Foreign Language Teaching: An International Comparison of Teacher Beliefs. (June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kissau, Scott; Rodgers, Marion; Haudeck, Helga
• Is Part Of: Research in comparative and international education. Volume 9:Number 2(2014)
• Page Start: 227
• Page End: 242
• Publication Date: 2014-06
• Subjects: Comparative education -- Periodicals; International education -- Periodicals; 370.905
• DOI: 10.2304/rcie.2014.9.2.227
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1745-4999

Abstract

Recent research has reported professional agreement among foreign language (L2) teachers with respect to the beliefs and behaviors associated with effective L2 teaching. While such research may contribute to an emerging professional consensus, it must be acknowledged that the participating teachers in the related studies were all living and working in the United States. To better understand if the teaching beliefs agreed upon by hundreds of American L2 teachers are supported by L2 teachers in other countries, the researchers used a mixed methodology to compare the beliefs of over 250 L2 teachers and L2 teacher candidates in the United States and Germany to investigate the extent to which the two groups shared similar beliefs about L2 teaching. The study's results suggested there to be a core set of fundamental beliefs associated with effective L2 teaching held by both groups. However, they also underscored the influence of contextual factors in each country on the degree to which various beliefs and behaviors associated with L2 teaching are deemed appropriate. These results serve to inform all teachers currently teaching or planning to teach an L2 abroad.