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Mayfield, Helen Marie. "Afterschool Program Effects on English Learners' Reading and Teachers' Reading Curriculum Perceptions." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2610.
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This project study addressed the problem of 3rd grade English language learners (ELLs) not passing the state mandated reading test at the same rate as other students between 2009 and 2013 in Georgia. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of an elementary school's afterschool program (ASP) on ELLs' reading achievements and to investigate 3rd grade afterschool teachers' perceptions of the reading curriculum using a mixed methods explanatory sequential design. Schema theory, the framework used to guide this study, indicated prior knowledge and experiences are necessary to comprehend new ideas or concepts. Prior knowledge and experiences can be gained from the instruction provided during ASPs. During the quantitative phase, a paired-samples t test was conducted using archived data from 2014 on 43 ELLs. The result was a significant increase in reading from pre- to posttest. In the qualitative phase, two 3rd grade ASP teachers were interviewed about their perceptions of the reading curriculum and those interviews were then analyzed using In Vivo coding and 2 cycle analysis. Themes revealed were professional development (PD), curriculum presentation, instructional strategies, and ASP modifications. A 4-day PD was designed for teachers providing plans to teach ELLs academic content and literacy. PD would provide teachers with reading instructional strategies to teach ELLs, which may increase their achievement on state tests to decrease the ELL reading achievement gap. Implications for positive social change include using an ASP and PD to increase ELLs' reading achievements and to increase success on state mandated tests.
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Murray, Neil Langdon. "Communicative language teaching and language teacher education." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1996. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10019210/.
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This study explores a basic paradox. On the one hand, innovations thatappear in the field of language teaching - or indeed any other field ofendeavour - in order to be maximally effective, need in some way to beincorporated into the contexts of their application. However, such contextsare often unfavourable to the reception of new ideas which consequentlyneed to undergo some measure of adjustment prior to theirimplementation in the classroom. As such those ideas are seldomrealisable in their 'true colours'. Furthermore, they are at timesthemselves not very clear even within their own terms, and may suffer tovarying degrees from vagueness, diffusion and instances of contradiction. What I seek to do in the chapters that follow is investigate Communicative Language Teaching in order to (i) establish what the basictenets of the approach are, and (ii) identify those factors that affect the wayin which communicative principles could be made acceptable andeffective with particular reference to the language teaching /learningsituation in japan. As a necessary corollary of this investigation, consideration is givento the implications for language teacher education where, it is argued,teachers-to-be need to be provided with the means via which to mosteffectively evaluate innovative ideas and come to terms with thosedifficulties that arise from attempts to apply general principles toparticular circumstances.
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Dingwall, Silvia Claire. "The teacher variable in English language teaching." Thesis, Lancaster University, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.481240.
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Masoud, Omaima Abugaila Elmahdi. "Portfolio in teacher education and in English language teaching." Master's thesis, Universidade de Aveiro, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10773/17167.
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Mestrado em SupervisãoO desenvolvimento educacional moderno trouxe novas portagens para a avaliação das capacidades que os alunos irão utilizar em tarefas da vida real. Esta necessidade tem criado uma mudança radical nos métodos tradicionais de ensino e avaliação. Assim, são necessárias abordagens alternativas de avaliação, quer do processo, quer do produto de aprendizagem. O presente estudo leva em consideração o uso de estratégias de utilização do portfólio no ensino de Inglês, com particular destaque para o sistema de ensino da Líbia. Além disso, apresentam-se definições, algumas vantagens e desvantagens do uso de portfólio, bem como possibilidades de sua utilização para a avaliação e melhoria do desempenho dos alunos. Além disso, será dada atenção à importância de desenvolver a consciência dos professores para o portfólio. A investigação indicou que os portefólios podem ser vistos como conjunto selecionado de trabalhos importantes, o que se relaciona com a medição do desempenho do que foi conseguido. O seu uso pode fornecer aos professores maior feedback sobre o seu ensino e obter mais informações sobre o processo de aprendizagem dos alunos. Como conclusão, podemos afirmar que os portfólios podem servir como uma boa alternativa de ensino- aprendizagem e avaliação no ensino de Inglês, devido às vantagens que oferece.
Modern educational development has brought up new tolls for the evaluation of the skills students will need in real-life tasks. This need has created a radical change in traditional methods of instruction and assessment. Therefore, alternative evaluation approaches are needed in assessing both learning process and product such as achievement portfolio. The present study takes into consideration the use of portfolio assessment strategies in English language teaching with particular emphasis on the Libyan education system as a case study. In addition, definitions, advantages and disadvantages of the use of portfolio are presented using the achievement portfolio as a tool of teaching and evaluation pointing out its importance in improving students‟ performance. Moreover, attention will be paid to the importance of developing teachers‟ awareness as far as the importance of portfolios is concerned. Research has indicated that achievement portfolio is a collection of the important works, which is related to the measurement of the performance of what was achieved. Its use can provide teachers more feedback about their teaching and more information about students‟ learning process. As a conclusion, we may state that portfolios can serve as a good alternative teaching and assessment tool in English language teaching due to the advantages that it offers.
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Liaw, En-Chong. ""How are they different?" a comparative study of native and nonnative foreign language teaching assistants regarding selected characteristics: teacher efficacy, approach to language teaching/teaching, teaching strategies and perception of nativeship /." The Ohio State University, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1092324144.
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Berkowitz, Megan. "Understanding the Relevance of Cognitive Psychology to Composition: Taking a Closer Look at How Cognitive Psychology has Influenced Ideas about Reading, Writing, and the Teaching Process." Oxford, Ohio : Miami University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=miami1208900950.
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Rodriguez, Migdalia Elizabeth. "Effective Pedagogical Practices in Online English Language Teacher Education." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/613241.
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Internet technology has made possible for students to be able to have access to continuous learning. Currently, online education has gained credibility and academic leaders' belief about its value has increased in the US (2014 Survey of Online Learning). Studies are no longer solely focused on comparing face-to-face to online learning, but on learning about how to improve the online experience. In the Language Teacher Education field, online learning options are growing and Language Teaching post-secondary programs, certificates, and professional development courses are readily available. Consequently, it is essential for providers to demonstrate quality of instruction and for students to reflect on their needs as online learners to receive a quality educational experience. Challenges now are related to the new affordances allowed by the online environment in relation to the teaching and learning process and how these technology advances might enhance it. This study explores students and instructors' perceptions of effective pedagogical practices in Online English Language Teaching Education (OLTE) courses. Instructors (N=18) and former students (N=125) from non-credit certificate, professional development and post-secondary credit OLTE courses were asked to complete an online survey that included items related to their perceptions regarding current pedagogical practices. Additionally, semi-structured interviews of 20 OLTE students, eight instructors, and two program coordinators were conducted to expand and support survey findings. The Community of Inquiry survey (Arbaugh et al., 2008) was the main tool used to evaluate students' satisfaction and its weight as validated instrument served to measure pedagogical practices considered effective for OLTE courses in particular. These OLTE practices labeled as Language Teacher Educator presence were first ranked by experts and subsequently included in the longer survey. A main component of these practices is the consideration of context as recommended by language teacher educators' authors Freeman, (2009), Graves (2009), Johnson (2009) and Murray (2013). Results of this study indicate positive perceptions about current pedagogical practices. However, the sense of collaboration between the groups surveyed presents a statistically significant difference. Analysis of surveys and interviews showed that instructional strategies can be improved. Issues for further research are related to collaborative tasks, the inclusion of oral participation, the perception of low instructors' presence in discussions, and a lack of variety of instructional activities.
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Crawford, Jane C. "Teacher Response to Policy and Practice in the Teaching of LOTE." Thesis, Griffith University, 1999. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/417/1/crawford_chpt1.PDF.
