Abstracts – Session Two
12:20 – 1:20 – 6EN – 414
Chair: Mihaela Enache
David Teh: Perceptions and opinions of Malaysian English teachers towards a multilingual approach to English language learning (ELT) in Malaysian classrooms
Recent literature indicate that Malaysian English teachers are more receptive towards the use of other languages in an English language classroom. The adoption of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) into the English language syllabus in Malaysian government schools encourages this, further moving away from a monolingual biasness in the language classroom. Recent studies show that teachers reacted positively towards a multilingual approach to English Language teaching (ELT), but little is known how they personally react to this shift, and how this may impact upon their practice. A narrative study is designed to explore reactions to this change in the curriculum. 3 Malaysian English teachers are interviewed, and audio recordings of those sessions are transcribed and coded. Emerging themes from the transcription will be analysed using the principles of Critical Event Narrative Analysis (CENA). Disruptive or transformative changes induced by the new syllabus are then discussed against current literature. With a more in-depth understanding of how teachers react to latest development in the curriculum planning, it is possible to provide better support and tailor-suit training that directly address these teachers’ concerns.
Fang Li: Making the transition from student to teacher in changing times: A narrative inquiry
An extensive literature has outlined the difficulties encountered by beginning teachers and the ‘shock’ that they face in the transition from preservice student to full-time teacher (e.g. Cameron, 2009; Veenman, 1984). It could be argued that making the transition from student to teacher is even more challenging in the changing times given the demands on all teachers, whatever their career stage, to teach in ways that can support the learning of increasingly diverse student populations (UNESCO, 2014). While much research has focused on beginning teacher induction and mentoring, less attention has been paid to beginning teachers’ voices and perspectives on how they make meaning of their transition to teaching. This study explored the transition experiences of 5 beginning teachers employed in primary schools in Auckland. Data was collected using narrative inquiry and analysed using Kelchtermans’ (2009) narrative-biographical framework.
The findings suggested that the participants’ teacher education programme experiences acted as a mediator in their interactions with their work contexts, and in their alignment or misalignment between their professional and personal sense of self. Furthermore, the findings showed that the (mis)alignment of professional and personal selves greatly influenced the participants’ sense of becoming and belonging in the profession. The study points to ways teacher education could better support student teachers’ integration of their professional and personal selves when leaning to teach. Consequently, beginning teachers may become better equipped to meet the challenge of teaching in changing times.
Cheng Deng: Primary school principals’, teachers’ and students’ perspectives on physical education in New Zealand
Research purpose: the purpose of this research is to interpret primary school principals’, classroom teachers’, students’ perspectives on physical education.
Research significance: to understand principals’, classroom teachers and students’ perspectives on physical education would facilitate curricular designers, researchers, teachers to design a curriculum that meets students’ needs and develop pedagogies promoting students’ holistic development in accordance of the New Zealand Curriculum.
Research method: this research used multiple-case study design. The data collected were from individual semi-structured interview, focus group interview with photo elicitation, non-participation observation and document analysis. Thematic analysis was utilized to analyze the evidence.
Findings: the participating principals, classroom teachers, and students valued physical education because they thought that physical education would improve students’ capacities of interpersonal skills, well-being and other learning areas; In terms of the New Zealand Curriculum (2007), the majority of participants reported the curriculum was great but it was too broad to grasp. Especially, the beginning teachers preferred to have a detail teaching model for physical education. For students, they would like to have more options for their physical education programmes. There were many factors inhabiting schools and teachers from having quality physical education such as the crowded curriculum, the lack of facilities and equipment, and classroom teachers’ lack content knowledge and confidents in teaching physical education.