2018 Annual Conference of China English Language Education Association (CELEA2018)

160 / 2018-06-29 21:48:39

Teacher Learning through Research Lessons: A Case Study of Two Veteran Elementary EFL Teachers

teacher learning， research lesson， veteran teachers

Plenary track > 中国特色英语教师发展研究

Teacher development is pivotal to the quality of education, and how to promote teacher learning is becoming increasingly a primary focus in New Curriculum reform in China. Previous studies mainly focused on development of pre-service teachers and novice teachers. However, few studies have examined the learning process of veteran teachers in teacher training program. This longitudinal qualitative case study explored the process of two veteran elementary EFL teachers conducting two research lessons respectively in a teacher training program and pinpointed their changes and gains. Multiple sources of data were collected, including in-depth interviews, video recordings of trial lessons, discussions with two supervisors (a professor and an expert teacher(Teji jiaoshi in Beijing) on revising lesson plans and public lessons, reflective journals from teachers, and stimulated recall. Adopting activity theory as the theoretical framework, this study analyzed their learning process through their participation in the research lessons under the requirement of the teacher training program. Three major findings emerged from data analysis. First, the two veteran teachers both had changes in teaching beliefs and practice. Second, the two teachers were pushed out of their “comfort zone” in the struggling of conducting two research lessons, breaking their individual and contextual limits. Third, teacher learning is not a one-shot deal, but a gradual and nonlinear process. Conducting research lessons based on practical problems in teaching with detailed and immediate expert feedback can function as a catalyst in teacher learning. Lastly, contextual, structural and practiced-based support in teacher training program is an indispensable force for teacher learning.