Power, ESL Teacher Candidates and Knowledge Base Construction Francis Bangou, PhD Douglas Fleming, PhD Universite d'Ottawa/ University of Ottawa/ Faculte d'education/ Faculty of Education/ ACLA 2010

Purpose To analyze teacher candidates’ knowledge base construction related to 1) ESL teaching and learning theories; 2) English Language Learners (ELL); and 3) Teaching ESL. To analyze teacher candidates’ knowledge base construction related to 1) ESL teaching and learning theories; 2) English Language Learners (ELL); and 3) Teaching ESL. To analyze the contributions of a blog to the construction of such knowledge base To analyze the contributions of a blog to the construction of such knowledge base

Second Language Teachers’ Knowledge Base (SLTKB) Traditionally based on: applied linguistics applied linguistics methodology methodology second language acquisition theories second language acquisition theories According to Freeman & Johnson (1998): socially constructed socially constructed should be centered on the teacher, the context, and the pedagogy should be centered on the teacher, the context, and the pedagogy

Blogs Easily accessible and free; Easily accessible and free; Enable one to post and respond to messages on the web; Enable one to post and respond to messages on the web; Promote reflective social as well as individual learning (Lin & Yuang, 2006); Promote reflective social as well as individual learning (Lin & Yuang, 2006); Transfer in-class activities outside of the classroom (Kuzu, 2007). Transfer in-class activities outside of the classroom (Kuzu, 2007).

Setting the Stage An optional methodology course in ESL (3.5hrs/week for 5 weeks). An optional methodology course in ESL (3.5hrs/week for 5 weeks). Four blog entries (100 words) and four comments (50 words) that could be posted anytime during the session. Four blog entries (100 words) and four comments (50 words) that could be posted anytime during the session. As professors we did not contribute to the blog. As professors we did not contribute to the blog.

Methodology 31 participants 31 participants Blog postings and comments; eight semi-structured interviews Blog postings and comments; eight semi-structured interviews Discourse analysis (Johnstone, 2008) Discourse analysis (Johnstone, 2008) Patterns and unique experiences Patterns and unique experiences

Facilitation of the reflective process It was fun - “Yeah that was fun.” It was fun - “Yeah that was fun.” Awareness of colleagues’ opinions - “It just made me more aware of what other people were thinking.” Awareness of colleagues’ opinions - “It just made me more aware of what other people were thinking.” Safe space – no live audience; no instructor - “There’s no instructor at the front of the classroom who’s guiding your discussion Safe space – no live audience; no instructor - “There’s no instructor at the front of the classroom who’s guiding your discussion

Time to process the information: “Within the blog postings people would write really thoughtful things and have the time to spell it out, the way they were thinking of it.” Time to process the information: “Within the blog postings people would write really thoughtful things and have the time to spell it out, the way they were thinking of it.”

Concern I’ll be honest. It wasn’t so beneficial…Yeah. And, and the reason is because the blog...there was an agenda for it. Like, the blog...you had to write something based on the readings or something like that. And then you were doing it because that was part of your mark. That was...so there was the motivation for doing it, itself. The other thing with the blog that I discovered was that it was really...it really was the same people over and over again to contribute. Like there was a few that I don’t think ever did contribute, or that wouldn’t really...wouldn’t really post something that was more of a critical thinking type. It was more like, ‘Oh yes. I agree with this.’ Not so much of questioning, ahh...you know, ‘cause I think there were people who questioned about learning and uh- m, what do you mean...they would say like, ‘What do you mean by this?’ I’ll be honest. It wasn’t so beneficial…Yeah. And, and the reason is because the blog...there was an agenda for it. Like, the blog...you had to write something based on the readings or something like that. And then you were doing it because that was part of your mark. That was...so there was the motivation for doing it, itself. The other thing with the blog that I discovered was that it was really...it really was the same people over and over again to contribute. Like there was a few that I don’t think ever did contribute, or that wouldn’t really...wouldn’t really post something that was more of a critical thinking type. It was more like, ‘Oh yes. I agree with this.’ Not so much of questioning, ahh...you know, ‘cause I think there were people who questioned about learning and uh- m, what do you mean...they would say like, ‘What do you mean by this?’

Question How committed were the teacher candidates if they approached this exercise mostly as another assignment that they had to complete? How committed were the teacher candidates if they approached this exercise mostly as another assignment that they had to complete?

Surviving the program Time management strategies - “I think what happened was a lot of people ended up saving their blogs for the very end so that last week they really hammered out, you know, four or five blogs, or whatever the required amount was.” Time management strategies - “I think what happened was a lot of people ended up saving their blogs for the very end so that last week they really hammered out, you know, four or five blogs, or whatever the required amount was.” Relying on what was written in the syllabus Relying on what was written in the syllabus Paraphrasing the content of the course – “we need to provide support for them within the pedagogical context of the classrooms.” Paraphrasing the content of the course – “we need to provide support for them within the pedagogical context of the classrooms.”

Power relations As instructors, the fact that we did not participate in the blog discussion did not remove the power relations at work in the context of the program. As instructors, the fact that we did not participate in the blog discussion did not remove the power relations at work in the context of the program.

Recommendations All the expectations and instructions should be clearly written on the syllabus and consistently applied All the expectations and instructions should be clearly written on the syllabus and consistently applied Make it mandatory to post an entry and a comment every week. Make it mandatory to post an entry and a comment every week. Provide explicit guidance Provide explicit guidance Be a model Be a model

References Freeman, D, & Johnson, K. (1998). Reconceptualizing the knowledge-base of language teacher education. TESOL Quarterly, 32(3), Freeman, D, & Johnson, K. (1998). Reconceptualizing the knowledge-base of language teacher education. TESOL Quarterly, 32(3), Johnstone, B. (2008). Discourse analysis. Blackwell Publishing Johnstone, B. (2008). Discourse analysis. Blackwell Publishing Kuzu, A. (2007). Views of pre-service teachers on blog use for instruction and social interaction. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 8(2), Kuzu, A. (2007). Views of pre-service teachers on blog use for instruction and social interaction. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 8(2), Lin, H.T. & Yuan S.M. (2006). Taking blogs as a platform of learning reflective journal. ICWL, Lin, H.T. & Yuan S.M. (2006). Taking blogs as a platform of learning reflective journal. ICWL,