Native Chinese-Speaking K–12 Language Teachers' Beliefs and Practices

Abstract: This study investigated the relationships between the beliefs and practices of K-12 native Chinese teachers on Chinese language and literacy instruction. Using a descriptive-exploratory design, this study employed a mixed-methods approach consisting of three steps: (1) a teacher beliefs questionnaire, (2) classroom observations and videotaping, and (3) semi-instructed teacher interviews. Results indicated that novice Chinese teachers desired large "doses" of practical pedagogical strategies; however, development of those strategies required that teachers have ample opportunities for thoughtful anticipatory and retroactive reflection centered on student learning and grounded by the knowledge of language-specific pedagogical content knowledge. The results highlighted the importance of fostering Chinese pedagogical knowledge through anticipatory instructional planning and reflection in apprenticing Chinese language teachers into the profession.Key words: Chinese (Mandarin), foreign/second language teacher preparation, inservice and professional development, preservice teacher preparation(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)IntroductionBecause interest and enrollment in Chinese language programs in K-12 schools in the United States are growing rapidly, the nation is challenged with the task of developing and equipping a strong corps of highly qualified Chinese language teachers (Asia Society, 2010). Furthermore, because candidate teachers in the United States come from extremely diverse educational and professional backgrounds (Asia Society, 2010) and because the beliefs that teachers hold are strongly affected by their own backgrounds and experiences (e.g., Johnson, 1994; Numrich, 1996), teachers' beliefs influence their perceptions and judgments of classroom events, which in turn affect their classroom behavior and practices (Pajares, 1992). Therefore, it is crucial for educators and researchers to understand the belief structures of teachers as essential elements in order to have an impact on their professional preparation and teaching practices (e.g., Nespor, 1987; Pajares, 1992).Although there is an abundance of previous research on teachers' beliefs and practices, few empirical studies were found to address the beliefs of teachers of Chinese as a second language (CSL)1 (Liau, 2009; Wang & Kirkpatrick, 2012; Zhang & Jiang, 2009). Thus, little is known about the relationships between Chinese teachers' beliefs and practices, in particular about their beliefs regarding teaching, learning, and overall development of reading, writing, and other literacy skills. Knowledge of such relationships is particularly important, as Chinese teachers' unconscious, sometimes culturally imposed, assumptions about literacy instruction may lead to frustration and misunderstanding in students with an alphabetic language background (e.g., Bell, 1995). This study investigated the relationship between Chinese language teachers' beliefs and practices as well as the extent to which Chinese teachers' beliefs about language and literacy development were consistent with their classroom practices.Review of LiteratureLearning to TeachShulman (2000) identified three key domains of teacher development: general pedagogical knowledge, content-specific knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge. Drawing on van Manen's work on the critical role of teacher reflection (1995), Walqui's model of teacher expertise (2001) incorporated the three types of teacher knowledge and provided a representation of the accomplished teacher as someone whose pedagogical practices were informed by deep reflection about themselves, their students, and the communities in which students live. Walqui noted that such reflection affected the teachers' choice of curriculum and their teaching practice.Hiebert, Gallimore, and Stigler (2002) called for the creation of a consensus concerning the knowledge base that should be required; this was defined in California as the "learning to teach continuum" and has been used to determine licensing requirements. …