Learning to Teach in Underserved Schools
A Socio-constructivist Perspective
Summary
Excerpt
Table Of Contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- About the author
- About the book
- This eBook can be cited
- Table of Contents
- List of Tables and Figure
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- List of Abbreviations
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Context and statement of the research problem
- Objectives and research design
- Significance of this book
- Overview of this book
- Chapter 2: Teaching Practicum and Underserved School Teaching Practicum
- Basic tenets of TP and USTP
- TP, underserved schools and USTP in China
- Previous research on USTP, IVTP, and gaps
- Summary
- Chapter 3: Teacher Learning and a Socio-constructive Perspective
- Teacher learning and teachers’ practical knowledge
- Conceptualizing teacher learning
- A cognitive shift: teacher learning as practical knowledge development
- Probing L2 teacher learning from practical knowledge development
- Teacher learning from a socio-constructivist perspective
- A sociocultural turn in probing teacher learning
- A socio-constructivist perspective in probing teacher learning
- Summary
- Chapter 4: Methodological Issues
- Research questions
- Research design: a multiple-case approach
- Research context
- The IVTP program in SNU
- The two underserved schools: Phoenix and Sunflower
- Research participants
- Selection procedures
- The two participants: Aixin and Xinnian
- Data collection
- Semi-structured interviews
- Observations
- Stimulated-recall interviews
- Artifacts
- Data analysis
- My role as an investigator
- Enhancing trustworthiness and ethical issues
- Summary
- Chapter 5: Aixin’s Learning at Phoenix Primary School
- Aixin’s practical knowledge on entry into IVTP
- Knowledge of self
- Knowledge of context
- Subject matter knowledge
- Knowledge of curriculum
- Knowledge of instruction
- Knowledge of English teachers and teaching profession
- Aixin’s practical knowledge development during IVTP
- Deepening the understanding about herself as an English teacher
- Knowing more about the underserved context in and around Phoenix
- Expanding in the knowledge of curriculum
- Growth in subject matter knowledge
- Becoming more skilful in EFL instruction
- Adding knowledge About the EFL teaching profession
- A new category: knowledge of interpersonal relationships
- Summary
- Chapter 6: Xinnian’s Learning at Sunflower Primary School
- Xinnian’s practical knowledge upon entry into IVTP
- Knowledge of self
- Knowledge of context
- Subject matter knowledge
- Knowledge of curriculum
- Knowledge of instruction
- Knowledge of English teachers and the teaching profession
- Xinnian’s practical knowledge development during IVTP
- Understanding the limitations about herself as an EFL teacher
- Knowing more about the context of Sunflower
- Reversing in knowledge of curriculum
- Expanding and pseudo changing in subject matter knowledge
- Becoming more knowledgeable in EFL instruction
- Developing knowledge about qualified English teachers
- A new category: knowledge of interpersonal relationships
- Summary
- Chapter 7: Factors Affecting Student Teachers’ Learning in Underserved Schools
- Factors affecting Aixin’s learning in Phoenix Primary School
- Aixin’s practical knowledge before IVTP
- Various critical incidents
- Aixin’s observant and reflective stances
- The underserved setting of Phoenix Primary School
- Different people within the IVTP context
- An overview of various influencing factors over Aixin’s learning
- Factors affecting Xinnian’s learning in Sunflower Primary School
- Xinnian’s practical knowledge before IVTP
- Various critical incidents
- Aixin’s observant and reflective stances
- Different people within the IVTP context
- An overview of various influencing factors
- Summary
- Chapter 8: Discussion
- Unraveling student teacher learning during IVTP
- Student teacher learning: multidimensional, idiosyncratic, and context-specific
- Learning outcomes
- Learning processes
- Influencing factors over teacher learning
- Understanding teacher learning as practical knowledge development
- Summary
- Chapter 9: Conclusions and Implications
- Summary of findings
- Contributions of the study
- Implications of the study
- Directions for future research
- Summary
- Appendices
- Index
List of Tables and Figure
Tables
Table 3.1:Various definitions of teachers’ practical knowledge
Table 3.2:Various frameworks on the content of L2 teachers’ practical knowledge
Table 3.3:Working framework on the content of L2 teachers’ practical knowledge
Table 3.4:Summary of developmental processes (Yuan & Lee, 2014, p. 3–9)
Table 4.1:Summary of the data collection procedure
Table 4.2:Research questions and corresponding data sources
Table 5.1:Aixin’s practical knowledge upon entry into IVTP
Table 5.2:Aixin’s development in knowledge of self
Table 5.3:Aixin’s development in knowledge of context
Table 5.4:Aixin’s development in knowledge of curriculum
Table 5.5:Aixin’s development in knowledge of instruction
Table 5.6:Aixin’s development in knowledge about the English teaching profession
Table 5.7:Aixin’s development in knowledge of interpersonal relationships
←xi | xii→Table 6.1:Xinnian’s practical knowledge upon entry into IVTP
Table 6.2:Xinnian’s development in knowledge of self
Table 6.3:Xinnian’s development in knowledge of context
Table 6.4:Xinnian’s development in knowledge of curriculum
Table 6.5:Xinnian’s development in subject matter knowledge
Table 6.6:Xinnian’s development in knowledge of instruction
Table 6.7:Xinnian’s development in knowledge of interpersonal relationships
Figure
Preface
The recent reform in initial teacher education worldwide has brought increasing attention to preparing teachers who can work effectively in various schools, especially those traditionally underserved by the education systems (Cochran-Smith et al., 2016). To achieve this goal, different countries (e.g., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States) have been organizing and implementing teaching practicums in underserved schools (which will be referred to as USTP in this study) to prepare competent teachers who are capable, willing, and interested in working in underserved schools. China is not an exception. Since 2007, the Chinese government has been promoting in-post volunteer teaching practicum (IVTP) as a localized USTP program and an innovative TP model. During IVTP, student teachers are sent to underserved schools and work as full-time teachers for one academic semester. They are expected to support underserved schools’ education as those schools lack teachers. Meanwhile, they are supposed to achieve professional development by working in authentic educational settings.
