A sociocultural analysis of English language teaching expertise in Pune, India

Abstract

This doctoral thesis describes the findings of a study which utilized a sociocultural perspective to explore the teaching expertise of three EFL tenth standard teachers employed in Marathi-medium government-sponsored schools in India. A synopsis of the literature on expertise is offered which spans several decades across several domains, including teaching. However, two distinct positions emerge from an analysis of the literature on teaching expertise, namely ‘expertise as a state’ and ‘expertise as a process’. Given the relevance of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination as a life-changing examination for tenth standard students, this study underscores the need for research which focuses on EFL teaching expertise in India where EFL teachers prepare students for high-stakes examinations. This study aims to shed light on EFL teacher expertise and highlights how teaching expertise is context and culture bound, given the specific sociocultural context within which teachers operate.

The three participants in this research study are 10th standard EFL teachers who teach English as a third language in the secondary schools of the Pune community of Maharashtra, India. The qualitative research paradigm utilizes the tools of ethnography and case study methodology. The data sources include in-depth audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews with 10th standard teachers and video recordings of the teachers’ lessons. Audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews were also conducted with school principals, B.Ed. college teacher trainers, 10th standard students and their parents. Other artifacts collected for this study include 10th standard teachers’ lesson plans, teacher evaluation forms, syllabus, coursebook, general information survey results and researcher notes.

A significant finding of the research is that tenth standard EFL teaching expertise evolves over time and supports Berliner’s notion of adaptive expertise (Berliner, 2001). Secondly, the results indicate that EFL teacher expertise is dependent on the formation of the key construct namely, deep pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) which is a requirement of teaching expertise (Killen, 2009; Shulman, 1987). Thirdly, the research data support a dialectical view of human learning and development. Thus, the teachers’ awareness of best teaching practices is modified through their interactions with their students, their communities of practice (Wenger, 1998) and the sociocultural context (Vygotsky, 1978) in which they live and work resulting in an ongoing transformation in the nature of their teaching practice and their professional identities as expert EFL teachers.