This presentation will outline qualitative research undertaken to gather images and information about the “ideal” language teacher in the 21st Century. Data was collected in eight countries across Europe and beyond, engaging more than 30 experienced language teachers.
Nowadays, language teachers have to be competent and confident users of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), not least because they are preparing learners for communication methods that are increasingly online. However training needs and provisions do not always match and are not always congruent with teachers' deep-held beliefs and ideals. As part of this symposium on trajectories and perspectives of language teachers in the 21st century, this presentation will outline qualitative research undertaken in eight countries in Europe, Asia and South America, engaging more than 30 experienced language teachers.
The study used a method that combines drawing with stimulated reflection. The visual stimulus encourages deep engagement with ideals in teachers' own practice and provides an anchor for a dialogue amongst professional peers. The reflective interview thus can focus on ideals rather than necessary skills or common experiences. Data analysis shows how these ideals are rooted in personal experiences of being taught as well as in theoretical convictions of good pedagogy.
Surprisingly, although most language teachers, who shared their ideals with us, were aware of the technology focus of our research, very few explicitly added ICT into their images. This confirms the assumption of an inherent discrepancy between requirements and ideals in the language teaching profession.
