published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

published_or_final_version / Applied English Studies / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This study analyzes the congruence between the objectives of secondary-level English methods courses in Texas universities and the objectives of the state-mandated high school curriculum (the essential elements) in language arts. A questionnaire was used to obtain information from 26 English methods instructors at 22 universities in Texas. The data obtained from these questionnaires reveal that these instructors strongly emphasize preparing prospective English teachers to teach the essential elements of composition. Other significant findings include: (1) the lack of emphasis in the English methods course on strategies for teaching the essential elements of language, when those elements are unrelated to composition, and (2) the lack of uniformity which characterizes the organization of the English methods course at major Texas universities.

A research dissertation presented to the Faculty of Humanities (School of Education) In Partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree Masters of Education by Research University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg Date of Submission: 29 April 2016 / This study is part of a larger research project titled Conditions of teaching and learning that facilitate and/or constrain learning English in rural high schools. The focus of the research project explores the conditions of teaching and learning English, and the contextual factors that facilitate and/or constrains learners’ motivation and participation in learning, in five rural high schools in Bushbuckridge area. The current study focused on how grade 10 and 11 First Additional English rural teachers’ conceptualise learning and teaching in Acornhoek schools, part of Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province. Given the focus of the study the literature review detailed issues with development of rural education, teachers’ conceptions of learning, teachers’ conceptions of teaching, English as a First Additional language (EFAL) in South Africa and the spectrum of current pedagogical practices. The literature review highlighted significant gaps that are important for the this study such as a lack of research in Africa and South Africa focusing on teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching, particularly in rural schools. Furthermore the corpus of research conducted on conceptions focused on tertiary students’ conceptions of learning, there is limited research in schools, with teachers and learners, especially teachers’ pedagogical practices in relation to the conceptions. In addition the development of rural education and research in South Africa continue to be underdevelopment, with most research perceiving rurality as a deficit paradigm. Thus in order to address the literature gaps mentioned above the study engaged with six grade 10 and 11 rural teachers from Acornhoek, Mpumalanga Province. The sampling strategy was purposive, as only grades 10 and 11 EFAL teachers were the selected to participate in the study. In order to address the research questions and sub research questions, a qualitative research approach was used as it focuses on understanding socially and historically constructed meanings about experienced phenomena. Through the use of phenomenological methodology teachers’ meanings and beliefs about learning and teaching were interrogated and problematized. In order to interrogate and problematize teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching two data collection methods were used namely: semistructured individual face-to-face interviews and non-participatory observations. The semi-structured individual face-to-face interviews were used to address the following research questions: 1. What are grade 10 and 11 English First Additional Language teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching? 2. What shapes teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching? The following research question was addressed by use the non-participatory observations: 3. How do teachers’ conceptions influence teaching approaches, if at all, during English poetry and short story lessons? In order to answer the above questions critical discourse analysis was used, to engage with participants’ responses from their individual face-to-face interviews. Critical discourse analysis assisted with ensuring in depth engagement with participants’ narrations, without taking any words for granted because meaning might be hidden in the selection of words. Thus critical discourse analysis enabled the critical identification of particular words used by the participants in order to gain insight to the underlying influences that shape rural teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching in poetry and short stories lessons. As a result this involved an intense data analysis process, which incorporated the non-participatory classroom observations as well as the conceptual frameworks discussed from Bernstein, Alexander, and Scott and Mortimer. Some of the major findings suggest that teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching are complex and complicated particularly if contextual issues are considered, as possible influential factors that shape teachers’ conceptions. The findings indicated that rural