The manifestations of micro and macro categories of pedagogical content knowledge in the practices of prospective EFL teachers

Abstract

The present study was undertaken through a qualitative research model in order to examine which subcategories of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) emerged during the practicum process of four novice English teachers enrolled in a teaching certificate (formation) program at a public university. The teaching sessions of four prospective teachers (PTs) were recorded and follow-up interviews were conducted with the prospective teachers. Stimulated recall technique was used in the interviews. Each prospective teacher was observed for four times and the lessons conducted by prospective teachers were recorded. The PCK categorization suggested by Moradkhani et al. (2013) was utilized. They categorized PCK in 8 macro categories with accompanying micro categories. The study was conducted throughout one semester in which the novice teachers were supposed to complete their practicum. The results indicated that knowledge of students is extremely important in the language teaching process, which is followed by knowledge of transferring knowledge and knowledge of teaching techniques. Further, findings also indicate that PTs need development in knowledge of language, knowledge of language teaching methods, and knowledge of linguistics. PTs must develop insight into how to provide effective input.

An investigation of the relation between pre-service EFL teachers’ emotions and their approaches to teaching

“…This is actually a perennial issue for pre-service and novice teachers. As was indicated by Sarıçoban and Kırmızı (2020), pre-service and novice EFL teachers live very frequent and intense emotional breakdowns, mostly due to disruptions in their lesson plans and disruptive behavior.…”

Applied linguistics and language education research in Turkey: 2016–2022

“…In addition to examining the standards of language teacher education programs, studies have also focused on different aspects of them such as the practicum experience (Aydın & Ok, 2022;Karakaş & Erten, 2021;Sarıçoban & Kırmızı, 2020). Both Aydın and Ok (2022) and Sarıçoban and Kırmızı (2020) explored the perceptions of students and their supervisors/mentors during the crucial practicum portion of teacher education programs.…”

“…In addition to examining the standards of language teacher education programs, studies have also focused on different aspects of them such as the practicum experience (Aydın & Ok, 2022;Karakaş & Erten, 2021;Sarıçoban & Kırmızı, 2020). Both Aydın and Ok (2022) and Sarıçoban and Kırmızı (2020) explored the perceptions of students and their supervisors/mentors during the crucial practicum portion of teacher education programs. In Aydın and Ok's (2022) study, both mentors and supervisors, to a large extent, agreed upon the mentors' responsibilities for various roles (e.g., trainer-informant; role model; protector; assessor-evaluator; facilitator-supporter; collaborator; observer-feedback provider; reflector; and friend-colleague).…”

“…However, the student teachers expressed much more mixed opinions about their mentors’ actual fulfillment of them. For example, the mentors’ success as trainer-informants was questioned by many students, though more saw their mentors as serving successfully as ‘role models.’ Sarıçoban and Kırmızı (2020), on the other hand, used stimulated recalls following four recorded teaching sessions by each participant over one semester, to understand the extent to which the eight macro categories of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) (Moradkhani et al, 2013) were materialized. Perhaps the most surprising and, ultimately, discouraging finding, was the student teachers’ low level of English language knowledge, and thus their inability to provide effective input for their students.…”