Does Practice Make Perfect? Insights from Pre-service EFL Teachers via Metaphors

Abstract

How pre-service EFL teachers conceptualize their professional identities has always been part of scientific inquiry since it is one of the fundamentals of language teaching settings. Yet, uncovering its interaction with constructs such as in-class practice has been only possible via a limited set of instruments one of which is the metaphor analysis. Hence, the aim of the current study was to figure out how pre-service EFL teachers with different experience backgrounds perceive their professional identities, namely English language teachers in the form of metaphors and then to understand if in-class practice either via micro-teachings or practicum courses had any say on their preferences. Data collected from 184 participants through the metaphor analysis methodology were analyzed qualitatively in line with the framework proposed in Saban, Kocbeker, Saban (2007). Results revealed that although choices were diversified practice type tested across three groups ranging from no experience to experienced affected pre-service EFL teachers’ metaphors. In specific, it was observed that there was a focus shift from a teacher centered account to a learner centered one in line with the accumulation of in-class practice.

Keywords

• English Language Teaching
• Metaphors
• Teacher Cognition

Alıştırma Yapmak Mükemmelleştirir mi? Eğretileme Yoluyla İngilizce Öğretmen Adayı Görüşlerinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

İngilizce öğretmen adaylarının mesleki kimliklerini nasıl kavramsallaştırdıkları doğrudan yabancı dil öğretimini etkilediği için her zaman bilimsel araştırmaların bir parçası olmuştur. Fakat mesleki kimlik gelişimi ve sınıf-içi alıştırma arasındaki ilişkiyi ortaya çıkarmak eğretileme analizi gibi sınırlı sayıdaki araştırma yöntemleri ile mümkündür. Buradan hareketle, bu çalışmanın amacı öğretme deneyimi açısından farklılık gösteren İngilizce öğretmen adaylarının mesleki kimliklerini nasıl anlamlandırdıklarını eğretileme yöntemiyle bulmak ve sonrasında küçük ölçekli öğretim ya da uygulamalı staj ile elde edilen sınıf içi alıştırmalarının eğretileme tercihlerinde bir etkisi olup olmadığını araştırmaktır. Eğretileme çözümleme yöntemi ile 184 katılımcıdan toplanan veriler Saban, Kocbeker, Saban (2007) tarafından önerilen çerçevede nitel olarak incelenmiştir. Sonuçlar her ne kadar öğretmen adaylarının tercihlerinde farklılık olsa da deneyimsizden çok deneyimliye kadar üç grup şeklinde sınıflandırılan katılımcıların sınıf içi alıştırma bakımından birbirinden farklılaştığını göstermiştir. Özellikle, öğretmen adaylarının deneyimlerinin artmasıyla öğretmen odaklı bir yaklaşımdan öğrenci odaklı bir yaklaşıma geçiş gözlemlenmiştir.

Keywords

• İngiliz Dili Eğitimi
• Eğretileme
• Öğretmenlik Bilişi

Ethical Statement

Yayın Etiği Beyanı Bu araştırmanın, Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Etik Kurulu tarafından 10.03.2022 tarihinde 2022.10 sayılı kararıyla verilen etik kurul izni bulunmaktadır. Bu araştırmanın planlanmasından, uygulanmasına, verilerin toplanmasından verilerin analizine kadar olan tüm süreçte “Yükseköğretim Kurumları Bilimsel Araştırma ve Yayın Etiği Yönergesi” kapsamında uyulması belirtilen tüm kurallara uyulmuştur. Yönergenin ikinci bölümü olan “Bilimsel Araştırma ve Yayın Etiğine Aykırı Eylemler” başlığı altında belirtilen eylemlerden hiçbiri gerçekleştirilmemiştir. Bu araştırmanın yazım sürecinde bilimsel, etik ve alıntı kurallarına uyulmuş; toplanan veriler üzerinde herhangi bir tahrifat yapılmamıştır. Bu çalışma herhangi başka bir akademik yayın ortamına değerlendirme için gönderilmemiştir.

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