lnvestigati ng Teachers' Prior Learning Experience, Assumptions and Their lmpacts on Teaching Practices

AZIZAH BT ATAN
CD

ABDULLAH*

Abstract:

T/zis artic/e eramines teac/ters'etperiences as /earners and /totu t/zese erperiencesprouide us taith apouerful lens t/zrough tu/zich ue (rtn uietu our ou)n practices as educators. Teac/t'ers'beliefs and cultura/ lttlues influence t/te acceptance and upta/ee of neta approac/tes, tec/zniques ,tt' any form of innouatiue implernentations. By loo/eing at t/te uarieti, of 11,qys in u,hic/t these teoc/zers learnt, it is /toped th.at t/tis study uillprouide

ttn oueruieu of t/te unconscious frameutork th.at underpins t/te uarious rtssumptions made by th.ese teach.ers, based on the residues of past r'.uperiences as learners t/temselues. T/zis paper proposes th'at student /cac/ters'personal t/reories and assumptions need to be unrauelled before prouid[ng th.em any input t/zat /zopes to bring about changes in their
t'urrent practices.

Keywords:

?eache rs' b iograp/zy, role ident ity, i mp

licit

t/zeories

INTRODUCTION
'l',':rchers play a central role in classroom practices. Therefore, any efforts

way trnglish classrooms operate have implications for the ofteachers. Currently, teacher training is all too often focused on ir cornpetency-based mode which places importance on basic skills and li rrowledge. Their training ought to deliver a form of educational experience w lr ich is not just concerned with knowledge and skills but with developing
t,r lcdesign the
t r ; r i ning

Lecturer, English Language Department, Faculty of Languages, UPSI

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It is now widely accepted that whcn student teachers enter courses ofprofessional training, they are not tabu/a rasa but have imprinted on their minds numerous images of teachers, teaching styles and learning processes which have been shaped by what
they witnessed as pupils (John, 1996: 91).

()xporicrntial approach to learning.

lr,lr I .r,r'l,irin educational values andbeliefs based on their unique experiences

in llrr, proccss of observing their teachers. They learn and internalize to ij,rnr'(l('gree the values and beliefs of their teachers.

'l'lrcro are two major viewpoints which attempt to explain the

n,

"

rrr l ization

of teachers.

Models of Teaching
Teaching itself can be seen as trying to assist students to learn more efficiently. Classrooms exist to enable this learning, and teachers and teaching are an essential component of this concept. Teachers bring with them many preconceptions about learning and teaching which have been picked up tacitly. So by influencing teachers'views of learning as a part their training would seem.to provide the foundation for a redesign of the
language classroom. (See Figure 1)
LANGUAGE

)rrt: view places the role of the teacher's teaching experience, along

il,h the latter years of pre-service teacher education and early in,rorvice teaching as the major socializing influence. 'l'hc other major view of the teacher socialization process asserts that lirrrnal pre-service education and student teaching has little effect on 1.hc beliefs and practices of student teachers and beginning teachers
w

(Oopland,1980: 198).

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LEARNING

Il is the recognition that future teachers do not come to teacher .rlrrr:irtion and beginning teaching ignorant and unskilled as to the rrrr,r'hanics, processes and rules of their place of work - they already
krrow classrooms. Such
r

is Lortie's claim "countless hours spent in

lrr,'rsrooms as students and

ir,rrclrors
t

the personal predispositions of prospective formulate the basics of a beginning teacher's thoughts and actions"

llt'l lt: 79).

A teacher's role

identity, a product ofeariy experiences, can also be

Figure

1:

Relationships between language teaching and learning (adapted f rom Wright 1990)

vr,'wed as affecting classroom practices in either negative or positive ways.

lir r r l,ake place because these beliefs become conditioned and
t

'l'lrrrs, deep rooted beliefs need to be articulated before any development build up certain

Student teachers who are merely presented with information and knowledgewill be unable to assimilate them because their vastly different perspectives and assumptions need to be uncovered before professional development and change can be nurtured. Lamb (i993) believes that development can only occur when the mental parameters within which participants conceptualise the teaching and learning process (which are determined by teachers'beliefs) are attended to (1993: 75).

nrsrrmptions, expectations and schemata, which are often unconscious rr rr I unquestioned. However, eliciting implicit theories and beliefs might lrr. rather tedious and rather difficult because these beliefs are often ,rrrlrconscious and teachers may find difficulty in articulating them.

