scholarly journals From Knowledge Sharing to Reflective Thinking: Using Focus Group to Promote EFL Teachers’ Reflectivity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majid Farahian ◽  
Farshad Parhamnia
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Constructive Feedback ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Master Of Arts

Educational research literature has underscored the key role of collaboration and interaction among teachers. As such, the present study, as its main objective, sought whether knowledge sharing in a reflective focus group improved English as a foreign language(EFL) student teachers’ reflective practice. In addition, it explored the benefits and challenges to knowledge sharing in a reflective focus group. To this end, a survey of reflective practice, and a semi-structured interview were employed to investigate research questions. Eleven Iranian Master of Arts (MA) students who were, at the same time, EFL teachers in languages schools served as the participants of the study. The results indicated that the focus group platform could enable EFL teachers to improve their reflective practice through interaction with colleagues. Among other factors, receiving constructive feedback, and recognizing the possible relationship between theory and practice were the benefits of knowledge sharing through reflective practice. Regarding the barriers to using reflective focus group, various inhibitors were reported by the participants that can be classified into personal, institutional, and educational factors. The implications of the study are also presented.

EFL Teachers’ Development of Reflective Practice Through Knowledge Sharing in a Reflective Focus Group

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majid Farahian ◽  
Farshad Parhamnia
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Constructive Feedback ◽  
Efl Teachers

Abstract Development in any educational system highly depends on teachers’ qualities. Among other qualities, one of the much-needed teachers’ qualities is reflection. As such, the present study examined EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers’ perceptions towards knowledge sharing in a reflective focus group and the improvement of their reflective practice through knowledge sharing in a focus group. In addition, the study sought the benefits and challenges to knowledge sharing in a reflective focus group. The results indicated that the participants did not have a positive attitude towards knowledge sharing. Furthermore, it was also revealed that the focus group platform could enable teachers to improve their reflective practice. Among other factors, receiving constructive feedback, and recognizing the possible relationship between theory and practice were benefits of reflective practice through knowledge sharing. Regarding the barriers to using reflective focus group, various inhibitors were reported by the teachers, including personal, institutional, and educational. The implications of the study are also presented.

scholarly journals Teachers’ Reflective Practice and Challenges in an Indonesian EFL Secondary School Classroom

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 289
Author(s):  
La Sunra - La Sunra ◽  
Haryanto Haryanto ◽  
Sahril Nur
Keyword(s):  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Effective Teacher ◽  
Junior High School Teachers ◽  
Inadequate Knowledge ◽  
Efl Teachers

This study investigated the EFL teachers’ perception and practices of reflection in teaching. The study was conducted through qualitative method by purposive sampling technique. The data were collected through semi-structured interview, and documentation from seven EFL Junior High School teachers in Makassar. The results of the study showed that the EFL teachers perceived reflective practice mainly as an evaluative process to their teaching experience. They all believed that reflective practice was one of the effective teacher characteristics and useful for increasing the quality of teaching and learning. Their reflections were mostly at descriptive and dialogic level. Inadequate knowledge and workload were identified by the EFL teachers as the challenges to reflection.

scholarly journals Student Teachers’ Development of Reflective Practice concerning Teaching Philosophy and Peer Observations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asma Mansour Almusharraf
Keyword(s):  
Student Teachers ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Teaching Philosophy ◽  
Peer Observation ◽  
Peer Observations

This study examined the effect of utilizing e-portfolio reflection-enhancing tasks in a practicum course on developing student teachers' level of reflection. It sought to answer how engaging EFL student teachers in writing a teaching philosophy and peer observation affect their understanding of and appreciation for reflective practice and its influence on developing their reflection level and teaching performance. A mixed-methods study design was implemented where both quantitative and qualitative data were collected within this study. Eight female Saudi student teachers enrolled in a teacher education program at a public university in Saudi Arabia participated in this study while completing an 11-week teaching practicum course at a public secondary school in Riyadh. Each participant was tasked with completing a teaching philosophy and six peer observations with other participants within the study. Each task was analyzed for its reflection level based on a rubric developed by El- Okda (2009). Data were also collected through a semi-structured interview with each of the participants. This study demonstrated that while the participants struggled throughout the practicum to develop a cogent teaching philosophy, their level of reflection for the peer observation tasks improved throughout the teaching practice. Their enthusiasm for these tasks and the process of reflection itself was very positive. The results of this study will help teacher educators to create an informative account of reflection in teaching practice programs in ways that encourage reflective practice among student teachers. Future research could continue to explore more reflective tasks that encourage reflection among student teachers.

