An Annotation of Language Teacher Beliefs in View of Educational Culture

The research on foreign language （FL） teachers＇ cognition and its development has been attracting attention in the field of applied linguistics. However, the gap between teaching theories and truths, teacher beliefs and behaviors can only be annotated by an in-depth investigation of belief determinants （BD） that are shaped by specific educational culture. Based on an investigation of language teacher beliefs, this paper is an annotation of language teacher beliefs in view of educational culture. By using both qualitative and quantitative methods of interviewing forefront teachers and making a literature review, it intends to reveal the dynamic nature of teacher beliefs as the teaching reality in view of the impact and significance of educational culture. It hammers home with the conclusion that the teachers-role-fulfillment in China is based on their real beliefs and loaded with cultural, social, and subject pressure; it is not a lincal impartment from theory to practice, from advocating to implementing, but a selective practice with teachers＇ active cognition and adaptation towards the local educational culture.

On the relationship between college English teachers＇ beliefs and their teaching behaviors

Based on the questionnaires and interviews on 19 college English teachers of a university in Beijing, the paper discusses college English teachers＇ beliefs. Through the analysis of research results, the paper focuses on the following questions： （1） What are the core beliefs of college English teachers？ （2） What influence will the teachers＇ beliefs exert on teaching behaviors？ （3） Will the teachers＇ beliefs change？ If the answer is YES, how will they change and what is the source of the changes？ The exploratory results and findings can help college English teachers realize the importance of teachers＇ beliefs, through which can help them improve their teaching practices and foster their professional development.

On the Student-Orientation of Teachers'Beliefs from Cognitive Perspective

At present, teachers'belief is an exploring topic to the linguists, educationists, and psychologists. Teachers'beliefs not only influence the teaching's attitudes and methods but also the student's interests, abilities and motivation. This thesis attempts to analyze the form, the development, the significance of teacher's beliefs from cognitive perspective. It also analyzes the relation between teacher's beliefs and class and the relation between teacher's beliefs and students to improve the emphasis on teacher's beliefs.

The Influence of Language Teachers' Career Trajectory on Beliefs about Using the L1 in the EFL Classroom: A Multiple Case Study

To uncover how different backgrounds influence teacher beliefs,a multiple case study was done to three pre-service and three in-service EFL teachers through semi-structured interviews.The results show that pre-service and in-service teachers hold a general belief that while English exposure is important,the use of Chinese as the L1 is complementary.Nonetheless,teachers’rationale reflects influence from prior learning experience,teacher education and classroom practice.The findings provide implications for career development of EFL teachers.

English Teachers’ Beliefs About Multilingual Awareness in L3 Learning and Their Teaching Practice in Chinese EFL Context

Teachers’ beliefs toward multilingual awareness in target language learning play a significant role in shaping learners’ attitudes to language awareness, affect learners’ linguistic behavior and teachers’ teaching practice. Therefore, the present study was aimed to explore English teachers’ beliefs about Inner Mongolian university students’ multilingual awareness in L3 learning and their teaching practice in Chinese EFL context. One hundred English teachers from six universities in Inner Mongolia, China, participated in this investigation. The data was collected through a questionnaire and teacher interviews. The results indicate that English teachers hold positive attitudes to multilingual awareness in general;however, there are belief differences between Mongolian and Han teachers;there exist discrepancies between English teachers’ beliefs about multilingual awareness and their teaching practice, and social-cultural environment, family language policy,teacher identity, learning experience, teaching materials, and, more importantly, teachers’ lack of awareness of fostering learners’ multilingual awareness lead to the discrepancies. The present research highlights the necessity of raising teacher awareness of cultivating multilingual awareness in future teacher development and emphasizes the significance of exploring the potential cognitive advantages of multilingualism in promoting L3 learning and developing English learners’ multilingual competence in the EFL context in China.

