Impact of Teacher Training Course on Iranian EFL Teachers’ Beliefs
Subject Areas :Shirin Abasifar 1 , Zahra Fotovatnia 2
1 - English Department, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan Branch, Isfahan, Iran
2 - English Department, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad Branch, Isfahan, Iran
Keywords: Field of Study, teacher beliefs, beliefs about language learning, Teacher Training Course,
Abstract :
Abstract Beliefs are an important aspect of any learning program as they affect the way teachers and students define their roles, and the way they approach their duties and responsibilities. Besides, they highly affect teachers’ practices, methods, and lesson plans. The importance of beliefs inspired the present researchers to evaluate and compare EFL teachers’ beliefs before and after a teacher training course (TTC) at language institutes in Isfahan to see if teacher training program influence the enrolled teachers’ beliefs about different aspects of a learning situation. To this purpose, a modified version of Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) was administered to a total of 110 Iranian EFL teachers in Isfahan. The teachers came from different majors (TEFL, translation, English literature, and other non-English majors), and were further divided into two groups: those who had participated in at least a TTC, and those who had no experience of attending a TTC. The BALLI scores of the teachers were then classified and analyzed by a t test and an ANOVA. The results revealed that beliefs about language learning did not significantly change in the wake of attending a TTC, and that no significant difference was observed as far as the participants’ field of study was concerned.