Novice and experienced language teachers’ experiences of designing materials: A comparative case study

Jiao Li; Yun Wu; Xuesong (Andy) Gao

doi:10.30827/portalin.vi43.29379

Authors

Jiao Li Tongji University, China https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0415-079X
Yun Wu Tongji University, China (Corresponding author) https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4735-7197
Xuesong (Andy) Gao University of New South Wales, Australia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3426-8721

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30827/portalin.vi43.29379

Keywords:

Materials designers, teacher professional development, identity, novice teachers, experienced teachers

Abstract

Language teachers’ experiences as materials designers have been identified to be influenced by various factors at different contextual levels, including teaching experience. Language teachers with varying experience levels exhibit different ways of responding to the challenges they experience. However, there is an inadequate understanding of the influence of teaching experience on language teachers’ professional development in their role as materials designers. This article reports on a comparative case study investigating the similarities and differences in the challenges that novice teachers and experienced teachers encounter and the strategies that they use to address these challenges. We collected data from interviews, personal materials, and WeChat conversations with four teachers who were in the process of designing teaching materials. The findings show that although these teachers face similar challenges in relation to, e.g., knowledge in materials selection and task design, experienced language teachers tend to interact with colleagues and students and draw upon prior experiences to respond to these challenges, while novice language teachers’ responses are more cognition-oriented. This highlights the need to provide resources and support tailored to each group of teachers, bolstering novice teachers' ability to utilize social resources while also enhancing experienced teachers' motivation to acquire more knowledge.

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Author Biographies

Jiao Li, Tongji University, China

Jiao LI is Assistant Professor in the School of Foreign Languages, Tongji University, China which is ranked 212th in the QS World University Rankings. Her research interests include materials development, language teacher education, multimodal analysis and English academic writing. She is the Editorial Assistant for International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching. She serves as an anonymous reviewer for the Asia-Pacific Education Researcher.

Yun Wu, Tongji University, China (Corresponding author)

Yun WU is a distinguished professor at Tongji University, doctoral supervisor, and Dean of the School of Foreign Languages. She is the leading expert on a significant project funded by the National Social Science Fund, titled “Research on the Translation and Dissemination of the Chinese- Characterized Foreign Discourse System in the English-speaking World (1949-2019).” To date, she has published four monographs, translated four books, and has seen over 50 of her papers published in SSCI and CSSCI journals.

Xuesong (Andy) Gao, University of New South Wales, Australia

Xuesong (Andy) Gao is Professor of Language and Literacy Education in the School of Education, University of New South Wales, Australia. His research interests include language learner autonomy, language education policy, and language teacher education. He is the editor-in-chief for International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, the incoming co-editor for International Journal of Applied Linguistics, an executive editor for Teaching and Teacher Education.

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