Interaction In A Web-based Constructivist Learning Environment: EFL Teachers' Perceptions And Experiences

The importance of interaction in EFL classrooms has already been given great attention by many researchers and educators (Krashen, 1982; Vygotsky, 1978). To date, abundant studies focused on how to realize interaction in EFL classroom on the part of students, while ignoring the fact that EFL teachers' perceptions and experiences of interaction may affect their teaching and that they should "experience the benefits of interaction before they could really integrate interaction into classroom" (Kamhi-Stein, 2000). Some educators suggest that to understand EFL teachers' instructional behaviors, we must first understand the thoughts and judgments that shape those behaviors and discover the higher level concepts and thinking processes that guide teachers during second language instruction. Exploring how EFL teachers experience and perceive interaction in teacher training courses may bring light to EFL teacher education, which will directly influence EFL teachers' teaching practice in classrooms. This case study was conducted within the context of a web-based constructivist teaching methods course for MA students majoring in English Linguistics and Applied Linguistics in the School of Foreign Languages, Suzhou University. With qualitative method employed, this study sought to understand how these course participants experienced interaction, how their perceptions of interaction were developed or changed, and how they constructed knowledge via interaction. The major findings of this study can be summarized as follows:a. The study indicated that with both pains suffered and benefits tasted, the course participants' perceptions of interaction were developed from vague impression to gradually increased awareness and lastly to strong supportive attitude. They expressed hope for implementing more interaction in their future study and teaching practice.b. This web-based constructivist teaching methods course provided generally a favorable environment for realizing interaction among course participants and the instructor. It enhanced interaction because it provided authentic tasks, threaded discussion, online communication tools, and online publishing opportunities for the participants. By collaborating with each other and gaining motivational support fromothers, the participants could understand course materials better, and more importantly, they seemed to have developed skills in thinking and English writing.c. Due to the pioneering nature of this teacher education program, the participants were confronted with some difficulties and challenges because it required a relatively longer learning process, imposed heavy information load and workload on both the participants and instructor. This may shed light on the improvement of the course design and implementation in the futureIn light of the above findings, this paper suggests that web-based constructivist teacher education course has the capacity to promote participation and interaction among course participants. Online interaction is a meaningful supplement to regular face-to-face classroom interaction, but instructors in support of this are challenged to arrange web-based interaction and face-to-face interaction at a proper proportion. Moreover, instructors need to offer timely guidance, motivational support and performance support for students, especially for dropped-behind students. Learning to teach is not merely a process of learning teaching theories, but a long-term, developmental process that operates through participation in the social practices and contexts associated with learning and teaching. Teacher education programs that can provide EFL teachers with opportunities to experience the pros and cons of different teaching approaches can help EFL teachers shape deeper conceptions of teaching, which will have direct effect of their practices in EFL classroom.