scholarly journals Identity Work as Ethical Self-Formation: The Case of Two Chinese English-as-Foreign-Language Teachers in the Context of Curriculum Reform

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Li Jiang

Curriculum reform urges teachers to constantly reflect on existing identities and develop probably whole new identities. Yet, in the wake of the poststructuralist view of identity as a complex matter of the social and the individual, of discourse and practice, and of agency and structure, teacher identity is a process of arguing for themselves and hence ethical and political in nature. Drawing on Foucault’s notion of ethical self-formation and its adoption by Clarke (2009a) “Diagram for Doing Identity Work” in teacher education research, this 2-year-long case study explores how two Chinese English-as-foreign-language (EFL) teachers engaged in identity work in a changing curricular landscape. The analysis of narrative frames and semistructured interviews reveals the relations between the relative stable and the evolving elements of teachers’ identity work, and the essential role of teachers’ ethical agency based on reflective and critical responsiveness to the contextual reality and the dynamic power relations during the reform. The findings argue for the importance of nourishing teachers’ reflective identity work and ethical agency during the turbulence of educational change.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Barabashchuk ◽  
Mariana Dushkevych ◽  
Natalia Hutsuliak

It is a set on the basis of theoretical researchers, that the modern specialist of the sphere of «Man-Man», except the certain volume of professional abilities and knowledge, must own personality-mature qualities: to show readiness for self-development and self-perfection; make a decision on their own; have their own system of values and be able to correlate their own vital persuasions with the senses and stereotypes of society. For this reason, development of their tolerance as a constituent of professionalism is important in the professional preparation of specialists of socio-economic professions. Tolerance is not just a tolerance for others' thoughts, beliefs and behaviour, it is a purposeful effort on the part of the individual to create an information space that promotes harmony, interpersonal cooperation, emotional tact and respect. The empirical study involved 40 second-year students, including psychology students and foreign language teachers. The psychodiagnostic complex of methods presented in the article made it possible to obtain reliable research results. A comparative analysis of respondents' indicators showed that «tolerance» as a personal quality is significant for both groups. It is stated that psychology students are more tolerant of representatives of different social strata, while foreign language students are tolerant of ethnic minorities. The study found that future psychologists seeking to assert their beliefs and considerations, if the situation becomes conflictual, can be harsh. Future teachers are more critical of themselves and their opinions, showing tact and understanding to manifest «paradoxical» actions, even if they do not agree with them. The overall tolerance index of the two groups under study indicates that their behaviour and attitudes towards the world, people and events will depend on the particular social situation they are currently in.


Author(s):  
A. B. Khramtcova

Rethinking the goals of vocational education, integrating into the international professional community, required rethinking of the academic disciplines role, which primarily affected the foreign language. Researchers note its importance for successful professional activity, for the development of special qualities. At the same time, the problem of educating professional responsibility, conditioned by the outlook of the individual, the conviction of the need to make professional decisions with an orientation towards their consequences for society and the country as a whole, has ceased to be a priority. The article focuses on the means of implementing the educational function of a foreign language in the unity of the content (context of the language) and methods of comparison with regional natural history, which activates creative thinking and affects the social position in the perception of the modern worldview, on the formation of a person's motivational-value attitude to his native culture. Comparative analysis of the native and foreign language culture allows a deeper understanding of the native culture and the formation of patriotic beliefs. The conclusions obtained in the course of understanding the educational function of a foreign language are based on the results of a comprehensive study conducted by graduate students of Samara University on the theory and methodology of vocational education, the purpose of which was to determine the effective personal characteristics of students in different areas of vocational training.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 79-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sotiria Pappa ◽  
Josephine Moate ◽  
Maria Ruohotie-Lehty ◽  
Anneli Eteläpelto

Research on emotions has yielded many theoretical perspectives and many concepts. Yet, most scholars have focused on how emotions influence the transformation and maintenance of teacher identities in the field of teacher education and novice teachers, with little research being conducted on either experienced or foreign language teachers. This study explores emotions in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) teachers’ work and their role in identity negotiation. The data is based on interviews with thirteen CLIL teachers working at six different primary schools around Finland, while the analysis draws on Meijers’ (2002) model of identity as a learning process. According to this model, a perceived boundary experience usually generates negatively accented emotions, which are negotiated in light of one’s professional identity by means of two complementary processes, i.e. intuitive sense-giving and discursive meaning-giving. The predominant emotional experiences that were identified were, on the one hand, hurry and frustration, and on the other hand, contentment and empowerment. Intuitive sense-giving mostly entailed reasoning, self-reliance, resilience, and empathy. Discursive meaning-giving mostly entailed the ideas of autonomy and of the CLIL team. This study highlights the need for sensitivity toward teachers’ emotions and their influence on teacher identity. It concludes with suggestions for theory, further research and teacher education.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
Ibrahim F. F. Almaagbh