teachers’ conceptions of learning should be understood from early school learning to current teaching profession. The dominant conceptions of learning from early school and current teaching profession suggest memorisation, mimicking, and acquisition of information and little conceptions shows learning for transformation and change as a person. Various factors were identified to influences the conceptions such as policy, lack of resources and overcrowded classrooms. In addition, findings on teachers’ conceptions of teaching explicated the dynamics teachers face between ideas they hold about teaching and how they teach. The study indicated that some teachers mentioned ‘banking’ model of teaching that suggested teacher centred conception of teaching, which linked with some of the conceptions of learning. Most conceptions were about spoon-feeding, telling/giving learners information, and coordinating learning which link with conceptions of learning that promote surface learning. Other conceptions promoted transformation, unlocking minds, and life-learning, to show that teaching is not only about giving information but also ensure that the information changes the way learners make sense of the social issues in relation to the world. It was noted that teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching seemed to have influenced how teachers teach poetry and short stories lessons, because irrespective of conceptualising teaching and learning in transformational and enlightenment but teachers used a unidirectional teaching approach. This teaching approach that all teachers used suggest ‘normality’ with using this way of teaching poetry and short stories, especially if the nature of poetry and short stories are taken into consideration. Without critiquing teachers’ pedagogical approaches, of concern is that all observed teachers, irrespective of different schools, used similar teaching approach which was shaped by curriculum policy expectations, teachers’ perceptions of learners, and the nature of the socio-cultural and economical context. Owing to some of the complexities mentioned above, further research on teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching, particularly in rural schools is needed, because embedded in teachers’ conceptions lies their lived experiences and ideas about learning and teaching in rural school. Therefore if effective interventions are to be considered partnering with teachers and/or learners in rural schools to understand their conceptions, need to be seriously taken into account. The purpose is not to research with teachers rather than for teachers to enhance existing knowledge in partnership, rather imposing knowledge. / MT2017

Esta tese constitui-se de pesquisa que relata a construção de uma nova Interface Pedagógica e evidencia sua aplicação como alternativa na produção e construção do conhecimento na formação do professor de Língua Inglesa. A interface é desenvolvida a partir da interseção da Linguística de Corpus e dos Multiletramentos. Sua práxis, primeiramente, ocorre em sala de aula, na graduação do curso de Letras e a interface compreende disciplinas que não estão incluídas na grade curricular. Sua utilização visa proporcionar promoção de autonomia, desenvolvimento da independência e acesso à capacitação ao aprendiz no processo ensino-aprendizagem. As práticas relacionadas ao uso da interface foram viabilizadas pelo momento contemporâneo, da globalização, e pela inserção das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação as TICs tanto na sociedade quanto na educação formal. As observações foram feitas a partir das atividades desenvolvidas em quatro projetos elaborados para aplicação da interface. Estes comportam dois instantes de ensino-aprendizagem. Um deles ocorre na formação dos futuros professores de Língua Inglesa na graduação de Letras, por meio da prática efetuada pelo professor em sala de aula, com a compilação de um Corpus de Aprendizes e a construção de textos multimodais. O outro instante acontece quando o aluno graduando aplica suas próprias práticas. Esta etapa envolve os demais projetos: Projeto Helpers universidade particular, Projeto Helpers universidade pública e o Projeto EMEF desenvolvido em escola da rede municipal. / This thesis consists of an action research which reports the construction of a new pedagogical interface as an alternative for production and construction of knowledge in language graduation courses which prepare English language teachers. The interface is developed from the intersection of Corpus Linguistics and Multiliteracies. Its praxis primarily occurs in the classroom of the undergraduate students of Languages. The interface comprises two academic areas which are not included in the curriculum. Its use is intended to provide promotion of autonomy, independence and development of the learner access to training in the teaching / learning. Practices related to use of the interface were made possible by the contemporary moment of globalization and the integration of Information and Communication Technologies ICTs both in society and in education. The observations were made from the activities carried out in four projects designed for the interface application. These include two moments of teaching and learning. One occurs in the training of future English teachers in the Graduation Courses of Languages, through the practice made by the professor in the classroom, with the compilation of a learner corpus and with the construction of multimodal texts. The other moment is when the undergraduate students apply their own practices. This step involves the other projects: Helpers Project in a private university, Helpers Project in a public university and the Project EMEF developed in a public school.