English language teaching
Mojtaba Gheitasi; Mohammad Aliakbari
Abstract
Teachers’ professional identity has been the topic of abundant research in recent few decades. It has been defined as the knowledge a teacher has of himself/herself in teaching contexts, and relationships that manifest themselves in practical professional undertakings. This study aimed at investigating ...
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Teachers’ professional identity has been the topic of abundant research in recent few decades. It has been defined as the knowledge a teacher has of himself/herself in teaching contexts, and relationships that manifest themselves in practical professional undertakings. This study aimed at investigating the factors that most likely influence identity construction of Iranian EFL teachers. In this convergent mixed-method study, the data in the quantitative and the qualitative phases were collected, respectively, through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The participants of the study were 75 English language teachers who teach in Iranian public schools. The quantitative data were analyzed by means of SPSS and the qualitative data were analyzed manually through thematic analysis. The findings showed that the majority of the participants believed that gaining experience has been the most determining factor in construction of their identities as EFL teachers. Other factors such as inspiration of previous teachers, peer learning and particularly the university programs, however, have been less effective or have had little effect in this regard. This study has implications for ELT stake-holders.
English language teaching
Habib Soleimani; Seyyed Pedram Allahveysi
Abstract
The present study aimed at investigating the impact of Multiple Intelligences inspired instruction on Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety (FLTA) of Iranian EFL teachers. To this end, an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach was employed and twenty males and females in-service EFL teachers were ...
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The present study aimed at investigating the impact of Multiple Intelligences inspired instruction on Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety (FLTA) of Iranian EFL teachers. To this end, an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach was employed and twenty males and females in-service EFL teachers were selected from different universities and they were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. In the qualitative phase of the study, the aim was to find the sources of FLTA among the participants. Two participants who showed higher FLTA were selected from each group. In order to homogenize the participants, a retired version of the IELTS test was employed in which no significant difference was reported. The Ryff's (2006) questionnaire was utilized as the pre-test and post-test of FLTA. The instruction phase took place on Skype since the participants were from various universities. The results of the study revealed that the members of the experimental group showed less FLTA than those of the control group. Additionally, extrinsic factors such as negative feedback from principles and supervisors, and losing job were found to be among the most significant sources of FLTA. Accordingly, some recommendations for teacher training programs are provided to empower teacher trainers to be able to help trainees to decrease their FLTA.
Vahid Hassani; Mohammad Khatib; Massood Yazdani Moghaddam
Volume 11, Issue 23 , June 2019, , Pages 127-156
Abstract
This paper deals with the contributions of a language teacher education model by Kumaravadivelu (2012) known as KARDS (knowing, analyzing, recognizing, doing, and seeing) to Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) university teachers’ professional identity reconstruction. The researchers used ...
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This paper deals with the contributions of a language teacher education model by Kumaravadivelu (2012) known as KARDS (knowing, analyzing, recognizing, doing, and seeing) to Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) university teachers’ professional identity reconstruction. The researchers used purposive sampling to select participants. A KARDS questionnaire designed, constructed, and validated by the researchers was used to group twenty teachers into a more KARDS-oriented group and a less-KARDS oriented group. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the questionnaire was both reliable and valid. Pre-course interview, post-course interview, teacher educator’s and teachers’ reflective journals, and class discussions were used to collect data. After the pre-course interview, there was a treatment during which teachers were familiarized with KARDS. Then, Grounded Theory was used to analyze the data. Findings indicated that there were two big shifts from “uncertainty of practice to certainty of practice” and “the use of fewer macro-strategies to the use of more macro-strategies” in teachers’ professional identities in both groups. The changes were similar and/or the same in nature but not in quantity, and they should be emphasized and included in teacher education programs. The findings may drive teacher education programs, teacher educators, and teachers to welcome and embrace uncertainty and confusion in classrooms. Suggestions to reduce “uncertainty of practice” by teacher education programs and teacher educators are presented in this paper.
Alireza Rasti; Rahman Sahragard
Volume 9, Issue 19 , June 2017, , Pages 145-169
Abstract
This investigation set out to look into the issue of teachers’ exercise of agency in the Iranian EFL context. More specifically, as part of a larger study, it reports on the ways two Iranian Ministry of Education teachers make sense of and operate in the country’s educational setting under ...
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This investigation set out to look into the issue of teachers’ exercise of agency in the Iranian EFL context. More specifically, as part of a larger study, it reports on the ways two Iranian Ministry of Education teachers make sense of and operate in the country’s educational setting under the demands of a centralist system of education. Priestley, Biesta, & Robinson’s (2013) framework of teacher agency formed the conceptual backbone of the present study as well as guiding the data collection/analysis of the study. Qualitative data, from semi-structured interviews as well as follow-up data collection procedures, were gleaned from the participants over the course of an academic year and were subjected to analytical interpretation in the light of the said framework. The researchers came up with findings which, in the main, gave more weight to the well-roundedness of Priestly, Biesta, & Robinson’s model of teacher agency. The results also pointed to the highly situated nature of teacher responsiveness and action, thereby undermining the still prevalent views of the essentialist and idealized character of (teacher) agency. The results of the study are liable to be of use, among others, to case-based teacher education programs.
