Type of instructional delivery and second language teacher candidate performance: online versus face-to-face

Abstract

Research conducted over the past decade has consistently reported no significant differences in learning outcomes for students of fully online or face-to-face (F2F) instruction. Only a small number of these studies, however, have focused on courses in second language (L2) teacher preparation programs. Even fewer studies have compared the impact of online and F2F instruction on classroom practice. To fill this void in the research, an investigation was conducted of the impact of method of instructional delivery on the performance of teacher candidates in a Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program during their culminating student teaching internship. Focusing on a group of TESL interns who completed either online or F2F methodology training, a mixed methodology was used to compare student teacher outcomes on two key performance assessments and to compare university supervisor perceptions of student teacher performance. While the type of instructional setting was not found to significantly impact the teaching performance of the interns, interview data suggested that support from a cooperating teacher and prior experience working with students of diverse language and cultural backgrounds strongly influenced the teacher candidates’ instructional practices.

Keywords:

• online instruction
• teacher education
• methodology

Notes

1. Pseudonyms were used to protect the anonymity of all TESL student teachers discussed during the interviews.

2. Title 1 schools have high percentages of children from low-income families. They receive supplemental funds from the US Department of Education to meet the needs of these students.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Scott Kissau

Scott Kissau received his PhD degree from the University of Windsor, Canada. He is an associate professor and coordinator of the Master of Arts in Teaching Foreign Languages program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His research interests include gender and language learning, online second language teaching, and the beliefs of foreign language teachers.