Using cases in EFL/ESL teacher education

Figures & data

Figure 1.  Description of our cases.

Table 1. Case presentation formats.

Field-test presentation format	Option 2	Option 3	Option 4	Option 5
Read case sections – teacher, school, lesson overview, episodes	*Give an overview of the case background (teacher, school, lesson overview)	Read case sections– teacher, school, lesson overview, teacher's comments	Read discussion questions	Read case commentary
Discuss the initial questions	Read episodes	Respond	*Give an overview of the case background (teacher, school, lesson overview)	Respond
Read the teacher's comments	Respond to the case, initial questions	Read episodes and discussion questions	Read case sections: teacher, school, lesson overview, episodes, teacher's comments	Read case sections: teacher, school, lesson overview, episodes, teacher's comments
Read the discussion questions	Read teacher's comments and case commentary	Write response	Respond to the discussion questions	Discuss your response and compare and contrast with the case commentary
Respond	Respond	Discuss response	Connect to readings	Respond to the discussion questions
Read case commentary (not included in our field tests)	Connect to other teaching topics	Read case commentary	Prepare written response	Compare and contrast response with possible answers
Respond	Write a response	Pursue suggested readings for further study

Table 2. Why did you find this kind of activity useful?

Help us reflect and prepare.	1
It makes us think about what we would do if we are in the same situation.	1
It really gives us a real situation for us to think it over and analyze.	1
Learn skills and approaches through discussion of the case.	2
Let us brainstorm the alternative way of performing the lesson.	2
We have more opportunities to be exposed to different teaching methods.	2
We can learn from a real classroom.	2
We can learn from other students.	1
We can learn the pros and cons of using a particular teaching technique.	2

Table 3. Have you learnt anything from the case? What have you learnt?

Merits and demerits of different approaches in real situation.	2
Reality doesn't really correspond with our ‘beliefs’. We should constantly be alert of the situation.	1
The audiolingual approach and modification of the case, things that can be done better. We also discuss some issues of communicative language teaching approach.	2
The real practice of teaching in Hong Kong; the strategies used by the teacher.	2
Their strength and weakness.	1
Using audiolingual teaching method in the whole lesson would be quite boring. Also, combination of communicative and audiolingual teaching approach should be used in HK English language classroom.	2
We can learn from the teacher's merits of the lesson.	1
We can think of the merits and demerits of certain teaching methods through discussion.	1
We learned the weakness and strengths of Mr. Chan's methodology in teaching.	1