Promoting efl pre-service teachers’ self-directed learning through electronic portfolios: a case study

Download
2010
Ayan, Didem
The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of electronic portfolio building in development of self-directed learning by fostering reflective thinking through electronic journals and by compelling individual to take responsibility and control of one’s own learning in a practicum course among pre-service teachers from the Department of Foreign Language Education, Middle East Technical University. A qualitative case study research method was applied to analyze the data gathered from pre- and post-ICT surveys, pre- and post Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scales, interviews, and the electronic journals and artifacts demonstrated in pre-service teachers’ web-based electronic portfolios. The data were collected from eight 4th grade undergraduate pre-service teachers enrolled in School Experience course of the English Language Teaching program at METU during 2008-2009 Fall Term. Electronic portfolios, having the opportunity to provide multimedia displays, allow the pre-service teachers to monitor the outcomes of their learning goals and strategies regularly and by monitoring their studies and reflections they review their own work and have a chance to evaluate their learning and teaching process. Essentially, portfolios transfer the responsibility of learning and decision making to the student with its dynamic process; when students are required to reflect on the information they acquire and on how they acquire this information, they begin to accept their learning practice as a process under their control. This study recognizes the notion that information and communication technologies are crucial to teacher education for both learning and teaching; and takes the constructivist stance that using ICTs tools, mainly electronic portfolios in this case, enhances reflective thinking, authentic self-assessment, self-management, and ownership over learning process and facilitates technological competence which all in all foster self-direction in learning.

Suggestions

Exploring the perceptions of teachers about their current and desired competencies defined by CEF and ELP: a case study
Tandıroğlu, Işıl; Daloğlu, Ayşegül; Department of English Literature (2008)
The purpose of this study is to find out the required teacher competencies in the implementation of the Common European Framework (CEF) and the English Language Portfolio (ELP) and to explore the perceptions of teachers about their current and desired competencies defined by CEF and ELP. The required competencies for the teachers are defined in the book calledCommon European Framework of Reference for Languages. This book being a reference for the whole European Union countries, identifies required teacher ...
Long-term potentiation in teaching vocabulary in foreign language
Bilgin, Zikri; Doyran, Feyza; Department of English Language Teaching (2010)
This thesis mainly intends to study and reach some conclusions related to major challenges concerning vocabulary teaching or learning, how vocabulary teaching can be improved, findings obtained from the studies in order to reach that purpose and to what extend the suggested alternative vocabulary techniques are effective. It is also aimed to outline the basic insights of the mind, storage, and retrieval from the literature involving linguistics and language teaching. Based on above mentioned background know...
The place of the native culture in the english language classroom
Gülcü, Meriç; Bear, Joshua; Department of Foreign Language Education (2010)
The aim of this study is to investigate the place of the students‟ native culture in the English language classrooms in the context of the English 101 course at Middle East Technical University. In accordance with this aim, the study is concerned with revealing the opinions and beliefs of language teachers regarding the importance of integrating the students‟ native cultures into their classes and their attitudes about practicing culturally responsive teaching in multi-cultural classrooms. During the proces...
In-service EFL teacher’s research experiences in an online professional learning community: a qualitative multiple case study
Karakaya Yıldırım, Nuriy; Savaş, Perihan; Department of English Language Teaching (2019)
The aim of this dissertation was “to investigate the effects of conducting teacher research on in- service English teachers’ views of themselves as researchers, their teacher roles and their professional development as well as to find out how participating in an online professional learning community affect in- service English teacher’s research engagement practices”. The professional learning community in question was designed for the purpose of this study. Necessary materials and tasks were presented on a...
Facilitating english as a foreign language learners’ vocabulary learning, task completion and contextual vocabulary exploration processes in a mobile supported situated learning environment
Uz Bilgin, Çiğdem; Tokel, Saniye Tuğba; Yalçın, Şenöm Tuğba; Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology (2016)
The aim of this study was to investigate how vocabulary learning, task completion, and contextual vocabulary exploration processes of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners can be facilitated in a mobile supported situated learning environment. METU Science and Technology Museum which is a large, open space populated with interactive science exhibits was chosen as an authentic learning environment. Mobile system which includes instructions of the experiments and also provides dictionary and visual def...
Citation Formats
D. Ayan, “Promoting efl pre-service teachers’ self-directed learning through electronic portfolios: a case study,” M.A. - Master of Arts, Middle East Technical University, 2010.