ELT Journal Advance Access published online on March 5, 2008
ELT Journal, doi:10.1093/elt/ccn016
© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.
Enhancing cooperative learning in TESOL teacher education
Margo DelliCarpini is an assistant professor of TESOL at Lehman College, The City University of New York, where she works with TESOL teacher certification candidates. In addition to working as a teacher educator, she has worked with ESL students at the preschool through adult level, as well as in higher education. Her research focuses on TESOL teacher development, interdisciplinary teacher collaboration, and second language literacy development
Email: margo.dellicarpini{at}lehman.cuny.edu
Received for publication 1 September 2007.
Revision received 1 September 2007.
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Abstract |
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This paper discusses how a TESOL teacher educator took reflective action in an ESL methods class with the goal of increasing pre-service and in-service teachers' use of cooperative learning (CL) activities in their own ESL classrooms. CL has been at the forefront of educational research and is a frequent topic in methodology textbooks, teacher education programmes, and in-service coursework. The positive benefits of CL have been documented in a variety of studies. Despite these benefits and the prevalence of the topic in teacher educational contexts, CL is not as widespread as would be expected.
Teaching practices are influenced by teachers' prior experiences and beliefs. If pre-service teachers are not exposed to effective models of CL in their teacher education programmes it may be unrealistic to expect them to engage in CL in their own classrooms.