Journal Article

Factors influencing language teacher cognition: An ecological systems study

Ketabi, Saeed, Mohammadzadeh Mohammadabadi, Alireza, Nejadansari, Dariush

2019

Overview

Learning about language teacher cognition (LTC) is useful for understanding how language teachers act in the classroom. Employing an ecological framework, this study aimed to explore the factors influencing language teachers’ LTCs at different levels. To this end, qualitative data using semi-structured interviews and observation were collected from 62 (30 males and 32 females) Iranian EFL teachers. The results indicated that, at microsystem level, factors such as teaching equipment and facilities, teachers’ mood and feelings, their job satisfaction, and language proficiency influenced LTC. At mesosystem level, LTC was influenced by teachers’ prior learning experience, the collaboration and collegiality among teachers working in the language institute, teachers’ self-efficacy, and critical incidents that happened when teaching or learning. Additionally, the results indicated that exosystem level factors including teacher appraisal criteria, the teaching program and curriculum, and teacher immunity affected LTC. Moreover, LTC was subject to the influence of the government’s attitudes about ELT and religious beliefs about self and interaction, and friendliness with students at macrosystem level. More importantly, it was found that the factors influencing LTC were interrelated and interconnected and in several cases, LTC was a product of joint effect of several factors at various ecosystem levels. Finally, findings in this study suggest that language teaching programs provide recent educational technology in the classroom, foster collaboration and collegiality among teachers, and clarify teacher appraisal criteria for teachers in order to help create positive language teaching beliefs.

• Publisher: Adam Mickiewicz University,Adam Mickiewicz University Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts,Adam Mickiewicz University Department of English Studies,Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
• Subject: Appraisal / Book publishing / Classroom communication / Classrooms / Cognition / Collaboration / Collegiality / Competence / Cooperative learning / Criteria / Critical incidents / Curricula / Curriculum / ecological perspective / Ecosystems / Education / Educational Facilities / Educational innovations / Educational Resources / Educational Technology / Emotional Response / Emotions / English (Second language) / English as a second language instruction / English teachers / Evaluation Criteria / exosystem / Foreign Countries / Government Role / Immunity / Job Satisfaction / Kindness / Language / Language acquisition / Language attitudes / Language instruction / Language Proficiency / language teacher cognition / Language Teachers / Language thought relationship / Learning / Long term care / macrosystem / mesosystem / microsystem / Prior Learning / Religion / Religious attitudes / Religious beliefs / Satisfaction / Second Language Instruction / Second language teachers / Self Efficacy / Students / Teacher Attitudes / Teacher Collaboration / Teacher evaluation / Teacher Student Relationship / Teachers / Teaching / Teaching Experience / Technology