Training 21st Century English Language Teachers in Turkish Context: Development of a Technology-Enhanced Measurement Curriculum

Yıl 2023, Cilt: 14 Sayı: Özel Sayı, 345 - 358, 21.10.2023

Burcu Şentürk , Beyza Aksu Dünya , Mehmet Can Demir

https://doi.org/10.21031/epod.1261763

Öz

A case study that included 26 English Language teacher candidates was designed for developing an evidence-based measurement curriculum in Turkey, examining teacher candidates’ experiences on the newly developed course and taking remedial actions for updating the syllabus if needed. Data was collected using multiple sources: a pre-course survey, weekly discussion board on Edmodo and a post-course survey. Survey data obtained from rating-scale items was analyzed using descriptive statistics and data visualization packages embedded in R. Open-ended survey data and discussion board data were content-analyzed using MaxQDA software. The results revealed that students had limited awareness regarding assessment for learning concept and digital tools that could be used for assessment for learning purposes at the beginning of the course. Course content, in-class activities and projects helped them develop hands-on skills in developing sound language assessments as well as raised their awareness with respect to the importance of computer-based language assessment.

Anahtar Kelimeler

digital literacy, language assessment, computer-based assessment, language assessment literacy, English language teaching

Kaynakça

• Ahn, J., & McEachin, A. (2017). Student enrollment patterns and achievement in Ohio’s online charter schools. Educational Researcher, 46(1), 44-57. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X17692999
• Alderson, J. C. (2000). Technology in testing: The present and the future. System, 28(4), 593–603. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0346-251X(00)00040-3
• Angell, J., DuBravac, S., & Gonglewski, M. (2008). Thinking globally, acting locally: Selecting textbooks for college-level language programs. Foreign Language Annals, 41(3), 562–573. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2008.tb03312.x
• Arslan, A. (2023). Determining the Effect of University Students' Technology Usage Levels on Digital Reading Self-Efficacy. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education, 12(1), 73-84. https://doi.org/10.14686/buefad.993603
• Atman Uslu, N. (2022). Exploring Pre-service Teachers’ Perception Regarding Factors in Technology Integration with Q Methodology. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education, 11(3), 543-558. https://doi.org/10.14686/buefad.1001562
• Balıkcıoğlu Akkuş, G. & Altay, İ. F. (2023). Instructor’s Written Feedback in Emergency Remote Teaching: EFL Learners’ Perspectives. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education, 12 (1), 47-56. https://doi.org/10.14686/buefad.977978
• Biyik, C. O. (2007). A preliminary evaluation of the distance English language teacher training program (DELTTP) in Anadolu University, Turkey. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE, 8(1), 143–162.
• Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research Methods in Education. Routledge.
• Collins, J. (1992). Our ideologies and theirs. Pragmatics, 2(3), 405–415.
• Comeaux, P. (2002). Communication and collaboration in the online classroom. Anker.
• Compton, L. K. (2009). Preparing language teachers to teach language online: A look at skills, roles, and responsibilities. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 22(1), 73-99. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588220802613831
• Coskun, H. (2009). Türkiye ve Almanya’da yabancı dil öğretmeni yetiştirme programlarının karşılaştırılması [The comparison of teacher training programmes in Turkey and Germany]. C.Ü. Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 33(1), 61–73.
• Center for Research on Educational Outcomes (CREDO). (2015). Online charter school study. Stanford University. https://credo.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj6481/f/online_charter_study_final.pdf
• Doğançay-Aktuna, S., & Kızıltepe, Z. (2005). English in Turkey. World Englishes, 24(2), 253-265. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-971X.2005.00408.x
• Dunworth, K. (2008). Ideas and Realities: Investigating good practice in the management of transnational English language programmes for the higher education sector. Quality in Higher Education, 14(2), 95–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/13538320802278099
• Edmodo. (2022). About Edmodo. Retrieved from https://go.edmodo.com/about/
• Er, K. O. (2006). Evaluation of English curricula in 4th and 5th grade primary schools. Ankara University, Journal of Faculty of Educational Sciences, 39(2), 1–25.
• Erdem, A. (2009). Comparing the language curriculums of Turkey and Ireland. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1), 529–535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2009.01.095
• Eyal, L. (2010). The reciprocity between learning-content management system (LCMS) and the assessment of learners in E-learning courses (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
• Fox, R. K., & Diaz-Greenberg, R. (2006). Culture, multiculturalism, and foreign/world language standards in U.S. teacher preparation programs: Toward a discourse of dissonance. European Journal of Teacher Education, 29(3), 401–422. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619760600795270
• Greenier, V., Derakhshan, A., and Fathi, J. (2021). Emotion regulation and psychological well-being in teacher work engagement: a case of British and Iranian English language teachers. System, 97:102446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102446
