The socialization of first-year EFL teachers in Viet Nam Submitted by Bao Kham B. TEFL, Hue University Grad. TESOL, University of Canberra M. Teaching and Curriculum, University of Sydney A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education Faculty of Education La Trobe University Bundoora, Victoria, 3086 Australia April, 2013 i TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS i LIST OF TABLES x ABSTRACT ix STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP xii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1.
The Rationale for the Study 1 2. The Purpose of the Study 3 3. The Significance of the Study 5 4. The Contribution of the Study 7 5.
Overview of the Research Context 8 6. Upper-secondary Schools in Viet nam 8 6. Beginning Teachers’ Apprenticeship 8 7. Definitions of Key Terms 9 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 13 1.
The Underplayed Agency of Novice Teachers in Both the General Education and 15 Language Teaching Literature 2. An Overemphasis on the Impacts of the School Context upon Novice Teachers 15 2. The Role of the School Context Depicted in the General Education Literature 15 2. The Deterministic Impacts of the School Context Manifested in Major 15 Reviews of Studies on Teacher Socialization 2.
The Influence of Contexts Found in Studies on the formation of problems 17 i and challenges faced by novice teachers 2. The Influence of Contexts Identified in Studies on Novice Teachers’ 19 Achievements 2. The Impacts of Professional Cultures upon Novice Teachers’ Socialization 20 Process 2. Contextual Impacts Reflected in Second Language Teaching Literature 21 2.
Novice Teachers’ Agency Not Fully Portrayed in Either the General Education 23 or the Second Language Teaching Literature 2. Novice Teachers’ Agency as Reflected in the General Education Literature 23 2. Novice Teachers’ Agency Demonstrated in Second Language Teaching 27 Literature 3. An Appropriate Framework Needed for Operationalizing Agency 28 3.
Lack of Shared Results 28 3. The Limits of the Framework in Uncovering Agency 29 4. A Conceptual Framework for Researching Novice Language Teachers’ 31 Socialization Processes in the Induction Phase 4. The Failure of Different Theoretical Frameworks in Exploring Novice Teachers’ Interplay with the Context and their Agency 31 4.
The Micro-political Perspective 33 4. The Conceptual Framework of Five Professional Interests 35 5. Summary and Questions 39 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 41 1. The Distinctive Features of the Study 41 2.
Case Study as One Part of the Research Approach 41 2. Narrative and Biographical Inquiry as the other Part of the Research Approach 43 3. The Research Context and Participants in the Study 47 3. The Research Context 47 ii 3.
Data Collection Procedures 52 4. Rationale for the Use of Electronic Diaries or Blogs and Interviews 52 4. Diaries - Advantages and Disadvantages 55 4. Type of Diary Employed in the Study 57 4.
Paper-and-pencil Diaries – Advantages and Disadvantages 58 4. Ways to Overcome the Problems of Diaries 62 4. In-depth Interviews 67 4. Data Collection Period 69 5.
Data Analysis Procedures 70 5. Construction of Interim Research Texts 72 5. Construction of Research Texts 77 5. Systematic Comparison of all Cases by Means of Research Texts 78 5.
The Reliability and Validity of the Research 81 5. The Relationship between the Researcher and the Participant 82 5.2 The Trustworthiness of the Data 83 5. The Familiarity/ Unfamiliarity of the Data 83 5. The Transferability of Findings 83 5.
The Aspect of Economy 84 5. The Matter of Translation 84 5. Vietnamese Quotation 84 iii 5. The Approach to Translation 85 CHAPTER 4: THE CONTEXTS AND DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF 87 SOCIALIZATION 1.
An Overview of the Participants and Contexts in the Study 87 2. Three Different Patterns of Adaptation 89 2. Mixed Adaptation 96 CHAPTER 5: CASES OF INTEGRATIVE ADAPTATION 100 CASE 1: AMANDA 100 1. Addressing Self-interest: Striving for Self-affirmation through Self-evaluation 101 and Students’ Acknowledgement 1.
Self-efficacy Achieved through Self-evaluation and Positive Student Responses 101 1. Social Recognition Achieved through Students’ Acknowledgement 104 2. Dealing with Vulnerability: Maintaining Self-image as a Competent Teacher 106 2. Using Overt and Resistant Compliance to Survive Instructional Challenges 106 2.
