EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTIVIST AND REFLECTIVE ELT COURSES ON PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ BELIEFS ABOUT LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Abstract

This longitudinal study considered the constructivist-oriented English Language Teaching (ELT) program in a state university in Turkey as a dynamic variable, and examined its impact on pre-service teachers’ beliefs about language learning and teaching over their four-year long program. In the study mixed-methods research design was adopted. The participants were composed of 39 randomly selected volunteer students (24 females and 15 males). As the data collection tool, Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) was utilized, and a semi-structured interview was administered to randomly selected twelve participants. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the participants completed Spring semester’s course-work in their junior year, as well as all the course-work and practicum in senior year as distant education. Despite the emergency distant teaching and learning context, survey data demonstrated that some beliefs about language learning and teaching changed. Findings from interviews provided evidence supporting the survey results and reasons for the changes. Findings suggested that pre-service ELT programs using constructivist approaches and reflection could change ELT pre-service teachers’ beliefs about language learning and teaching even in emergency distant teaching and learning contexts. The findings were informative for developing and designing ELT programs worldwide in face-to-face and in distance education contexts.