A Study on the Narratives of Assistant Language Teachers and the Transformation in Their Identities: Socio-Cultural and Linguistic Perspectives

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00856
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University of Science
• Principal Investigator: Sakamoto Nami 岡山理科大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (40804810)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 寺西 雅之 兵庫県立大学, 環境人間学部, 教授 (90321497) ; 奥田 恭士 兵庫県立大学, 環境人間学部, 教授 (10177173)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 外国語教育 / ALT / ナラティブ / アイデンティティ / 教師の成長

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The overall aim of this research was to clarify the identity transformation of Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) on the basis of narrative research. In English education in Japan, ALTs have realized communicative classroom development. However, while some ALTs have adapted to their schools and have been teaching for a substantial period, others have decided to retire in the middle of their careers. To explore their inner selves, this study (1) analyzed ALT interviews to discover how they have positioned themselves in the new environment of English education in Japan and how they have been transformed. (2) a new approach to narrative research was attempted with ALTs who are uniquely positioned as language teachers. By integrating sociocultural, stylistic, and narrative analyses of their narratives, we were able to examine their identity transformation and growth to gain a deeper understanding of ALTs and help improve the quality of their English classes.

Free Research Field

外国語教育

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでの日本のALTに関する研究では、アイデンティティ、感情、教師の信念、同僚性の構築など内面的側面に着目した研究は非常に少ない。この背景のもと、ALTのアイデンティティ変容およびその成長への理解を深めたという点で、本研究の学術的意義は大いにあると考えられる。また、教師のナラティブ研究において、異文化の文脈で教壇に立つALTのナラティブ分析を進めた点においても意義深いといえる。さらに、昨今の教育現場では授業改善を目指した教員研修が常に行われている中、ティーム・ティーチング授業に焦点を当てた研修において、ナラティブ・アプローチの可能性を示唆したという点では社会的意義が大きいと考えている。