scholarly journals The Significance of Theoretical Foundations in Enhancing Teaching Practices: Teachers’ Perceptions and Use of Learner-centered Approach in EFL Classrooms

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustapha BOUDJELAL

Undeniably, the realm of teaching English as a foreign language still embraces active research that continuously looks for approaches and methods which may contribute to a more efficient instruction of the target language. These theoretical foundations enable the instructor to appropriately implement the outlined approach along its salient features to achieve the desired outcomes. Despite this tight rapport, teachers of English at the University of Mostaganem tend to rely on their common-sense teaching practices that are mainly informed by their experience of teaching EFL. The gap between the two extremes theory and practice, the premise of this paper, may be widened as teachers do not develop accurate and scientific understandings of certain pedagogical concepts, in this case, learner-centeredness as agreed on by professional academics, let alone to apply it along its proper standards. The pedagogical sequel of such misunderstanding mainly relate to random references to both teacher and learner-centered approaches in classroom teaching practices. The study via a detailed teachers’ questionnaire revealed that teachers of English, in addition to the cursory understandings they develop in relation to the very meaning of a learner-centered approach, tend to eschew developing learners’ metacognitive skills in their teaching practices. Most importantly, they are likely to rely on traditional ways of assessment instead of authentic frameworks, a cardinal feature within the current paradigm.

Author(s):  
Chiew Yen Dwee ◽  
Elizabeth M. Anthony

While much has been written on the concept and development of learner autonomy, limited studies have investigated the perceptions and classroom practices of teachers in fostering learner autonomy. This paper sets out to examine what teachers think about learner autonomy as well as the strategies they use to develop autonomous learners in a university setting using a qualitative approach. Five English teachers were selected using purposive sampling and a semi-structured interview was conducted with each of them to obtain in-depth data on their perceptions and teaching practices revolving around autonomous learning. The findings revealed that although university teachers possessed a fair understanding of what learner autonomy involves, there was a lack of focus in terms of developing learner autonomy in the classroom due to a number of challenges such as lack of teacher readiness, passive student attitude as well as the relevance and timing of English courses within the university curriculum.Keywords: Learner autonomy, Teacher perception, Teaching practices, English classrooms


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy Yin

AbstractThe present study explores the perceptions of pre-service teachers regarding their experiences in the university teacher-training course during the practicum. In particular, the study focuses on how the pre-service teachers perceived the effects of the university course, as they tried to connect theory and practice during the practicum. A total of 15 participants enrolled in the methodology course for teaching speaking attended a 4-week practicum in secondary schools. They recorded their reflections on their teaching experiences in their reflective journals and they were interviewed after the practicum. The results of the study showed that the university course prepared them the fundamental skills to prepare for lessons and reflect on their teaching practice. However, the course failed to prepare them adequately to cope with the realities of the classroom context, as the university course only provided them with an idealistic view of the classroom. The implication of the study suggests ways to better connect university courses with the actual classroom practices to provide pre-service teachers the maximum support to practicalize their knowledge during the practicum.


Author(s):  
Rentauli Maria Silalahi

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) has been proven to improve teachers’ teaching practices and students’ learning experiences despite being used commonly for accountability purposes. Indonesian teachers’ perceptions of SET, however, remain largely unexplored. This qualitative study therefore investigated how four Indonesian university teachers perceived SET, how SET impacted their teaching practices and what roles they believed the university should play in implementing SET properly. The participants taught English to undergraduate students in an Indonesian private university. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using qualitative methods. The teachers perceived SET positively, had made conscious changes to improve their teaching practices and students’ learning, and believed the institution had facilitated teachers in meeting students’ needs, especially during the campus closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a transition to online learning. The institution where the participants taught implemented SET only for formative or improvement purposes. Using SET for such purposes is important as it is more likely to cause teachers less pressure and anxiety. Hence, teachers are willing to act upon the student feedback. Meanwhile, using SET for accountability purposes may create extra work for teachers and make them feel manipulated and untrusted.


Mousaion ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olefhile Mosweu

Most curriculum components of archival graduate programmes consist of contextual knowledge, archival knowledge, complementary knowledge, practicum, and scholarly research. The practicum, now commonly known as experiential learning in the global hub, is now widely accepted in library and information studies (LIS) education as necessary and important. It is through experiential learning that, over and above the theoretical aspects of a profession, students are provided with the opportunity to learn by doing in a workplace environment. The University of Botswana’s Master’s in Archives and Records Management (MARM) programme has a six weeks experiential learning programme whose purpose is to expose prospective archivists and/or records managers to the real archival world in terms of practice as informed by archival theory. The main objective of the study was to determine the extent to which the University of Botswana’s experiential learning component exposes students to real-life archival work to put into practice theoretical aspects learnt in the classroom as intended by the university guidelines. This study adopted a qualitative research design and collected data through interviews from participants selected through purposive and snowball sampling strategies. Documentary review supplemented the interviews. The data collected were analysed thematically in line with research objectives. The study determined that experiential learning does indeed expose students to the real world of work. It thus helps to bridge the gap between archival theory and practice for students without archives and records management work experience. For those with prior archival experience, experiential learning does not add value. This study recommends that students with prior archives and records management experience should rather, as an alternative to experiential learning, undertake supervised research, and write a research essay in a chosen thematic area in archives and records management.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
María Isabel Orozco Rivero