Student teachers’ expectations and their sense of fulfillment in a TESOL program

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoko Mori ◽  
Elke Stracke
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Potential Conflict ◽  
Unmet Expectations ◽  
Explanatory Mixed Methods ◽  
Master Of Arts ◽  
Language Profiles

Abstract Student expectations have increasingly become a focus in Second Language Acquisition research. This study takes a closer look at student teachers’ expectations in a Master of Arts TESOL program at an Australian university to investigate their expectations and sense of fulfillment of these expectations. We employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design and conducted a questionnaire (N = 31) and interviews (N = 6) with student teachers. The results show that student teachers expect a well-balanced curriculum of theory and practice and consider teaching practice their top priority. While the expectations of most TESOL student teachers are met, different language profiles can lead to different expectations and potential conflict. Contrary to most previous research, this study showed that unmet expectations do not necessarily lead to unfavorable outcomes because of the student teachers’ ability to adjust in various ways. The study concludes with a discussion of implications for practice and future research.

scholarly journals Teachers’ Consideration in Technology-Integrated Lesson Design – A case of Indonesian EFL Teachers

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (18) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Finita Dewi ◽  
Nenden Sri Lengkanawati ◽  
Pupung Purnawarman
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Lesson Design ◽  
Instructional Activities ◽  
Technology Tools ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Design Activities

Abstract— The ubiquity of technology offers promising benefits of its integration in educational sector. Yet, little is known about the rationale underlying teachers’ decisions concerning their educational uses within the constraints of daily classroom practice. This study aims at exploring teach-rs’ consideration in choosing certain technology tools in the context of technology-integrated lesson design activities. Data were obtained through a focus group discussion during the lesson design which was followed by a semi structured interview. Findings for this study have enhanced the under-standing of some aspects that teachers put into consideration while designing technology-integrated lessons; identifying goals, analyzing learners, planning instructional activities, and choosing the technology tools. In addition, the findings of this study also postulate that during the lesson design activities, teachers need to be triggered by some cognitive prompts in order to sup-port them making some decision on the learning objectives, the stag-es of activities, and the technology tools they need to integrate.

scholarly journals Knowledge sharing through WhatsApp: does it promote EFL teachers' reflective practice?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Majid Farahian ◽  
Farshad Parhamnia
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Share Information

PurposeReflective practice can greatly improve teachers' professional development, and various studies have demonstrated that teachers' knowledge sharing has a positive impact on their reflection. Accordingly, the present study was conducted to examine the effect of knowledge sharing in a popular online forum – WhatsApp – on English as foreign language (EFL) teachers' reflective practice. It was also aimed to probe the challenges the teachers faced to share information in their daily practice.Design/methodology/approachThe experimental study was pretest and posttest. To do so, 60 available EFL teachers were chosen as the participants. They were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Both groups received the English language teaching (ELT) reflection inventory as the pretest and posttest. In addition, to find the difficulties EFL teachers encounter to share information in their daily practice, a week after the treatment, a semi-structured interview with 21 volunteer EFL teachers from the experimental group was carried out. As the treatment, the online discussion among the teachers regarding their daily practice took around 1 h and lasted two weeks.FindingsThe result of the posttest revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in their reflective practice. The results of the interview revealed that among other factors, the EFL teachers' lack of awareness regarding the importance of knowledge sharing, sticking to conventional methods of teaching and considering authorities' views as more trustworthy were the barriers which impede their knowledge sharing.Social implicationsThe findings could inspire reconsideration of the role social media plays in Iranian EFL teacher education and its role in contributing to teachers' professional development as well as their social interaction with colleagues. The results also call for taking measures to eliminate barriers to EFL teachers' knowledge sharing, which are partly rooted in the socio-educational context.Originality/valueSome studies have argued that knowledge sharing may contribute to the promotion of EFL teachers' reflectivity. There are also studies that have reported that teachers' involvement in sharing of knowledge does not have a significant effect on their reflective practice. Accordingly, contradictory results have been reported regarding the effectiveness of knowledge sharing in promoting teachers' reflection. In addition, exploring the impact of knowledge sharing on EFL teachers' reflectivity via WhatsApp deserves more attention.