GLIMPSES INTO CLASSROOM PRACTICES

order to express their ideas about impacts on their teaching, a clearer into the inner thoughts of practising teachers, hearing them rri r,rucial. The purpose of this paper is to make some sense of their teacher
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Models for Understanding Teachers

Teacher socialization is the process through which an individual becomes part ofthe society ofteachers. There are different sources that influence

1,,'r'spective

educational values and beliefs of student teachers in their initial

socialization experiences. The process ofteacher socialization is complex
because ofa variety ofbackground and experience variables that influence

it. Student teachers, upon entering teacher training programmes, already

r',rlc models and present theoretical models to explain how learning ,,xperience is related to teaching practice. By looking at teachers' l,iographies, it is hoped that this can provide an overview of the unconscious l r': rmeworks that underpin the various assumptions made by these teachers, l,rrsed on the residues of past experiences as learners themselves. In the context of this paper, "biography" ref'ers to those formative '\ l)eriences of student teachers, which have influenced the ways in which

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thoy think about teaching, and, subsequently, their actions in tho

classroom. Biography especially refers to those experiences that

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the basis for teacher role identity in which individuals think a themselves as teachers - the images they have of self-as-teacher. Wright (2000: 42) emphasises that by "opening up" and talking, we often find ou
roles, our values and our beliefs.

RESEARCH DESIGN
In order to get a glimpse of the existing implicit theories of learning, focus group discussion consisting offour student teachers was set up. It i a way to collect data from a group rather than individuals. This met
has the advantage of eliciting different perspectives and allowing individ to discuss, comparatively, how they see the issues. Hopkins states that

'l'hc participants will be referred to as Teacher A, Teacher B, Teachel (' ;rrrrl 'I'eacher D. Al1 are currently pursuing a first degree in Teaching l,lrrglish as a Second Language at the Sultan Idris University of Education. 'l'lr,,sc student teachers are all trained English language teachers of primary ,,,'lr xrls. TeacherAis afemale, with 10 yeais of teaching experience. Teacher l l ir r male, with 13 years of teaching experience behind him while Teacher |' r-; rr l'emale with 5 years of experience. Teacher D is a male with 4 years ll l tirt:hing experience.
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FINDINGS
'l'lrc t,eachers' initial conceptions of learning were largely dominated by I lrr,ir personal experiences as a learner. Their retrospective recollections wr,r'c vivid and contained very detailed information and elaboration. These rr,r'otrnts projected both positive and negative images of learning and I r,r rrrhing encounters.

with three or four students is very productive' (1 724) .In addition, further discussion can be followed-up immediately a need arises. I chose to use a'non-directive interview' style since it h been shown to be a particularly valuable technique because it gets at deeper attitudes and perceptions ofthe person being interviewed (Co and Manion, \994:288). The discussion was recorded to ensure that th
data were captured accurately. The life-history-based interview approach was adopted because it i capable of providing insights into the embedded beliefs, contradictions an complexities of everyday life. Life history approaches have been adop by educational researchers to study teachers'lives and careers, teachin and curriculum (eg. Knowles, 1992; Goodson, Igg2; Goodson and Cole 7994). Realising how important personal experiences and beliefs are i determining the kind of teachers we become, it follows that 'life hi research advocates, first and foremost, a concern with the phenomenal role of lived experience, with the ways in which members interpret thei own lives and the world around them". (Goodson, lgg2:7I). Apart from keeping the discussion going, I also talked about my school days and various learning encounters as an adult. We had an informal discussion which comprised of selected open-ended questions aimed at eliciting personal learning histories and experiences at school. Most of the time, I let the discussion meander along its natural course, intervenin only when absolutely necessary. Some of the questions posed during the discussion were:

