Pre- and in-Service Foreign Language Teachers’ Perceptions of Effective Teaching

The field of foreign language teaching and learning has been experiencing a shift of paradigm; from traditional to more communicative and student-centered pedagogy. However, how these changes are represented in the minds of both pre and in-service teachers is still an area requiring examination. The interest in teachers’ personal theories has sparked owing particularly to the possible outcomes of these beliefs on the process of language learning and teaching. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to identify and compare the ideals of both pre- and in-service foreign language teachers’ perceptions regarding effective teaching. 25 pre-service teachers in their senior year and 68 in-service language teachers, 9 of whom were native speakers, responded to a questionnaire (Brown, 2006). To gather in-depth data, randomly selected five pre-service and five in-service teachers (two native, three non-native) were requested to write a reflective essay. The findings are discussed along with pedagogical implications.