Future Suggestions

Following the findings and conclusions of this study, the researcher provides several suggestions to teacher preparation program and teacher practicum in Taiwan. It is hoped that the following suggestions could be adopted by teacher educators, school authorities and governmental organization that plan to implement team teaching to enhance preservice teachers’ professionalism in the future.

5.3.1 Teacher Preparation Program

This study, although the study involved only four TEFL student teachers, raises important issues for teacher educators. The findings have led to the following implications for teacher education. First, the findings suggest that field-based learning may benefit student teachers’ understanding of planning, teaching, social negotiation, and a sense of ownership. Take Irene for example. She considered it positive to create a teaching environment such as GEPT Courses for student teachers to practice teaching, for “through which student teachers can build confidence to teach and accumulate teaching

experiences” (interview, Irene, 2009/07/27). As mentioned in Chapter Two, Vygotsky (1978) situated learning in the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), which he posited as being the “distance between the actual development level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers” (p.86).

Working within preservice teachers’ ZPD, teacher education programs should provide preservice teachers opportunities to experience an authentic teaching experience with “task demands shared between and among peers”. The high interaction embedded in the teaching activities may assist the development of preservice teachers’ sense of partnership and promote collegiality among student teachers in a TEFL institute. The importance of novice teachers’ sense of partnership is shown in Nadya description of what she liked best in team teaching— “What I like the most is that when I was doubtful in teaching, I have a partner who could discuss with me. I think as far as new teachers are concerned, this is the most helpful aspect” (open-ended questionnaire, Nadya). She further remarked, “Because new teachers usually have great uncertainty about teaching, and we’re often uncertain whether we are doing it best way. Novice teachers would feel much relieved when they have a person to discuss with”.

Second, findings of this study also suggest that team teachers should be encouraged to reflect on their teaching regularly so that teaching is guided by individual’s continuous self-reflection and informed decision. Such reflection can take many forms, such as engaging in casual conversation about the lesson team teachers taught together, writing a reflective journal and exchanging it with their partners.

Third, it was found in this study that for team teaching to be successful, student teachers must be prepared to accept their co-teachers as equals, respect their teaching styles and expertise, and be ready to improvise because no plan has been engraved in stone and one never knows how the other teacher will react to his/her teaching style (Richards &

Farrell, 2005). Awareness of different teaching styles among team teachers is important because some team teachers might react unfavorably to their co-teacher’s teaching method that are different from theirs while other are not prepared to face any negative responses.

Thus, several important issues which need to be carefully thought about before team teaching should be introduced by the TESOL programs and the general teacher preparation programs. As with any innovation in teaching, team teaching will work best if teachers understand what it is, what its goals are, how it works, and what problems to anticipate (Richards and Farrell, 2005). As mentioned earlier in Chapter Two, in discussions of the role of teacher education in promoting team teaching, Welch (1998) asserts that “Teacher education programs must consider developing courses and field experiences that introduce principles of collaboration” (p.32) so that teacher candidates could apply newly assimilated knowledge or skills in the contest of collaboration. These identified knowledge and skills include problem solving and decision making, communication skills, conflict management skills, awareness of micro- and macro- cultures, etc” (p.32). To sum up, the TESOL

programs and the general teacher preparation programs should put more emphasis on the possible difficulties in collaborative teaching and provide scenarios or case analysis for

student teachers to gain the above-mentioned knowledge and skills in order the bridge the gap.

5.3.2 Teacher Practicum

In Taiwan, one part of the Teacher Education requirements for the secondary English teachers is to fulfill teaching practicum, and then they have the qualification to take Teacher Qualification Examinations. There is an agreement that the purpose of teaching practicum is for preparing prospective teachers to understand the real picture of the school life and to equip them with the ability to face the real classroom life. What’s more, it is generally believed that with mentor teacher’s guidance, the apprentice teacher can gain more understanding of their teaching. According to what was earlier discussed in Chapter One, there is a persistent concern that such experiences may not reach their full potential value (Goker, 2006). There is a growing recognition of the shortcomings of typical pattern of practicum teaching (see Chapter One for further details). Moreover, another issue embedded in this traditional model of field teaching is the hierarchical inequality.

The challenge for student teacher is clear: “survival appears uppermost in their minds, with risk taking being minimal and the need for a good grade essential” (Widden et al., 1998, p.155).

It has been suggested that one of the major causes of educator burnout is the absence of a social support network (Schwab, Jackson & Schuler, 1986). Framed along the concept of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), this study has indicated that “peer-scaffolding”

provided by the presence of another is of a different nature compared to the traditional practicum teaching in that the participants consider their peer teacher less intimidating because they considered themselves at the same stage of inexperience and unconnected with the assessment of teaching competence. Furthermore, providing student teachers with peer support in planning and carrying out class teaching is also of different nature because

pupils often act differently when the class-teacher is in the room (Smith, 2004).

Therefore, it is especially important for the authorities concerned or the teacher education experts to critically reflect on how to infuse collaborative problem-solving task as one of the crucial approaches in preparing prospective teachers. To foster collaborative partnerships in the schools where student teachers serve their teaching practicum, perhaps practicum can be sequenced in a more structured school schedule and framework with the opportunities to not only learn from the experienced teachers teach but also cooperate with other apprentice teachers.