'a group interview

Learning Experiences and Teaching Beliefs

'l'lrc various comments made by the teachers above can be summarised as lwo tlivergent and contrasting set of perceptions. One important result of

llrc interview was realising that both'good' and'bad' teaching models w,,rrr evident from these experiences. And what was also evident was that llrr, t.cacher factor in general was more important to these teachers than wr,rtr materials or methodology per se. '['wo of the teachers cited positive learning experiences. Through r,rrr rnining the positive characteristics of their past teachers, their opinions irr,r'rn to suggest such behaviour could be emulated. The value of negative l,,rrrning experiences were also evident in the other two teachers. Just as I lrl f irst two benefited from examining the positive characteristics of past
lr,:rchers, these teachers 'learned'how they should not teach. This knowledge i r r r t I rnemories contributed to their beliefs about the kinds of teachers thev

irrpire to be. The contrasting themes which emerged were these:

a. b. c.

Who was your favourite teacher during your schooldays? During you schooldays, was English your favourite subject? Is learningthe product ofteaching?

Personalconcepts about'good'and'bad'teaching ,'['eachers'friendly,understandingandmotivatingattitudes

rr I'

'leacher personality and style versus methods or materials used.

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Oreated learning atmosphere comparisons

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Affect and Atmosphere

Teacher B presented a very strong case against his English teacher.

lV lr,'rr st,rrtlcnt teachers enter teacher training, they have imprinted upon llr,'rl rninds numerous images of teachers, teaching styles and learning l,r', ,( (.sscs which have been shaped by what they have witnessed as pupils

I /tad bitter

erperiences as a student. Wzy ? Because f taas not good in English. S/re1/ criticise. .. zae uere demotiuated to learn the longuage. S/te insti/led fear.. . tae taere lerrified to euen mout/z out Englis/z uords. (BI)

{.lulrrr, 1996: 91).

Perpetuating Models
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Teacher D added these experience and views:

One particular activity I liked most was the choir and debate. English lessons were very mundane, typical... give instructions... which page...

,'ontrast to the negative images provided above, two others recalled

do the activities.... The teacher criticised a

encouragement. (D1)

iot and did not

give

l,,rrrl rnemories of their English lessons and talk about how one can be ,,ilr'('('ssful as a language learner. Teacher A observed that:

The two discussions above project negative images of learning experiences. The transcripts not only describe the poor quality of the teachers'pedagogic skills but rather the impact ofpersonal characteristics such as lack ofempathy towards learners. These negative experiences, however, became an inspiration to both the above teachers to be English teachers themselves in order to compensate for the poor teaching they had received, as seen from the following comments.
I wanted to show these teachers, what teaching should be, that's why became a teacher... I want to show them! (B2)

I li/eed lter teac/ting because s/ze uses uould introduce uocabulary items and tae construct (,/t/'ou)n sentences. Wh.at uas great about /ter utas that s/ze gaue us irrr{iuidual attention, s/ze spared time for us, and s/ze taas uerypalient.... , lr r:uracy and grammar are imporlant in order to be good in Englis/t. (Al)
l/.v fauourite teacher tuas a lady.
.sitrtple Eng/is/2. S/ze

Wlrilc Teacher C felt that:

7/rc subject I li/ted most zaas Engltsh because I taas frorn Conuent sc/zool, .*t my foundation utas good. You see, initially my Englis/z toas poor. ?/te /t'ac/zer erplained a lot of rules and struclures of t/z.e language. f learnt t/te rrtles ofgrarnmar. You must teach, t/te rules ouerlly not implicit/y. (Cl)

I would say... f had

to

sing...it /zelped to improue my Englis/t a /ot.... As a teac/zer, I like to incorporate elements offun in my lessons li/zegames and songs. (D2)
reading these comments, we are alerted to the importance of creating a positive and safe learning atmosphere.
B5r

put in a lot of my outn effort in English. I

li/ze to

Thereb a song in Tamil,aou brea/t t/ze leg of a singing bird ... hozu canyou erpect th.e bird to sing at that time, uhen itb sulfering z So li/eezaise, you /ti// the students'interest uth,en you instil fear in th.ern. Apart frorn hauing elements of fun and inter-actiueness, most important of a// is a teach.er
s /t o u

ld

be e rnp h.a t ic. (B 3)