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In the last three decades there have been policy changes in Australia which have seen languages other then English change from being a problem for non-English-speaking migrants to become a national asset in an increasingly global and interdependent world and worthy, therefore, of inclusion in the core educational program for all children. In Queensland this led, in 1991, to the LOTE Initiative which introduced the Years 6 to 8 core program, thus considerably expanding the teaching of languages, particularly Asian languages.
The changing emphasis on languages is related to changing expectations in terms of proficiency outcomes and the need for more active, learner engagement with the language to achieve these. The decision to extend the core program to seven years and to adopt a task-based approach using content from other areas of the core curriculum is in response to these demands for experience of language in use leading to improved proficiency outcomes.
The form a curriculum takes in classrooms depends very much on the beliefs, assumptions and knowledge of the teachers involved as they interpret policy directives and adopt or adapt these in the light of their reading of the context. Syllabus directives are thus but one part of the teaching context and their interpretation influences and is influenced by the teaching culture.
The present study involved two stages. The first was a survey of teachers across Queensland exploring their perspectives on the goals and outcomes of the current program, teacher proficiency, use of the target language, the status of languages in the curriculum, and issues such as time allocations, compulsion, current resources and guidelines and continuity between different parts of the program. Phase 2 then involved five focus group discussions in which participants were invited to explore some of these issues in greater depth.
Analysis of the data suggests that the context of language teaching in Queensland is a complex, moving mosaic with teachers espousing a range of positions with regard to the goals of the program, the desirability of using the target language as the main medium of instruction and, indeed, whether languages should be part of the core program, particularly at the secondary level. Responses were influenced by a number of factors, including the language taught, school affiliation (primary or secondary), the teachers’ own proficiency, and their proficiency orientation. There was evidence, for example, that a somewhat distinctive primary LOTE culture is developing with respondents making different assumptions about the role and purpose of LOTE in the primary curriculum and the proficiency level required by teachers at that level. Continuity is becoming an issue of access not just to the same language in Year 8 but also to a teaching approach which recognises and builds on prior learning.
Responses suggest also that the move to a task-based syllabus in which teachers and students engage in meaningful interaction in the target language will require a considerable change in approach as the majority of teachers report using English as the main medium of instruction at all levels of schooling except Years 11 and 12. The use of an analytic approach to curriculum design will also need to be addressed in professional development associated with the new syllabuses as it is rather different from the traditional communicative approach with which teachers in Queensland are familiar and which tends to have all students learning the same structures at the same time. The core program has resulted in mixed-level classes which make this problematic but respondents did not see the proposed changes as providing possible solutions to the problems faced in these classes.
The fate of educational reform such as the inclusion of LOTE as a key learning area depends very much on how it is interpreted by those making sense of it. This negotiation of meaning is influenced by the context in which it occurs and by the beliefs, assumptions and knowledge of those engaged in the process. This study suggests the new syllabus will challenge many existing practices and that there may be very different patterns of response in that teachers’ perceptions of their task are influenced by a range of factors including school affiliation and sector, language, personal proficiency, experience in the target culture, age and teaching experience and even whether or not they are teaching their LOTE full-time or are also involved in another teaching area.
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Wang, Weipei. "Teaching English to Young Learners in Taiwan: Issues relating to teaching, teacher education, teaching materials and teacher perspectives." The University of Waikato, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10289/2547.
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Abstract Since 2005, it has been government policy in Taiwan to introduce English in Grade 3 of primary schooling (when learners are generally age 9). The overall aim of this research project was to investigate some of the problems associated with the implementation of this policy by combining research involving teacher cognition with research involving the criterion-referenced analysis of a sample of textbooks produced in Taiwan for young learners and a sample of lessons taught in Taiwanese primary schools. A questionnaire-based survey of a sample of teachers of English in Taiwanese primary schools (166 respondents) was conducted, focusing on teacher background and training, views about national and local policies, approaches to course content, methodology and teaching resources, and perceptions of their own proficiency in English and of their own training needs. Only 46 (27%) of the respondents reported that they had a qualification specific to the teaching of English and 41 (25%) reported that they had neither a qualification in teaching English nor a general primary teaching qualification. Many expressed dissatisfaction with the implementation of policies relating to the teaching of English at national level (46/ 29%), local level (39/24%) and in their own school (28/17%). Although many reported that the availability of resources (125/ 75%) and/ or student interest (101/ 61%) played a role in determining what they taught, none reported that the national curriculum guidelines did so. Although official policy in Taiwan endorses the use of 'communicative language teaching', only 103 (62%) of respondents reported that their own approach was communicatively-oriented, with 18 (11%) observing that they preferred grammar-translation. A more in-depth survey relating to teacher perception of pre- and in-service training was conducted using a questionnaire and semi-structured interview. Although all 10 participants in this survey are officially classified as being trained to teach English in Taiwanese primary schools, the type and extent of their training varied widely and all of them expressed dissatisfaction with that training, noting that they had no confidence in the trainers' own competence in teaching English to young learners. All claimed that critical issues were either omitted altogether or dealt with in a superficial way. One contextual factor that has a significant impact on teacher performance in Taiwan is the quality of the textbooks that are generally available. A sample of textbooks (3 different series) produced in Taiwan was analysed and evaluated, the analysis revealing that the materials were often poorly organised, inappropriately selected and illustrated, contextually inappropriate. Finally, from a sample of twenty videotaped English lessons taught to students in primary schools in Taiwan, six that were considered to be typical were transcribed, analysed and evaluated in relation to criteria derived from a review of literature on teaching effectiveness. All of these lessons were found to be characterised by problems in a number of areas, including lesson focus, lesson staging, concept introduction, concept checking, and the setting up and conducting activities. It is concluded that the implementation of official policy on the teaching of English in primary schools in Taiwan is fraught with problems, problems that are evident at every stage in the process, from teacher education, through materials design to lesson planning and delivery.
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Hendricks, Dawn. "Dual language learners in head start| Examining teaching strategies that promote English language development." Thesis, Pepperdine University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3645918.
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There were dual purposes of this exploratory, case study. The first purpose was to investigate and describe the teaching strategies of six Head Start teachers within one program in Oregon whose dual language learners had shown gains of at least three levels in receptive and expressive English language development, as determined by their assessment ratings in Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment System. The second purpose was to identify what, if any, professional development strategies and resources have been beneficial to those teachers in promoting English language development for children who are dual language learners.
This qualitative study utilized three data collection methods: interviews, observations and review of artifacts. The one-on-one interviews with the purposive sample of teachers occurred during the first phase. The interview questions were designed to learn about teaching strategies utilized by Head Start teachers to promote English language development for children who are dual language learners as well as teachers' relevant professional development resources and opportunities. During the second phase of the study, the Classroom Assessment of Supports for Emergent Bilingual Acquisition (CASEBA) instrument was used to conduct classroom observations in each of the six teachers' classrooms. Furthermore, a review of relevant artifacts was conducted during the observations.
Seven conclusions emerged from the study. First, home language support in the classrooms contributed to English language development. Second, teachers' use of pictures, gestures and other visual cues promoted children's comprehension of English. Third, culturally responsive curriculum was not necessary for promoting enhanced language outcomes. Fourth, a supportive social/emotional environment in the classroom contributed to progress in expressive language development. Next, singing songs with gestures and high quality teachers' talk in English also contributed to expressive language development. Lastly, professional development, formal and informal, is beneficial and needed for preschool teachers.
Five recommendations emerged from the study. Policy recommendations are for college teacher preparation programs to require coursework pertaining to dual language learning and for programs to actively recruit bilingual teachers. Practice recommendations are for programs to implement a Planned Language Approach, set up peer mentoring and training opportunities, and for teachers to plan individual and small group read alouds.
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Vasquez, Julian A. "A Case Study of Conflicting Narratives of Language and Culture in a Foreign Language Teacher Education Program." The Ohio State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1316464618.