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T18:23:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LAEL - Maria Bernadette Nogueira de Sousa.pdf: 3299794 bytes, checksum: e50496ec05d09e88f78fbf5826778808 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-10-10 / Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo / The aim of this research is to investigate how a course for state school English teachers development, called Reflexão sobre a Ação: o Professor de Inglês Aprendendo e Ensinando , may have contributed to change/transform2 my pedagogical practice. For that, I examine some of my own interactions with my 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students of elementary school in different moments (2000, 2002, 2004 before, during and after I had finished the referred course), trying to understand not only what my own role is but also my students . I also want to examine the views of language and of teaching-learning which emerge from my actions in the classroom. The theoretical bases for this study are the development of the reflective teacher proposed by Freire (1970), Freire & Shor (1986), Smyth (1987,1992) and Schön (1992, 2000); Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais Língua Estrangeira (1998); the interaction in conversational dialogues, proposed by Goffman (1981); the sociointeractionist teaching- learning approach, proposed by Vygotsky (1930/2003, 1934/2000); the language view discussed by Bakhtin (1929/2004, 1979/2003) and the notion of Complexity, according to Morin (2000, 2004, 2005) and Morin & Le Moigne (2000). This work contributed to help myself think critically about my actions and language in the classroom as dynamic factors in the teaching-learning process but not as exclusive or determinant ones, since both teacher and students belong to the complex net of society. The results of the analyses helped observe the repercussion of a development cour se for teachers may have in teaching practice. The change/transformation of a person does not occur at the end of a term; it does not depend on just one factor, but on several interlaced ones, which determine and are determined by the sociohistoric moment / O objetivo desta pesquisa é investigar como um curso de formação de professores de inglês na rede pública, intitulado Reflexão sobre a Ação: o Professor de Inglês Aprendendo e Ensinando , pode ter contribuído para mudar/transformar1 minha prática pedagógica. Para isso, examino algumas de minhas próprias interações com meus alunos de 5as, 6as e 7as séries do ensino fundamental em diferentes momentos (anos 2000, 2002 e 2004 antes, durante e após o término do referido curso), buscando compreender qual o meu papel e o de meus alunos, bem como investigar a visão de linguagem e de ensino-aprendizagem que permeiam minhas ações em sala de aula. Os pressupostos teóricos que embasam este estudo são a formação do professor reflexivo, proposta por Freire (1970), Freire & Shor (1986), Smyth (1987,1992) e Schön (1992, 2000); os Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais Língua Estrangeira (1998); a interação na perspectiva de Goffman(1981); a abordagem sócio-interacionista de ensino-aprendizagem, proposta por Vygotsky (1930/2003, 1934/2000); a visão de linguagem, discutida por Bakhtin (1929/2004, 1979/2003) e a noção de Complexidade, conforme Morin (2000, 2004, 2005) e Morin & Le Moigne (2000). Este trabalho contribuiu para que pensasse criticamente sobre minhas ações e linguagem em sala de aula, como fatores dinâmicos no ensino-aprendizagem, mas não exclusivos ou determinantes desse processo, uma vez que ambos alunos e professores fazem parte da complexa teia da sociedade. Os resultados permitiram observar a repercussão que um curso de formação para professores pode ter na prática docente. A transformação/mudança do indivíduo não ocorre ao término de um prazo, não depende de um único fator, mas de inúmeros fatores entrelaçados, determinantes e determinados pelo momento sócio-histórico, no qual estão inseridos. 1 Esta pesquisa não terá como foco os conceitos de mudança/transformação utilizados por alguns teóricos

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T18:23:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 beatriz.pdf: 1743753 bytes, checksum: 8818b68f978042854ee9f0e6ca4de4d4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-06-29 / Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo / This study aims at describing and interpreting the phenomenon of English teachers education in a Language graduation course, from the point of view of those who lived this experience: the students, who were developing teachers, and the teacher-researcher. This research was started with the history of English as a foreign language teaching in Brazil and of the Language graduation course of the university where the phenomenon was observed. This study was grounded on education of critical-reflexive teachers (Kemmis, 1985; Freire, 2001; Dewey, 1933; Schön, 1983,1987; Zeichner, 1993; Alarcão, 2002; Pimenta, 1999; and Celani, 2001) and on curriculum as a