Using Hard and Soft Strategies to Establish Class Discipline 109 2. Attempting to Project an Image of a Proper Teacher by Taking on Stressful 112 Non-teaching Work 3. Coping with High Visibility: Safeguarding a Self-image as a Proper Teacher 113 3. Striving for a Good Image in Substitute Teaching & Teaching Competitions 113 3.
Safeguarding a Good Image as a Competent Teacher in Dealing With Students 114 Questions and Delivering Review Lessons 4. Dealing with Material Interests: Projecting a Positive Self-image while 116 Struggling with Time Demands and Investment in Lesson Lanning 4. Experiencing Stress in Lesson Lanning in Exchange for an Image of a Proper 116 Teacher iv 4. Experiencing Time Demands in Striving for Positive Self-projection 119 5.
Furthering Social Professional Interests: Using a Variety of Strategies towards 121 Colleagues and Leaders 5. Establishing Relationships with Young Colleagues in Compensation for the 121 Lack of Relationships with a Mentor 5. Establishing Authority and Seeking Compensation to Safeguard Self-interests 127 5. Using Selective Responses to Deal with the Demand of School Leaders 129 CASE 2: JASON 131 1.
Furthering Self-interest: Striving for Self-affirmation through Achieving Self- efficacy and Social Recognition from the Head of the English Division, Colleagues 131 and Students 1. Gaining Self-efficacy by Overcoming Reality Shock and by Devising and 131 Implementing Successful Plans for his Students’ Language Improvement 1. Achieving Social Recognition from Colleagues, School Leaders and Students 135 2. Striving for High Visibility to Integrate into the Community 138 3.
Dealing with Material Interests: Projecting an Image of a Proper Teacher 139 4. Furthering Social Professional Interests: Consolidating Trust and Seeking 140 Assistance from Colleagues and School Leaders 4. Consolidating Trust from Leaders by Accepting Additional and Arduous Tasks 140 4. Seeking Assistance from Colleagues 141 CHAPTER 6: CASES OF FRAGILE ADAPTATION 143 CASE 1: CINDY 143 1.
Addressing Self-interests: Achieving Self-affirmation Mainly through Self- 144 evaluation 2. Cope with Vulnerability: Using Some Strategies 146 2. Using Overt Compliance as a Strategy for Survival 146 2. Diverging from the Textbook to Establish Proper Learning Conditions for 146 Students 2.
Using a Sense of Humour as a Strategy to Restore Desirable Learning 147 Conditions v 2. Using Hard and Soft Measures to Establish Desirable Discipline Conditions 147 2. Experiencing Failure in Applying Independent Learning to Establish Desirable 149 Learning Conditions 2. Trying to Overcome the Personal Problem of Lack of Concentration 150 3.
Dealing with Visibility: Maintaining a Good Image as a Caring Teacher 150 4. Dealing with Material Interests: Experiencing Powerlessness 151 4. Experiencing Difficulties with Facilities and the School Environment 151 4. Pressure of Time 153 5.
Coping with Social Professional Interests: Limited Relationships with Colleagues Despite Some Direct Support from the Principal/Head of Division 153 CASE 2: LINDSEY 157 1. Establishing Self-interests: Gaining Efficacy through Self-evaluation but 157 Achieving only Very Limited Student Acknowledgement 1. Experiencing Efficacy through Self-evaluation 157 1. Achieving Limited Acknowledgement from Students 160 2.
Coping with Vulnerability: Experiencing Powerlessness 161 2. Powerlessness in Coping with Contextual Constraints 161 2. Failure to Establish Desirable Test Conditions 164 2. Managing Stress in Dealing with Non-teaching Work 166 3.
Striving for Visibility: Establishing Authority as an Invigilator 168 4. Coping with Organisational Interests: Experiencing Job Insecurity 169 5. Maintaining Social Professional Interests: Safeguarding Self in the Face of Tense 170 Relationships 5. Sensing Negative Relationships among Colleagues 170 5.
Using Silence as a Strategy to Protect Self from Negative Relationships 172 5. Protecting herself from the tense relationships among colleagues 172 5. Dealing with Unfair Treatment by School Leaders 173 5. Using Redefinition of Roles to Avoid Tense Relationships 175 vi CHAPTER 7: CASES OF MIXED ADAPTATION 177 CASE 1: PATRICK 177 1.
Maintaining Self-interests: Experiencing a Negative Sense of Efficacy with No 178 Social Recognition but Gaining Limited Achievements from Students 1. Instructional Competence Negatively Evaluated 178 1. Experiencing a Failure to Deal with Non-teaching Work 179 1. Projecting a Positive Self-evaluation of His Professional Work 180 2.