As the discussion unfolded, Teacher B and D kept giving examples of the important components of learning, emphasising that the purpose of learning a language is not for the sake of getting good grades. The emotional side oflearning should be attended to and they believe that learning does not only happen in class and that learning can occur when students have been afforded the space and leisure to enjoy the learning process. These experiences as pupils will inevitably influence the way they assume that others learn and the roles that teachers have to fulfil. As stated by John,

'l'he two descriptions from teachers A and C indicated that personal rnrcteristics such as patience, warmth and good subject knowledge skills ,r ri' irnportant in order to be effective teachers. Apart from that, they seemed L ! { rn phasise the importance of the transmission method of teaching and ,,r plrrining whereby learners play a passive role in learning. Perhaps, the gr.ril,ive'outcomes'of previous learning experiences had prompted teachers ,'\ rrrrcl C to internalise many of their own teachers'behaviours. As Kennedy lrrrls it, 'Teachers acquire seemingly indelible imprints from thcir trwn ,'rl,t'riences as students and these imprints are tremendously difTicrrlt, t,o (Kennedy, 1990: 17). ',1 rirl<c' Ilased on what was discussed, teachers A and O wr,rt'lrcrlr:rps 1,lrc ,,1 rrr lcnts that teachers loved becattsc thcy wurc qu iot,. wcll- rrrirrr r rt'rt'rl rr rr<l ,rlw:tys had their homework donc on tirnc. 'l'htr.y t:il n lrccorrrt' rt'rrur rl<:rlrlc lr';rr:hers but there is a possibility that l,lrostr who rrcyl'1' ;i1.1'11gok'rl t,o lcarn l.rrrl to have little tolerance for the stuclt'rrt,s who tLr. 'l'lris crrn lrc rlotected rrr llre extractbelow.
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l,earning is a serious matter, Ita/tc nt.v /rtrrttrtt.g ,s,'ri.,rt.s/,y. I,l/hctt, Iteac/z I rtant a// m! students to listen attentlut'ly, so i/ //tr't,7xt.t,rr//ttt /tiotz, t/tey tuill hc ab/e to cr.nstuer my questions. l utl// tt.ttl /o/t'rtt/t',glrtt/t'rtts ut/to do not
/ is ten at te ntiuely... (C2).

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DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

The above findings seem to suggest that there are rather strong perceptions

'

about what constitutes learning. Teachers bear a great responsibility

because a casual comment by a teacher can become part of a student's life

jrrl'{x)nl cxpcriences as learners. These deep-rooted memories }rct:ottlt' ,.\ lr('r.i('p1()s that form the basis of their perceptions and expectations. 'l'htl have shaped and 1,,.r.:urptrl stories told here illuminate how experiences l,u rrlsr:rrpcd beliefs and visions about teaching and learning.
l;r

script. How many times have you heard adults say that a teacher's encouragement influenced them to change the course of their lives? As teachers, we are closelv watched role models who communicate more by what we do than by what we say. As teachers, we will be
remembered forever, but how we are remembered is up to us. Depending on our talent and disposition, teaching can be the best or the worst way to earn a living. As stated by Palmer, 'The imprints of good teachers remain long after the facts they gave us have faded' (1998: 21).

