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In this article, we explore the tensions early career English teachers experience in their language teacher identities (LTIs). To this effect, we conducted semi‐structured interviews with three early career English teachers at Turkish public schools. The findings showed that the teachers experienced tensions with their roles as teachers, language competency, and structural and relational aspects in their contexts. Devising and employing coping strategies in navigating challenges, the teachers developed their own ways to deal with various identity tensions. The findings of this study conclude that (i) maintaining LTIs is emotionally complex, (ii) LTIs happen in social practice, and (iii) meso and macro contexts supersede ideals causing dilemmas, conflicts, and tensions in LTIs. Drawing on the findings, we argue that teachers' emotional needs and identity tensions should be provided for through institutional and interrelational support systems so that teachers can manage tensions and emotionality as potential in their identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore how English language teachers construct and enact their teacher identities. The data was collected through semi‐structured interviews with four in‐service English language teachers at Turkish public schools. The findings revealed certain identity stabilizers: the fascination with subject and the job, caring for students and the relationships with students and former teachers. Although the teachers took two distinctive pathways—the meant to be route and the higher education route—the job experiences of those taking the same route to teaching were quite different. Varying levels of exersion of teacher agency to attain alignment between imagined and actual identities and rare opportunities for legitimate participation and job socialization were effective in the actualization of personal and professional values distinctively. The findings enhance our understanding of how teacher identity is contextually and relationally constructed and offer implications for teacher education and sustainable identity‐oriented professional learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Searching for unknown words is a common interactional practice of learners in EFL classrooms. Language teachers exploit learner-initiated word searches in several ways to promote learning opportunities. However, it can be more challenging for pre-service teachers during their teaching practicum, as it is their first contact with students in a real classroom. Therefore, it is worth analysing how pre-service teachers manage word searches in classroom interaction during their practicum. For this reason, we video-recorded 43 lessons of 16 pre-service EFL teachers doing their practicum at a high school in Turkey. We analysed student-initiated word searches and the orientations of the pre-service teachers to them. The results indicate that word searches are collaborative practices shaped by momentary the pedagogical focus, and the use of L1. Teachers attend to the word search by choosing the appropriate candidate word or providing reformulation for the negotiated words. When they do not attend to the word search, they may let it pass or prioritize fluency. Those two pathways will be discussed in relation to learning opportunities and teachers' classroom interactional competence, and implications regarding EFL classrooms will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study reports on the professional identity development of a group of beginning in-service teacher educators in Türkiye. The focus was on investigating how a group of in-service teacher educators' participation in professional communities and their collaboration with experienced educators and teachers affected their professional identity development. Within the qualitative constructivist paradigm, twelve participants were interviewed for unearthing the social and relational dimensions of developing as teacher educators in Turkish in-service teacher education (INSET) context. The analysis drew on the theoretical-methodological framework which is composed of five identity lenses (becoming, doing, knowing, being, and belonging). The findings indicated that a supportive community of colleagues and the attitudes of INSET participants were the building blocks of teacher educators' development. This article highlights the significance of professional collaboration and the crucial influence of INSET participants on in-service teacher educators' identity development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study replicates the research conducted by Pérez-Paredes, Ordoñana Guillamón and Aguado Jiménez (2018) on language teachers' perceptions on the use of OER language processing technologies in mobile-assisted language learning. It expands the initial research study by adding Polish, Portuguese, and Turkish educational contexts, surveying 239 English as a foreign language teachers in these three countries. The main findings indicate that there are several differences among the three countries, including institutional support regarding the use of mobile devices and the training provided to the teachers. Based on the data collected in these countries, it was found that mobile devices are mainly used for teaching and learning on online platforms. Smartphones were one of the most used devices in English language teaching, while computer labs at schools seem to have lost their popularity. Regarding the technologies available, the results of the study reveal that the participants are most familiar with online dictionaries, spell checkers, and online collocation dictionaries, and the participants' qualifications are linked to certain differences in familiarity and use of technologies in the classroom. Variables such as gender, age, and years of experience do not show any difference in the familiarity or frequency of use of those technologies. The main findings of the study point out the importance of institutional support and training regarding the use of mobile devices and open educational resources, which are no longer a choice but a necessity in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bartin University Journal of Faculty of Education is the property of Bartin University Journal of Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bartin University Journal of Faculty of Education is the property of Bartin University Journal of Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This qualitative study aimed to provide an empirical examination of professionalism from the perspectives of practising Turkish teachers of English in order to provide insights into the assumptions and motives that drive and sustain their professional practices. Data were collected from 41 EFL teachers working at public schools through semi-structured interviews. Hermeneutic interpretative phenomenological analysis was administered to analyse these interview data. Data analysis showed that teachers in this study viewed teaching as a profession, not just a job carried out to earn one's living. However, teachers have differing perceptions regarding the nature of this profession. According to the participants in this study, professionalism is exhibited in many ways and encompasses knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviours. Results indicated that characteristics of a professional language teacher can be grouped under four categories: personal traits and virtues, subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and professional development. While EFL teachers discussed personal traits and values more than any other components of teacher professionalism, teachers' English language proficiency is found to be a basic professional quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to investigate how well language teacher education (LTE) programmes prepare future teachers for ICT integration with the comparison of three different contexts (Turkey, Portugal and Poland) from the perspectives of the teacher trainees and teacher educators (TEs). Using a scale and multiple interviews, the data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results revealed that although there were three different contexts in three countries, LTE programmes seemed to implement teacher education strategies so as to prepare future teachers for educational technology use similarly at a moderate level. Modelling TEs and reflection on technology use were found to be significant strategies followed while feedback and instructional design strategies were challenging for the programmes. Furthermore, the results also indicated limited access to resources, lack of institutional support and qualified TEs who could successfully use and integrate technology into their teaching. Based on the findings, implications on how to integrate technology training into LTE programmes are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English is vertically distributed in the socioeconomic layers of Turkish society as there has been a discrepancy between English learning opportunities in public vs. private educational institutions and developed vs. underdeveloped regions. Attracting qualified English teachers to work in unprivileged regions and public schools would be one of the solutions for the social inequity caused by unbalanced access opportunities to satisfactory English proficiency. Collecting and analysing questionnaire data from pre-service teachers from 13 English Language Teaching departments (N = 583), and conducting semi-structured interviews with 88 participants, this study aims to understand regional and institutional plans of pre-service English teachers with a focus on factors affecting their plans. Majority of the participants plan to work in public institutions as they offer job security and moderate workload; on the other hand, professional development opportunities in private institutions are quite attractive for many teacher candidates. Participants seem to have a tendency to work in developed regions. Cultural concerns, geographical concerns, altruistic concerns, opportunities and beliefs derived from others' experiences are found to be effective on their regional plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In search of ways to better the foreign language proficiency levels of their citizens, governments frequently announce macro foreign language policies. In Turkey, the latest education reform in 2013 lowered the onset of foreign language learning to the second grade. The piloting of the latest foreign language policy is in progress to transform the fifth grade to an English Language Preparation Program (ELPP). In line with the current changes, this study collects the secondary school English language teachers' opinions at the initial stage of the implementation. This qualitative case study questions the advantages, disadvantages, success and possible challenges of the implementation, and the necessary support mechanisms. The secondary school English language teachers reflect on their past experiences of intensive language programs and hold an overall positive approach to the new ELLP implementation. All in all, to achieve success, the findings highlight the need for teacher training on teaching English to young learners, for a sound integration of communicative language teaching with authentic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education & Science / Egitim ve Bilim is the property of Turkish Education Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Recent educational research has underscored the criticality and centrality of teacher quality as a decisive and prominent influence on students' academic growth and success. Consequently, it becomes imperative to define, understand, and study the qualities and qualifications of effective teachers so as to inform preservice and in-service teacher education practices. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to investigate administrators' views and expectations on teacher recruitment processes and qualities of English language teaching ( ELT) professionals who work as instructors in intensive English programs at institutions of higher education in Turkey and Northern Cyprus. The study focused on 19 institutions of higher education in Turkey and Northern Cyprus and utilized a qualitative approach for data collection (semistructured face-to-face interviews, Skype interviews, and written responses) and analysis consistent with the principles of grounded theory methodology. The thematic analysis of the data revealed views on language teacher recruitment processes and practices in higher education and highlighted the vitality of language proficiency, openness for professional development and self-reflection, character, and pedagogical knowledge for ideal applicants for teaching positions. Administrators' perceptions regarding teacher recruitment processes and qualities of ELT professionals offer insights that are useful for developing contextually sensitive preservice and in-service teaching practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hacettepe University Journal of Education is the property of Hacettepe University Journal of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of using multimedia messages via mobile phones in helping language learners in consolidating vocabulary. The study followed a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental research design. The participants of this study were a group of students attending the English Preparatory School of an English-medium university in Turkey. Six different groups were formed in order to investigate the comparative effectiveness of supplementary vocabulary materials delivered through three different means: via mobile phones, on web pages, and in print form. The multimedia messages in this study included the definitions of words, exemplary sentences, related visual representations, information on word formation, and pronunciations of words. Analyses of the quantitative data showed that using mobile phones had positive effects on students' vocabulary acquisition. The results suggest that mobile phones offer great potential for providing learners with supplementary opportunities to recontextualize, recycle, and consolidate vocabulary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hacettepe University Journal of Education is the property of Hacettepe University Journal of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aimed to find out whether integrating accent reduction software in advanced English language classes at the university level would result in improvements in students’ pronunciation at the segmental and sup-rasegmental levels. The study made use of a quasi-experimental research design. Two classes at the Department of Foreign Language Education at Middle East Technical University in Turkey participated in the study. Whilst one class (the control group) followed traditional instruction, the other class (experimental group) followed instruction which integrated use of accent reduction software in a multimedia language laboratory. Based on the results of the study, it is suggested that especially in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings where natural target language input is scarce, technology has a lot to offer, and EFL learners may be provided with exposure and practice/interaction opportunities in the target language through specifically designed software programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one on the discourse patterns of chat logs of an online community of practice and another on perceptions of foreign language teachers on the use of computers for administrative and teaching purposes in foreign language teaching.