Innovative Approaches to Language Teacher Education: The Metaverse

Abstract

This study contributes to the professional development of English language teacher candidates by enabling them to experience micro-teaching lesson study cycles implemented within a metaverse environment. The collaborative teacher development model, which has been practiced in schools for some time, was integrated with micro-teaching practices and structurally adapted to suit the dynamics of a virtual metaverse setting. Employing a case study design as part of qualitative research methodology, the study involved five English language teacher education students enrolled at a public university in Türkiye. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observation notes, and group discussions, and were analysed qualitatively; the emerging themes and codes were interpreted by the researcher. The findings indicate that the pre-service teachers gained teaching experience within the metaverse environment and enhanced their awareness of online instruction by discovering creative ways of delivering lessons unique to the virtual space. In addition, participants articulated the strengths and weaknesses of transferring distance education into the metaverse and demonstrated a critical perspective toward its improvement. Furthermore, the results of the study offer a more comprehensive model for distance education as an alternative to current AI-driven approaches, pointing to a more feasible option in response to existing critiques of online education in the literature.

Keywords

• Metaverse
• Virtual Environment
• Lesson Study
• Microteaching
• Preservice English Language Teachers

Ethical Statement

The ethics committee approval of the thesis from which the article was produced was obtained from Çukurova University Ethics Committee with the decision numbered E-838991 on 31.10.2023. Informed consent was obtained from all participants, and they were provided with detailed information about the purpose of the study, its methods, potential risks, and their rights.

Dil Öğretmeni Eğitiminde Yenilikçi Yaklaşımlar: Metaverse

Abstract

Çalışma kapsamındaki bu araştırma İngilizce öğretmenliği bölümü öğrencilerinin, metaverse evreninde uygulanan mikroöğretim ders araştırması döngülerini deneyimleyerek mesleki gelişimlerine katkı sağlamaktadır. Bir süredir okullarda uygulanan işbirlikçi öğretmen gelişim modeli, mikroöğretim dersleri ile harmanlanmış ve metaverse sanal evrenine uyum sağlayacak şekilde yapısal değişiklikler uygulanarak kullanılmıştır. Çalışmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden örnek olay incelemesi kullanılarak, Türkiye’de bir devlet üniversitesinde eğitimlerini sürdüren beş İngilizce öğretmenliği öğrencileri katılım sağlamıştır. Veriler yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme, gözlem notları ve grup tartışmasından elde edilmiş, nitel veri analizinden geçirilerek ilgili temalar ve kodlar araştırmacı tarafından yorumlanmıştır. Çalışmanın sonucunda aday öğretmenleri metaverse sanal evreninde öğretmenlik deneyimi elde etmiş, sanal evrene özgü yaratıcı sunuş yolları keşfederek sanal alemde çevrimiçi eğitim ile ilgili farkındalıklarını artırmışlardır. Bunun yanı sıra, katılımcılar sanal evrene taşınan uzaktan eğitim modelinin güçlü ve zayıf yanlarını ifade etmiş, geliştirmeye yönelik kritik bir bakış açısı sundukları gözlemlenmiştir. Ayrıca çalışmanın sonuçları günümüzde yapay zekâ yönelimine alternatif olarak daha kapsamlı bir uzaktan eğitim modelini sunmuş, alanyazında mevcut çevrimiçi eğitime yönelik eleştirilere karşın daha uygulanabilir bir seçeneği işaret etmiştir.

Keywords

• Metaverse
• Sanal Evren
• Ders Araştırması
• Mikroöğretim
• Aday İngilizce Öğretmenleri

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışmanın etik ilkelere uygunluğunun incelenmesi için Çukurova Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Müdürlüğü’ne başvurulmuş olup ilgili müdürlük tarafından 31.10.2023 tarihli E-838991 sayılı resmi yazı ile bu çalışmanın etik ilkelere uygun olduğu belirtilmiştir. Araştırmaya katılan tüm katılımcılardan online bilgilendirilmiş onam alınmıştır ve katılımcılara çalışmanın amacı, yöntemleri, olası riskler ve hakları detaylı olarak açıklanmıştır.

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