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A Qualitative Study of College English Teachers' Philosophy of Teaching in Content-based EFL Courses

The introduction of content-based courses into college English curriculum has generated grave doubts and confusions over the knowledge for teaching and the professional identity among teachers. Currently, research about content-based instruction (CBI) in China focused primarily on such theoretical issues as teaching methodology, approaches of teacher training, and how the content-based courses should be positioned in relation to other types of courses. A few empirical studies attempted at teachers' dilemmas in coping with the inadequacy of content knowledge, which shed light into teachers' understandings of and responses to curriculum change. However, given that content courses are mostly school-based, and in many cases it is the teachers who actually develop the courses independently or collaboratively, how they understand what, how and why to teach in content-based courses as a whole need further exploration in order to better understand the problems specifically related to CBI in China and the implications for the professional learning and development of college English teachers.

This research was designed to qualitatively explore college English teachers' understandings of the nature of teaching in content-based courses. Based on data generated from in-depth interviews, classroom observations, teachers' narratives and other teaching-related documents (e.g. teaching plans, courseware, etc.), this research presented a composite case study of teachers' practices to examine their underlying philosophies of teaching, i.e. their understandings of the nature of teaching in content-based courses.

Findings revealed that there were three major types of CBI, the meaning-focused, the thinking-focused and the form-meaning balanced, which were underscored by different philosophies of teaching. 1) Teaching as meaning-making. In meaning-focused CBI, teachers focused on personal meaning construction by dialogic inquiry into the content knowledge using the language of English, wherein teachers and students developed their personal understandings of the public knowledge. In that sense, teaching was a process of growth for both students and teachers. 2) Teaching as teaching to fish. In thinking-focused CBI, teachers aimed to develop students' meta-cognitive skills and critical thinking skills in the hope that students would learn how to learn and think independently. In this type of teaching, language was taken as the medium of instruction in training students' cognitive skills and in the exploration of content knowledge. 3) Teaching as developing students' academic literacy. In form-meaning balanced CBI, teachers tried to balance content with language, or meaning with form, so as to promote students' development in both language competence and academic literacy, such as language use in specilised communicative contexts, awareness of different academic paradigms and students' development in critical thinking ability, etc.

Teachers' philosophies of teaching indicated that axiologically, college English teachers regarded teaching in general, and the teaching of content-based courses in particular, as an ethical and sociocultural practice; epistemologically, teachers held complex and multiple views of knowledge and constructive views of knowing; methodologically, teachers tended to take constructive approaches to teaching; and in the relationship between knower and knowing, teachers valued students' agency and active participation in learning as knowledge holders and creators.

The findings also suggested that teaching in content-based courses was more of an ethical concern whereby teachers strived for the goodness of teaching underwritten by their philosophies of teaching. Because the disciplinary content rendered teachers larger implementational space to pursue personal meanings, they were more likely to undertake the roles of curriculum maker, and therefore, actualized their personal philosophies of teaching in practice. This greatly promoted the integrity between their professional selves and teaching, reinforcing their identification with teaching as a profession.

Conclusions drawn from the research findings were:teaching in content-based courses was a sense-making process for college English teachers by actualizing their personal philosophies of teaching. Teachers' philosophies of teaching were teachers' practical theories of what knowledge was more valuable, what was meaningful learning and why one kind of teaching was more reasonable and worthwhile than the others. In short, they were the “goodness” of teaching or education the teachers pursue in their professional lives. The implications were:encouraging teachers to reflect on and construct their personal philosophies of teaching would help promote deep professional learning and more autonomous professional development. Involving teachers in curriculum making supported their construction of philosophies of teaching and the ongoing professional development.

Key words:college English teacher;curriculum-and-teaching;philosophy of teaching;content-based EFL courses;teacher as curriculum maker

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