freeing proposal which may include all participants of the teaching-learning process, promoting opportunities for questioning, reflection and awareness (Beyer & Apple, 1998; and Freire, 1970). The methodological approach chosen was the hermeneuticphenomenological one (van Manen, 1990). The research context was a community university in the countryside of São Paulo, in which the participants took Language. Data were collected from 2004 to 2006, deriving from activities developed in the classes of the teacher-researcher, which aimed at observing the education process of English teachers. The interpretation of the participants texts reveal that the phenomenon on focus was comprised by three major themes: Reflections about the English language and the development during their graduation course; Inter-relations of the developing teachers with the target language, professors, graduation classmates, and with their own development; and Confrontation of expectations in the linguistic and professional fields, considering disruptions and continuities. The phenomenon interpretation, grounded on the identified themes, allowed a new view of the English teachers education in a Language course, opening paths for questioning and changes / Esta tese tem como objetivo descrever e interpretar o fenômeno da formação de professores de língua inglesa em um curso de Letras Inglês, conforme o ponto de vista de quem o vivenciou: os participantes, professores em formação e a professora-pesquisadora. Este estudo iniciou-se com a história do ensino de inglês como língua estrangeira no Brasil e do curso de Letras da instituição de ensino superior em que o fenômeno foi observado. A fundamentação teórica desta pesquisa baseou-se em formação de professores crítico-reflexivos (Kemmis, 1985; Freire, 2001; Dewey, 1933; Schön, 1983,1987; Zeichner, 1993; Alarcão, 2002; Pimenta, 1999; e Celani, 2001) e em currículo como uma proposta libertadora que inclua todos os participantes do processo de ensinoaprendizagem, promovendo oportunidades para problematização, reflexão e conscientização (Beyer & Apple, 1998; e Freire, 1970). A abordagem metodológica escolhida foi a hermenêuticofenomenológica (van Manen, 1990). O contexto de pesquisa foi uma universidade comunitária do interior do estado de São Paulo, na qual os participantes cursaram Letras Inglês. Os dados foram coletados de 2004 a 2006, a partir de atividades ministradas durante as aulas da professorapesquisadora, com o objetivo de observar o processo de formação de professores de língua inglesa. A interpretação das textualizações dos participantes revela que o fenômeno da formação de professores de língua inglesa em um curso de Letras Inglês se estrutura em torno de três temas: Reflexões sobre a língua inglesa e a formação na graduação; Inter-relações dos professores em formação com a língua-alvo, professores-formadores, colegas de graduação, (futuros) alunos e com sua formação; e Confronto de expectativas nos âmbitos lingüístico e profissional, considerando rupturas e continuidades. A interpretação do fenômeno, baseando-se nos temas identificados, permitiu uma nova visão do processo de formação de professores de língua inglesa em um curso de Letras, abrindo caminhos para questionamentos e mudanças

Esta tese constitui-se de pesquisa que relata a construção de uma nova Interface Pedagógica e evidencia sua aplicação como alternativa na produção e construção do conhecimento na formação do professor de Língua Inglesa. A interface é desenvolvida a partir da interseção da Linguística de Corpus e dos Multiletramentos. Sua práxis, primeiramente, ocorre em sala de aula, na graduação do curso de Letras e a interface compreende disciplinas que não estão incluídas na grade curricular. Sua utilização visa proporcionar promoção de autonomia, desenvolvimento da independência e acesso à capacitação ao aprendiz no processo ensino-aprendizagem. As práticas relacionadas ao uso da interface foram viabilizadas pelo momento contemporâneo, da globalização, e pela inserção das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação as TICs tanto na sociedade quanto na educação formal. As observações foram feitas a partir das atividades desenvolvidas em quatro projetos elaborados para aplicação da interface. Estes comportam dois instantes de ensino-aprendizagem. Um deles ocorre na formação dos futuros professores de Língua Inglesa na graduação de Letras, por meio da prática efetuada pelo professor em sala de aula, com a compilação de um Corpus de Aprendizes e a construção de textos multimodais. O outro instante acontece quando o aluno graduando aplica suas próprias práticas. Esta etapa envolve os demais projetos: Projeto Helpers universidade particular, Projeto Helpers universidade pública e o Projeto EMEF desenvolvido em escola da rede municipal. / This thesis consists of an action research which reports the construction of a new pedagogical interface as an alternative for production and construction of knowledge in language graduation courses which prepare English language teachers. The interface is developed from the intersection of Corpus Linguistics and Multiliteracies. Its praxis primarily occurs in the classroom of the undergraduate students of Languages. The interface comprises two academic areas which are not included in the curriculum. Its use is intended to provide promotion of autonomy, independence and development of the learner access to training in