Learning to become an English teacher: Collaboration, context and the self

Ofra Inbar-Lourie*, Orly Haim

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

This case study explores the first stage of the learning-to-teach process when pre-service teachers (PTs) are in their initial school-based professional experiences implementing pedagogical methodologies, while simultaneously assuming teaching roles and responsibilities. Specifically, this study focuses on the practicum experiences of four TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) PTs, in an Israeli mentoring school, investigating their clinical practice through participatory reflective research Building on Opfer and Pedder (2011), the learning-to-teach process is examined through an ecological lens comprising three overlapping systems: the PTs, the school, and the professional development activities. The pre-service teacher system includes prior experiences, beliefs and assumptions about teaching and learning. The school level encompasses the school context, school policy and culture, and interactions with the students, mentor teacher and the staff. The professional learning activities include the assigned tasks and practices the PTs perform. The findings demonstrate the applicability of the ecological framework proposed by Opfer and Pedder. The data uncovered additional reciprocally interrelated dimensions, highlighting the pervasive role of context in the learning-to-teach process. Furthermore, the model has been expanded to include dimensions specifically related to language teaching and learning.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCollaborative Research in Language Education
Subtitle of host publicationReciprocal Benefits and Challenges
Publisherde Gruyter
Pages133-148
Number of pages16
ISBN (Electronic)9783110787719
ISBN (Print)9783110787535
DOIs
StatePublished - 24 Jul 2023

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