This study investigates the impact of strategic notetaking on English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ academic performance among university students in Jordan. Thus, we hypothesized that there is a significant and positive impact of strategic note-taking on EFL learners’ academic performance. To confirm this hypothesis, descriptive research design was applied in this study. 384 (three hundred and eighty-four) respondents were randomly selected from the four public universities in Jordan. This study adapted instruments which include strategic note taking and students’ academic performance measurement items and the data obtained was analysed through Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS-22). The result showed that the strategic note taking (i.e. independent variable) has significant effects on EFL learners’ academic performance (R2 =.919). Moreover, the strategic notetaking made the significant contribution (Beta= .449; t= 18.714; P <0.05) to the prediction of EFL learners’ academic performance. In line with the findings, this study emphasised and explained the impact of strategic notetaking and how to improve EFL learners’ level of notetaking for better academic performance in Jordan.


2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayriye Kayi-Aydar

The topic of language teacher identity receives strong attention in current scholarly literature. Understanding the complexities of identities that second/foreign language teachers construct is crucial because the ways teachers perceive themselves as professionals impact teacher development (e.g., Kanno & Stuart, 2011*), interactions with peers and colleagues (e.g., Kayi-Aydar, 2015*), pedagogical choices or classroom practices (e.g., Duff & Uchida, 1997*), and access to power and ownership of language (De Costa & Norton, 2017*; Varghese et al., 2016*), ultimately undergirding or undermining second/foreign language teaching (Varghese et al., 2016*).


2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 117-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taghi Jabbarifar

Two decades have now passed since Bandura (1986) introduced the concept of self-efficacy within the social cognitive theory of human behavior. He defined it as "people's judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances (1986). Much empirical evidence now supports the idea that self-efficacy touches almost every aspect of people's lives including foreign language learning; However, it has apparently received the least attention compared to other cognitive and affective issues. The present article attempts to shed some light on importance of the concept of self-efficacy, the role it can play in foreign language learning and the pedagogical implications it may have for foreign language teachers and the students of English language in the end of the first decade of the twenty first century.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-61
Author(s):  
Yahmun Yahmun ◽  
Endang Sumarti ◽  
Debi Setyowati

This study aimed at describing difficulties faced by students in learning Listening. This study involved seventeen female students and eight male students taking Basic Listening course in one of private university in Malang, East Java. To gain the data, the researcher interviewed the subjects one by one. The findings, then, classified into several classes by referring to previous studies discussing listening difficulties in English as Foreign Language (EFL) classes. The findings showed that there were four difficulties faced by the students. They were the speed and length of the spoken text, vocabulary, pronunciation, and accents. Based on the findings, then, the researchers made several suggestions for further researchers and other language teachers to consider this study in their practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
Pamela Barre ◽  
Jhonny Villafuerte-Holguin

Ecuadorian educational policy for English as Foreign Language instruction in Ecuador mandated in 2016 to introduce Content and Language Integrated-Learning (CLIL) methodology to improve the teaching and learning process. This research aims to analyze the implementation of CLIL methodology in zone 4 of Ecuador during 2019-2021. This work subscribed to the transformative paradigm and administrated quantitative and qualitative methods of educational research. The participants were 70 English as a Foreign Language teachers from nine public and private educational institutions located in Manabi Province of Ecuador. The instrument used was the Instructor Perceptions of Differentiated Instruction of Turner, Solis, and Kincade (2017) in an observation format. The information collection techniques used were in-depth interview and focus group discussion. The results allowed the research team to determine the impact of the pandemic on the CLIL implementation in zone 4 of Ecuador. The results show differences in the implementation of the methodology between public and private schools which are linked to internet and technology devices access, teachers' knowledge regarding CLIL methodology, and institutional policies. In regards COVID19 pandemic, it is concluded that it has pacted the implementation of CLIL methodology in both public and private secondary schools that participated in the study.


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