scholarly journals Student Teachers’ Development of Reflective Practice concerning Teaching Philosophy and Peer Observations

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 547-564
Author(s):  
Asma Mansour Almusharraf
Keyword(s):  
Student Teachers ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Teaching Philosophy ◽  
Peer Observation ◽  
Peer Observations

This study examined the effect of utilizing e-portfolio reflection-enhancing tasks in a practicum course on developing student teachers' level of reflection. It sought to answer how engaging EFL student teachers in writing a teaching philosophy and peer observation affect their understanding of and appreciation for reflective practice and its influence on developing their reflection level and teaching performance. A mixed-methods study design was implemented where both quantitative and qualitative data were collected within this study. Eight female Saudi student teachers enrolled in a teacher education program at a public university in Saudi Arabia participated in this study while completing an 11-week teaching practicum course at a public secondary school in Riyadh. Each participant was tasked with completing a teaching philosophy and six peer observations with other participants within the study. Each task was analyzed for its reflection level based on a rubric developed by El- Okda (2009). Data were also collected through a semi-structured interview with each of the participants. This study demonstrated that while the participants struggled throughout the practicum to develop a cogent teaching philosophy, their level of reflection for the peer observation tasks improved throughout the teaching practice. Their enthusiasm for these tasks and the process of reflection itself was very positive. The results of this study will help teacher educators to create an informative account of reflection in teaching practice programs in ways that encourage reflective practice among student teachers. Future research could continue to explore more reflective tasks that encourage reflection among student teachers.

scholarly journals Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation for experience grounded tacit knowledge sharing in Chinese software organisations

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 478-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Chen ◽  
Miguel Baptista Nunes ◽  
Gillian Ragsdell ◽  
Xiaomi An
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Axial Coding ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify and explain the role of individuals’ awareness and motivation in facilitating knowledge sharing (KS) in the real world of practice, as well as to establish areas of convergence between theory and practice that can be of use to both academics and practitioners involved in knowledge intensive organisations. Design/methodology/approach This study used Grounded Theory (GT) as an inductive methodology to collect, analyse and interpret data from multiple case-studies. 44 participants from Chinese software organisations were selected on the basis of their role in SW design and development and were interviewed using a semi-structured interview script. The data analysis followed a Straussian approach to coding, which consists of open coding, axial coding and selective coding. The analysis focused on the impact of individuals’ awareness and motivation to share knowledge. Findings The findings of this research show that the motivation for KS – a time consuming and demanding activity – is indeed related to awareness by managers and developers of the benefits of KS in their professional practice. Practitioners shared their experiences and tacit knowledge with others, partly because it was required by their companies, but also because they have a sound awareness of the need to share knowledge both inside and outside their organisations. Research limitations/implications As a typical social science inductive study, this research is bounded by the context in which the theory proposed emerged from. Further research should be conducted into a richer variety of organisational and national contexts, as suggested by good theoretical sampling practice, which could provide further insights or contrasts. Originality/value Despite a number of theoretical propositions found in the literature, there is a clear lack of implementation strategies and models that explain the role of awareness and motivation in facilitating KS in the world of practice. This issue of applicability of theoretical propositions is now recognised as one of the fundamental key issues in KS. This study provides new and practice grounded insights in this area and is of interest to both practitioners and theoreticians as it explains and bridges the individuals’ awareness and motivation for tacit KS.

Student Teachers’ Learning and Professional Development in Second Language Teacher Education

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamile Hamiloğlu
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Student Teacher ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Language Teacher Education ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Second Language Teacher Education ◽  
Second Language Teacher

This article is a review on student teacher (ST) learning in second language teacher education (SLTE) and it aims to establish a context for ST learning for professional development in SLTE research and frame its contribution to the current research literature. To achieve this, it conducts an overview on concepts of interest, and it places in perspective some of the key previous findings relating to the research at hand. Broadly, it is to serve as a foundation for the debate over perspectives of second/foreign language (S/FL) student teachers’ (STs’) learning to teach through their professional development with reference to both coursework and practicum contexts.Keywords: student teacher learning, second language teacher education (SLTE), professional development

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