A Case Study On Generation Of A Novice TCFL Teacher’s Practical Knowledge

Teacher’s practical knowledge is generated and constructed through practice. The continuous improvement of this knowledge system has great importance to teachers’ professional development. A lot of novice teachers, however, lack the awareness and ability of building their practical knowledge and it hinders the growth of their professional capacity. This study, based on classroom observation and interviews, aims to examine the content of the teacher’s practical knowledge and how a new teacher constructs his own practical knowledge system through practice. Then the study shows the developing route of a novice TCFL teacher’s practical knowledge. In the end, I conclude some effective approaches, which can promote TCFL teachers’ education and cultivation.The thesis consists of five chapters as follow,Chapter One is an introduction. It explains the purpose and significance of the study, and reviews what former researchers have done at home and abroad, in the field of TESOL and TCFL.Chapter Two describes the design and method of the case study. Mr Yu, a novice TCFL teacher working at university, is selected as the participant of the study. The study seeks the generation and development of Mr Yu’s practical knowledge reflected on literature references, classroom observations and interviews.Chapter Three analyzes the content of Mr Yu’s practical knowledge. Firstly, it presents other scholars’different divisions of the teachers’knowledge and their practical knowledge. Then it gives detailed analysis on Mr Yu’s practical knowledge according to Chen Xiangming’s framework of teacher’s practical knowledge, including his knowledge of self, the knowledge of subjects, the knowledge of students, and the knowledge of situation.Chapter Four gives detailed analysis about the generation of practical knowledge on Mr Yu’s case. The study finds that the practical knowledge of Mr Yu comes from his personal foreign language learning experience, theoretical study and teacher as a part time job. In accordance with Mr Yu’s cases, students, teachers themselves, means of teaching and teaching environment play different roles in the process of generating teacher’s practical knowledge. Meanwhile the study draws the development route of the practical knowledge, and explicates how the different factors influencing the development of teacher’s practical knowledge.Chapter Five puts forward some strategies about advancing the novice TCFL teacher’s practical knowledge.