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Barbu, Otilia C. "Mathematics Word Problems Solving by English Language Learners and Web Based Tutoring System." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/193243.
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The goal of the study was to investigate the impact of English text difficulty on English learners' math word problem solving. Booklets containing eight word problems and 5 point Likert-type rating scale items were given to 41 students. The students were asked to solve 8 math word problems written in English, and varying in grade level readability (vocabulary and grammatical complexity) as well as in the math operation (e.g., arithmetic, simple algebra). The researcher provided the students with hints as needed to ensure that students found the correct solution. The results showed that both English difficulty and Math level difficulty contributed to the students' poor achievements. Based on the results, some suggestions for improvements to an existing Web based math instructional software aimed at helping ELL students (called Animal Watch) have been made.
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Lutzker, Peter. "The art of foreign language teaching improvisation and drama in teacher development and language learning." Tübingen Basel Francke, 2007. http://deposit.d-nb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?id=2970328&prov=M&dok_var=1&dok_ext=htm.
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Mercieca, Paul. "Teacher attitudes to approaches to teacher education in adult TESOL." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1997. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1732.
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This study looked closely at the attitudes of TESOL teachers to a range of approaches to teacher education, with particular emphasis on the role of classroom observation. The influence of pre- and in-service training and the school environment was probed through semi-structured interviews and confirmatory discussions. Participants for this qualitative study were practising TESOL teachers at the Centre for International English, Curtin University, Western Australia. The approach taken was to allow them, as far as possible, to identify issues in teacher education for themselves. At the same time, their words were used, where possible, to describe attitudes to these issues. Any categories which emerged during analysis were regarded as flexible and dynamic. The research shed useful light on the attitudes of teachers with implications for teacher educators in TESOL. It found that informants introspecting on teacher education were mainly concerned with classroom events, but also believed factors outside the classroom and teaching itself, such as personal experience, to be worthy of consideration. The range of contexts in which teacher development takes place is represented in this study as the 'Action- Reflection continuum', which covers six linked aspects. Teaching, the first aspect, is at the 'action' end of the continuum, which then moves through Observing, Being observed, Hearing and Talking about Teaching, Reading and Writing about Teaching, and finally to Personal Development, at the 'reflection' end. Within the individual aspects of teacher development a range of main factors were found to be influential. These were the degrees of experience, comfort, formality, reality, contact with others, and the appropriate balance between theory and practice. A number of clear and consistent views emerged. Teaching itself was clearly a major context for development and unobserved teaching was felt to be extremely valuable at both pre- and in-service. At the same time feedback was considered to be so crucial that some form of observation was essential and unavoidable. When teachers themselves are observed by senior staff, a range of situational factors influence the level of comfort experienced and development taking place. Clearly peer observations were felt to be valuable and less threatening in general. They were felt to be most useful at in-service level, but generally conducive to teacher development. Informants also felt that there were developmental opportunities outside the classroom, particularly of an informal nature, via workshops and other staff interactions, and via personal reflection. The findings of the study support the now strong conviction amongst many of those writing about teacher education that experiential and reflective approaches are preferable to purely behavioural. Previous findings that teachers wish to be actively involved in their own development, participating and interacting with colleagues within a framework of strong institutional support, are also vindicated. At the same time it is clear that more traditional supervisory and evaluative approaches to such matters as classroom observation are still felt to be essential.
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Senior, Rosemary. "The good language class: Teacher perceptions." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1999. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/119.
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This is a qualitative, descriptive study of group processes in classes of adult language learners, viewed from the perspective of practising teachers. The study has an internal narrative which takes the reader through the process of the research, from the initial question raised by a casual classroom conversation to the discussion chapter which questions a number of assumptions underlying current English language teaching practices within western educational contexts. The study falls into two distinct phases. The first phase uses the constant comparative method of data collection and analysis to integrate the perceptions of 28 experienced language teachers into the following theory: teachers judge the quality of their classes in terms of the degree to which they function as cohesive groups. The second phase uses the social-psychological framework of class cohesion to explore the perceptions of eight language teachers concerning a range of everyday behaviours and events occurring within their classes. The data were gathered through classroom observations and extended weekly teacher interviews and were supplemented by information from student interviews.
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King-Cooey, Sarah E. "Master's Education Programs in Literacy and Their Effect on Inservice Teachers' Beliefs About Teaching Language Arts." University of Akron / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1352832760.
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Bangou, Francis. "A situated approach to knowledge construction related to technology-enhanced foreign language teaching and learning for preservice teachers in a large midwestern master of education program." Columbus, OH : Ohio State University, 2003. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1057776765.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2003.Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xii, 286 p. : ill. Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Shelley D. Wong, College of Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 232-238).
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Elder, Damian Jina'. "Content Area Teacher Practices for Middle School English Language Learners." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5185.
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The number of English Language Learners (ELLs) entering content area general education classes is on the rise and there is a lack of understanding concerning what content area teachers are doing to provide instruction to ELLs. ELLs throughout a southeastern state are making very little progress despite the resources put in place by the district. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the instructional practices and perceptions of 5 middle school content area teachers, who educate ELLs in general education classes. Differentiation, as defined by Tomlinson and the World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA,) frameworks were combined to create the framework of this study. The research questions addressed how middle grades teachers use WIDA standards and practices in content area classes when differentiating and scaffolding lessons for ELLs in a rural school in a southeastern state. A total of 5 participants volunteered to participate in an open-ended questionnaire, interviews, and observations of classroom teaching methods. The data were analyzed and coded to find emerging themes. The findings of this case study suggested that teachers used differentiation, but that it was not directed by the WIDA standards. The findings also suggested a need for professional development to help the teachers better understand how to use the WIDA Can Do Descriptors to provide differentiated and scaffolded lessons for ELLs. As a result of the findings, a 3-day professional development was created with the implementation of a professional learning community to support content area teachers of ELLs. This study supports positive social change by providing an avenue that will ensure equity in instruction for ELLs and all stakeholders.
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Smith-Justice, Ella M. "Foreign language teacher self-efficacy: A descriptive study of high school foreign language teachers in central Appalachia." The Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1503071224694554.
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Evans, Elizabeth Julie. "Managing the foreign language classroom: reflections from the preservice field and beyond." Diss., University of Iowa, 2012. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/2867.
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Each day, foreign language teachers are faced with issues that render the control of the K-12 classroom challenging, at best, and virtually impossible at worst. Even preservice foreign language teachers, those going through a teacher education program towards K-12 licensure, understand that no content can be taught or learned if there is mayhem in the classroom environment. Effective classroom management practices are often what consume these teachers' time and energy, even before the first page of the textbook is turned. However, it would be an error to over-generalize foreign language teachers' challenges with classroom management in an effort to introduce possible solutions without first considering the uniqueness of this particular teaching and learning environment.
It was the researcher's contention that the foreign language classroom is unlike any other, and thus thrusts its teachers, both preservice and in-service, into management situations that are rare or non-existent in the classrooms of other subject areas. The purpose of this longitudinal study, therefore, was to describe five foreign language teachers' experiences with classroom management and to identify the distinct issues they have faced, both during their student teaching semester and currently as in-service teachers. The data gathered from the five subjects' weekly reflective journals and teaching philosophies, their observations of other classrooms, responses to a questionnaire, interviews, and observational field notes were analyzed qualitatively using a case study approach. The study confirmed that these foreign language teachers often contended with issues that were exclusive to their teaching field. Target language usage, the systemic lack of respect for the study of foreign language, and the inclusion of students who were heritage speakers of the language being taught were among the issues most commonly cited by these five teachers, and were shown to have a significant impact on student behavior, motivation, and attitude. Many teacher education programs already offer courses that explicitly present appropriate classroom management strategies. However, data from this study suggest that a further breakdown of how foreign language classroom management may differ from other subject areas may ultimately enable foreign language teacher educators to better prepare and better support both their preservice and in-service teachers.
