A Study On The Influence Of Teaching Practicum On English M.Ed.students’ Teacher’s Beliefs

Teachers’ actual teaching will be influenced by many factors,among which teacher’s belief is the most direct one.More than knowledge,a person’s beliefs have a greater impact upon how individuals organize and define their tasks and problems,and are more capable to predict how teachers behave in the classroom.Teachers’ beliefs,as important topics in academic research,have received widespread attention at home and abroad since the late 1980 s.Yet so far researches on the influence of teaching practicum on English M.Ed.(Master of Education)students’ teacher’s beliefs in a normal university are alarmingly limited.Based on teacher cognition and social constructivism theory,this study conducted a questionnaire survey on 71 English M.Ed.students from Guangxi Normal University and interviewed seven of them with different backgrounds based on the results of the questionnaire.The questionnaire was developed with some modifications and adjustments based on the questionnaire created by Taiwanese scholars Zhu Yuanyu and Ye Yuzhu(2003).It examines English M.Ed.students’ teacher’s beliefs across five key dimensions: their beliefs on English,English teaching,English learning,roles between English teachers and students,and English teacher’s profession.This study aims to explore the following three questions:(1)What teacher’s beliefs do English M.Ed.students hold after teaching practicum?(2)What changes have happened to English M.Ed.students’ teacher’s beliefs?(3)What factors have led to the changes of English M.Ed.students’ teacher’s beliefs?The research results show that:(1)After the teaching practicum,English M.Ed.students’ teacher’s Beliefs was at a moderate to high level.They hold positive views of teacher’ s beliefs,but there was considerable variation and ambivalence within the group.It was found that teacher’s professional beliefs were at the highest level,followed by beliefs of roles between students and teachers,English language beliefs,and English teaching beliefs,English learning beliefs was at the lowest level.(2)English M.Ed.students’ teacher’s beliefs have changed after the teaching practicum.On the whole,the change happened significantly in language beliefs,English learning beliefs,roles between teachers and students,and English teacher professional beliefs.Specifically,the English learning beliefs and beliefs of roles between teachers and students tend to be positive and open,but the English language beliefs become more conservative and traditional,and teachers’ professional beliefs has also been shaken to a certain extent.(3)The interviews revealed that main factors influencing the changes in English M.Ed.students’ teacher’s beliefs were practicum mentors,teaching practice,students,school culture,peer influence and personal reflections.From the research results,this study offers some insights for normal universities,practicum schools and the English M.Ed.students themselves.For Normal Universities:(1)Incorporate forward-looking teaching concepts into micro-grid teaching to promote the integration of teaching concepts and teaching practices.(2)Provide a national study course to learn from outstanding teachers at the national level to enhance the professional identity of English M.Ed.students.For practicum schools:(1)Provide more teaching opportunities for English M.Ed.students.(2)Strengthen the management of practicum mentors by selecting conscientious and responsible teachers to serve as practicum mentors.For English M.Ed.students:(1)Make good career plans and strengthen their own professional identity.(2)Improve their own reflective skills in the practicum.