Pedagogy and teacher expertise

Here you will find summaries of research papers that relate to pedagogy and teacher expertise. Each summary is worded to be reader-friendly, and covers no more than one side of A4. If you have any questions about the research, or would like to know more, please contact us, or the theme leader, Gee, at g.macrory@mmu.ac.uk

Primary foreign language learning and teaching – how can we improve our MFL provision for all learners?

Establish a community of learning and practice

Essentially, this means providing all teachers – those already teaching, and new trainees – with the tools (language and cultural knowledge and pedagogical practice) to enable them to teach a modern foreign language confidently, enjoyably, and effectively.

What help would MFL teachers like and what help might they need?

Empowering classroom teachers to teach MFL is a two-way process. Established teachers already have good pedagogic skills and a wealth of teaching practice and expertise to draw on, which means that individually-tailored MFL-teaching  programmes specific to teachers’ particular needs are helpful.

Depending on a teacher’s specific needs and desires, a programme might include, for example:

  • a boost in linguistic knowledge;
  • help with language-teaching methodology;
  • developing an awareness of children’s language-learning strategies;
  • confidence in dealing with the four skills in a foreign language;
  • knowledge of age-appropriate programmes available, and how to create additional materials.

I don’t have much time for extra training and the school budget is tight – what can I do?

> CPD intensive training days impart a lot of information and workshop practice, but they can be expensive for a school. 
> Peer-to-peer support from within a school is an excellent way of enlisting whole-school support; so too, is peer coaching across the cluster. 
> Networks online and on the ground can be great providers of support, and encourage an exchange of knowledge.
> Classroom-based research allows a classroom teacher to try out new things whilst receiving expert feedback

Download

PDF

Author(s)

Mihaljević Djigunović, j. (2009)

Keywords

  • young learners
  • attitudes & motivation, FL learning strategies,  FL learning anxiety
  • different contexts,  different FLs

Download

PDF

Author(s)

Mihaljević Djigunović, j. (2012)

Keywords

  • Attitudes and Motivation
  • cross-sectional and longitudinal studies 
  • European context

Download

PDF

Author(s)

Muijs, D., Barnes, A., Hunt, M., Powell, B., Arweck, E., Lindsay, G. & Martin, C. (2005)

Keywords

  • Evaluation of Pathfinder projects
  • Questionnaires, interviews
  • large-scale

Download

PDF

Author(s)

Mihaljevíc Djigunović, J. (2009)

Keywords

  • ages 6 to 7
  • English
  • children’s attitudes

Download

PDF

Author(s)

Macrory, G. (2019)

Keywords

  • Primary
  • Student teachers on school placement 
  • FL Phonics

Download

PDF

Author(s)

Martin, C. (2019)

Keywords

  • Ages 7 to 11
  • Pathfinder in England programme
  • 19 Pathfinder local authorities
  • 41 case study schools

Download

PDF

Author(s)

Hunt, M., A. Barnes, B. Powell & C. Martin. (2008)

Keywords

  • Pathfinder in England programme
  • transition
  • MFL primary & secondary

Download

PDF

Author(s)

Chambers, G. N. (2016)

Keywords

  • ages 10 to 12
  • transition
  • children’s attitudes

     

Download

PDF

Author(s)

Finch, K., Theakston, A., & Serratrice, L. (2018)

Keywords

  • ages 7 to 11
  • KS2
  • teachers’ perceptions
  • children with EAL

Download

PDF

Author(s)

Courtney, L. (2017)

Keywords

  • ages 10 to 12
  • transition
  • motivation
  • progression

Download

PDF

Author(s)

Bailey, E. & Marsden, E. (2017)

Keywords

  • 55 primary-school teachers
  • teachers’ perceptions
  • home languages

Comments are closed.