La formación inicial del profesor de la Educación Técnica y Profesional (ETP), debe estar en correspondenciacon la integración del conocimiento científico, el acelerado desarrollo de la ciencia y la tecnologíay las exigencias en la formación de las nuevas generaciones. Esta investigación aborda la problemáticaplanteada en la formación de profesores para la Carrera de Informática y asume como problemacientífico: “¿Cómo contribuir al desarrollo de una cultura científica como base para una participaciónciudadana responsable, en la formación inicial del profesor para la ETP en la Carrera Informática?”. La metodología utilizada constituye una integración de métodos teóricos y empíricos, lo que permitióla elaboración de la propuesta. Se trabajan y sustentan los antecedentes teóricos y metodológicos delproceso de formación inicial del profesor para la Educación Técnica y Profesional. Finalmente, se brindan los resultados de la aplicación de la consulta a expertos como comprobación teórica del mismo ysu aplicación parcial en la práctica. El fundamento teórico y las relaciones sistemáticas que se establecenentre los componentes, constituyen el principal aporte teórico y novedad de la investigación.   Palabras Clave: participación ciudadana, cultura científica, formación inicial, educación técnica y profesional.   ABSTRACT   The basic formation of teachers in Technical and Professional Education (TPE) must be in correspondencewith the integration of scientific development, the accelerated development of science and technology, and the educational demands of the new generations.  This research addresses the stated problem in the formation of teachers for the Informatics Career and assumes the scientific problem: How to contribute to thedevelopment of a scientific culture as the basis of a responsible citizen participation, in the initial formation of the ETP teacher in the Informatics Career? The methodology used integrates both theoretical and empiricalmethods which helped to build up this proposal.  Historical and methodological background of the formation process are worked out and supported.  Finally, results of the application of expert consulting as averification in theory and practice. The theoretical foundations and the systematic relationships established among the components constitute the main theoretical contribution and novelty of this research.   Keywords: citizen participation, scientific culture, initial formation, technical and professional education   Recibido: julio de 2015Aprobado: septiembre de 2015


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 32-37
Author(s):  
Shavkat Abdullayev ◽  

The article discusses the theoretical foundations, current status and ways of improving consumer lending in Uzbekistan. It were studied the views of foreign and domestic scientists on the definition of consumer credit. There are analyzed the disadvantages of consumer credits and are proposed ways to improve them


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-358
Author(s):  
Xiaoping Gao

Abstract How to effectively integrate culture into second language teaching has long been of concern in foreign language education. Despite advances in theory and practice for intercultural language teaching, there has been little research to investigate factors influencing teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and perceptions. This study addresses this gap by examining teachers’ perceptions of effective strategies that foster students’ intercultural competence in the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language and factors influencing their beliefs. Twenty-nine school and university teachers in Australia completed a survey and a focus group interview. Quantitative analyses revealed that teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the strategies varied despite an overall positive attitude towards the teaching of culture. Their beliefs were significantly influenced by their years of teaching experience, educational setting, and native language, but not by gender, age group and educational backgrounds. Qualitative analyses attribute the inconsistency in teacher perceptions to teachers’ disparate conceptualisations of culture, teaching experiences, and educational contexts associated with different curricular and pedagogical requirements and learner characteristics. The findings reinforce the necessity for providing teachers with professional training, along with pedagogical guidance and resources in order to facilitate their intercultural language teaching practices.


The Holocene ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 1220-1221
Author(s):  
Peter Dalin

In the present critical review, my aim is to address serious calculation mistakes made by the authors. I do not want to review their interpretation of a given observation on 18 June 1840 made by Antonio Colla, who was a professor of Astronomy and Meteorology at the University of Parma. There is no sense interpreting Colla’s observation since the basic astronomical calculations have been made incorrectly by the authors Chiara Bertolin and Fernando Domínguez-Castro. Summarizing, in theory and practice, astronomer Antonio Colla could not have observed noctilucent clouds (NLC) at Parma on 18 June 1840. That is why the conclusions of the present paper are not valid.


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