Situating strategy use: students learning, teachers learning 16 th October 2015Zarina Markova Klagenfurt Stefanie Stefanova

The educational context Schools Universities English language teacher training Choice of research topic

The study: Teaching language learning strategies to 12-/13-year-olds My student/colleague 3 levels of exploration: Teaching LLS to 7-graders Growing as a teacher/researcher Growing as a teacher educator

Stages 1.Teaching LLS to 7-graders Theoretical overview. Analysis of students’ attitudes to learning English (!) Analysis of the curriculum. Coursebook analysis and adaptation. Trial of the adapted procedures/techniques/ materials. Observation and analysis. Evaluation. 2. Growing as a teacher/researcher (Self) observation and analysis 3. Growing as a teacher educator How to promote more reflection on teaching practice among student teachers? Analysis of the 3-level experience.

Data collection 1. Teaching LLS to 7-graders Survey of students’ attitudes to learning English(!) Research journal (self-observation & post-lesson discussions with the mentor). 2. Growing as a teacher/researcher 2 semi-structured interviews with the mentor: during the implementation stage, and after it. 1 structured written interview with Stefanie aiming at more reflection. To be finished till the end of October. The communication during the writing process and the dissertation itself. 3. Growing as a teacher educator

Anticipated problems or constraints Insufficient preparation for research. No experience in teaching/supervising research. Different expectations. Balance between providing support and freedom. Time constraints.

Findings Teaching LLS to 7-graders 1. Curriculum analysis Recommends teaching compensatory strategies for overcoming communication problems. Makes implicit references to social and metacognitive strategies. 2. Coursebook analysis Rubrics Study skills included, but not thorough and sufficient. Coursebook adaptation to include more strategy teaching.

Findings Teaching LLS to 7-graders Conclusions based on Stefanie’s self- observation of teaching LLS (confirmed by the mentor) More advanced students: no change in performance accuracy; change in speed. Less advanced students: improvement observed in their receptive skills in terms of accuracy and speed. Different explanations of the observed improvement by the trainee teacher and the mentor.

Findings Growing as a teacher/researcher 1. Evidence of self-criticism: The aims partially fulfilled. Recognition of the time constraints, lack of experience. 2. Supervisor’s observations: Document analysis: Best performance at curriculum/coursebook analysis. Difficulties with more academic texts; Initial problems with academic vs commercial texts; Problems with expressing personal opinion.

Findings Growing as a teacher/researcher Coursebook adaptation Depth in the operationalization of the chosen strategies. Emphasis on strategies for reading, listening and speaking only. No time for student reflection on the usefulness of the taught strategies. Self-observation and analysis. Research journals – more details would be helpful.

Food for thought Growing as a teacher educator The aim of a bachelor dissertation. How to provide more experience with (in) research. How to provide support without being didactic. Implicit vs explicit guidance. Mode of communication. More discussion on expectations.

Thank you!