Diverse Pathways, Common Themes: A Complexity-Informed, Human-Oriented Comparative Case Study of Teacher Candidates' Experiences of French Language Proficiency Development in Concurrent Teacher Preparation in Ontario

This dissertation explores the French-language-proficiency development experiences of diverse teacher candidates (TCs) in two concurrent teacher preparation programs in Ontario, Canada, where French is a minority language and many future teachers of French as a Second Language (FSL) use it as an additional language. To gain insight into TCs’ language proficiency development experiences, a central aspect of their learning as future teachers, this study addresses three main questions: (1) What views do various actors hold on the importance of and the priorities within French language proficiency development in concurrent initial teacher preparation (ITP) ? (2) What French language proficiency development trajectories are teacher candidates experiencing in two concurrent ITP programs? and (3) What thematic similarities and differences emerge from this study among individuals’ experiences and across programs? This study sought thematic, non-evaluative comparisons using a qualitative and collegial approach. Within a complexity-informed, human-oriented conceptual framework, language proficiency includes both how skillfully language is used (Richards Schmidt, 2002), and how it engages individuals emotionally and socially (e.g., Piccardo Aden, 2014). This qualitative study included TCs’ and university Educators’ perspectives collected through a questionnaire, reflective interviews, and TC case studies. In line with its complexity-informed design, attention to change over time was highlighted. Results suggest varied views and experiences among diverse participants, with some prominent themes emerging from the qualitative, iterative data analysis. Among these themes are agreement on the importance of language proficiency development, the centrality of courses as a location for language proficiency development, and the importance of emotion and power relations in understanding TCs’ language proficiency development experiences. Thematic comparisons suggest that individuals’ experiences are unique and influenced by multiple factors, and that similar themes emerged across programs. The findings support a complexity-informed, human-oriented understanding of language proficiency development, providing insights of use to researchers and teacher educators.

Department dc:contributor.department

Curriculum, Teaching and Learning

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Thomas, Reed Alys

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• GagnĂŠ, Antoinette

• Complexity theory
• French as a second language
• French second language teacher education
• Language proficiency development
• Proficiency development experiences
• Teacher candidates

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1807/79529

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:utoronto.scholaris.ca:1807/79529