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ERIC Number: EJ1213980
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0965-8416
EISSN: N/A
The Effects of a Functional Linguistics-Based Course on Teachers' Beliefs about Grammar
Swierzbin, Bonnie; Reimer, Julia
Language Awareness, v28 n1 p31-48 2019
This mixed-methods study uses concept maps to investigate the effects of an English pedagogical grammar course on the beliefs of teachers-in-training (n = 40) enrolled over a 2-year period at a private university in the U.S. Midwest. The course takes a functional approach to grammar based on systemic-functional linguistics and is typically the first exposure to functional grammar that these teachers-in-training experience with either their own language learning or prior coursework. As a result, this study was designed to explore the extent to which participants integrate this approach with their pre-course beliefs. Analysis of participants' pre-course concept maps indicates that they mainly believe grammar to consist of structures at the word and morpheme levels. Quantitative comparisons of pre- and post-course concept maps reveal that this belief continues to hold even as participants show much growth in knowledge about grammar at the sentence and discourse levels. An in-depth qualitative analysis of maps from a subset of participants (n = 7) shows that only two substantially shifted their beliefs about teaching grammar functionally. The findings have practical implications for course design and overall programme design in language teacher education programmes.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A