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Kusanagi, Yuka. "The roles and functions of teacher gesture in foreign language teaching." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2015. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/357117.
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Language ArtsEd.D.
This study is a qualitative and descriptive investigation of teacher gestures in EFL education. The specific aim is to describe the types, roles, and functions of gestures that are produced by native English speaking teachers in English as foreign language (EFL) classrooms in Japan by examining naturally occurring interactions. In addition to teacher gesture, I included some nonverbal behaviors such as suprasegmental features, nodding, and gaze direction so as to understand classroom interaction and communication in EFL classrooms. In order to accomplish these aims I employed a qualitative case study approach in five EFL classrooms at a university in an urban area in Japan. The primary data come from classroom interactions of a native English speaking teacher and his 26 students of one classroom over one semester that were analyzed through a microanalysis of videotapes of the naturalistic classroom interactions. In addition to videotapes, to better understand the interactions that occurred in the classroom, I gathered and analyzed observation notes from my perspective as a peripheral observer. I also collected retrospective stimulated video recall interview data from the teacher and some volunteer students for further analysis. Furthermore, in order to have wider understanding of multimodal foreign language (FL) classroom interactions, I observed four more EFL classes that were taught by two other native English speaking teachers at a university that was situated in a municipal capital in Japan as additional observations and a post-lesson survey with the teachers and students for additional analyses. My aim is not to seek causal explanation but to present plausible descriptions and interpretations of naturally occurring interactions in EFL classrooms. Analysis revealed that various types of teacher gesture were used by the teachers from five EFL classrooms. They were categorized into representational, referential, emphatic gestures, and emblems. The findings were further analyzed for the following functions: In EFL instruction, the teacher’s speech and gestures influence the transmission of knowledge and information as comprehension aids, classroom management, and students' affective states. All three teachers heavily relied on multimodal behaviors, primarily gestures. However, they not only used gestures, but also various nonverbal behaviors. The teachers selected a mode or a combination of modes according to their instructional purposes and personal styles such as giving knowledge and information, and giving directions. It was confirmed that the teachers presented visual input even when learners were not looking at them. The teachers' awareness of their gesture use differed individually. Whereas teacher 1 was not aware of his gesture production, Teacher 2 and Teacher 3 were conscious about their gesture uses and intentionally used certain types of gestures for pedagogy. Student interviews and survey suggested that the students perceived teachers’ gestures positively. Close analysis of the transcribed data suggests that multi-modes of communication including gesture serve to potentially enhance meaning-making in classroom interaction and communication. I assume that integration of these gestural functions of teacher gesture scaffold learning to some extent although the degree of its influence cannot be determined from this study. The teachers’ gestural and speech instruction might contribute to learning, in particular to multimodal semiotic meaning construction for the case of teacher gestures that function as comprehension aids, and that this kind of instruction definitely contributes to classroom management and atmosphere. Students reacted nonverbally to the teachers’ rich input in speech and gestural explanations, and followed the teachers’ speech and gestural directions. In addition, the classroom cohesion was promoted through the use of humor presented by bodily motions such as mimes and the use of students. This finding was confirmed by interview and survey results. This study contributes to the research on gesture in second and foreign language (L2 / FL) education, to the pedagogy of language education and subject matter education in the first language, and possibly to the larger body of research on gesture.
Temple University--Theses
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Phipps, Simon. "The relationship between teacher education, teacher cognition and classroom practice in language teaching : a case study of MA students' beliefs about grammar teaching." Thesis, Leeds, 2009. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/715/.
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Coimbra, Marcia H. "International teaching assistants (ITAs) in multiple roles: The impact of an ITA development program on ITAs' effective learning and teaching performance in the American college class." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/279939.
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Increasing interest in the quality of undergraduate education has led many U.S. institutions of Higher Education to focus their attention on the qualifications and careful preparation of Teaching Assistants (TAs) in general (Thornburg et al, 2000) and International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) in particular (Tang & Sandell, 2000), especially since the number of nonresident aliens in the graduate population has been rising steadily (Pae, 2001). This dissertation reports the findings of a study which investigated the proposition that when international graduate students are appointed International Teaching Assistants (ITAs), they need specific kinds of mentoring and support that differ from that of their counterparts, American Teaching Assistants (ATAs) because the issues applicable to ITAs encompass more than developing appropriate and efficient teaching behaviors. ITAs must also attend to their competencies regarding the English language, the American culture, and pedagogy, since their ability to communicate their knowledge as both graduate students and teaching assistants is sometimes limited by their competencies in the L2 language, culture, and pedagogy. This multi-case study evaluates the impact of an ITA Program on twenty-three ITAs as graduate students and teaching assistants, and offers an emic perspective on the teaching behaviors and communication skill changes ITAs experienced after participating in the optional semester-long ITA Development Program at the University of Arizona. This research study also provides an emic perspective on how ITAs see themselves in the different roles they perform, and it explores the ITAs' definitions and perceptions of teacher "effectiveness" together with those of their undergraduate students. The results of the analyses of data obtained via quantitative and qualitative methods indicate that the participants received positive benefits from the ITA Development Program and significantly improved their language, cultural and teaching competencies in L2. In addition, the findings show that upon completion of the program, ITAs felt more confident and better prepared to fulfill their multiple roles due to the customized support they received, which provided them with reassurance and encouragement throughout the mentoring process.
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Naadirah, Abader. "Teacher practices in the grade 10 first additional language classroom: a relevance study." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011093.
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Teachers are key figures in the English First Additional Language learning process, their influence is fundamental to their learners‟ progress, or lack thereof. I am of the opinion that literacy in itself is not sufficient, as success lies in the learners‟ application of appropriate learning techniques. The purpose of my study was to reflect on and improve my own teaching practice, improve my learners‟ participation and enhance their academic outcomes in the poetry classroom. My study required that I reflect on my classroom practice to facilitate the improvement thereof. Successful learning within the classroom therefore involves interaction and collaboration between the learner, the materials, the teacher and the context. Scaffolding is a technique I used to actualize my learners‟ potential. I chose action research, because I wanted to research an educational problem (as experienced by my learners and myself), critically reflect on my classroom practice, evaluate my teaching methods, and consider practical solutions. Action research allowed me to record the events and happenings in my location, my reflection, beliefs and teaching philosophies, my ideas and my insights about my practice. In my journal I reflected on the events that took place during my poetry lessons. Both positive and negative comments were noted and I tried to closely monitor my learners during the lessons. After marking my classroom assessments, I immediately shared my thoughts regarding the assessment outcomes. My reflections gave me a better understanding of my teaching practice. I used photovoice as a data collecting strategy which is the intermingling of images and words. The actions taken through photovoice, taking photographs and telling stories as they relate to the photographs, were empowering. My study enabled me to understand the many challenges of teaching poetry. I learnt that if I teach well, poetry can add important aspects to my learners‟ language skills, including understanding metaphors, connotations and symbolic meanings. The teaching of poetry should promote a pleasurable understanding of language. This means that the language of the poem is as important as the content of the poem.
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Buescher, Eileen Maura. "Learning to Teach English Language Arts in Urban Middle Schools:A Cultural and Interactional Perspective." The Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492691799114938.
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Engin, Marion. "Scaffolding the construction of teaching knowledge in a pre-service teacher training context : language teacher education in a Turkish university." Thesis, University of Bath, 2010. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.555742.