Dealing with Vulnerability: Struggling with Contextual Constraints and Personal Problems but Seeking Assistance 182 2. Struggling with Students’ Low English Proficiency, Laziness and Passivity 182 2. Seeking Assistance to Deal with Negative Aspects of His Relations with 184 Students 2. Encountering a Different Instructional Method 185 2.
Experiencing Personal Problems 186 3. Struggling with High Visibility: Setting Work Boundaries as a Strategy to 187 Balance Work and Personal Life 4. Furthering Organisational Interests: Safeguarding Professional Position 189 5. Maintaining Social Professional Interests: Seeking Support and Assistance from 190 Colleagues CASE 2: SMILE 193 1.
Furthering Self-interests: Gaining Social Recognition from Colleagues and 193 Mentor as well as Students and Achieving a Sense of Efficacy 1. Gaining Acknowledgement from Students 193 1. Gaining Self-efficacy through Successful Use of Instructional Techniques and 194 Some Achievements with Students 1. Using Authority to Establish Discipline: a Shift from Being Humanistic to 196 Being Custodial in Coping with Disruptive Students 2.
Struggling with Vulnerability: Restoring Desirable Instructional and Discipline 197 Conditions 2. Experiencing Contextual Constraints 197 2. Struggling to Maintain Discipline 200 3. Striving for Visibility: Projecting an Image of a Proper Teacher 201 vii 4.
Attempting to Restore Material Interests: Struggling with Facility Constraints 202 5. Maintaining Social Professional Interests: Seeking Assistance from Colleagues 203 CHAPTER 8: DISCUSSION 205 1. Micro-political Perspective Illuminating the Interaction between the Context and First-year EFL Teachers and Highlighting the Concept of Agency among First-year EFL Teachers 205 2. The Impact of Interaction between First-year Teachers and Micro-political 211 Realities of the Schools upon How They Are Socialized 3.
The Role of Self-evaluation in the Affirmation of First-year Teachers’ 214 Professional Self 4. The Role of Acknowledgement by Students in First-year Teachers’ Self- 215 affirmation 5. The Absence of the Cultural-ideological Interests in the Stories of First-year EFL 216 Teachers in Vietnam 6. The Issue of Self-socialization in the Socialization Process of First-year Teachers 218 7.
Micro-political Strategies and Micro-political Literacy 220 8. The Issue of First-year Teachers Returning to the Schools Where They Had Been 224 Students CHAPTER 9: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 226 1. Theoretical Frameworks: Micro-politics and Socialization 226 3. Methodology-related Issues 231 4.
Implications for Policy and Practice in Teacher Education and Professional 233 Development (a) Early Career Teaching: First-year Teachers’ Agency 233 (b) Teacher Education: the Integration of Micro-political Literacy 234 (c) Teacher Induction and Professional Development: A Need to Create A Space for Positive Self-socialization to Grow 234 viii 5. Conclusion 236 REFERENCES 238 APPENDICES 249 APPENDIX 1 249 APPENDIX 2 252 APPENDIX 3 254 APPENDIX 4 256 APPENDIX 5 258 ix LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1: Five Professional Interests 36 Table 2: Major Characteristics of the Three Groups of First-year EFL Teachers 79 Table 3: Main Characteristics of Participants and Schools 86 Table 4: Lists of Micro-political Strategies in Use, and Emotions Triggered for 91 Cases of Integrative Adaptation Table 5: Lists of Micro-political Strategies in Use and Emotions Triggered for 94 Cases of Fragile Adaptation Table 6: Lists of Micro-political Strategies in Use and Emotions Triggered for 95 Cases of Mixed Adaptation Figure 1: The Adaptation Continuum 88 x ABSTRACT This thesis explores how six EFL teachers adapted to their first year in upper secondary schools in rural and urban areas in Vietnam. The research uses a narrative-biographical approach proposed by Kelchtermans & Ballet (2002) as its major method of data collection, but introduces a major change. Interviews with participants are not used as the main technique of data collection, but as a method of triangulation with information from electronic diaries and blogs.
This makes an innovative contribution to research methodology in the field of narrative inquiry. The research considers two theoretical frameworks. One focuses on socialization as an interactive process in which novice teachers are shaped by a variety of forces at many levels, but to some extent can influence the contexts into which they are being inducted.