CALL in TESOL Teacher Training Greg Kessler Ohio University

1. CALL in TESOL Teacher TrainingGreg KesslerOhio University

2. Background • CALL Preparation • No Broad Based Research • No understanding of the extent of such training • No understanding of the perceived importance of such training • No specifics of such training • CALL is Assumed to be Valuable • Survey results indicated departmental support and incentives available for both CALL use and CALL development • Survey of Websites • ~90% of TESOL Positions Seek CALL Experience • During 6 month period of postings

3. Phase I of Study • 208 Masters Programs • Sample: • CALL Practitioners • 240 people • Listserv recipients: • Netteach • Calico • TESL_CALL

4. How Confident Are You Using Technology for Language Teaching?

5. My Degree Program Was Effective at Preparing Me to Teach With Technology

6. The Amount of Time Devoted to CALL in My Degree Program Was Sufficient

7. Have you Taken Courses Outside of Your Degree Program to Gain more Knowledge about Teaching with Technology?

8. I Would Have Benefited From More CALL Training in My Degree Program

9. The Courses Regarding Teaching with Technology In My Degree Program Were Relevant to my Teaching

10. How Many Courses Did you Take in Your Degree Program that Focused on CALL Training?

11. How Many Courses Focused on CALL Were Required in Your Program?

12. How Many Courses in Your Program Involved Any CALL Training?

13. Incentives are Offered for Using Technology for Teaching

14. Incentives are Offered for Developing Technology for Teaching

15. Focus Groups • CALL Trainers at Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages Convention (TESOL) • Formal training has continued to increase over past decade • Training should be inextricably linked to pedagogy • Most training occurs as in-service or incidental training • Other Teacher Trainers at TESOL • CALL is out of my grasp and we don’t have a specialist to do it • Funding isn’t available to expand right now • There are too many other issues central to training of teachers • Those who are interested will “pick it up” • Interviews • General sense of desire to implement, but overwhelmed by limitations

16. Phase II of Study: Formal and Informal Sources of Training • Informal Sources • Publications • Conferences • Listserv Information • Colleagues • In-service training

17. Literature Review:What Should Teachers Know About CALL? • Digital literacy • General Software Skills • Decision Making Skills • Experience with CALL (both as student & teacher) • Development Skills • Knowledge of Student Training • Explicit CALL related Training • Language Skill CALL Awareness

18. Research Questions • 1. Are TESOL masters degree programs with a CALL component evaluated more positively than those with no CALL component? • 3. Is there a relationship between satisfaction with informal CALL training and satisfaction with formal CALL training? • 4. Is there a relationship between attitude toward technology and satisfaction with formal CALL training?

19. Research Hypothesis for Question 1:(Mann-Whitney Test of Medians) • H0: There is no difference in median scores between the ranking of TESOL masters degree programs of study which include CALL and those which do not include CALL. • HA: There is a difference in median scores between the ranking of TESOL masters degree programs of study which include CALL and those which do not include CALL.

20. The Research Question for Question 2:(Multiple Regression) • H0: The independent variables, perception of informal teaching preparation and perception of formal teaching preparation are not significant predictors of the dependent variable, attitude toward technology. • HA: The independent variables, perception of informal teaching preparation and perception of formal teaching preparation are significant predictors of the dependent variable, attitude toward technology.

21. Population and Sample • TESOL members within last five years • Graduates of North American TESOL MA Programs • ~108 Participants (40% response of 270)

22. Research Hypothesis: • H0: The independent variables, informal teaching preparation and attitude toward technology are not significant predictors of the dependent variable, formal CALL preparation as a component of a language teacher preparation program. • HA: The independent variables, informal teaching preparation and attitude toward technology are significant predictors of the dependent variable, formal CALL preparation as a component of a language teacher preparation program.

23. Statistical Hypothesis • H0: =ø • HA: ≠ø whereas • FTP represents satisfaction with formal teaching preparation • ITP represents satisfaction with informal teaching preparation • ATT represents attitude toward technology

24. Conclusions The ranking of the Hypothetical Masters Program including CALL was ranked significantly higher than the one which did not include CALL

25. Conclusions • Informal Teaching Preparation contributed 36% to Attitude Toward Technology • Formal Teaching Preparation Was Essentially Unnoticeable, but Contributed Slightly Negatively (1.5%)

26. Conclusions • TESOL professionals have a generally positive attitude toward technology (4.06 overall mean on 5 point Likert scale) • Individual Items

27. Components of ITP & FTP (General and Technology Type Use) ITP FTP • Use computers for language instruction 4.06 2.29 • Use the Internet for instruction 4.23 2.21 • Use multimedia for instruction 4.02 2.78 • Use computer-based images for instruction 3.91 2.23 • Use computer-based video materials for instruction 3.57 2.08 • Use computer-based audio materials for instruction 3.57 2.15 • Use CMC for instruction 3.92 2.20 • Use a CMS (such as Blackboard, Moodle, etc.) 3.92 2.02

28. Components of ITP & FTP (Language Skills) ITP FTP • Use computer-based materials for teaching speaking 3.45 1.92 • Use computer-based materials for teaching listening 3.55 2.08 • Use computer-based materials for teaching writing 4.01 2.38 • Use computer-based materials for teaching reading 3.92 2.23 • Use computer-based materials for teaching grammar 3.77 2.23

29. Components of ITP & FTP (Materials Creation) ITP FTP • Create computer-based instructional materials 3.93 2.19 • Create computer-based audio material for instruction 3.26 1.98 • Create computer-based video material for instruction 3.15 2.04 • Create computer-based images for instruction 3.46 2.07

30. Components of ITP & FTP (Decision Making) ITP FTP • Select appropriate web-based materials for instruction 4.15 2.26 • Make effective decisions regarding use of technology 4.12 2.64 • Make decisions regarding the selection of software 3.94 2.35 • Make decisions regarding technology integration 4.19 2.67 • Make decisions regarding the design of technology learning spaces (such as computer labs) 3.52 2.08 • Evaluate computer-based instructional materials 3.92 2.23

31. Components of ITP & FTP (Other) ITP FTP • Use a CMS (such as Blackboard, Moodle, etc.) 3.92 2.02 • Use technology for evaluating students 3.42 2.06 • Evaluate computer-based instructional materials 3.92 2.23 • Train students to use computer-based materials 3.87 2.23

32. Recommendations • TESOL Establish CALL Standards • TESOL Master Programs Integrate CALL • Further Research into Long Term Effectiveness of CALL Training • Further Research into Teacher Needs • Further Research into Teacher Perception of CALL Needs

33. THANKS!kessler@ohio.eduPowerpoint: http://gregling.net/tesol2007a