Research on Second Language Teacher Education ─ A Sociocultural Perspective on Professional Development

Embracing a sociocultural perspective on human cognition and employing an array of methodological tools for data collection and analysis, this volume documents the complexities of second language teachers’ professional development in diverse L2 teacher education programs around the world, including Asia, South America, Europe, and North America, and traces that development both over time and within the broader cultural, historical and institutional settings and circumstances of teachers’ work.

This systematic examination of teacher professional development illuminates in multiple ways the discursive practices that shape teachers’ knowing, thinking, and doing and provides a window into how alternative mediational means can create opportunities for teachers to move toward more theoretically and pedagogically sound instructional practices within the settings and circumstances of their work. The chapters represent both native and nonnative English speaking pre-service and in-service L2 teachers at all levels from K-12 through higher education, and examine significant challenges that are present in L2 teacher education programs.

Karen E. Johnson is Liberal Arts Research Professor of Applied Linguistics, The Pennsylvania State University.
Paula R. Golombek is Clinical Associate Professor, Linguistics, University of Florida.

1. A Sociocultural Perspective on Teacher Professional Development Karen E. Johnson, Pennsylvania State University, US and Paula Golombek, University of Florida, US Part I: Promoting Cultural Diversity and Legitimating Teacher Identities 2. Becoming a Culturally Responsive Teacher Elizabeth Smolcic, Pennsylvania State University, US 3. I’m Not Alone": Empowering Non-Native English Speaking Teachers Davi Schirmer Reis, Duquesne University, US 4. Working Toward Social Inclusion Through Concept Development in L2 Teacher Education William Dunn, University of Alberta, Canada Part II: Concept Development in L2 Teacher Education 5. ‘Seeing’ L2 Teacher Learning: The Power of Context on Conceptualizing Teaching Sharon Childs, Pennsylvania State University, US 6. Embracing Literacy-based Teaching Heather Willis Allen, University of Miami, US 7. Synthesizing the Academic and the Everyday Gretchen Nauman, Yanshan University, China Part III: Strategic Mediation in L2 Teacher Education 8. Dynamic Assessment in Teacher Education Paula Golombek, University of Florida, US 9. Moodle as a Mediational Space Tatsuhiro Yoshida, Hyoga University, Japan 10. The Reverse Move: Enriching Informal Knowledge in the Pedagogical Grammar Class Deryn P. Verity, Osaka Jogakuin College, Japan 11. Strategic Mediation in Learning to Teach Karen E. Johnson and Ekaterina Arshavskaya, Pennsylvania State University, US Part IV: Teacher Learning in Inquiry-Based Professional Development 12. Teacher Learning through Critical Friends Groups Priya Poehner, Lockhaven University, US 13. Teacher Learning through Lesson Study Thomas Tasker, Department of State, Kiev Part V: Navigating Educational Policies and Curricular Mandates 14. Ten Years of CLT Curricular Reform Efforts in South Korea Eun-Ju Kim, Hanyang Women's University, Korea 15. Learning to Teach under Curricular Reform Kyungja Ahn, Seoul National University, Korea