Mandates, needs, equitable resources, and current research in English language teacher education: The case of Turkey

Abstract

Improving the quality of English language teacher education (ELTE) programs has become a major point of consideration; however, such programmatic evaluations are markedly rare.This study utilizes both numeric and interpretive qualitative data in a blended research design. The study addresses, vis-à-vis current research in related fields: What is the current situation of the Turkish ELTE programs in terms of curriculum strength and faculty resources? How do the program directors and teacher candidates envision the situation of their programs in terms of curriculum strength and faculty resources? Data included 45 ELTE curricula, interviews with 24 program directors and pre-service teachers, documents, and test scores. Findings revealed several significant associations between school type (public/private) and rank (low/high) and the number of faculty with expertise in critical areas in the field. Qualitative critical evaluations suggest both perceptual matches and mismatches between program directors and teacher candidates regarding programmatic strengths and weaknesses.

The identity (re)construction of nonnative English teachers stepping into native Turkish teachers’ shoes

“…For instance, in Atay's (2005) study, Turkish prospective teachers of English regarded having native-like competence as the main purpose of English language teaching, and reported that having a native teacher is more advantageous in order to develop a native-like accent. From a different perspective, exploring English language teacher education programs in Turkey, Cepik and Polat (2014) claimed that teacher educators expect teachers to have near-native proficiency in English. Confirming the results of Atay (2005) and Cepik and Polat's (2014) research, this study highlights the fact that that native speaker norms are still influential in the pre-service education programs in Turkey.…”

“…From a different perspective, exploring English language teacher education programs in Turkey, Cepik and Polat (2014) claimed that teacher educators expect teachers to have near-native proficiency in English. Confirming the results of Atay (2005) and Cepik and Polat's (2014) research, this study highlights the fact that that native speaker norms are still influential in the pre-service education programs in Turkey.…”