从研究范式转向看国外语言教师信念与实践研究的变迁

Paradigm Shifts of Studies on Foreign Language Teacher Beliefs and Practices

研究范式是人类探究和理解世界的思维系统。本文先介绍研究范式的概念及主要组成部分,然后通过梳理研究范式的转向,深度解读国外外语教师信念与实践相关研究的历史变迁和发展。研究范式最初以实证主义为代表,认为外语教师信念和实践存在单一的线性关系。随着研究范式的不断发展,建构主义转向探究造成两者之间矛盾和张力的原因,变革主义继而转向关注教师身份和反思对两者关系的影响,实用主义又进一步转向探究两者交织形成的复杂动态系统。本文最后对外语教师信念与实践研究的未来发展方向进行了展望。

Research paradigms are defined as whole systems of thinking that humans use to explore and understand the world.With an introduction of the paradigm definition,the present article maps out the paradigm shifts and presents how the shifts have informed changes in studies on foreign language teacher beliefs and practice abroad.Specifically,early studies stemmed from the positi-vism,in which researchers were keen on the exploration of a static,linear relationship between beliefs and practices,to constructivism,which highlighted the attempts that researchers made to explore the tensions between the two constructs.Then,studies steered to transformativism,which focused on teacher identity and the critical pedagogy to re-interpret findings of the studies on teacher beliefs and practices.Studies so far have reached to the stage of pragmatism,which advocates the nexus of teacher beliefs and practice to be studied from a dynamic,complex perspective.The article ended with future research directions on foreign language teacher beliefs and practices.