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This thesis presents a description and analysis of scaffolding in the construction of teaching knowledge in a pre-service teacher training course in a Turkish university. Prior research in the area of scaffolding in primary school classrooms has focused on pupils operating in their native language and their interactions with the teacher and each other. The nature of scaffolding in the construction of knowledge has been identified and explored at an interactional level of talk. While these studies have informed educational practice in schools and teacher training contexts, there has been little research which puts the social, cultural and linguistic context at the heart of scaffolding. This thesis is based on a socio- cultural theory of learning and as such recognizes the influence of the context on the scaffolding of construction of teaching knowledge. This research was a qualitative study utilizing ethnographic techniques. Data emerged over time from recorded feedback sessions, recorded input sessions, self-evaluations, assignments, respondent validations and research diary. It became apparent early on in the study that scaffolding was taking place at both a micro-level, as manifested in the interaction between trainer and trainee, and at a macro-level, as manifested in the context of the training. The context of training included the second language context, the discourses of teaching and training, and the relationship between theory and practice. This study is significant in that it highlights the relationship between context and talk in scaffolding the construction of teaching knowledge. Hitherto, this relationship has not been emphasized in reports on scaffolding. The mutually beneficial relationship of macro and micro-scaffolding points to a teacher training pedagogy which acknowledges both macro-conditions for scaffolding, as well as micro-scaffolding techniques at an interactional level.
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Rees, Sarah Kathleen. "One preservice teacher's development of culturally relevant teaching." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/284154.
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Nationally, teacher preparation programs are calling for an increased level of diversity awareness, and therefore teacher preparation programs have answered with various courses and integrated attempts to prepare preservice teachers to work effectively with an increasingly diverse student population. Although there are certain agreed upon elements of successful teacher preparation for diverse settings, much is unknown about teaching across cultures. There is also a need to document the process of preparing teachers for cultural diversity. In this study, qualitative case study methodology was used to understand the experiences of one preservice teacher as she considered and enacted culturally relevant teaching. The study took place in culturally diverse middle school classrooms located in an urban area in the Southwest. The participant in the sample was a white, female, secondary language arts student enrolled in her final year of a post-baccalaureate teacher certification program. The participant was enrolled in a cohort program that places students in carefully selected classrooms for a year of observation and student teaching. Data were collected over a six-month period using academic work, interviews, collaborative conversations, teaching cases, reflective journals, and observations designed to help examine cultural issues in the classroom. Constant comparison and analytic induction were used to analyze data. Major emerging themes in the data include the areas of interaction, opportunity, accommodation, and ownership. These characteristics support the work of Ladson-Billings (1984) and Nieto (1999) in that they were identified and described as elements necessary for culturally responsive teaching. Also of interest were the "simplification strategies" the participant employed to enact her beliefs of culturally relevant teaching. Implications for teacher education can be found for initial teacher preparation program, teacher educators, and those interested in curriculum and pedagogy as this intensive study of an instructive case offers insights into challenges preservice teachers encounter in moving their philosophy into practice.
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Lin, Shaojuan. "Foreign Language Teaching in U.S. Higher Education Classrooms: An Investigation of the Relationship between Teacher Pedagogical Beliefs and Classroom Teaching." PDXScholar, 2011. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/283.
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Previous research indicates that former schooling is an important factor to shape teachers' beliefs about teaching; teachers change the way they teach when their beliefs about foreign language teaching change. However, little research has discovered direct evidence concerning the processes that effect change in teacher beliefs. This study investigated the relationship between teachers' pedagogical paradigms and practices in Chinese language classrooms. Specifically, a qualitative analysis of educated teachers born in China examined how early pedagogical frames were formed, and then transformed in the context of American classrooms. Results of this study indicate that early schooling, language learning, and initial teaching experiences have a powerful effect on Chinese teachers' epistemological beliefs and pedagogical practices. Indeed, embedded and unexamined beliefs can inhibit effective teaching of Chinese language and lead to traditional behaviorist-centered learning approaches. However, these data indicate that critical reflection on preconceptions, beliefs, values, principles, and practices can become a precursor for constructivist and transformational Chinese language teaching and learning. The Lin Transformational Teaching and Professional Development Model demonstrates how traditional Chinese language approaches can be transformed into more effective epistemological and pedagogical strategies through assessment and reframing, consideration of cultural contexts, incorporation of diversity, and inclusion of continual professional reflection. Implications of the Lin Model to increase teacher competence and learner proficiency are recommended in four areas (individual professional development, collaborative professional development, teacher training programs, and students of Chinese) and are applicable to three different types of departments: foreign languages and literatures, applied linguistics, and education.
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Day, Deanna Lea. ""A taste of teaching": Preservice teachers and children engage in literature circles." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/280166.
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The purpose of this qualitative teacher research study was to explore the characteristics of literature circles with preservice teachers and children. Drawing on Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural theory and Rosenblatt's (1938) transactional theory, this study focuses on the talk of preservice teachers in literature circles with children and the perceptions of preservice teachers about these literature circles. The study was conducted in a fourth grade classroom and a university children's literature course in the southwestern United States over one academic year. Thirty children and 27-28 preservice teachers participated in three to five literature circles each semester. A total of 47 literature circles were tape recorded, transcribed and analyzed. Other sources of data included a teaching journal, free writes from participants and interviews with some preservice teachers. The methods of analysis included coding, visual markers and constant comparison. These literature circles were investigated through a detailed description of the data. There were certain characteristics to organizing the discussions such as selecting books, developing the discussion strategies, planning the circles, producing free writes and reflecting on the experience. This study focuses on how the talk of preservice teachers in literature circles with children evolved over time. The results indicate that the preservice teachers initiated and facilitated discussion, asked and answered questions, dominated discussion, listened, supported and explored children's talk, and shared personal connections and responses as a reader. In addition, the study explores preservice teachers' perceptions of literature circles with children. Three major themes were found: The preservice teachers learned about children in the literature circles, how to do circles and the value these circles for children. Finally, the findings illustrate how the literature experience with preservice teachers influenced the children. According to the data, the children had significant relationships with young adults, managed the literature circles, considered different perspectives in the discussions, gained confidence in their ability to talk, gained perspectives on college and acquired personal advocates. This study shows the importance of partnerships between universities and elementary schools. The preservice teachers were given opportunities to experience reading, writing, learning and teaching with children. The college students were able to observe children learning and to reflect on these experiences.
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Chou, Lan-Ying. "A Study of Taiwan Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Curriculum for Language Development, Language Teaching and Bilingualism Within the Context of Higher Education." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1246896140.
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Alsufyani, Muhammad. "English as a Foreign Language Teachers' Perspectives of The New Curriculum Training in Taif, Saudi Arabia." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1467210940.
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Kuo, Shih Chih. "Teaching by discussion a case study of four professors' perspectives and pedagogical practices /." [Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2008. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3342203.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, School of Education, 2008.Title from home page (viewed on Oct. 5, 2009). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-02, Section: A, page: 0505. Adviser: Jerome C. Harste.
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Smith, Steven John. "English language teacher education in Cuba : context, pedagogy and identity." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2012. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/59959/1/Steven_Smith_Thesis.pdf.
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In this study, I investigate the model of English language teacher education developed in Cuba. It includes features that would be considered innovative, contemporary, good practice anywhere in the Western world, as well as having distinctly Cuban elements. English is widely taught in Cuba in the education system and on television by Cuban teachers who are prepared in five-year courses at pedagogical universities by bilingual Cuban teacher educators.
This case study explores the identity and pedagogy of six English language teacher educators at Cuba’s largest university of pedagogical sciences. Postcolonial theory provides a framework for examining how the Cuban pedagogy of English language teacher education resists the negative representation of Cuba in hegemonic Western discourse; and challenges neoliberal Western dogma. Postcolonial concepts of representation, resistance and hybridity are used in this examination.
Cuban teacher education features a distinctive ‘pedagogy of tenderness’. Teacher educators build on caring relationships and institutionalised values of solidarity, collectivism and collaboration. Communicative English language teaching strategies are contextualised to enhance the pedagogical and communicative competence of student teachers, and intercultural intelligibility is emphasised. The collaborative pedagogy of Cuban English language teacher education features peer observation, mentoring and continuing professional development; as well as extensive pre-service classroom teaching and research skill development for student teachers. Being Cuban and bilingual are significant aspects of the professional identity of case members, who regard their profession as a vocation and who are committed to preparing good English language teachers.
