Download or read book Understanding Chinese EFL Teachers Beliefs and Practices in the Textbook Based Classroom written by XiaoDong Zhang and published by Peter Lang Group Ag, International Academic Publishers. This book was released on 2017-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Textbooks have long been considered a pivotal learning and teaching resource in classrooms. However, there is a paucity of research on how teachers use textbooks in relation to their beliefs, with analytic methods in such studies mainly restrained to content-based thematic analysis. To this end, from the perspectives of Halliday's (1994) systemic functional linguistics (SFL) and Vygostky's (1978) socio-cultural theory (SCT), this book explores how a Chinese college English teacher acts upon his beliefs and uses textbooks to mediate his students' English learning in his classroom. Drawing on constructs of the SFL-based appraisal and speech function as well as interview excerpts, the study reveals that in the textbook-based classroom the Chinese college English teacher acts upon his beliefs that are constructed by diverse contextual factors. Implications of this study include using SFL and SCT to explore educators' beliefs and practices and also providing effective teacher education for Chinese college English instructors to reshape their beliefs so that they are better prepared to use textbooks in classrooms.

Download or read book Understanding Chinese EFL Teachers Beliefs and Practices in Textbook based Classrooms written by Xiaodong Zhang and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Textbooks have long been considered a pivotal learning and teaching resource in classrooms. However, there is a paucity of research on how teachers use textbooks in relation to their beliefs, with analytic methods in such studies mainly restrained to content-based thematic analysis. To this end, from the perspectives of Halliday's (1994) systemic functional linguistics (SFL) and Vygostky's (1978) socio-cultural theory (SCT), this book explores how a Chinese college English teacher acts upon his beliefs and uses textbooks to mediate his students' English learning in his classroom. Drawing on constructs of the SFL-based appraisal and speech function as well as interview excerpts, the study reveals that in the textbook-based classroom the Chinese college English teacher acts upon his beliefs that are constructed by diverse contextual factors. Implications of this study include using SFL and SCT to explore educators' beliefs and practices and also providing effective teacher education for Chinese college English instructors to reshape their beliefs so that they are better prepared to use textbooks in classrooms.

Download or read book Teacher Beliefs as a Complex System English Language Teachers in China written by Hongying Zheng and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-10-05 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The volume is a practical introduction to the ways in which the teachers deal with classroom events in the context of change for researchers, teachers, administrators who wish to implement curriculum reform to EFL in schools. The author provides insights into the beliefs of Chinese teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), and their pedagogical choices in the context of the National English Curriculum Reform. The complex nature of EFL teachers’ beliefs about EFL teaching and learning are exposed, how their beliefs interact with mental and actionable processes triggered by classroom practice, and how their beliefs co-adapt with contexts to maintain the stability of the teachers’ belief systems. This is the first study to present complexity theory in a narrative context of education, exploring the non-linear and unpredictable features of the relationship between the teachers’ beliefs and practices. Integrating complexity theory with interpretivist, ecological and sociocultural perspectives, this book contributes to the research agenda by providing a systematic framework for examining teacher beliefs as a whole, and examining the extent to which western theory may be applied to Chinese educational contexts.

Download or read book Teaching Reading and Teacher Beliefs written by Xinyu Mo and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-09-30 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores language teacher beliefs in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) reading instruction in the context of Chinese university English instructors. Since the 1990s, there has been a renewed interest on teacher beliefs in the domain of language teacher cognition. However, most studies in this area aim at investigating the relationship between particular aspects of teacher beliefs and classroom practices, largely ignoring the complexity of teacher beliefs. This study explores the issue from an alternative perspective by conceptualizing teacher beliefs as a complex, dynamic and multi-faceted system. By adopting five rounds of interview and four classroom observations, the year-long study reveals seven key features of the belief system shared among six participants. It calls for the holistic, complex and insider view to examine teacher beliefs in relation to the sociocultural and historical contexts where the teachers work and live.

