Chapterl Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
In China, great importance has been attached on English learning. As a foreignlanguage, English has been a compulsory subject for students in different grades,which range from primary schools to colleges or universities. Pupils all the countrystart to learn English at Grade 3 at primary schools and even some pupils in big citiesbegin to learn English from the very beginning when they enter into schools or whenare in kindergartens. However, some students feel frustrated at learning English,some evensuonffer from it. This was where various researches stemmed fromWdblnwhich focusedlearner and learning including learning strategies, motivationlearners' beliefs. In the domain of foreign language education, a lot of researchesabout language learning have been conducted. But it is just one side of the wholething. The other side is about language teaching which is conducted by teachers in thesetting of school.
In the field of foreign language education, it was widely accepted that the mainparticipant is the learners themselves and thus learner-centeredness models of theeducation were more and more emphasized. But it does not deny the importance ofthe teacher. And on the contrary, it is a big challenge for teachers to play the right roleto make students be the center of the class. Moreover, there are lots of researcheswhich focus on teaching methodologies, textbooks and curriculums. But the mainperson who carries out these teaching methodologies, uses these textbooks and obeyscurriculums is neglected. Different teachers who employ the same teachingmethodology, use the same textbooks and follow the same curriculum vary inteaching effect. What is the hidden reason? What factor has been missed? The missingpoint is why teacher teach the ways they do, that is, the teachers' own interpretation oftheir work. Then it is necessary to listen to the teachers' voice一to ask the teachers tomake sense of their classroom practices (Zhang Pei, 2009). Teachers' understandingand thinking about teaching methodology, textbooks and curriculum will actuallyaffect their practice. That's why different teaching effect will be achieved. Accordingto the opinions of Williams and Burden, more and more evidence has proved thatteachers' beliefs, which are closely related to their values, to their sense of world andto their concepts of their place in the society, greatly influence on teachers and theirpractice.
When it comes to teacher education, researchers have recognized that teachereducation is not merely a matter of training. Rather, teacher education is a complexprocess of learning (Theriot, S.&Tice, K, 2009). For teacher education, it is notenough to just train teachers' behaviour including how to conduct teachingmethodologies, how to manage class and how to do teaching plans. These aresuperficial things. The most important point is teachers' own understanding allandthinking which underlie what to do. Teachers' understanding and thinking willdefinitely influence their practice. Therefore, teachers' beliefs should be gained moreattention in teacher education.
Reference
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2.Basturkmen, H., Loewen, S.,&Ellis, R. (2004). Teachers' stated beliefs about incidental focus on form and their classroom practices. Applied Linguistics, 25(2): 243-274.
3.Borg, M. (2001).Teachers' http://sblunwen.com/czyyjxlw/beliefs. ELT Journal, 55(2): 186一188.
4.Borg, M. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe, and do. Language Teaching, 36 81一109
5.Calderhead, J. (1996). Teachers: Beliefs and knowledge, in Berliner, D. C. and Calfee,R. C. (ed.) Handbook Educational Psychology. New York: Macimillan:709-72_5.
6.Choi, J. (2011).Preservice teachers’beliefs about knowledge and effective teaching in economics. Rochester: Retrieved Novemberl6, 2011
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一项关于初中英语教师的信念研究
Acknowledgments 6-7
Abstract 7-8
摘要 9-13
Chapter 1 Introduction 13-17
1.1 Background of the Study 13-15
1.2 Purpose of the Study 15-16
1.3 Overall Structure of the Thesis 16-17
Chapter 2 Literature Review 17-38
2.1 Teachers’ Beliefs 17-32
2.1.1 Definition of Teachers’ Beliefs 17-20
2.1.2 Features of Teachers’ Beliefs 20-21
2.1.3 Functions of Teachers’ Beliefs 21-24
2.1.4 Categories of Teachers’ Beliefs 24-32
2.2 Previous Studies on Teachers’ Beliefs 32-38
2.2.1 Previous Studies on Teachers’ Beliefs Abroad 33-35
2.2.2 Previous Studies on Teachers’ Beliefs in China 35-38
Chapter 3 Research Design 38-45
3.1 Research Questions 38
3.2 Research Design 38-45
3.2.1 Subjects 38-39
3.2.2 Research Method 39-41
3.2.3 Instruments 41-42
3.2.4 Data Collection and Analysis 42-45
Chapter 4 Results and Discussion 45-79
4.1 The Junior High School English Teachers’ Beliefs in Career 45-54
4.1.1 Teacher H’s Beliefs in Career 46-47
4.1.2 Teacher L’s Beliefs in Career 47-49
4.1.3 Teacher T’s Beliefs in Career 49-50
4.1.4 Teacher J’s Beliefs in Career 50-52
4.1.5 Teacher Z’s Beliefs in Career 52-53
4.1.6 A Summary 53-54
4.2 The Junior High School English Teachers’ Beliefs in English Teaching 54-67
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4.2.6 A Summary 65-67
4.3 The Junior High School English Teachers’ Beliefs in Students 67-79
4.3.1 Teacher H’s Beliefs in Students 67-69
4.3.2 Teacher L’s Beliefs in Students 69-72
4.3.3 Teacher T’s Beliefs in Students 72-73
4.3.4 Teacher J’s Beliefs in Students 73-75
4.3.5 Teacher Z’s Beliefs in Students 75-77
4.3.6 A Summary 77-79
Chapter 5 Conclusion 79-84
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