Mark Wyatt

Overcoming Low Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Teaching English to Young Learners.

Drawing on data from observations and interviews, this article presents a case study of one teacher’s efforts to overcome low self-efficacy beliefs in teaching English to young learners in a Middle Eastern context. It provides insights into the growth processes involved, highlighting how the teacher drew reflectively upon her experiences to develop deeper practical knowledge and stronger self-efficacy beliefs with regard to the particular task, while supported by a constructivist teacher education programme.

Development in the practical knowledge of language teachers: a comparative study of three teachers designing and using communicative tasks on an in-service BA TESOL programme in the Middle East

Current thinking in language teacher education emphasises the importance of the development of teachers’ practical knowledge. However, while several studies have focused on describing practical knowledge in different contexts, there has been less research conducted into the manner in which practical knowledge develops in the context of in-service teacher education and into the factors that influence such development. These issues are addressed in this paper, which explores how three teachers of English on an in-service BA Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages programme in the Middle East grew in practical knowledge, specifically with regard to the design and use of communicative tasks. Using qualitative data, the article charts their development over 3 years, examining changes in their ideas and practices. Implications for in-service language teacher education are discussed.

English language teachers becoming more efficacious through research engagement at their Turkish university

Abstract While it is generally recognized that teacher research can be a very beneficial form of continuing professional development (CPD), there is still relatively limited research available on the impact this activity has on teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs, which are of interest to educational psychologists because, while being open to constant change, these beliefs influence the way in which knowledge is transformed into action. There is also a relative lack of available research into how teachers develop as researchers; the processes whereby they gain practical knowledge and more positive self-efficacy beliefs in planning, conducting, analysing, presenting and writing up research require further exploration. This qualitative multi-case study addresses these issues, exploring the development of three in-service teachers of English on a foundation programme at a Turkish university. Findings reveal that engaging in CPD which directly benefited their learners helped all three teachers develop positive teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and deeper practical knowledge in relation to the specific tasks that concerned them. Furthermore, from a starting point of having low self-efficacy beliefs in conducting practical research, which reflected their lack of prior knowledge in this area, they all became more efficacious as they gained research experience and developed practical knowledge of research. This study highlights the benefits, then, of helping teachers become more efficacious through CPD that engages them as knowledge-generators. Enthusiastic mentoring, autonomy support and the opportunity to present their research more widely all helped the teachers in this Turkish context to develop.

Video-stimulated recall for mentoring in Omani schools

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the school‐based learning mentoring of a senior teacher of English in Oman, who was conducting action research into her mentoring practices while engaged in part‐time in‐service language teacher education. The senior teacher realized teachers in her school found post‐lesson discussions in English with inspectors challenging and, using video‐stimulated recall, tried to help them become more reflective.Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative case study research methodology: semi‐structured interviews provide insights into the senior teachers perceptions of her own development and professional knowledge of reflective practice and mentoring. They also provide oral accounts of her action research, written accounts of which are provided by reflective writing. Audio‐recordings and transcripts of post‐lesson discussions, triangulated with classroom observation, provide evidence of mentoring practices.Findings – The senior teacher developed creative and flexible...

“Are they becoming more reflective and/or efficacious?” A conceptual model mapping how teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs might grow

Conceptual models can fulfil important educative roles, particularly in fields where there are few such models and where constructs are confused, as in research into teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. In this area, one model developed in the late twentieth century subsequently became dominant, but seems flawed. This article addresses criticisms of it and then presents an alternative, this centred on a reflective learning cycle. The new model emerged from a qualitative longitudinal multi-case study of English language teachers developing practical knowledge and self-efficacy beliefs while on an in-service teacher education programme in Oman. Its relevance for other contexts is considered.

Helping first-year undergraduates engage in language research

Adopting an ‘exploratory action research’ design and drawing primarily on a reflective journal and interviews, this study recounts the process of supporting first-year Applied Languages students (learning French, German and Spanish) as they started to engage in language research. Certain challenges they faced in engaging with the inquiry-based learning were apparent at the outset, while others emerged; these were addressed ethically in the spirit of ‘exploratory practice’. Our narrative account is structured around key themes. These are subsequently the focus of our discussion, which highlights the process-oriented actions that arose from our developing understandings and the future actions still required. Conclusions focus on the benefits gained by learners and teachers.

Saying sorry in advance for not turning up: a study of EFL teachers' text messages

A few years ago, I spent one year as Director of Studies (DoS) of a language school on the south coast of England, a first job back in the UK after living abroad for 18 years. The job was fine, but one particular responsibility was occasionally stressful: arranging cover for absent teachers at short notice. Sometimes I was free to teach the class myself and happily did so, but there were times when I had other things to do. Sometimes, several teachers would phone in sick at the same time.

Engaging with ‘English in a Historical Perspective’ Through Analysing Texts

Abstract Though there is little in the literature on the teaching of the history of English, criticism of textbooks which over-simplify the story as the rise of the standard variety has been more vocal of late. Meanwhile, some academics have argued for focusing teaching on the analysis of texts. This article reports on a unit/module taught at a British university that makes the analysis of texts central to teaching and assessment. It sets out to demonstrate what can be learned from approaching the subject in this way by presenting composite textual analyses created by the first-named author drawing on the work of his co-authors (five of his final-year undergraduate students). This was for two assignments, one focusing on an Early Modern English text and the other a more contemporary piece. A discussion highlights the benefits of making the analysis of texts central to the unit, and considers practical applications for teachers of the subject in other parts of the world.

School visits during pre-service teacher education: a study of Malaysian Bachelor of Education students in the UK preparing to teach English as a second language

Reflective practice is valuable, according to Schon (1983), as it allows practitioners “to surface and criticize the tacit understandings that have grown up around [their] experiences [and] make new sense of situations of uncertainty or uniqueness” (p. 61). Reflective practitioners include teachers, who may be able to draw upon reflections on classroom experience in various ways, for example, to inform their subsequent planning and teaching.