Download or read book EFL Teachers Beliefs about Reading and Reading Teaching Versus Actual Practices written by Yang Gao and published by . This book was released on 2021-12-06 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Language teachers are concerned with the relationship between what they know or believe and what they practice. In this book, Yang Gao thus addresses this gap. Using the complex dynamic system theory, he reports the characteristics of the Chinese EFL teachers' belief system and highlights the complexity of the system, the non-linearity, and unpredictability of the subsystems. He further explores the relationships between the stated beliefs and the actual practices among the Chinese EFL teachers. One of the key contributions through the book is the conceptualized model in studying EFL teachers' beliefs and practices"--

Download or read book Understanding Chinese EFL Teachers Beliefs about English with a Yin Yang Perspective written by Juan Tian and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the early 21st century, the Chinese government has been launching a new round of nation-wide curriculum reform, which promotes the replacement of the traditional testoriented view of English with the communicative-based view. However, there is a serious research gap in the understanding of how local teachers perceive and react to the tensions arising from opposing views of English as subject matter (Widdowson, 2012; Zhang- Zhengdong, 2006; 2007). Drawing on the distinction between the views of "language as an object" and "language as a tool" (Ellis, 2012), this study examines the impact of the tool-vs-object tension on Chinese secondary school EFL teachers' beliefs about English and the extent to which tension-loaded beliefs are related to classroom practices. Guided by Yin-Yang theory, this study defines the research topic (beliefs about English) as a complex, self-conflicting system which comprises Yin-Yang interplay with regard to teachers' perceptions of context (where), content (what) and pedagogy (how), and proposes an eight-trigram model for analyzing data. A multiple-case study design is employed with Yin-Yang considerations, and case selection involves four participating teachers (Jing, Yun, Yao and Ping), who are from two schools (an urban school and a rural school), which are located in the same region (Beijing, the capital city of China). The research database includes field notes, interviews and audio/video recordings of teachers' classes. Eventually, a total of 19 core beliefs emerge from the data through a coding scheme which recognizes four types of belief-practice congruence, respectively termed Manifest Congruence, Latent Congruence, Subconscious Congruence and Embedded Congruence. A detailed description of each belief is followed by an analysis of its Yin-Yang nature, and each teacher's English-related beliefs are graphically summarized in the eight-trigram model, which allows for cross-case comparisons and the emergence of general patterns. Findings show that an individual teacher tends to hold beliefs that reflect opposing orientations of language at the same time and that there exist individual differences in the way teachers absorb and resolve tool-vs-object tensions, which has an impact on their idiosyncratic practices. It has also been found that their perception of tensions can be asynchronous along the three conceptual levels, as context-related tensions are found easier to be resolved than pedagogy-related tensions, and that experientially and reflectively enhanced beliefs are more likely to achieve pedagogical consistency. An analysis in light of Yin-Yang thinking lends support to the view that teachers' beliefs are situated in an inherently conflicting and complex system, and that this is contextually defined and practically constrained. It is argued that an optimal balance of Yin and Yang is essential for the development and maintenance of a belief system, and this has important implications for EFL education, educational research, teacher education, curriculum development and assessment reform in China. Finally, limitations of the study and recommendations for further research are also suggested.

Download or read book An Exploratory Sequential Study of Chinese EFL Teachers Beliefs and Practices in Reading and Teaching Reading written by Yang Gao and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This mixed-methods study explored characteristics of Chinese EFL teachers' beliefs of reading and teaching reading. In addition, it investigated the relationship between English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' stated beliefs and their actual practices. Specifically, two relationships were explored in this study. The first one was whether EFL teachers' stated beliefs about reading are in/consistently indicated in their stated beliefs about teaching reading. Second, the study also aimed to understand whether EFL teachers' stated beliefs about how they teach English reading are consistent with their actual practices in classrooms. Participants in the study included 96 university EFL teachers who were faculty members from three different universities in a city in Northeast China. Within an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, data collection and analysis occurred in two phases. The first part was a quantitative survey of 10 open-ended questions modified according to Burke Reading Interview (BRI). It solicited the participants' beliefs about reading and teaching reading. Statistical analysis was then conducted to describe the data collected in this quantitative part. For the second, qualitative part, classroom observations were used to collect data on teachers' actual practices. The findings of the study showed that three theoretical orientations about reading (behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism) were matrixed with three different belief systems (dominant, dual, and multiple belief systems). The matrix indicated a complex belief system about reading and teaching reading among these EFL teachers. Within the matrix, relationships among different beliefs were non-linear and unpredictable. In terms of the constructivist theoretical orientation, the findings indicated a statistically significant but weak association between stated beliefs about reading and stated beliefs about teaching reading. The findings also indicated both consistencies and inconsistencies, with inconsistencies being more prominent between stated beliefs about teaching reading and actual practices in the classroom. The study finally discussed the findings based on the three research questions and provided implications for EFL teachers and teacher team leaders.

Download or read book A Study of Chinese University English as a Foreign Language EFL Teachers Beliefs Practices and Identities written by Shan Chen (PhD.) and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 614 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 21st century has seen the Chinese government initiating multiple nationwide reforms to improve the efficiency of its English education at all educational levels, which promotes a shift from teaching discrete linguistic knowledge to emphasizing the development of students’ communicative competence. Against this backdrop, teachers and their cognitions have been placed at the center of attention because they are the key decision makers in the classrooms, and their beliefs about how English should be learned and taught as a foreign language are one of the most influential constructs in shaping teaching behaviors and practices. With a holistic interest in understanding English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching within the Chinese tertiary context, focusing on the mental lives of Chinese tertiary English teachers of non-English majors, or College English (CE) teachers, this study set out to investigate the intersection between CE teachers’ beliefs, practices and identities, which has not been addressed adequately in the existing literature. Adopting a mixed-methods research design, this study involved collecting both questionnaire data to identify dimensions of Chinese tertiary EFL teachers’ collective cognitions and practices, and interview and observation data to elucidate the complex interrelationships between them. Exploratory Factor Analyses (EFA) results of the questionnaire data suggested that the collective beliefs of this cohort of teachers are a hybridity of a communicative orientation and sporadic traditional conceptions on the pedagogical level. Correspondingly, their practices demonstrated a mixture of both student-centered activities fostering communicative abilities and language-based didactic teaching activities. In terms of identities, teachers were found to identify strongly with the roles as the motivator/advocate for English learning, the facilitator for English learning, and the reflective practitioner and researcher, but generally resisted being recognized as textbook-centered scripted teachers. The in-depth multiple case study, drawing on narrative interviews and classroom observations, further probed into individual teachers’ beliefs systems, practices and identity formations. In spite of the intention to engage in communicative language teaching, the plural contextual discourses of social heteroglossia embedded in CE teachers’ working environments made teachers swing between the orientations of traditional approaches and communicative language teaching. Within this conflictive context, teachers drew on multiple I-positions which involved a dynamic range of positioning and repositioning activities as a strategy to cope with the dilemmas. Conceptualizing the CE teacher’s mind as a polyphony containing multiple discourses and voices, three patterns of identity formation were identified: (a) the active identity resolver referred to the teachers who did not allow themselves to be crippled by the unfavorable contextual discourses but chose to confront challenges by exercising agency to resolve the conflicts and tensions; (b) the passive identity resolver referred to those who were sensitive to disrupting discourses and developed emotional blocks giving rise to adoption of a passive, safe strategy by returning to the traditional teaching approach; (c) the identity seeker referred to the CE teachers who were aware of the competing discourses and were striving to define their own positions to create meaningful learning conditions for students in tertiary settings. The stories and experiences of the participants indicated the complex, dynamic, dialogic interplay between beliefs and practices, and crafting a teacher self or an identity mediating both cognitions and behaviors as sense-making mechanisms. The study has contributed to our current understanding of CE teacher’s cognitions about English language teaching and learning after ten years of a nation-wide College English reform, which is expected to inform the ongoing CE teaching and teacher development programs. It is argued that top-down reforms which neglect teachers’ subjectivities, internally persuasive discourses, and identification with the promoted teaching methodology can be hardly effective. Supporting teachers in situated identity construction and investing in the identity capital is essential for future reform initiatives. Implications of the study and recommendations for further research are also offered.

Download or read book EFL Teachers Beliefs about Reading and Reading Teaching Versus Actual Practices written by Gao Yang and published by Critical New Literacies: The P. This book was released on 2021-12-02 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using the complex dynamic system theory, Yang Gao reports the characteristics of the Chinese EFL teachers' belief system and further explores the relationships between the stated beliefs and the actual practices among the Chinese EFL teachers.

