Understanding foreign language teachers' practical knowledge: What's the role of prior language learning experience?

Yıl 2007, Cilt: 3 Sayı: 1, 168 - 181, 01.04.2007

Sibel Arıoğul

Öz

Teachers’ practical knowledge is considered as teachers’ general knowledge, beliefs and thinking (Borg, 2003) which can be traced in teachers’ practices (Connelly & Clandinin, 1988) and shaped by various background sources (Borg, 2003; Grossman, 1990; Meijer, Verloop, and Beijard, 1999). This paper initially discusses how language teachers are influenced by three background sources: teachers’ prior language learning experiences, prior teaching experience, and professional coursework in pre- and in-service education. By drawing its data from the author’s longitidunal study, it also presents the findings of a cross-case theme emerged from the investigation of three English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ prior language learning experiences. The paper also discusses how the participation in studies on teachers’ knowledge raises teachers’ own awareness while it informs the research.

Anahtar Kelimeler

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Kaynakça

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• Sibel ARIOĞUL, PhD. Foreign Languages Teaching Department, Faculty of Education,
• Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. Her research interests include teacher cognition,
• foreign language teachers’ professional development, qualitative research methods, and critical literacy.