INVESTIGATING EXPERTISE: FOUR CASE STUDIES OF EXPERIENCED EFL TEACHERS IN JAPANESE UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

These case studies of four experienced teachers are focused on attributes that indicated expertise in L2 teaching in Japanese universities. In order to select participants who were likely to demonstrate characteristics of expertise, I modified and used the criteria based on previous expertise research in general education. The criteria included three factors: experience, educational backgrounds, and recommendations. I chose to focus only on effective teachers because the purpose of this study was to examine characteristics that were suggestive of expertise. Data sources included classroom observations, interviews with focal participants and focus groups of students, and a collection of artifacts. Classroom observations took place in a minimum of four lessons in each of two different classes that participants taught. Furthermore, I conducted and audio recorded a minimum of five interviews with each participant. Moreover, a collection of artifacts, such as syllabi, handouts, and tests that the participants created and used provided insights into these teachers’ knowledge and beliefs about language learning and teaching. Student-focus group interviews were conducted to explore congruences between students’ and teachers’ perceptions of classes. Data analysis included both deductive and inductive approaches. First, I relied on the findings of previous research in the field. For example, I looked for characteristics proposed by Bereiter and Scardamalia (1993), who explained how experts solve problems differently from nonexperts. They argued that nonexperts solve problems to make their jobs easier. In contrast, experts find and solve new and important issues in their domain, which they called progressive problem solving. In addition, based on the conception that knowledge and beliefs are different (Nespor, 1987), teachers’ beliefs, which influenced teachers’ developmental processes and use of knowledge, were examined. Furthermore, Shulman’s (1986, 1987) and Turner-Bisset’s (2012) notion of teacher knowledge guided the examination of the participants’ knowledge bases. Second, recurring themes other than what has been discussed in previous expertise studies were examined. The results indicated three characteristics of these participants. First, since they first entered the field of teaching English, they continued to develop based on reflection and problem-solving. The nature of reflection was critical, in which they examined their teaching based on students’ reactions. Their reflection also led them to engage in problem-solving. Rather than simplifying issues to make their jobs easier, they sought ways to effectively enhance students’ learning by revising their materials. The nature of their problem-solving was similar to Bereiter and Scardamalia’s (1993) description of experts, who engage in progressive problem-solving. Second, these teachers indicated their beliefs related to teacher autonomy and teacher integrity. Autonomy that these participants found in their contexts allowed them to teach based on their beliefs. In addition, autonomy allowed them to achieve agency to find and work on issues that they believed important and challenging. Consequently, their problem-solving enhanced their growth. Moreover, autonomy allowed them to have flow experiences, in which they were able to enjoy the process of problem-solving. Furthermore, the participants demonstrated their strong beliefs related to their sense of integrity towards their professions. Integrity that they felt towards their professions pushed them to work harder and allowed them to positively approach teaching and students. However, the findings also suggested that teacher integrity could be compromised when teachers faced issues such as lack of job security and teacher burnout. The final aspect was the participants’ sophisticated knowledge of learners, an integral component for excellent teaching (Shulman, 1986, 1987). The participants’ knowledge of learners was categorized into two models suggested by Turner-Bisset (2012). One is social knowledge of learners, and the other is cognitive knowledge of learners. The teachers understood what students were like as well as their cognitive development of learners and used their knowledge of learners to set up learning activities that would help students achieve goals. They also used assessments effectively to develop and refine knowledge of learners. Furthermore, their knowledge of learners allowed them to approach teaching in a flexible manner. This dissertation concludes with pedagogical implications for teachers, teacher educators, school administrators, curriculum designers. In addition, limitations of this study and a proposal for further research are provided.