Narrative Research on the Internal Cognition of Assistant Language Teachers at the Preparation Stage of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme

要旨

In the stream of educational reforms in Japan, collaborative teaching with English-speaking Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) will consequently play an important role in foreign language classrooms. While the quality and impact of the ALTs on their lessons tend to be argued by many, there is still a possibility existing that the manner in which ALTs enrich their lives in Japan will exert a synergistic effect on their collaborative English teaching skills. This project focused on the life stories of ALTs, utilized the narrative approach to analyze and conduct interviews, and explored how they engage and commit to Japanese foreign language education. Utilizing thematic analysis, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with six ALTs under the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme for 2021. As the starting point of being ALTs, this study investigated their perspective before and after their arrival to Japan and revealed two major themes that emerged from their psychological states, and each theme has divided further into the following sub-concepts (1) self-awareness: sense of anticipation and expectation, and (2) cognitive dissonance: concerns and discomfort and contemplation.

主題