Teaching young learners: The role of theory on practice

Year 2012, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 109 - 119, 12.06.2013

Esim Gursoy , Şule Çelik Korkmaz

Abstract

The current study aims at investigating ELT trainees’ understanding of beliefs about basic theory on teaching English to young learners and how this knowledge affected their teaching philosophy during implementation in the school experience course. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used for data collection. The first group of data is gathered from 179 ELT trainees via a questionnaire, (Cronbach alpha .702) and the second group of data is collected from 27 trainees in the form of a structured interview. The results indicate that the trainees have gained the necessary theoretical information at a moderately high level. The interview results supported that the trainees implemented their beliefs about teaching young learners in most of the areas except for the organization of the resources and the use of appropriate teaching methodology. In other areas such as classroom management, child-adult differences, assessment, and children’s characteristics trainees’ beliefs were justified with their actual classroom practice.

Keywords

teacher knowledge, trainees’ beliefs, reflective practice, teaching young learners

References

• Akcan, S. (2011). Analysis of teaching candidates’ learning experiences in an “English teaching methods” course. Education and Science, 36, 247-260.
• Burns, A., & de Silva Joyce, H. (2005). Teachers’ voices 8: Explicitly supporting reading and writing in the classroom. National Centre for English language Teaching and Research, Macquaire University, Sydney.
• Carr, W., & Kemmis, S. (1983). Becoming critical: Knowing through action research. Geelong, Australia: Deakin University Press.
• Ekiz, D. (2003). Sınıf öğretmeni adaylarının öğretmen eğitimindeki modeller hakkındaki düşünceleri. Milli Eğitim, 158, 146-160.
• Ekiz, D., & Yiğit, N. (2006). Öğretmen adaylarının öğretmen eğitimindeki modeller hakkında görüşelim farklı programlar açısından incelenmesi. İlköğretim Online, 5, 110-122.
• Connely, M. F., Clandinin, J. D., & He, M. F. ( 1997). Teachers’ personal practical knowledge on the professional knowledge landscape. Teaching and Teacher Education, 13, 665-674.
• Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. Boston: D.C. Heath
• Döner Yılmaz, D. (2012). Grammar.In E. Gürsoy & A. Arıkan (Eds.), Teaching English to young learners: An activity-based guide for prospective teachers. Ankara: Eğiten Kitap.
• Grossman, P. L., & Richart, A. E. (1988). Unacknowledged knowledge growth: A re- examination of the effects of teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 4, 53-62.
• Gürsoy, E. (2012). Music and puppets. In E. Gürsoy & A. Arıkan (Eds.), Teaching English to young learners: An activity-based guide for prospective teachers. Ankara: Eğiten Kitap.
• Linse, C. T. (2005). Practical English language teaching: Young learners. McGraw-Hill.
• Moon, J. (2000). Children learning English. Macmillan Heinemann English Language Teaching.
• Read, C. (1998). The challenge of teaching children English. Teaching Professional, April.
• Richards, J. C. (1990). The dilemma of teacher education in second language learning. In J. C. Richards & D. Nunan (Eds.), Second language teacher education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. London: Temple Smith.
• Schön, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: Toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions. San Francisco.
• Tamir, P. (1991). Professional and personal knowledge of teachers and teacher educators. Teaching and Teacher Education, 7, 263-268.
• Wallace, M. J. (1991). Training foreign language teachers: A reflective approach. Glasgow: Cambridge University Press.