The mismatch of beliefs about learning English between Chinese university students and teachers

The present investigation aims to explore the existence of differences of beliefs about learning English held by Chinese non-English major university students and their teachers of English in the southwest of China. Two questionnaires were used to collect the data. Chi-square （Z2） tests were used to analyze the quantitative data from both students＇ and teachers＇ questionnaires. The results of the chi-square （Z2） tests revealed that 34 out of 44 （plus 2 additional） items of beliefs varied significantly between teachers and students.

Grammar Teaching Beliefs of a Pre-service Teacher： A Repertory Grid Analysis

Pre-service teachers＇ belief is a popular research topic in educational pedagogy. It is important to examine inexperienced teachers＇ beliefs related to the profession of teaching since they will continue pursuing these beliefs while carrying out their profession. These beliefs will affect their future teaching practices, professional judgments and ideas （Roberts, 2001; Borg, 2003）. This study aimed to investigate the personal theories of one pre-service teacher from an ELT （English Language Teaching） certificate program at a foundation university in Istanbul. Her beliefs about effective grammar teaching were represented by using repertory grid data. This qualitative case study report displayed the participant pre-service teachers＇ thinking through cycles of constructing and reconstructing her personal theories about grammar teaching. The findings of the study were discussed and some educational implications were suggested.

College English Teachers’ Beliefs on Network-based Language Learning

The advantages and disadvantages for learning English in the Network-based environment attract most researchers’concern nowadays.This study profiles college English teachers’beliefs about the networkbased language learning.The main finding is that teachers’beliefs about network-based language learning are heterogeneous and thus reflect a wide range in terms of the evolution of approaches and technology use.

An Analysis of Teachers’Reflections on Schiro’s Classification of Curriculum Ideologies

This research was carried out to determine which ideology teachers are closer to,by evaluating teachers’opinions on curriculum in terms of the"scholar academic ideology,"social efficiency ideology","learner-centered ideology",and"social reconstruction ideology".It is a qualitative research.The sample of the research consists of 15 teachers working in primary,secondary,and high schools.The research data were obtained from nine open-ended questions supported by sub-questions added to each.It has been observed that the teachers define the purpose of education,the source of knowledge,the definition of learning,the purpose of teaching,the purpose of student assessment,the evaluation of the program,the understanding of formative and summative evaluation of curriculum according to the"social efficiency ideology"from Schiro’s ideological classification.Teachers have also defined the source of knowledge,the definition of learning,and the purpose of teaching and student assessment according to"scholar academic ideology".In the results of the research,it was seen that the opinions of the teachers were influenced,albeit slightly,by the"learner-centered ideology"in evaluating students and determining the needs of the program.In light of these results,it is evident that teachers’philosophical opinions need to be strengthened.

Teachers’ Stated Beliefs About Focus on Form and Their Classroom Practice: A Comparison

According to Noticing Hypothesis, focus on form instruction is in nature an efficient approach to redirecting learner attention during input processing to linguistic elements both within and across utterances. This study examined the relationship between three teachers’ stated beliefs about focus on form and their classroom practice in intermediate EFL classes through classroom observations and interviews. The findings suggest that a tenuous relationship between the teachers’ stated beliefs and classroom practice regarding focus on form, which is implicational to EFL teacher professional development.

How Teachers' Beliefs Are in Accordance with Major SLA Notions

Current SLA theories have delivered important language-learning notions. This paper will report the results of a study into 64 high school English teachers＇ beliefs about language learning and their instructional practices, with a focus on two of them. A questionnaire was developed on the basis of major tenets of second language learning and administered to the 64 participants. In addition, classroom observations and interviews were employed to explore the two focal teachers＇ beliefs and their actual classroom instruction practices. Results show both consistencies and inconsistencies between the participants＇ beliefs and major SLA notions and between the two focal participants＇ beliefs and their classroom practices.

A Critical Review of Yang & Gao(2013)

This article reviews and reflects on Yang & Gao's research on beliefs and practices of Chinese university teachers in EFL writing instruction.After a summary of the major arguments, the author offers a detailed and balanced critique on Yang&Gao's research. In the end, the author comes to a conclusion based on her critique and proposes several implications it has on L2 writing instruction.

