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Validation of an Ecological Model of Teacher Agency for Iranian EFL Student Teachers

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 PhD Candidate in TEFL, Aliabad Katoul Branch, Islamic Azad University, Aliabad Katoul Branch, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of TEFL, Department of English Language Teaching, Aliabad Katoul Branch, Islamic Azad University, Aliabad Katoul, Iran.

Abstract

Despite the abundance of research on language teacher education, there is a dearth of ecologically informed instruments for measuring teacher agency. To this end, this study aims to fill this gap by designing and validating a questionnaire for assessing the agency of student teachers. Thirteen facets were identified and developed, including instructional beliefs, supportive beliefs, collaborative learning, and competence, which represent an iterational dimension. The practical-evaluative dimension is represented by opportunity to make choice, opportunity to influence, support, equality, trust, institutional context, and professional community. Long- and short-term purposes manifest projective dimension. A 22-item questionnaire on a 7-point Likert scale was developed and administered.  Altogether, 210 EFL student teachers from four branches of Farhangian University through convenience sampling participated in the survey research design study. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis was employed through AMOS 22 to examine the validity of the theoretical model. In doing so, an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were administered, and the ecological framework of student teacher agency was confirmed. The results revealed that the questionnaire had an acceptable fit with the empirical set of data, suggesting that this scale has the potential to be useful in assessing student teachers’ agency and raising their awareness of the agency construct. The study has implications for policymakers regarding how the ecology of professional education may influence teachers’ practices, actions, and decision-making processes.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Article Title [Persian]

بررسی اعتبار مدل اکولوژیکی عاملیت معلم برای دانشجو معلمان زبان انگلیسی در ایران

Authors [Persian]

  • صائمه عرب احمدی 1
  • دکتر امید مازندرانی 2
  • دکتر سید حسن سید رضایی 2
  • دکتر زری سادات سیدرضایی 2

1 دانشجوی دکتری آموزش زبان انگلیسی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد علی آباد کتول، علی آباد کتول، ایران

2 استادیار آموزش زبان انگلیسی، گروه آموزش زبان انگلیسی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد علی آباد کتول، علی آباد کتول، ایران

Abstract [Persian]

علیرغم تحقیقات فراوان در مورد آموزش معلمان زبان، کمبود پرسشنامه با رویکرد اکولوژیک برای سنجش عاملیت معلمان وجود دارد. به همین منظور، این پژوهش با طراحی و اعتبارسنجی پرسشنامه­ای برای سنجش عاملیت دانشجو ­معلمان بر آن است تا این شکاف را پر کند. سیزده جنبه شناسایی و توسعه یافتند، از جمله باورهای آموزشی، باورهای حمایتی، یادگیری مشارکتی و شایستگی، که نشان­دهنده بعد گذشته است. بعد عملی-ارزیابی با فرصت برای انتخاب، فرصت برای نفوذ، حمایت، برابری، اعتماد، زمینه­نهادی و جامعه حرفه­ای نشان داده می­شود. اهداف بلند مدت و کوتاه مدت بعد تصویری را آشکار می کنند. یک پرسشنامه 22 سوالی در مقیاس لیکرت 7 درجه­ای تهیه و اجرا شد. در مجموع، 210 دانشجو معلم زبان انگلیسی از چهار واحد دانشگاه فرهنگیان به روش نمونه‌گیری در دسترس در مطالعه شرکت کردند. تحلیل معادلات ساختاری (SEM) از طریق AMOS 22 برای بررسی اعتبار مدل نظری استفاده شد. در انجام این کار، یک تحلیل عاملی اکتشافی (EFA) و یک تحلیل عاملی تاییدی (CFA) اجرا شد و چارچوب اکولوژیکی عاملیت دانشجو معلمان تایید شد. نتایج نشان داد که پرسشنامه برازش قابل قبولی با مجموعه تجربی داده‌ها دارد، که نشان می‌دهد این مقیاس پتانسیل مفیدی برای ارزیابی عاملیت دانشجو معلمان و افزایش آگاهی آنها از ساختار عاملیت دارد. این مطالعه دلالت­هایی برای سیاستگذاران در مورد اینکه چگونه رویکرد اکولوژیکی آموزش حرفه‌ای ممکن است بر رویه‌ها، اقدامات و فرآیندهای تصمیم‌گیری معلمان تأثیر بگذارد، دارد.

Keywords [Persian]

  • عاملیت
  • دانشجو معلم
  • مدل اکولوژیک
  • دانشگاه فرهنگیان
  • بدو خدمت
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Journal of Applied Linguistics and Applied Literature: Dynamics and Advances
Volume 11, Issue 1
June 2023
Pages 161-184
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  • Receive Date: 14 January 2023
  • Revise Date: 23 March 2023
  • Accept Date: 28 April 2023
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