, get feedback, reflect on practice and consequently further improve their teaching skills. As teaching practice is an important component of a teacher education programme, considerable attention must be given to make it more effective and fruitful. This paper is based on a research study conducted to know pre-service teachers' experiences of the quality of teaching practice and the common concerns they have during teaching practice. On the basis of focussed group discussion a total of five themes were identified, these are (1) usefulness of teaching practice (2) experiences/concerns with pupils' behaviour (3) experiences/concerns with own behaviour (4) experiences/concerns with supervisors' behaviour (5) experiences/concerns with institutional and personal adjustments. The outcome of the focussed group discussion was used to prepare a structured questionnaire. Among other things, the study recommended rigorous practical training in lesson planning, demonstration lessons by teacher educators, simulated teaching before the commencement of practice teaching, school orientation programmes, a separate internship of two weeks and writing a journal by student teachers during teaching practice.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Morshed Salim Abdullah Al-Jaro ◽  
Adelina Asmawi ◽  
Zuwati Hasim

This study aims to analyse the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in the current curriculum of the English teacher education programme (ETEP) at a Faculty of Education in a Yemeni University. PCK and teaching competencies take shape within the initial preparation of ETEP in which student teachers spenda long time receiving knowledge and understanding the teaching context before they practically experience teaching at schools. During their BA study, students are required to study 49 courses which can be categorised into four main components: skills, linguistics, literature and professional. This study analyses the content of the curriculum courses so as tovisualise the way student teachers translate what they have learned into pedagogical practices during their teaching practices. In this study, the curriculum content of ETEP is qualitatively analysed using the inductive approach. Categories emerged from the analysis demonstrate various aspects of student teachers’ PCK. The analysis reveals that the pedagogical skills courses are not enough to enhance and strengthen the student teachers’ PCK needed to be reflected in their teaching practices. The findings show that the curriculum lacks courses necessary to provide student teachers with basic knowledge and pedagogical principles which are of vital significance to demonstrate their understanding before they are practically engaged in the teaching experience.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Gimena San Martin

This study seeks to examine how a supervisor scaffolds the student-teachers’ learning-to-teach process in the context of one-to-one tutoring sessions in an English as a foreign language teacher education programme in Argentina. The findings indicate that scaffolding implies two main phases: a diagnostic and an intervention phase. Moreover, the supervisor was found to provide contingent help, which suited the student-teachers’ perceived needs and/or difficulties. In conclusion, scaffolded help should be understood in relation to the function it serves and how it accommodates the students’ level of understanding.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1642-1658
Author(s):  
Fadhilah Suralaga ◽  
Siti Nurul Azkiyah ◽  
Rumtini Rumtini ◽  
Yenny Rahmawati ◽  
Yunita Faela Nisa

Teachers play crucial roles; therefore, this study is intended to examine student teachers’ motivation (instrumental vs. integrative) and commitment (committed passionate, committed compromiser, undecided and uncommitted) to teaching. Quantitative approach using a questionnaire was conducted involving 328 English student teachers from some universities in Indonesia. Using the descriptive analysis, the findings show that those having integrative motivation are 56% and the highest figure for the level of commitment is, as expected, committed passionate (44%). Concerning gender differences, more males (M: 60%, F: 55%) were surprisingly found to have integrative motivation, although more females were found to have the highest level of commitment (M: 35%, F: 47%). These findings at the same time reveal a considerably high proportion of those who did not have a genuine motive to enroll in a teacher education programme and to commit to becoming teachers implying necessary measures from both the government and the teacher education institutions.  Keywords: Commitment, motivation, student teacher, teacher, teacher education.


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