A Study of Ethnic Mongolian University EFL Teachers’ Beliefs and Decision Making

本研究采用定性(访谈和课堂观察)和定量(问卷调查)结合的研究方法,从90名受试中选取了3名蒙古族大学英语教师作为研究对象,探究特定文化背景下的蒙古族大学英语教师的教学信念与课堂决策的关系。定量研究结果发现:1)蒙古族大学英语教师的教学信念具有传统与现代相结合的特征,有些信念值得我们进一步的深入探究;2)教师的课堂决策受到他们学习经历、教学经历、培训经历和个人经历的影响;定性研究结果发现:1)教师报告的信念与课堂决策基本一致;2)教师"所倡导的理论"与他们"所采用的理论"之间有差异;3) 在这些教师的信念中,语言与文化是一个重复出现的主题。本研究结果表明蒙古族大学英语教师的教学信念与特定的民族文化交织在一起,对课堂决策产生了深远影响。

Chinese Teachers’Professional Identity and Beliefs about the Teacher-Student Relationships in an Intercultural Context

This paper presents a qualitative study of immigrant Chinese teachers’professional identity and beliefs about the teacher-student relationship in an intercultural context.Theoretically,this study takes its departure from a sociocultural perspective on understanding professional identity.The empirical analysis in the study drew mainly upon ethnographic interviews with a group of Chinese language teachers in Denmark concerning their life experiences,perceptions,and beliefs.The results of this study suggest that teachers’beliefs about their roles as teachers and about student-teacher relationships are shaped by both their prior experiences and backgrounds and the current social and cultural contexts in which they are situated.Changes of context(e.g.,from China to Denmark)often lead to a transformation of their professional identity and beliefs.Being a teacher in an intercultural context often exposes them to the confrontation of diverse challenges and dilemmas.On one hand,teachers in this study generally experienced a transformation from being a moral role model,subject expert,authority and parental role to being a learning facilitator and culture worker.On the other hand,they developed diverse individualized coping strategies to handle student-teacher interactions and other aspects of teachers’professional identity.

In-Service Teachers’Perceptions of Technology Integration in English as a Foreign Language Classrooms in China:A Multiple-Case Study

Purpose This study investigates university in-service English as a Foreign Language(EFL)teachers’perceptions of technology integration and the relevant factors that may affect their technology integration in the classroom.Design/Approach/Methods This multiple case study applies Teo's extended technology acceptance model(TAM)and the theory of teacher value beliefs associated with using technology to explore seven in-service EFL teachers’perceptions of effective technology integration and the challenges they encountered.Findings This study suggests that(1)perceived usefulness and(2)teacher value beliefs are two important factors that influence in-service teachers’technology integration.Additional factors are(3)subjective norm,(4)facilitating conditions of the environment,and(5)cultural values.Originality/Value This study contributes to the existing literature on in-service EFL teachers’technology integration and increases the applicability of the extended TAM in China.This study also provides insights into these teachers’perceptions and practices of technology integration.Finally,insights gleaned from this study will guide school-level,local,and national educational policy groups on optimally supporting in-service teachers’future technology integration.

“They Have It Better There”:Chinese Immigrant Teachers’Beliefs,Ideologies and Imaginaries in Cross-National Comparisons

This paper was written in response to a growing need to address the perceptions and experiences of immigrant teachers.Based on a critical intercultural theoretical perspective,which moves beyond typical“culture shock”and“adaptation”models of understanding and explaining immigrants’experiences,this paper makes use of the concepts of teacher beliefs,ideologies and imaginaries(Holliday,2010)in considering how Finland-based Chinese immigrant teachers perceive the position of being teachers of Chinese in Finland and Australia.An analysis of data from group discussions during a teacher training workshop indicates that these teachers constructed a“utopia”(Australia)and“dystopia”(Finland)of Chinese language teaching,and reveals that multiple factors have influenced these immigrant teachers’perceptions and experiences.Findings provide information for teacher educators and stakeholders to better understand and support immigrant teachers from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

