Online Discourse in a Second Language Teacher Preparation Course

Abstract The present study examined trends in 84 teacher candidates' educational beliefs over time. Participants were enrolled in several sections of an introductory-level education class at a southeastern university. These participants were administered the Witcher-Travers Survey of Educational Beliefs (WTSEB) both on the first day of class and at the end of the one-semester course. Low scores on the WTSEB indicate a proclivity toward transmissivism and high scores suggest a tendency toward progressivism. At the end of the course, participants demonstrated a more progressive orientation. ********** An issue that has received increased attention over the last two decades is that of teacher beliefs. The importance of this issue is exemplified by the fact that the second edition of the Handbook of Research on Teacher Education (Sikula & Guyton, 1996) devoted an entire chapter to this topic. Richardson (1996) summarized the extant literature and provided a rationale for the importance of this topic in initial teacher preparation. She provided two reasons to justify why teacher education programs should include a focus on teacher beliefs in the curriculum. First, most current programs are built upon a constructivist theory, requiring candidates to continually examine their beliefs, attitudes, understandings, and conceptions. As part of their goals, teacher education programs should provide teacher candidates with activities that help transform unknown or unexamined beliefs about the educational process into beliefs that can be both articulated and evidenced. Second, beliefs are important in the instructional process as teachers make decisions about content and pedagogy. Thus, teacher preparation programs should assist teacher candidates in evaluating their beliefs in relation to what candidates identify as favored classroom practices. Richardson (1996) provided a useful distinction between belief and knowledge. This author described belief as "a proposition that is accepted as true by the individual holding the belief. It is a psychological concept and differs from knowledge, which implies epistemic warrant" (p. 104). Also, Richardson noted that the "perceived relationship between beliefs and actions is interactive. Beliefs are thought to drive actions; however, experiences and reflection on action may lead to changes in and/or additions to beliefs" (p. 104). Fenstermacher (1979) has long advocated that teacher preparation programs should help future teachers identify and reflect upon their tacit beliefs about teaching, learning, and curriculum. Evidence is substantial that candidates enter teacher education programs with beliefs that affect their learning in formal courses and subsequent behavior in field settings. For example, Lortie (1975) concluded from his historic study that teacher candidates enter their professional education programs with a set of beliefs about the nature of teaching based upon their own experiences as students. Somewhat consistent with this result, Knowles (1992) found that family influences and experiences with previous teachers were important factors in how preservice secondary teachers viewed their roles as teachers. Clift's (1987) comparison of English majors not interested in teaching and English majors who completed student teaching as part of their certification program revealed significant differences in perspective. In particular, English majors who were not interested in teaching saw the teacher as the authority for interpreting literature whereas those expecting to teach were more constructivist in their orientation. Both Black and Ammon (1992) and McDiarmid (1990) found evidence to suggest that many teacher candidates are oriented toward a transmissive approach to teaching. Similarly, Hollingsworth (1989) found evidence that candidates entering teacher education programs have strong beliefs that teachers should be transmissive in their approach. …