• Grenfell, M., Kelly, M., & Jones,D. (2003). The European language teacher: recent trends and future developments in teacher education. Peter Lang.
• Gredler, M. E. (1996). Educational games and simulation: A technology in search of a research paradigm. In D. H. Jonassen (Ed.), Handbook of research for educational communications and technology (pp. 521-540). Simon & Schuster Macmillan.
• Grosse, C. U., & Benseler, D. P. (1991). Directory of foreign language teacher preparation programs in the United States: A preliminary report. In Acting on Priorities: A Commitment to Excellence. Report of Southern Conference on Language Teaching, FL, 20p.
• Güven, I., & Demirhan Iscan, C. (2006). The reflections of new elementary education curriculum on media. Ankara University, Journal of Faculty of Educational Sciences, 39(2), 95–123. https://doi.org/10.1501/Egifak_0000000142 Harris, J. (2009). Late-stage refocusing of Irish-language programme evaluation: Maximizing the potential for productive debate and remediation. Language Teaching Research, 13(1), 55-76. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168808095523
• Jeong, K.-O. (2017) Preparing EFL student teachers with new technologies in the Korean context. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 30(6), 488-509. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2017.1321554
• Jiang, A. L. (2022). Identity work as ethical self-formation: the case of two Chinese EFL teachers in the context of curriculum reform. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 6355. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.774759
• Jiang, A. L., and Zhang, L. J. (2021). Teacher learning as identity change: the case of EFL teachers in the context of curriculum reform. TESOL Quarterly, 55(1), 271–284. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3017
• Karakas, A. (2012). Evaluation of the English Language Teacher Education Program in Turkey. ELT Weekly, 4(15). Retrieved from http://www.eltweekly.com/elt-newsletter/2012/04/vol-4-issue-15-research-article-evaluation-of-the-english-language-teachereducation-program-in-turkey-by-ali-karakas/
• Kassambara, A. (2020). Ggpubr: ’ggplot2’ based publication ready plots. https://CRAN. R-project.org/package=ggpubr
• Kim, C. J. H., & Padilla, A. M. (2020). Technology for educational purposes among low-income Latino children living in a mobile park in Silicon Valley: A case study before and during COVID-19. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 42(4), 497-514. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986320959764
• Lee, Y.-F., Altschuld, J. W., & Hung, H.-L. (2008). Practices and challenges in educational program evaluation in the Asia-Pacific region: Results of a Delphi study. Evaluation and Program Planning, 31(4), 368–375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2008.08.003
• Lei, M. (2022). Teachers’ Perceptions of Curriculum Innovation in English Language Teaching in China. Wuhan: Huazhong University of Science and Technology Press.
• Lei, M., & Medwell, J. (2022). The Changing Role of Chinese English-as-Foreign-Language Teachers in the Context of Curriculum Reform: Teachers’ Understanding of Their New Role. Frontiers in Psychology, 13:904071. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.904071
• Lei, P., & Xu, J. (2022). Development of college English teachers’ psychological empowerment scale: a validation study. Frontiers in Psychology, 13:846081. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.846081
• Liang, X., & Creasy, K. (2004). Classroom assessment in web-based instructional environment: Instructors’ experience. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, 9(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.7275/84mr-wp41
• Llosa, L., & Slayton, J. (2009). Using program evaluation to inform and improve the education of young English language learners in US schools. Language Teaching Research, 13(1), 35–54. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168808095522
• Lozano, A. S., Sung, H., Padilla, A. M., & Silva, D. M. (2002). Evaluation of professional development for language teachers in California. Foreign Language Annals, 35(2), 161–170. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2002.tb03152.x
• Lozano, A. S., Sung, H., Padilla, A. M., & Silva, D. M. (2008). A statewide professional development program for California foreign language teachers. Foreign Language Annals, 37(2), 301–309. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2004.tb02202.x
• Luke, C. L., & Britten, J. S. (2007). The expanding role of technology in foreign language teacher education programs. CALICO Journal, 24(2), 253–267.
• Lynch, B. K. (1990). A context-adaptive model for program evaluation. TESOL Quarterly, 24(1), 23–42. https://doi.org/10.2307/3586850
• Masood, M. (2010). An Initial Comparison of Educational Technology Courses for Training Teachers at Malaysian Universities: A Comparative Study. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology-TOJET, 9(1), 23-27.
• Mercader, C., & Gairín, J. (2020). University teachers' perception of barriers to the use of digital technologies: the importance of the academic discipline. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 17(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-020-0182-x
• Muslem, A., Yusuf, Y. Q., & Juliana, R. (2018). Perceptions and barriers to ICT use among English teachers in Indonesia. Teaching English with Technology, 18(1), 3-23.
• Nunan, D. (2003). The impact of English as a global language on educational policies and practices in the Asia-Pacific Region. TESOL Quarterly, 37(4), 589-613. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588214