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Lai, Chung-ju. "Staff development for whole-language teacher in Taiwan English as a foreign language." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2004. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2571.
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This project explores the Whole Language method for developing Taiwanese students' language proficiency in both Chinese and English. It includes sections on current practice in primary-level instruction, teaching methods, learner-centered literacy, crosscultural teaching and learning, and school administration. It provides a theoretical framework for training Whole Language teachers, an instructional unit and a strategy for assessment.
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Kedley, Kate Elizabeth. "English language education in Honduras: opportunity, adventure, or empire?" Diss., University of Iowa, 2017. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/5531.
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Research suggests that teaching in international settings fosters professional growth and promotes tolerance for working in multicultural and linguistically diverse classrooms for U.S. teachers upon returning to the U.S. to work in schools. These studies portray teaching abroad as an unproblematic and neutral project, and narrowly focus on the benefit to the individual teacher during their temporary stay in a foreign country and when returning home to the U.S. Absent from these studies are two groups: 1) teachers from the U.S. who work in non-governmental organizations and private school settings abroad, but have no pedagogical training, and 2) host country citizens (unless they serve a purpose for the U.S. teacher, such as providing growth, teaching cultural nuances, etc.) These studies also lack an analysis of how international teaching, especially in bilingual and English-language contexts, affect the local community outside the bounds of the study’s setting. Scholars of transnational feminist theory suggest consideration of how these relationships shape not just the people who travel across nation-state borders, but also those who are affected in the local context. Scholars of critical pedagogy remind teachers that education is not only pedagogical, but also political and ideological. Grounded in these two theoretical frameworks, as well as Critical Discourse Analysis, this study examines English-language education and teaching in the Central American country of Honduras. The findings suggest that host country citizens express reservations about these partnerships. Although U.S. and international teachers second-guess the utility of English-language education in Honduras, they justify their presence teaching there because of their ability to speak English, and they define what success means in the future of their students.
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Carballo, Miriam. "Teacher Attitude and Self-Efficacy Differences Regarding English Language Learners and Disabled Learners." Scholar Commons, 2018. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7484.
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There has been little research combining both groups of students who were English Language Learners (ELLs) and Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students in relation to teacher attitudes and self-efficacy. The purpose of this study was to compare teacher attitudes and self-efficacy related to instructing either ELLs with or without disabilities in elementary schools
Teachers from six elementary schools in the XYZ Excellence School District participated in a 52-item comprehensive survey. Two questionnaires and the demographic form were combined to create one comprehensive questionnaire totaling 52 questions for the purposes of this study. Teachers were solicited to participate in the study by email, which generated 92 responses for analysis.
The results of this study indicated there were no significant differences between the perceptions of individuals when instructing English Language Learners (ELLs) and Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students. If people feel confident teaching ELLs, they probably feel confident teaching ESE. Equally, if they do not feel confident teaching ESE students, they are more than likely to not feel comfortable teaching ELLs. Thus, there were no significant differences between beliefs and attitudes in both groups. Still, data gathered from the regression analysis demonstrated training in ELL and ESE were strong indicators regardless of which other variables were added to teacher attitudes and self-efficacy when instructing ELLS or students with or without disabilities.
The results of this study also indicated teachers felt they needed additional training in special education and communication was the greatest barrier between teacher and students, since many teachers could not speak Spanish and students could not comprehend or speak English very well. The results also indicated some teachers felt resources available to them in teaching a lesson were a positive component for ELLs, with or without disabilities, to be able to grasp content.
The findings from this study could serve as positive change for reform of a multi-culturally and diverse climate in public schools. States, school districts, and on-site school administrators could support teachers by creating professional development programs in the learning of learning profiles, preferences, interests, and readiness proficiency levels are essential to multicultural diverse education. The states could also encourage these actions by restructuring certification policies recognizing multicultural diverse education.
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Dwyer, Edward J. "Using Delegation as a Teacher and as a Teaching Tool." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 1990. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/3383.
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Wu, Kerong. "Professional Development and Change in Teachers' Beliefs and Practice for Teaching English Language Learners." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2021. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/9002.
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To provide quality education to all students, including ELLs, teachers need professional development designed and enacted according to best practice. However, a common problem for professional development is that teachers' practices often do not change. Implemented through the partnership collaboration with university, education, and public school faculty, the professional development designed in this study focused on educating teachers about needed content and engaging them in ways that would increase the likelihood they would enact such practices in their classrooms (Desimone, 2009; Opfer & Pedder, 2011; Penuel et al., 2007). The professional development program comprised six courses that adhered to the Utah State Office of Education's standards for the education of the teachers of ELLs. The study examined the teachers' beliefs and their classroom practices. A total of 197 teachers were surveyed on their beliefs toward teaching ELLs, and a subset of 23 teachers' classroom practices were videotaped. Factor analyses were conducted on the pre- and post-survey. The videos were coded using a protocol based on the SIOP model (Echevarria et al., 2013), and latent variables were created to measure the change of the survey score and practice score. The analysis revealed that teachers' beliefs or knowledge in particular changed from when they began the course of second language acquisition to the time they completed it. In addition, teachers' practice changed from the time they started the professional development program to the time they completed it. However, even though teachers' beliefs and practices changed, there was no correlation found between the belief change and the practice change. This study adds to the literature that educating teachers about second language learning and research-based practices (Baker et al., 2014) using professional development that attends to teachers' practices as well as their beliefs (Desimone, 2009; Opfer & Pedder, 2011; Penuel et al., 2007) resulted in positive changes in teacher's beliefs and practices for teaching ELLs. Future research should add a variable of teacher's beliefs about the context of their teaching practice into the study for this can be a confounding variable that affects the correlation between the change of beliefs and the change of practices.
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Johnson, Christopher P. "Increasing Students' Academic Involvement: Chilean Teacher Engagement with Learners in Blended English as a Foreign Language Courses." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1094.
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Learning English as a foreign language (EFL), a highly valued skill in the Chilean marketplace, is an arduous and complex personal endeavor requiring high student motivation. Reflecting this challenge is the heightened anxiety among EFL students, whose work has been associated with historically meager results. Blended learning, the fusion of face-to-face and online content delivery and assessment, offers a promising solution to EFL learner reticence. Evidence suggests that an active online teacher presence in a blended EFL course can enhance student engagement. The purpose of this study was to discover the perceptions of EFL instructional specialists concerning (a) student involvement and engagement in online portions of blended courses, (b) marginal teacher presence in the online portions of blended courses, and (c) ways to improve student involvement in the online portions of the blended courses. Results of a systematic qualitative analysis, employing constant comparative data analysis of individual interviews with a sample of 10 voluntary EFL instructional specialists, indicated teachers need to take part in design of blended EFL courses to address these issues. The findings, coupled with theoretical frameworks of social-constructivism, transactional distance, diffusion of innovation, and universal design for instruction, served as the background for a proposed teacher training project resulting from this study. The study can contribute to positive social change by inviting EFL teachers to become more involved in blended course design, increasing their sense of ownership, sharing best practices for blended EFL teaching and learning, and creating conditions for more successful upward social mobility opportunities for Chilean university students who have acquired certifiable English language skills.
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Fulghum, Ingram Carla Annette. "Teachers' Experiences Teaching Adolescent English Learners with Limited or Interrupted Formal Schooling." Thesis, Northcentral University, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10619701.
