Tensions in learning to teach English
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report findings from a study of preservice teacher (PST) beliefs about teaching English language arts (ELA).
Design/methodology/approach – A survey was administered to 56 preservice secondary ELA teachers at three universities to measure their beliefs about curriculum, authority and competition in schools. This study explores the beliefs of 17 of these PSTs who participated in an additional interview following up on six of the survey responses.
Findings – Although the survey forced a choice between various levels of agreeing and disagreeing, interview responses revealed that PSTs wrestled with tensions in what they believed about instructional and curricular choices. When describing situations that influenced their beliefs, they referenced situations from field placements, coursework and their own experiences as students. These tensions reflected the PSTs’ internally conflicting beliefs across their perceived binaries of teaching English.
Originality/value – This study suggests that these beliefs are formed in part by experiences in teacher preparation programs, particularly in field placements. However, even though PSTs recognized their internally conflicting beliefs, they understood them and their subsequent actions as dichotomous, rather than on a continuum. This study has implications for teacher educators; by understanding PSTs’ tendencies to understand their beliefs in binaries, teacher educators can provide reflective opportunities for PSTs to problematize these dichotomies and look for teaching identities and practices that are more nuanced.
Reference
Dunn, M. B., VanDerHeide, J., Caughlan, S., Northrop, L., Zhang, Y., & Kelly, S. (2018). Tensions in learning to teach English.
English Teaching: Practice & Critique.
https://doi.org/10.1108/ETPC-04-2017-0039
Journal
English Teaching: Practice and Critique
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
- Multi-sited (across universities)
- University
Preservice Participants
Preservice Sample Size
17
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
Data Analysis Tools
Researcher Positionality
- A combination of their own students and students from other programs
- Inside (studying their own programs)
Research Questions
What tensions do PSTs express as they explain their beliefs about teaching when prompted by curricular choices, and how do they experience these tensions?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes