A Longitudinal Case Study on Transformational Videoconferencing-Based EFL Teacher Education for Pre-Service Teachers’ Professional Developm
Abstract
New technologies and digital learning have opened up a wide range of learning possibilities for language learners. Even though traditional, face-to-face foreign language teaching remains predominant, there is a growing interest in teaching foreign languages (especially English as a Foreign Language - EFL) on videoconferencing (VC) platforms such as Zoom and MS Teams.
Using the technological affordances of VC platforms effectively requires pedagogical skills. teachers' teaching strategies of VC-based EFL teaching are pivotal in maintaining high-quality online interactions among learners. Effective video-conferencing-based EFL teaching is imperative.
Nonetheless, many teacher training programmes worldwide are still lacking, and teachers are not being prepared to implement EFL courses which are effectively VC-based. This study explored two pre-service EFL pre-service teachers' professional development initiatives: The first stage aimed to explore teachers' independent teaching strategies in a five-week practicum where they were encouraged to put the knowledge of VC-based EFL teaching they gained during a teacher training course into practice.
The second is exploring the development of teachers' teaching strategies in VC-based, EFL teaching after a year from the practicum. Data were gathered from a series of in-depth, individual interviews and random in-class observations.
Findings indicate that teachers' teaching competencies in VC-based EFL teaching have improved thanks to self-regulated professional development and internal motivation strategies offered during the training. By refining teaching approaches together during the training and the practicum, teachers had opportunities to receive and provide peer feedback, guiding their professional development from the training onwards.