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An estimated 44% of secondary school English Learners (ELs) are immigrants. Some arrive in the United States with a rigorous academic education and often excel beyond most native-born students while others arrive without any formal education or having missed years of schooling. This second subpopulation of ELs is called students with interrupted or limited formal education or SLIFE. These learners have to work harder than their native English-speaking peers and even harder than their more literate EL peers to meet the same accountability goals because these students need learn a new language, develop literacy skills in the new language, and also master content area standards simultaneously. The problem that was addressed was that teachers’ low expectations and subsequent differential treatment of SLIFE may contribute to the lower graduation rates and achievement gap and between SLIFE, other ELs, and mainstream English-speaking students. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine high school content teachers’ perceptions of and expectations for their students who are classified as SLIFE. Participants are high school teachers in one school district in the Southeastern United States. Data were gathered through face-to-face interviews. The findings showed the difficulties faced by teachers trying to support SLIFE students in mainstream content area courses, but also revealed the willingness these teachers demonstrate to do whatever it takes to help all of their students. The data expressed a deep desire these teachers feel to be better equipped. Research is needed to determine what supports, research, and training experiences and efficacy are needed for planning and delivering instruction to their SLIFE students with the goal of both academic success and a positive acculturation experience. Further research is also needed to determine what, if any, institutional barriers exist and what can be done to remove them so that the teachers’ efforts will be facilitated, not hindered.
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Bozeka, Jennifer L. "The Professional Development Experiences of Four Nationally Board Certified Teachers of Reading-English Language Arts." University of Akron / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1436472967.
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Long, Nana. "Teacher autonomy in a context of Chinese tertiary education: case studies of EFL teachers." HKBU Institutional Repository, 2014. https://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_oa/103.
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This thesis reports on a multiple case study of four EFL teachers’ long-term development of autonomy in a particular Chinese mainland university. Each teacher was selected as a holistic case because of their variations in dispositions, backgrounds, experiences, and trajectories of development. It addresses three major research questions: 1) How do the teachers control over the multiple aspects of their teacher work across time and contexts? 2) What are the major individual and contextual factors that facilitate and constrain the development of teacher autonomy? 3) How do teacher identities affect the development of teacher autonomy? The study adopted many narrative forms of data collection instruments, including (auto)biographies, interviews, casual conversations, questionnaire, complemented by classroom observations, staff meeting observations, and documents, in order to understand teacher autonomy from the lived experiences of the four teacher participants throughout their careers and lives. By examining the concept of teacher autonomy through the lens of teacher identity, this study analyzed how four teacher participants exercised different degrees of autonomy at different stages of their teaching, research, and administrative roles. It provides a holistic picture of zigzagging pathways towards teacher autonomy across the whole course of their careers. It then discussed how the teachers’ autonomy was facilitated and constrained by contextual and individual factors across time. Based on the findings, this study proposes a conceptual framework to illustrate the close relationship between teacher identity and teacher autonomy, and this relationship’s dynamic and unstable nature across time and contexts. It also suggests there is an urgent need for teacher autonomy scholarship to broaden its scope by moving beyond language teaching and learning to more crucial aspects of language teachers’ daily work and to explore the development of teacher autonomy in a long-term process.
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Nishino, Takako. "Communicative Language Teaching in Japanese High Schools: Teachers' Beliefs and Classroom Practices." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2009. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/54812.
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CITE/Language ArtsEd.D.
This study was an investigation of Japanese high school teachers' (N=139) beliefs and practices regarding communicative language teaching (CLT). Four research questions were posited concerning the beliefs that Japanese high school teachers hold regarding CLT, how Japanese high school teachers use CLT in the classroom, how Japanese teachers' beliefs and practices differ between academic and vocational high schools, and how the beliefs of Japanese high school teachers, their classroom practices, their learning experience, pre- and in-service training, perceived teaching efficacy, and contextual factors relate to and influence each other regarding the use of CLT. In order to provide answers to these questions, a survey, classroom observations, and interviews were conducted. Before conducting the quantitative analyses, the questionnaire data were analyzed using the Rasch rating-scale model to confirm the validity and reliability of the questionnaire and to transform the raw scores into equal interval measures. Regarding the first and second research questions, the descriptive statistics showed that despite holding positive beliefs about CLT, the respondents to the survey did not frequently use communicative activities. With respect to the third research question, a MANOVA indicated that the types of schools (academic and vocational) did not significantly influence the survey respondents' beliefs and practices regarding CLT. Concerning the fourth research question, the Pearson correlation coefficients showed relatively strong correlations between (a) Classroom Practices and Student-related Communicative Conditions (r = .56) and (b) L2 Self-confidence and CLT Self-efficacy (r = .55). Also, the best fitting path model indicated that (a) Student-related Communicative Conditions impacted Classroom Practices, (b) Positive CLT Beliefs indirectly influenced Classroom Practices via CLT Self-efficacy, and (c) Exam-related Expectations affected most of the indicator variables and Classroom Practices. Related to this, qualitative results indicated that the respondents' learning experience, in-service training, and contextual factors influenced their beliefs and practices.
Temple University--Theses
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Little, Camille Jacqueline. "Elementary Teacher Knowledge of and Practices for Teaching Reading to African American Students." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3902.
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State standardized tests results indicated that between 2012 and 2016, fewer African American students at a rural, Title I elementary school met state standards in reading compared with other racial/ethnic groups of students. A gap in practice existed because the school and district had not conducted studies to understand teacher knowledge and practice as they related to teaching reading to African American students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to address the problem and gap in practice by exploring elementary teacher knowledge and understanding of the learning needs in reading among African American students. Tomlinson's theory of differentiated instruction served as the conceptual framework for this study. Interview data were analyzed from 10 experienced elementary teachers using 2-cycle provisional coding and pattern coding, which revealed the themes that constituted the findings of my study: (a) teachers understanding of factors that contribute to underachievement in reading of some African American students, (b) professional development and preparation of teachers for teaching African American students, (c) classroom pedagogy for teaching African American students, (d) challenges that teachers encounter when teaching reading to African American students, and (e) resources and supports that teachers perceive as necessary for teaching reading to African American students. The findings indicated that elementary teachers would benefit from participating in professional development, which would help them better teach reading to African American students. The study and resulting project may affect local positive social change by increasing teacher knowledge about the learning needs in reading among African American students, leading to an eventual increase in reading achievement among African American students at the study school.
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Hancock, Margaret Ellen Marr. "Effective communication strategies used in disseminating the California English/Language Arts Framework in California elementary schools." Scholarly Commons, 1992. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/2946.
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Purpose of the study. The purpose of this study was to determine the effective communication strategies used to disseminate information to teachers about the 1987 California English Language Arts Framework in California K-6 distinguished and non-designated elementary schools. Responses of teachers were examined to ascertain similarities and differences in the two groups. Additional factors such as gender, size of school or size of district were studied to determine their impact on the teachers' perceptions of effective communication strategies. Methodology. The research was descriptive and comparative. A survey was employed which consisted of twenty questions. The survey was sent to 50 distinguished and 50 non-designated elementary schools. Each distinguished school was paired with a non-designated school of comparable size and socio-economic level. Of the 1,960 surveys sent out, 1,022 were returned. Findings. Six communication strategies were perceived to be effective by teachers in both distinguished and non-designated schools. There were hands-on experiences, grade level or small group discussions, demonstration by a fellow teacher, oral presentation by a fellow teacher, information from a fellow teacher in an informal setting, and demonstration by an expert or consultant. When the six strategies were compared with demographic data, three areas of significance were shown in gender in relation to grade level meetings, demonstration by a fellow teacher, and oral presentation by a fellow teacher. Recommendations. Additional research should be conducted to determine: (1) the perceptions of middle and high school teachers on effective strategies used in conveying the framework, (2) the degree of framework implementation in classrooms at all grade levels, (3) if these findings apply to other curriculum frameworks to see if the strategies transfer to other fields, (4) if the same or different communication strategies are more effective with Hispanic, Asian, African-American teachers.
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Santau, Alexandra Olivia. "Elementary Teachers' Knowledge and Practices in Teaching Science to English Language Learners." Scholarly Repository, 2008. http://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_dissertations/294.
