Hizmet öncesi ingilizce öğretmenlerinin sık karşılaşılan sınıf içi zorluklara ilişkin biliş ve eylemleri üzerine bir durum çalışması

This study explores cognitions and practices of pre-service English language teachers in relation to dealing with most commonly experienced in-class challenges in foreign language teaching, the influences that shape their cognitions and practices, and the relationship between their cognitions and practices. Adopting qualitative research design, a case study was conducted to provide an account of pre-service English language teachers’ cognitions and practices. Data for this study were collected in two main stages. The first stage involves collection of the base-line data through an open-ended questionnaire with a view to identifying in-class challenges experienced by English language teachers. The second stage aims to collect data on the cognitions and actions of pre-service teachers. Data collection activities in this stage include scenario-based interviews, collection of field notes during classroom observations, and stimulated-recall sessions that were carried out after the practice teaching hours. Twenty English language teachers working at public secondary schools and six pre-service English language teachers at a state university make up the participants of this case study. Results of the study reveal that (1) pre-service teachers generated various strategies in their pre-practicum cognitions, practices, and post-practicum cognitions; (2) courses in teacher education program, their own learning experiences, classroom observations at the host school, their practice teaching experiences, and mentor teacher’s recommendations emerged as influences that shape their cognitions and practices in dealing with those challenges; and (3) pre-service teachers generated more strategies that have one-to-one correspondence in their cognitions and practices to deal with resource-related challenges than learner-related challenges. Ph.D. - Doctoral Progra