The Beliefs Practicum Students Bring to Their Classes Regarding Language Teaching

Abstract

In the literature of teacherห beliefห, it is assumed that 1) teachers’ beliefs are critical in their impact on their teaching practices and professional development; 2) Changes in teachers’ behavior, actions and practices stem from changes in teachers’ beliefs; 3) understanding how teachers’ beliefs construct or reshape as they learn to teach is essential to inform and strengthen teacher education programs. Under these assumptionsthere has been a great likelihood of student teachers receiving training in their teaching practicum. Importantly, general or specific beliefs have largely dawned when training through ELT teacher education programs. They bring those conscious or unconscious beliefs about language learning and teaching to their practicum classes. This study endeavourers to investigate beliefs about language teaching of ELT student teachers at the Assumption University of Thailand over the postgraduate teacher education program in the ELT field with a focus on their Teaching Practicum. It employed bothquantitative and qualitative instruments for data collection. All relevant data were collected and analysed from four sources: a questionnaire, interviews, classroom observations and teaching journals. This study found that student teachers hold extensive beliefs about language teaching, importantly those beliefs can be either reinforced or changed by the language teacher education program. A number of contextual constraints within the relationship between student teachers’ beliefs and their practices were identified and discussed. This study would do its share for a better understanding how student teachers’ beliefs lead to good teachers and inspiring educators who pay close attention to students’ beliefs and curriculum construction.