1. Teacher Cognition in English Language Teacher Education
Mgr. Barbora Popovičová

2. Cognition
“the act or process of knowing that involves the processing of sensory information and includes perception, awareness and judgement”
Longman Dictionary of English Language
In general:
What teachers think, know and
believe and how it is related
to what teachers do in
the classroom.

3. The current phase of the project
desk study; literature review of the similar research and methods used
Preparatory phase:
questionnaire (to collect general information)
self assessment (to compare and contrast pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy before and after teaching practice)
cooperation in the project EFUESTE (dealing with the EPOSTL)
dealing with the formative assessment within the project at University in Bolton
specification of the final field of the research

4. Teacher cognition
consists of sets of beliefs which interact (beliefs about learners and learning, beliefs about materials, beliefs about assessment, beliefs about teaching attitudes, etc.)
is influenced by several factors:
- teacher’s own experience as a learner
- education (preparation of future teachers)
- contextual factors
- classroom practice

5. Factors that affect teacher cognition
Learning experience
Education
cognition
Contextual factors
Classroom practice

6. Phases of the project
Identification and clarification of the term ‘teacher cognition’ from different points of view
Comparison and contrast of research methods used in similar research projects
Specification of one particular area of teacher’s cognition
Pre-phase – preparation of data and materials for main research
Main research – collecting and analysis of sample data

7. Research methods used
The research will pertain to some of the previously used method;
For example:
Devon Woods (1996):
three levels of teacher’s decision making:
an abstract level, a course level, a lesson level
methods and data collection: open-ended interviews, written logs, materials teachers used in the classroom, videotapes

8. Stacy Lee Hill (2014):
case studies of four teachers in Low-SES schools
methods and data collection: interviews, observations, documents participants used in the classroom
Simon Borg (2006)
direct vs. indirect strategies of eliciting beliefs
methods and data collection: observation, using visual strategies, teaching material

9. Biao Zhang (2011)
differs teacher according to their role:
managers vs. facilitators
methods and data collection: videotaping and interviews
Bolton University (Daniela Bacova, Maria Rodriguez Yborra)
videotaping of microteaching and preparing a DVD for students’ assessment

10. References
Birello, M., (2012), Teacher Cognition and Language Teacher Education: beliefs and practice. A conversation with Simon Borg. Bellatera Journal of Teaching and Learning Language&Literature, 5(2),88-94.
Borg, M., 2001, Teachers´ beliefs. In: ELT Journal, Vol.55, No2 April, OUP, 2001, p
Borg, S., 2003, Teacher Cognition in Language Teaching:A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe and do. In Language Teaching, 36 (2),
Hill, S.L., 2014, Teacher Cognition:Four Case Studies of Teachers in Low-SES Schools. Washington. UMI Dissertation Publishing
Woods,D., 1996, Teacher Cognition in Language Teaching, Cambridge University Press, 1996, ISBN
Zhang,B.,2011, A Study on the Role of Teachers‘ Cognition in Foreign Language Teaching, US-China Foreign Language (Vol. 9, No. 7, ),David Publishing, ISSN

11. Greetings from Bolton 
Thank you for your attention
Greetings from Bolton 