the teaching / learning. Practices related to use of the interface were made possible by the contemporary moment of globalization and the integration of Information and Communication Technologies ICTs both in society and in education. The observations were made from the activities carried out in four projects designed for the interface application. These include two moments of teaching and learning. One occurs in the training of future English teachers in the Graduation Courses of Languages, through the practice made by the professor in the classroom, with the compilation of a learner corpus and with the construction of multimodal texts. The other moment is when the undergraduate students apply their own practices. This step involves the other projects: Helpers Project in a private university, Helpers Project in a public university and the Project EMEF developed in a public school.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T18:22:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Daniela Aparecida Vendramini Zanella.pdf: 3734656 bytes, checksum: 1de830970e77c7cdc8b6c5af975f198b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-12-02 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / This research aims at analyzing the production of meanings at a teacher education activity of student-teachers within the context of a didactic proposal preparation and English teaching-learning discussion in order to comprehend if this is a critical-creative production. For this objective, I analyse the discussion about an English teaching-learning didactic proposal preparation carried out during the meetings from the teachers education study group, Time to Learn, formed by the researcher- teacher educator and student-teachers whose internship takes place in a public school in Sorocaba city, in the State of Sao Paulo. I adopt the Social-Historical-Cultural Activity Theory (CHAT) from Vygotsky (1934) and his followers, as well as the dialogic perspective, based on Bakhtin (1929) and the Circle. This is a Critical Collaborative Intervention Research (MAGALHÃES, 2009), which conceives a context creation in which the collaboration is responsible for participation, sharing and negotiation of senses and meanings, involving all participants in the teacher education with the questioning possibility. The teacher education activity data was produced through audio recordings as well as written materials related to the didactic proposals elaborated by the student-teachers; those were further saved in the databank from the Language in Activities in the School Context research group, from the Catholic University of Sao Paulo. The selected corpus analyses stemming from two teacher education meetings focus on enunciative-discursive-linguistic categories based on Liberali (2013) as well as on interpretative categories, such as critical and creative , which are connected to the theoretical background in which this investigation based its principals. The results indicate the difficulty in accomplishing a critical-creative product and process, both in the didactic proposal elaboration and in the English teaching discussion. Even though the critical and creative attempts are indicated in the product and production, they are still marked by historical constraints of reproduction, imposition and authoritarianism / Esta pesquisa tem como objetivos analisar a produção de significados na atividade de formação de alunas-professoras em contexto de elaboração de proposta didática e de discussão do tópico ensino-aprendizagem de língua inglesa e compreender se essa é uma produção crítico-criativa. Para atingir esses objetivos, analiso as discussões sobre elaboração de propostas didáticas para o ensino-aprendizagem de língua inglesa, realizadas nos encontros de um grupo de professores/as em formação, o Tempo de Aprender, constituído da pesquisadora-formadora e alunas-professoras que estagiam em uma escola pública na cidade de Sorocaba, SP. Adoto os postulados da Teoria da Atividade Sócio-Histórico-Cultural (TASHC) de Vygotsky (1934) e seus seguidores, e os fundamentos do dialogismo, com base nas obras de Bakhtin e do Círculo. Esta é uma pesquisa crítica de cunho colaborativo (PCCol) (MAGALHÃES, 2009), que concebe a criação de contexto em que a colaboração constitua a participação, negociação e compartilhamento de sentidos e significados, envolvendo todos em formação docente com possibilidade de questionamentos. Os dados para a análise foram produzidos nas atividades de formação por meio de gravações em vídeo e áudio e materiais escritos referentes às propostas produzidas pelas alunas-professoras, posteriormente armazenados no banco de dados do Grupo de Pesquisa Linguagem em Atividade no Contexto Escolar, da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo. A análise do corpus selecionado a partir de dois encontros de formação docente está pautada em categorias enunciativo-linguístico-discursivas (LIBERALI, 2013), bem como de interpretação, crítico-criativo, embasadas no referencial teórico na perspectiva da TASHC deste trabalho. Os resultados apontam a dificuldade na concretização de um processo e produto crítico criativo , tanto na elaboração da proposta didática como na discussão sobre ensino-aprendizagem de língua inglesa. Embora fiquem marcadas as tentativas de realização crítica e criativa, ainda são muito fortes as marcas históricas de reprodução, imposição e autoritarismo