I hope to do what i say: an examination of english language teacher trainees belief systems

Abstract

Traditionally, research in teaching concentrated on methods and materials in order to gain an understanding of learning and achievement. More recently, however, researchers have begun to explore teachers belief systems - their values, assumptions, world-views and prior experiences as a more valid indicator of student learning. The basis for this perspective is that it is the teacher who is pivotal in shaping effective learning programmes. Thus effective teacher education programmes are believed to rest on an examination of how teachers' belief systems and theoretical orientations drive their practices. This paper reports on a survey on the belief system of undergraduate B.Ed.TESL trainees at the University of Malaya. It examines the trainees' belief systems in three domains: conceptions of language teaching, language learning principles and views of language. The results are used to construct a profile of Malaysian preservice English language teachers based on their professed beliefs. This paper concludes with a discussion on implications for curriculum enactment at the secondary school level, and the design of teacher training programmes for secondary schools.