Exploring Beginner Teachers’ Sources of Knowledge for Teaching Literature in ESL Classrooms

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify beginner teachers’ sources of knowledge for teaching literature in the English Second Language (ESL) classroom. A review of the literature on ESL teachers’ knowledge indicated a paucity of studies that focus specifically on teaching knowledge for Literature as a stand-alone subject in ESL. In addition, ESL teacher training in most countries seemingly focuses on preparing pre-service teachers for language teaching rather than literature. To identify the sources of teaching knowledge for Literature teachers, this study adopted an interpretivist epistemological worldview and used a qualitative single case study design. Data were collected using non-participant observations and semi-structured interviews from four purposively selected Literature in English beginner teachers. Quality and ethical considerations were upheld in this study using a number of strategies. Inductive thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The analysis resulted in three sources of ESL Literature teaching, namely, theory of language education, the nature of the subject and problematic areas in Literature teaching. The findings may be of benefit to ESL teacher preparation programmes which could use them to provide pre-service teachers with multiple contexts as sources of teaching knowledge.

本研究旨在發現新手教師在英語為第二語言教室的文學教學知識來源。根據以英語為第二語言教師知識的文獻回顧, 發現在文獻上, 缺乏以英語為第二語言的文學教學知識之獨立學科研究。在大部分的國家, 以英語為第二語言的教師培訓似乎著重於職前教師的語言教學, 而非文學教學。為了發現文學教師的教學知識來源, 本研究採用詮釋主義的認識論觀點及質性單一個案研究設計。研究資料蒐集使用非參與觀察研究以及半結構式訪談等方法。然後, 選出四名英語文學教學的新手教師來進行訪談。本研究使用許多策略來維持品質和倫理的考量。研究資料分析採用歸納主題分析法。最後本研究獲致了以下三項以英語為第二語言文學教學的知識來源:一、語言教育理論; 二、學科性質; 三、文學教學的相關問題。上述研究結果將有利於以英語為第二語言的教師預備課程; 進而提供職前教師多樣性背景為教學知識來源。