Download or read book The Use of First and Second Language in Chinese University EFL Classrooms written by Yi Du and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-08-23 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book investigates first language (L1) and second language (L2) use in Chinese university classrooms, focusing on the experiences of four Chinese EFL teachers who were teaching non-English major students at four different proficiency levels. It examines these four teachers' actual use of L1 and L2, including the distribution of their L1 and L2 use; the circumstances, functions and grammatical patterns of their language use; and their language use across different frames of classroom discourse. It also explores their attitudes and beliefs regarding this issue in depth, as well as their own perceptions of and reasons for their language use and possible influencing factors. Through its detailed analysis of the teachers' language use, as well as their respective beliefs and decision-making techniques, this book contributes to L2 teachers' professional development and L2 teaching in general, especially with regard to establishing a pedagogically principled approach to L1 and L2 use.

Download or read book The Influence of a Group of Chinese EFL Teachers Beliefs on Lesson Planning with Video Based Synchronous Computer Mediated Communication written by Chuan Liu and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, Video-based Synchronous Computer Mediated Communication (VSCMC) has been applied in EFL education for young Chinese learners. VSCMC teaching, as distinctive from face-to-face teaching, brings numerous planning challenges for teachers using technology. Research has shown that teacher beliefs significantly affect lesson planning for technology integration. However, teacher beliefs towards VSCMC specifically have been insufficiently studied in the field of EFL education for young learners. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore how teacher beliefs influence lesson planning regarding VSCMC teaching. Six participants in the Chinese context were interviewed in the study. The results indicated that teachers had transitional pedagogical beliefs, strong self-efficacy beliefs, and a complex set of value beliefs towards VSCMC teaching. Accordingly, these beliefs motivated them to teach in VSCMC settings in particular ways and influenced their lesson planning processes in terms of determining learning objectives, designing course content, and choosing teaching methods.

Download or read book Chinese Secondary School EFL Teachers Attitudes Towards Communicative Language Teaching and Their Classroom Practices written by Liao Xiaoqing and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Primary EFL in China written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 720 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Beginning EFL Teachers Beliefs about Teaching and Learning in the Context of Secondary Schools in China written by Naixin Zhang and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Exploring EFL Teachers Beliefs and Classroom Practices of Using Picture Books in Elementary Classrooms written by Yi-Ling Liu and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Teacher Mediated Agency in Educational Reform in China written by Hongzhi Yang and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-03-26 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines teacher agency in implementing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum reform in the Chinese university context. It theorizes the concept of teacher agency from a sociocultural theory perspective and draws on a study conducted in a conservative and less developed area in China. The book uses Engeström's activity theory and Vygotsky's concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) to understand the nature and extent of teacher agency in adapting one’s teaching with respect to beliefs, knowledge and instructional practices. The study concludes that curriculum reform in China needs to shift from reliance on 'top-down' policies to 'bottom-up' implementation that mobilizes local understandings and practices. One of the implications of this study is that transformative teacher education programs aimed at developing teacher pedagogical agency require that teachers have ongoing opportunities to design, develop and evaluate curriculum-based mediational means.

Download or read book Teaching and Researching Chinese EFL ESL Learners in Higher Education written by Zhongshe Lu and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-06-21 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: China has attached great importance to teaching students to become proficient users of English. Yet, despite a plethora of studies and practice on Chinese ESL/EFL (English as a second/foreign language) learners, the large student population, its complicated composition and the complex nature of second and foreign language learning have rendered it difficult to offer a panoramic view on ESL/EFL teaching and learning of Chinese learners. This book provides a new and up-to-date perspective on the teaching and learning of Chinese ESL/EFL learners. The book collects 15 case studies, falling into two parts—Curriculum Development and Teaching Practice and Skills-Based Research. The collected studies deploy qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods to explore patterns, features, developments and causes and effects of a variety of issues in the sphere of ESL/EFL teaching and learning. Moreover, the cases offer insights that are relevant beyond the mainland Chinese context such as Hong Kong, Macau, Britain and Australia. Students and scholars of TESOL and applied linguistics will be interested in this title.