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Efforts to improve education - more concretely science education - by creating fundamental shifts in standards for students and teachers have been launched by educators and policy makers in recent years. The new standards for science instruction address improvements in student learning, program development, assessment, and professional development for teachers, with the goal to prepare US students for the academic demands of the 21st century. The study examined teachers' knowledge and practices in science instruction with English language learning (ELL) students. It also examined relationships among key domains of science instruction with ELL students, as well as profiles of teaching practices. The four domains included: (1) teachers' knowledge of science content, (2) teaching practices to promote scientific understanding, (3) teaching practices to promote scientific inquiry, and (4) teaching practices to support English language development during science instruction. The study was part of a larger 5-year research and development intervention aimed at promoting science and literacy achievement of ELL students in urban elementary schools. The study involved 32 third grade, 21 fourth grade, and 17 fifth grade teachers participating in the first-year implementation of the intervention. Based on teachers' questionnaire responses, classroom observation ratings, and post-observation interviews, results indicated that (1) teachers' knowledge and practices were within the bounds of the intervention, but short of reform-oriented practices and (2) relationships among the four domains existed, especially at grade 5. These findings can provide insights for professional development and future research, along with accountability policies.
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Dávila, Angel María. "CONSTRUCTION OF EFL TEACHER EDUCATORS’ KNOWLEDGE BASE IN A TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM IN NICARAGUA." OpenSIUC, 2018. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/1614.
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AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand and describe the sources of Nicaraguan EFL teacher educators’ knowledge base, the types of knowledge and skills that constructed their knowledge base, and the relationship of this knowledge base and classroom practices in a teacher education program at a Nicaraguan University. This study presents a literature review on the sources of knowledge and knowledge base of EFL teacher educators in the field of language teacher education. I used a purposeful sampling technique to select both the research site and the six EFL teacher educators who participated as research participants in this study. Data were collected from three sources: a curriculum analysis, six one-shot semi-structured interviews, and a document analysis to lesson plans, syllabi, and assessment instruments used by the research participants. To analyze the data collected, I used the qualitative data analysis model proposed by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña (2014). As a mode of findings, I describe the sources of knowledge, a categorization of knowledge base and skills that Nicaraguan EFL teacher educators possess as well as the relationship they identified between their knowledge base and their teaching practices in EFL teacher education classrooms. Findings revealed that Nicaraguan EFL teacher educators possess sixteen types of knowledge and fourteen types of skills that resulted from eight sources of knowledge, among which English proficiency, own experiences as language learners, subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, teaching experience in EFL teacher education programs, assessment knowledge of language student teachers, and knowledge of students’ L1 seem to be the most important when it has to do with actual teaching in language teacher education classrooms. In addition, according to the findings, the process of becoming an EFL teacher educator may take many years. It begins with the professional coursework teacher educators take in their language teacher education programs where they first become English teachers. It continues with teaching experiences either in high schools, English teaching centers, or universities. Their professional knowledge as teacher educators is completed through the interaction with EFL preservice student teachers in teacher education classrooms, in which their previous pedagogical, linguistic, and teaching experiences as EFL teachers is transformed. In other words, their professional identity as EFL teacher educators is developed as they begin teaching in EFL teacher education programs. Pursuing this further, this study presents some pedagogical implications based on the findings that can help improve the quality and preparation of EFL teacher educators in Nicaragua. Finally, it offers some avenues for more research regarding the knowledge base of EFL teacher educators in Nicaraguan teacher education programs.
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Nguyen, Phung Tien. "Developing the evaluative language competence of teacher education students in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) courses in Vietnam." Phd thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2020. https://doi.org/10.26199/acu.8vyx0.
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This study aimed to investigate how tertiary TEFL teacher education students‟ evaluative language competence can be extended through explicit teaching of linguistic descriptions of resources for expressing attitudinal meanings in English. In particular, it sought to determine how tertiary TEFL courses informed by the Appraisal framework (Martin & White, 2005) and text-based pedagogy (Feez & De Silva Joyce, 2012) can be designed and implemented to improve students‟ evaluative language competence. It also aimed to examine how such courses can extend students‟ evaluative language repertoires, and how students can discuss their understanding and use of the language of evaluation using their metaknowledge of Appraisal.
In pursuit of these aims, I implemented over two fifteen-week interventions explicit teaching of evaluative resources, focusing on Attitude and Graduation within Appraisal to the same group of TEFL first-year teacher education students at Quy Nhon University, Vietnam. The explicit teaching of Attitude and Graduation followed the teaching sequences using the teaching-learning model I adapted based on integrating the Scaffolding interaction cycle (Martin & Rose, 2005) into the text-based cycle of teaching and learning (Feez & De Silva Joyce, 2012). I also adopted Appraisal as the coding scheme and the UAM Corpus Tool developed by Michael O‟Donnell (2013) as an electronic linguistics annotation tool for investigating affordances of Attitude and Graduation resources in reading texts and in students‟ writing.
The study found that before the interventions, the students from both intervention and non-intervention groups had similar limited repertoires for evaluation expressions, which were reflected through their repetition of a restricted number of different instantiations for Attitude and frequent use of basic isolated grammatical items for Graduation. After the interventions, however, there was a significant development of the intervention students (IS) compared to the non-intervention students (NS) in Attitude and Graduation deployment. The IS employed not only more numerous different instantiations for Attitude, but also a more diverse range of semantic infusion, grammatical and lexical items for Graduation. More importantly, these IS could provide linguistic descriptions of some Appraisal aspects and employ their metaknowledge of Appraisal to talk about the development of their own deployment of Attitude and Graduation across the writing tests. Of particular interest is the impressive improvement of the low achieving IS to approximate the performance of the high achieving IS and even to overtake the performance of the high achieving NS.
This empirical study has made a professional innovation to teaching pedagogies in that it adapted the teaching-learning model for explicit teaching of evaluation based on combining the Scaffolding interaction cycle (Martin & Rose, 2005) and the text-based cycle of teaching and learning (Feez & De Silva Joyce, 2012). It also has important professional implications in fundamental aspects of TEFL such as shifts in policies, professional development, teaching practices, English textbook design and English test assessment in the context of teaching and learning EFL in Vietnam. In terms of policy shift, it raises a call for review of several aspects of TEFL such as current teaching practices, curriculum, resources and teachers‟ expertise. With regard to professional development, it alerts university English teacher educators and practising teachers of English to be aware of the necessity to equip themselves with knowledge about English language and update with relevant pedagogical approaches in their lifelong professional development. In relation to English textbook design, evaluative language was found to be inadequately attended to in Solutions Intermediate and Solutions Upper-Intermediate (Falla & Davies, 2013a, 2013b), the textbooks of English being used in most tertiary institutions in Vietnam. The compensatory additional resources provided in the intervention can serve to inform curriculum designers and textbook editors of the need to incorporate intentionally selected reading texts and thoughtfully designed activities with the aim to make evaluative language more explicit. Regarding English language teaching, the study indicated the poor repertoires of evaluation expressions of even advanced students of English in Vietnam, and it demonstrated that the restricted repertoires of the students could be developed through implementing the courses I designed with various activities to engage students such as multimodal texts and video recording of student improvised drama and their reflective review of their work on the videos. In terms of assessment of English, the study draws attention to the need for test designers to include evaluative language within assessment criteria and make it an explicit requirement in designated test questions. These implications are expected to bridge the gap between teaching-learning experience in the English classroom, criteria in English assessment tests, and real-life English language demands.
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Merrill, Margaret. "Creation of a Training and Development Program for Teachers of Less Commonly Taught Languages at Brigham Young University: A Development Project." Diss., CLICK HERE for online access, 2007. http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd1742.pdf.
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Wu, Ching-Hsuan. "Spoken grammaticality and EFL teacher candidates measuring the effects of an explicit grammar teaching method on the oral grammatical performance of teacher candidates /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1178218484.
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