When Teacher Autonomy Meets Management Autonomy to Enhance Learner Autonomy

Developing learner autonomy （LA） requires a shift of control from teachers to students. This development also relates to teacher autonomy （TA）, which requires school managers to relinquish some degree of their own autonomy （MA） to teachers. Thus, a problem arises： how can the three levels of control-shifts co-exist and survive in harmony, and ideally, thrive each in its own way？ Based on a recent case study, this paper aims to explore the complexity of the dynamic interaction between these three types of autonomy within an educational hierarchy. The study was conducted in a Chinese secondary school which was promoting whole-person development through a comprehensive innovation project. The participants comprised nine English teachers, the executive director, and the principal. Data collection methods included interviews, observations, and post-lesson discussions. Three issues are addressed in this paper： the principal＇s perceptions of LA, a classroom instruction model to cultivate LA, and a teacher training scheme to facilitate TA. The findings display a complex picture of these issues, and imply the importance of a genuine, shared understanding of the nature of autonomy and the need to carefully ensure the optimal balance among the three types of autonomy in the design and implementation of curriculum innovations.

CHANGING CURRICULUM,CHANGING PEDAGOGY:ELT FROM A COLLEGE TEACHER'S PERSPECTIVE IN CHINA

作者运用案例分析法对中学英语教师马老师的教师信念与教学实践进行了颇具深度的分析与探讨。作者结合丰富的第一手资料描述了马老师是如何在她所处的特殊教学环境下与新理念、新大纲、新教材、新教法等进行磨合,并如何克服现实环境中资源不足、教考矛盾等困难,进而做出恰当的教学决策的,为我们勾勒出一幅丰富多彩的教师教法立体图。作者指出,定型观念认为中国英语教师教法陈旧不变的看法是片面的,事实上,中国英语教师对于教学改革是持积极与开放的态度,但由于受到诸多内外因素的影响和限制,他们的教法变革是渐进的,讲求实效的。

Chinese Upper Elementary School Mathematics Teachers’Attitudes towards the Place and Value of Problematic Word Problems in Mathematics Education

Word problems play a crucial role in mathematics education.However,the authenticity of word problems is quite controversial.In terms of the necessity of realistic considerations to be taken into account in the solution process,word problems have been classified into two categories:standard word problems(S-items)and problematic word problems(P-items).S-items refer to those problems involving the straightforward application of one or more arithmetical operations with the given numbers,whereas P-items call for the use of real-world knowledge and real-life experience in the problem-solving process.This study aims to explore how Chinese upper elementary school mathematics teachers think of the place and value of P-items in the elementary mathematics curriculum.

Introduction to Special Column “Chinese as a Second Language Learning and Teaching”

Chinese as a second language （CSL） policy makers and scholars began to introduce task-based language teaching （TBLT） to CSL teaching more than a decade ago. However, policy innovations or theoretical precepts are not necessarily the blueprints of teachers＇ classroom practice. It is assumed that teachers are more likely to accept or apply the new approach if the new philosophy is concordant with their existing beliefs. This study attempts to examine the prospect of TBLT application in CSL teaching by exploring the extent to which TBLT philosophy has found its way into CSL teachers＇ beliefs. The research also probes into teachers＇ practices to explore whether their beliefs in TBLT could be actualized. A questionnaire, classroom observations and interviews have been employed. The results indicate that the Chinese teachers have strong faith in the effectiveness of TBLT, but they doubt its feasibility. Their difficulties and confusion in realizing their beliefs in practice, in turn, lead to their faith in TBLT philosophy having a peripheral status in their belief system. This may imply the bi-directional causal relationships between teachers＇ beliefs and practices. The factors revealed make clear the responsibilities or measures to be taken at social-cultural, institutional and internal levels. The findings generate empirical insights into implementations of pedagogical innovations.