Native and Non-Native English Speaking Teachers’ Beliefs and Their Influence on Their Practice: A Case Study of Elementary Team-teaching in Hsin Chu City

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to investigate the beliefs of a team-teaching native English-speaking teacher (NEST) and a non-native English-speaking teacher (non-NEST) and the extent to which their beliefs are manifested in their classroom practice. The participants are a NEST and a non-NEST who have had one year of experience in team-teaching with each other in an elementary school in Hsin Chu City, Taiwan. The data collection instruments include interviews, belief inventories, classroom observations, and document analysis. Through analyzing the teachers` beliefs in the following areas: (1) advantages and disadvantages of being native and non-native English teachers, (2) team-teaching, (3) roles of the English language, (4) language learning and learners, and (5) teaching practices, the study shows that the two teachers shared many common beliefs, but that their beliefs were not necessarily consistent with their performance in the classroom. Pedagogical implications and suggestions are derived mainly for the benefit of policy makers and for maintaining positive collaboration between NESTs and non-NESTs.

此質性個案研究旨在了解協同教學中、外籍英語教師之信念及其對課室實踐的影響。研究對象為一外籍教師與一中籍教師，兩者彼此間在台灣新竹市的一小學已有一年的協同教學經驗。資料蒐集所使用的工具包括面談、信念清單、課堂觀察、以及資料分析。透過分析以下領域裡的教師信念，此研究指出這兩名教師有許多共通點：（1）身為中、外籍教師優勢與劣勢；（2）協同教學；（3）英語的角色；（4）語言學習及學習者；以及（5）教學實施；然而，他們的信念與其在課堂裡的教學表現並不一致。此研究具有教學上的意義、提供政策制定者建議以及維持中、外籍教師間正面的合作關係。