I talked about what I have been doing so far being here almost 9 months. It's good to listen to the feedback from professors and other PhD mates on my research. Here is my research overview and a breif progressing report.
Teacher Cognition about Web-Based Writing instruction in the Thai Tertiary Context
Research Overview:
This survey aims to elicit how Thai tertiary teachers think, believe, and use IT (Information Technology) in tertiary EFL classrooms especially in writing instructions. Since CMC (Computer Mediated Communication) such as emails, chat, web board, and web conference are widely used in Thai tertiary institutions, it is interesting to discover how instructors adopt the technology in EFL instructions. There have been a number of studies done about the effects of implementing technology in EFL classrooms where Thai instructors and students are found positive about using CMC for personal and classroom communication. However, no research attempt has been placed on what on the instructor’s mind, how teachers come to the point of believing and adopting the technology, and what they know or understand about using web-based activities in EFL teaching. Therefore, the main goal of this research is to discover the underlying pedagogical beliefs, personal practices, and contextualized influences perceived by tertiary instructors who are using technology in their teaching.
My research progress:
1. Literature review: using these keywords: Language teacher cognition, web-based EFL instructions, EFL writing, teacher and technology, teacher beliefs.
2. Keeping a research journal and a reading journal on my blogs to reflect on my study as well as to receive feedback from outside readers: http://tsreadinglog.blogspot.com/; http://tessiesphdjournal.blogspot.com/
3. Developing my survey questionnaire (received statistical advice)
4. Conducting my pilot study (emailing my survey to some tertiary EFL instructors who are doing their PhD)
5. Initiating contacts with potential participants (sending email introducing myself and my blogs to Thai EFL lecturers in public universities)
Complexities and challenges:
- developing a questionnaire is time-consuming
- trying to find the participants’ contacts and have their attention
- large area of theoretical frameworks to read
My expectation in the next 3 months
- receiving feedbacks from pilot study respondents
- refining my questionnaire
- keeping in touch with tertiary EFL lecturers interested in my research
- Getting research ethics approval
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