The Influence of Strategic Mediation on Novice EFL Teachers’ Pedagogical Knowledge

Abstract

Different from one-way provision of knowledge in transmission-based approaches, recent approaches to teacher education consider learning as a consequence of teachers' active engagement in social practices. Prior studies have provided important insights into how sociocultural theory (SCT) works in L2 teacher education. However, issues remain about the content and effectiveness of teacher education programs informed by the tenets of SCT on novice teachers' learning. Addressing this gap, the present study set out to investigate the microgentic development of four novice EFL teachers during dialogic mediations with a teacher educator in some one-to-one development sessions based on samples of their actual teaching practices. Mediations were dialogic, graduated, and tailored to the needs of the teachers (i.e., from implicit to explicit) within each individual's zone of proximal teacher development (ZPTD). A total of four hours of video-recorded teacher-teacher educator post-observation talk was analyzed. Results proposed a highly dialogic interaction with an approximately equal participatory role. Findings demonstrated that novice teachers' agency and externalization of their thoughts in a supportive and interactive environment can result in their development. Finally, teacher educators were asked to include strategic mediation in teacher education programs and provide teachers with graduated assistance within their ZPTD.