CALL in TESOL Teacher Training

Greg KesslerOhio University

Background CALL Preparation No Broad Based Research

No understanding of the extent of such training No understanding of the perceived importance of such

training No specifics of such training

CALL is Assumed to be Valuable Survey results indicated departmental support and

incentives available for both CALL use and CALL development

Survey of Websites ~90% of TESOL Positions Seek CALL Experience

During 6 month period of postings

Phase I of Study

208 Masters ProgramsSample:

CALL Practitioners

240 people

Listserv recipients:NetteachCalicoTESL_CALL

How Confident Are You Using Technology for Language

Teaching?Extremely Confident

48%

Somewhat Confident

45%

Not Sure1%

Extremely Unconfident

2%

Somewhat Unconfident

4%

My Degree Program Was Effective at Preparing Me to

Teach With Technology

Strongly Agree

8%

Strongly Disagree

52%

Agree15%

Disagree25%

The Amount of Time Devoted to CALL in My Degree Program

Was Sufficient

Disagree40%

Strongly Disagree

42%

Strongly Agree2%

Neutral4%

Agree12%

Have you Taken Courses Outside of Your Degree Program to Gain more

Knowledge about Teaching with Technology?

Yes92%

No8%

I Would Have Benefited From More CALL Training in My

Degree Program

No8%

Yes92%

The Courses Regarding Teaching with Technology In

My Degree Program Were Relevant to my Teaching

Never39%

Sometimes42%

Always19%

How Many Courses Did you Take in Your Degree Program

that Focused on CALL Training?0

79%

1 to 214%

3 to 42%

5 to 63%

7 or More2%

How Many Courses Focused on CALL Were Required in Your

Program?

080%

1 to 213%

3 to 42%

5 to 63%

7 or More2%

How Many Courses in Your Program Involved Any CALL

Training?

062%

1 to 227%

3 to 45%

5 to 62%

7 or More4%

Incentives are Offered for Using Technology for Teaching

Always7%

Sometimes38%

Never55%

Incentives are Offered for Developing Technology for

Teaching

Always6%

Never43%

Sometimes51%

Focus Groups

CALL Trainers at Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages Convention (TESOL)

Formal training has continued to increase over past decade Training should be inextricably linked to pedagogy Most training occurs as in-service or incidental training

Other Teacher Trainers at TESOL CALL is out of my grasp and we don’t have a specialist to do

it Funding isn’t available to expand right now There are too many other issues central to training of

teachers Those who are interested will “pick it up”

Interviews General sense of desire to implement, but overwhelmed by

limitations

Phase II of Study: Formal and Informal Sources of

TrainingInformal Sources

PublicationsConferencesListserv InformationColleaguesIn-service training

Literature Review:What Should Teachers Know

About CALL?Digital literacyGeneral Software SkillsDecision Making SkillsExperience with CALL (both as student & teacher)

Development SkillsKnowledge of Student TrainingExplicit CALL related TrainingLanguage Skill CALL Awareness

Research Questions

1. Are TESOL masters degree programs with a CALL component evaluated more positively than those with no CALL component?

3. Is there a relationship between satisfaction with informal CALL training and satisfaction with formal CALL training?

4. Is there a relationship between attitude toward technology and satisfaction with formal CALL training?

Research Hypothesis for Question 1:

(Mann-Whitney Test of Medians)H0: There is no difference in median scores between

the ranking of TESOL masters degree programs of study which include CALL and those which do not include CALL.

HA: There is a difference in median scores between the ranking of TESOL masters degree programs of study which include CALL and those which do not include CALL.

The Research Question for Question 2:

(Multiple Regression)H0: The independent variables, perception of

informal teaching preparation and perception of formal teaching preparation are not significant predictors of the dependent variable, attitude toward technology.

HA: The independent variables, perception of informal teaching preparation and perception of formal teaching preparation are significant predictors of the dependent variable, attitude toward technology.

Population and Sample

TESOL members within last five years

Graduates of North American TESOL MA Programs

~108 Participants (40% response of 270)

Research Hypothesis:

H0: The independent variables, informal teaching preparation and attitude toward technology are not significant predictors of the dependent variable, formal CALL preparation as a component of a language teacher preparation program.

HA: The independent variables, informal teaching preparation and attitude toward technology are significant predictors of the dependent variable, formal CALL preparation as a component of a language teacher preparation program.

Statistical HypothesisH0: =ø

HA: ≠ø

whereasFTP represents satisfaction with formal

teaching preparationITP represents satisfaction with informal

teaching preparationATT represents attitude toward technology

Conclusions

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The ranking of the Hypothetical Masters Program including CALL was ranked significantly higher than the one which did not include CALL

Conclusions

Informal Teaching Preparation contributed 36% to Attitude Toward Technology

Formal Teaching Preparation Was Essentially Unnoticeable, but Contributed Slightly Negatively (1.5%)

Conclusions

TESOL professionals have a generally positive attitude toward technology (4.06 overall mean on 5 point Likert scale)

Individual Items

Components of ITP & FTP (General and Technology Type Use)

ITP FTP Use computers for language instruction 4.06 2.29 Use the Internet for instruction 4.23 2.21 Use multimedia for instruction 4.02 2.78 Use computer-based images for instruction 3.91 2.23 Use computer-based video materials for instruction 3.57 2.08 Use computer-based audio materials for instruction 3.57 2.15 Use CMC for instruction 3.92 2.20 Use a CMS (such as Blackboard, Moodle, etc.) 3.92 2.02

Components of ITP & FTP (Language Skills)

ITP FTP

Use computer-based materials for teaching speaking 3.45 1.92

Use computer-based materials for teaching listening 3.55 2.08

Use computer-based materials for teaching writing 4.01 2.38

Use computer-based materials for teaching reading 3.92 2.23

Use computer-based materials for teaching grammar 3.77 2.23

Components of ITP & FTP (Materials Creation)

ITP FTP

Create computer-based instructional materials 3.93 2.19

Create computer-based audio material for instruction 3.26 1.98

Create computer-based video material for instruction 3.15 2.04

Create computer-based images for instruction 3.46 2.07

Components of ITP & FTP (Decision Making)

ITP FTP

Select appropriate web-based materials for instruction 4.15 2.26Make effective decisions regarding use of technology 4.12 2.64Make decisions regarding the selection of software 3.94

2.35Make decisions regarding technology integration 4.19

2.67Make decisions regarding the design of technology

learning spaces (such as computer labs) 3.52 2.08

Evaluate computer-based instructional materials 3.92 2.23

Components of ITP & FTP (Other)

ITP FTP

Use a CMS (such as Blackboard, Moodle, etc.) 3.92 2.02

Use technology for evaluating students 3.42 2.06

Evaluate computer-based instructional materials 3.92 2.23

Train students to use computer-based materials 3.87 2.23

Recommendations

TESOL Establish CALL StandardsTESOL Master Programs Integrate

CALLFurther Research into Long Term

Effectiveness of CALL TrainingFurther Research into Teacher NeedsFurther Research into Teacher

Perception of CALL Needs

THANKS!

kessler@ohio.edu

Powerpoint: http://gregling.net/tesol2007

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