ERIC Number: ED574789
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2329-7913
EISSN: N/A
Authentic Teaching Opportunities of English for Primary Students as a Community of Practice: "A Case of Pre-Service Teacher Education at a Japanese University"
Okumura, Shinji
Online Submission, International Journal of English Language Teaching v4 n2 p20-26 2017
This case study explored what pre-service teachers learned through authentic experiences of English teaching for primary students, drawing upon the concept of a Community of Practice. A total of 21 pre-service teachers engaged in the training project--including planning, preparing, and teaching lessons--and wrote reflection papers after thinking about their activities. The focal data was the pre-service teachers' written work, which was analyzed with a qualitative approach. Follow-up interviews were conducted for selected pre-service teachers. The findings indicated that the project contributed to allowing the pre-service teachers to develop knowledge and skills for primary English education. The study also confirmed that the training project promoted solidarity, especially between the old-timers and the newcomers. On the other hand, the typical Japanese school culture seemed to function as an obstacle to allowing the old-timers and the newcomers to become acquainted enough.
Descriptors: Case Studies, Communities of Practice, Preservice Teachers, Interviews, School Culture, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Elementary School Teachers, Elementary School Students, Educational Planning, Teaching Methods, Student Attitudes, Reflection, Qualitative Research, Writing (Composition), Foreign Countries
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Japan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A