• Oguz, A. (2009). An evaluation of suitability of practices in teacher training programs for the constructivism depending on the teacher trainees’ views. Ankara University, Journal of Faculty of Educational Sciences, 42(1), 129–155. https://doi.org/10.1501/Egifak_0000001141
• Ornstein, A. C., & Hunkins, F. P. (2014). Curriculum: Foundations, principles and theory. Sage.
• Peacock, M. (2009). The evaluation of foreign-language-teacher education programmes. Language Teaching Research, 13(3), 259–278. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168809104698
• Posavac, E. J., & Carey, R. G. (2003). Program evaluation methods and case studies (6th ed.). Prentice Hall. R Core Team (2022). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. https://www.R-project.org/
• Rivera, G. M., & Matsuzawa, C. (2007). Multiple-language program assessment: Learners’ perspectives on first- and second-year college foreign language programs and their implications for program improvement. Foreign Language Annals, 40(4), 569–583. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2007.tb02881.x
• Rolstad, K., Mahoney, K., & Glass, G. V. (2005). The big picture: A meta-analysis of program effectiveness research on English language learners. Educational Policy, 19(4), 572–594. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904805278067
• Romeo, K., & Dyer, M. (2004). Adapting to changing needs: A teacher-led Japanese FLES program. Learning Languages, 10(1), 10–15.
• Schmid, E. C., & Hegelheimer, V. (2014). Collaborative research projects in the technology-enhanced language classroom: Pre-service and in-service teachers exchange knowledge about technology. ReCALL, 26(3), 315-332. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344014000135
• Seferoğlu, G. (2006) Teacher candidates' reflections on some components of a pre‐service English teacher education programme in Turkey. Journal of Education for Teaching, 32(4), 369-378. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607470600981953
• Selvi, K. (2010). Motivating factors in online courses. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 819-824. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.110
• Shulman, L. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 57(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.57.1.j463w79r56455411
• Stahl, N. A., & King, J. R. (2020). Expanding approaches for research: Understanding and using trustworthiness in qualitative research. Journal of Developmental Education, 44(1), 26-28.
• Sullivan, J. H. (2006). The importance of program evaluation in collegiate foreign language programs. The Modern Language Journal, 90(4), 590–593.
• Tao, J., and Gao, X. (2017). Teacher agency and identity commitment in curricular reform. Teaching and Teacher Education, 63, 346–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.01.010
• Uslu, Z. (2006). Almanca Öğretmenliği bölümlerinde secmeli kırk kredilik İngilizce dersinin etkileri [The effect of the elective forty-credits English course in the German language teacher training departments]. Uludağ Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 19, 415–430.
• Uzun, L. (2016). The educational and technical courses in the ELT program in Turkey: Do they contribute to ICT skills? Cogent Education, 3(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1141454
• Vähäsantanen, K. (2015). Professional agency in the stream of change: Understanding educational change and teachers' professional identities. Teaching and Teacher Education, 47, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2014.11.006
• Vähäsantanen, K., and Eteläpelto, A. (2009). Vocational teachers in the face of a major educational reform: Individual ways of negotiating professional identities. Journal of Education and Work, 22(1), 15-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080802709620
• Yang, H. (2015). Teacher mediated agency in educational reform in China. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15925-6
• VERBI Software. (2019). MAXQDA 2020 [computer software]. Berlin, Germany: VERBI Software. Available from https://maxqda.com
• Wickham, H. (2016). ggplot2: Elegant Graphics for Data Analysis. Springer-Verlag New York. https://ggplot2.tidyverse.org.
• Yang, Y. T. C., Chen, Y. C., & Hung, H. T. (2022). Digital storytelling as an interdisciplinary project to improve students’ English speaking and creative thinking. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(4), 840-862. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2020.1750431
• Yazici, S., Yildiz Durak, H., Aksu Dünya, B., & Şentürk, B. (2022). Online versus face-to-face cheating: The prevalence of cheating behaviours during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic among Turkish University students. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 39(1), 231-254. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12743
• Yildiz, C. (2003). Yabancı dil öğretmeni yetiştirme programında yeni yapılanma (Dersler-İçerikler: Eleştirel bir yaklaşım) [A new construction in the foreign language teacher training programme (Lessons-Contents: A Critical Approach)]. Dil Dergisi, 121, 7-21.
• Yilmaz, C. (2005). How far are the teacher trainees’ communicative needs are taken into account in ELT departments? Ondokuzmayıs Üniversitesi Egitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 19, 92–103.
• Zehir Topkaya, E., & Kücük, Ö. (2010). An evaluation of the 4th and 5th grade English language teaching program. Elementary Education Online, 9(1), 52–65.
• Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (2020). ZOOM cloud meetings (Version 5.11.10). Available from https://zoom.com