Over the past few decades, there has been a growing interest in investigating pre-service teachers’ learning during USTP programs, based on which researchers and teacher educators can also assess the effectiveness of USTP programs. In the existing literature, there is a lack of attention to pre-service second language (L2) teachers’ learning during USTP. To fill this gap, this study, by conceptualizing teacher learning as teachers’ practical knowledge development, explores two ←Xiii | xiv→pre-service EFL teachers’ learning during an IVTP program in China. Informed by an integrated framework of L2 teachers’ practical knowledge and L2 teachers’ cognitive development processes (Cabaroglu & Roberts, 2000; Yuan & Lee, 2014), this study looks into two pre-service EFL teachers’ practical knowledge development during IVTP and the influencing factors over their practical knowledge development processes. The findings have shed light on teacher learning in different aspects, namely, learning outcomes, processes, and influencing factors (Buitink, 2009).
With regard to the learning outcomes, both participants enriched their practical knowledge in different categories, including knowledge of self, knowledge of context, knowledge of curriculum, subject matter knowledge, knowledge of instruction, knowledge of English teachers and teaching profession, as well as knowledge of interpersonal relationships. As for the learning processes, it was identified that both teachers learned by broadening, consolidating, deepening, developing practical knowledge in the upward spiral within individual knowledge categories, and also by integrating practical knowledge from different knowledge categories. Concerning the context of USTP in general and IVTP in particular, a unique learning process has been identified, which is developing and (or) modifying stereotype knowledge. In terms of influencing factors, six main categories were identified, which included the two teachers’ practical knowledge developed before IVTP, some critical incidents that happened during IVTP, the two teachers’ observant and reflective stances, the underserved school settings, various people involved in IVTP, and the two pre-service teachers’ goals for taking part in IVTP.
In addition to unraveling the various aspects of teacher learning, this study has also extended the current knowledge about teacher learning by relating the multidimensional, idiosyncratic, and context-specific nature of teacher learning to these various aspects. Moreover, this study provides implications for supporting pre-service L2 teachers’ professional learning during IVTP in China and other USTP programs worldwide.
Acknowledgments
This book derives from my doctor of philosophy (PhD) research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. When I am typing these words now, I can still feel the mixed feelings during my PhD journey 3 years ago: excited, delighted, and, of course, a little worried. Undoubtedly, my days at CUHK have provided me with the most exciting 3 years ever in my life, and I owe a debt of gratitude to many people for making it happen.
First and foremost, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to my supervisors, Professor Icy Lee and Professor Barry Bai, who have always been the sources of inspiration and support for me. Icy is wise, warm, patient, understanding, and I could use more nice words to describe her. During my days at CUHK, she offered me great help in every single step of my growth and would always provide me with emotional support when I was down. It was also fortunate for me to have Barry. Like Icy, Barry is also smart, kind, and supportive. We always had in-depth discussions about my study, and he could always provide me with different angles in looking at my research, which was quite enlightening. I am also grateful for Professor Corinne Maxwell-Reid and Professor Eunice Tang, who were gorgeous committee members and helped me a lot in my research design and development. I appreciate Professor Guangwei Hu from Hong Kong Polytechnic University for his insightful suggestions and constructive comments on my research.←xv | xvi→
My heartfelt gratitude would go to the two participants of this book, Aixin and Xinnian, for allowing me to enter their IVTP lives and explore their learning experiences. Although they were super busy during my five-month study there, they were always cooperative and treated my research as a priority. Without their generous help, I could not finish my data collection work so smoothly.
Moreover, I would like to thank my best friends, Ryan Zhiyuan Wang, Wendy Min Zou, and Jeffrey Jie Xu, at CUHK. We would always discuss together, have a meal together, hang out together, and travel together. Within this small community, I was happy and contented every day. Although we are in different cities now, our friendship endures.
Last, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my dearest parents, Mr. Lingtong Kong and Ms. Mingfang Chen. It is their unconditional support and endless love that makes me who I am today.
Details
- Pages
- XVIII, 204
- Year
- 2022
- ISBN (PDF)
- 9781433186875
- ISBN (ePUB)
- 9781433186882
- ISBN (MOBI)
- 9781433186899
- ISBN (Hardcover)
- 9781433186011
- DOI
- 10.3726/b18216
- Language
- English
- Publication date
- 2021 (December)
- Published
- New York, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Oxford, Wien, 2022. XVIII, 204 pp., 1 b/w ill., 20 tables.
