Lecture 4

Lecture 4: Teachers’ Beliefs, Styles & Roles

By the end of this lecture, students will be able to :

a- Conceptualize essential knowledge about teachers’ beliefs, styles & roles.

b- Understand the interactive nature of teaching as a continuous, learner-centered process.

c- Create a critical account on what makes a “good teacher”.

Introduction: This lecture offers an overview of teachers’ cognition and professional self-concept. These elements collectively form the foundation of pedagogical efficacy, contributing to equitable academic environments. The development and reinforcement of teachers’ reflective awareness regarding their teaching practices, approaches, methodologies, and philosophies significantly influence their roles, beliefs, and instructional styles.

a- What are teachers’ beliefs?

Teachers’ beliefs are defined as “individual judgements of the truth or falsity of a proposition” (Pajares, 1992, p. 316). Teaching is therefore grounded in belief-mediated systems. Current conceptions, orientations, educational theories, and prior student experiences all influence classroom teaching practices. Consequently, beliefs constitute a central element of teachers’ daily practice (Wright, 2005, p. 1).

“It is widely acknowledged that what teachers do in the classroom is to some extent going to be determined by what they believe” (Nation & Macalister, 2010, p. 176). Teachers’ decisions in second language (L2) classrooms are often implicitly internalised and subsequently enacted as instructional choices. Basturkmen (2012) notes that such beliefs tend to be consistent among experienced teachers. Turner et al. (2011) emphasise that teachers are responsible for updating their teaching practices, as this can enhance learners’ motivation.

Another point to consider is that teachers’ beliefs related to adaptive teaching practices shape their enactment, even when classroom challenges arise. Nation & Macalister 2010 added that “the importance of examining the role that teacher beliefs play in deciding what happens in the classroom has been increasingly recognised in large education”. p176. Having mentioned the interplay between teachers’ beliefs & the classroom setting, the teacher can flexibly orchestrate pedagogy to support learners' participation & engagement. There is a closer connection between teachers & their past experiences with students (Pajares, 1992).

Fives and Gill (2015, p. 5) argue that “in classrooms, teachers have responsibility for the organisation, structure, a host of learning experiences and social demands, relying on their implicit and explicit beliefs.” As a result, teaching practices are shaped by the interplay between core belief structures and current pedagogical decision-making. Bekiroglu and Akkoc (2009) categorise pre-service teachers’ beliefs and practices into four clusters: classroom environment, teaching activities and assessment, teacher’s role, and instructional goals. Pre-service teachers may retain internalised educational obstacles during their practicum experiences, which can significantly influence the development of their professional identities. However, teachers must also acquire the necessary knowledge to effectively enact their beliefs (Buehl & Beck, 2015, p. 76).

Levin (2015) maps teachers’ beliefs across five interlocking domains, each steering day-to-day choices and impacting the educational environment. Understanding these domains is crucial for recognising their influence on teaching efficacy and adaptability. The critical belief types include:

·        Knowledge (epistemology)

·        Students

·        About subject matter

·        Pedagogy

·        Societal, moral, and ethical issues.

Teachers' Roles

Because beliefs guide action, we next examine the roles they manifest in. Teaching demonstrates a well-established capacity to facilitate knowledge transmission and promote skill development, with continuous reflection and adaptation being essential. The essence of teaching lies in translating pedagogical theory into actionable, concrete practices. Therefore, the teacher’s role is dynamic rather than static. According to Harmer (2001), teachers can assume multiple roles, each contributing to an effective learning environment.

a- Controller: This role involves the teacher’s ability to direct, set expectations, and maintain the lesson's flow. However, excessive control can limit learner-centeredness, initiative, and autonomy. Brown (2001, p. 167) similarly notes that controlling entails determining “when the students do, when they should speak and what language forms they should use.”

b- Resource: In this role, the teacher provides explanations, clarifications, or necessary information. However, overreliance on the teacher may impede the development of learners’ critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and independent learning. Brown describes this as “helping learners to clear away roadblocks” (p. 167, 168). This is considered one of the traditional roles that teachers can play in their classrooms. They are simply in charge of setting the tone for good conduct, discipline, and the quality of the content taught. Acting as a controller can be advantageous when order is established, explanations are provided, and instructions are given. However, students need to engage in experiential learning (Harmer, 2001, p. 58), as a teacher can serve as a source of inspiration while maintaining the pace of learner–centeredness.

In such situations, teachers may offer support without assuming full control. For instance, learners may be “lost for words” (Ibid., p. 60). Providing guidance only when necessary helps preserve learners’ creativity and encourages them to solve problems independently using available clues. If you ask your learners to write a short composition about air pollution, they may ask you for some vocabulary during the writing process. It is advisable to orient them towards external sources, such as a dictionary. Learners who are highly dependent on their teachers are less likely to become productive. In some circumstances, acting as a resource is unavoidable.

Tutor: This role may combine elements of both prompter and resource (Harmer, 2001, p. 62). As a tutor, the teacher is expected to develop a deeper understanding of individual learners, particularly their personalities and abilities, which is especially important when students are preparing projects or assignments. Research suggests that individualised feedback not only boosts student achievement but also enhances the learning experience by catering to unique learner needs. Knowing learners in depth allows tutors to offer differentiated feedback that can significantly impact student outcomes, reinforcing the importance of the tutor's role in educational settings.

Observer: Through observation, teachers can provide constructive feedback, both oral and written, by monitoring learners as they complete tasks and activities. This process allows teachers to consider alternative approaches to content delivery. Observation also plays a significant role in assessment, reflecting the teacher’s performance and motivating improvements in learning proficiency.

Participant: It can be possible for teachers to take part in activities so as to teach skills and knowledge implicitly. However, being too much involved can turn to become undesirable. Building good rapport with learners goes in par with discovering thoroughly their needs, lacks and even requirements. Meanwhile, the teacher can gain more dominance (Harmer, 2001, p.61) based on his intellectual superiority. This role needs to be taken proactively and wisely.

Denote all those assumptions, ideas, and perspectives about the didactics of both teaching and learning. Those beliefs are not solely limited to the teachers’ perceptions, though they extend to have impact on lesson planning design, procedures undertaken and even assessment and evaluation modes.

Pajares (1992) stresses out that teacher’ beliefs about teaching and learning are based on their experiences as students. Meanwhile, Nation (2010,p.176) indicates that “What teachers do in the classroom is to some extent going to be determined by what they believe.”

The importance of examining the role that teacher beliefs play in deciding what happens in the classroom has been increasingly recognized in language education research. Ibid

Nuthall (2004,p. 276) extends by mentioning that “teachers need insight into the learning process accuracy in their students’ minds and how their teaching interacts with those processes.

There is a need to consider learners’ centeredness aspect in teaching despite opening room for an adaptive implementation of teacher beliefs.

What to avoid:

Reflection Question: What might be the pedagogical implications of teachers ‘beliefs?

Is “learner centeredness” paradigm static?