REFERENCES
L. and Manion, L., 1994. Research Met/tocls in Education 4th Edition. l,ondon: Routledge. (',,;rlrrnd, W., 1980. Student teachers and co-operating teachers: An ecological rclationship. T/teory into Practice. lr,,r|lrghue, H., 2003. An instrument to e]icit teachers'beliefs and assumptions.
(

,0lrr.n.

l,,r.r,r,ruan,

/L'L? Journal. 57 I 4. D., 1992. Language teaclter education, emerging discourse, and c/tange itt. c/assroompractice' Hong Kong: City Polytechnique of Hong Kong'

SUMMARY
One of the predominant views about adult learning is that learning is an

I l,,r rrlson

internal process: it involves something happening inside our heads (Merriam and Caffarella, 1999: 195). And in establishing a conducive environment for continuous development of teachers, it should be remembered that, 'Probably the clearest source for teachers' understandings of teaching and learning is their experience as
students' (Freeman, 1992: 3). Teachers must experience in their teacher training the world of the classroom they are meant to create in their own daily work. Our negative experiences of our own classroom; as learners and as teachers, as well as our familiarity with them may be trapping us and keeping us from making improvements. It is hoped that the perspectives on learning presented here wiII help you learn from your own experiences
as a teacher and then become more actively involved in your own continuous

L F. and cole. A. L.,7994. Exploring teachers professional knowledge: Oonstructing id entity and communtty . Teac lze r Ed u ca t io n Qu a rt e r /7. 211 7. { i,rrrtlsoi-I, I. F., 1992. Studying Teac/ters'Liues. London: Routledge' I l,,1rlrins, D.,7996. A Teac/zer's Guide to classroom Researc/t 2'd ed. Buckingham: .l,,lrn, P. D., 1996. Understanding the apprenticeship of observation in initial teachers education. In Claxton, G., T. Atkinson, M. Osborn and Wallace, M. (ed.s.) Liberating t/te Learner - Lessons for Professional Deuelopment in Educal io n. London: Routledge. lrr,rrnedy, M., 1990. Policy Issues in Teaclzer Educalion. East Lansing, Misc.: National Centre for Research on Teacher Learning.
lr,rrrrwles,

Open University Press.

biographies: Illustrations from case studies. In Goodson, I.F. (ed.) studying Teac/zers' Liues. London: Routledge. l( rrowles, J. G. and cote, A. L., 1995. Teacher Educators Reflecting on writing in Practice. In Russell, T. and F. Korthagen (eds.) Teac/zers wZto ?eac/t Teac/ters. Ref/ections on Teac/zer Education. London: Falmer Press'

J.G.,l"gg2.Modelsforunderstandingpreserviceandbeginningteachers'

learning. Prior experiences can be a negative force trapping us into predetermined responses (Somekh, 7993:26). Knowles and Cole stated that, 'what we do as a professional is powerfully influenced by our personal histories" (1995: 90). There is often a great difference in teacher development between input (from the trainer/expert), uptake (elements which participants find interesting and consider transferable to classrooms, i.e. which match their own theory), and output (what is actually implemented in the participants'
classes) (Donaghue, 2003: 344).

s.tnekh, 8., 1993. Quality in cdrrr:nliorrrl lt'st'rrrr:lr t,lrc t:ontributions of classroom teachers. In Edge,..l. arrtl l(. Iliclr:rlrls (eds.) Tlru'/ters Deuelop
Teach.e rs Re s ea rc /t. Oxfor d: Heincnt t t t. wr.ight, T., 1990. Understanding classrtxrrrr rt'l:rtiorrslrilrs. tn J.C. Richards and -D. Nunan, (eds.), Second Lart,gtrt4g,' 7l'ttt'/tt't' /L't/rtt:rtlion' Cambridge: Cambridge UniversitY Press'
I t t

l,;rrnb, M., 1993. The consequences of INSET' EL?Jottrna/' 4917' l,rrrtie, D. C., 1975. Schoolteat'/tt,r.'A Sctciologica/ Slurfy. Chicago: Univcrsitv t.rl' Chicago Press. Nl.rriam, s. g. ana caffarella, It. s.. I 99\). /'t'rtt ttitt.g itt .,1rltr//hrtrtr/.2"'t Ilrlil,ion. San Francisco: JosseY-Bass. l'rrlmer, P., 1998. ?/te Courage to llhtt /t. Srttt l,'trtttt:ist:o..losst'v-llltss.

Teachers are complex, thinking agents, with their own conflicting values, aspirations and their own experiences, beliefs and intuitions. Teachers' disposition about learning and teaching is based on their