RESUMEN
To develop a reflective tool for promoting teacher effectiveness among preservice EFL teachers, this article seeks to investigate the effectiveness degree of an EFL teacher as it is being depicted in a popular TV show. This is conducted using the Stronge teacher evaluation system to assess the main character's level of effectiveness as an EFL teacher (Mr. Brown) in the Mind Your Language TV show. Drawing upon the intersection of the character's effectiveness within the framework of characterization, representation, and perceived realism theory, a qualitative research method involving seven performance indicators of the Stronge teacher evaluation system was adopted to assess the main character. The findings showed that the character is a highly effective EFL teacher because his personal and professional characteristics are evidenced in the evaluation system's seven performance standards. This suggests that the Show can be used as a reflective tool by preservice EFL teachers to construct and enhance their professional identities and instructional practices. This work contributes to the existing knowledge of teachers' representation in movies and its implication in preservice EFL education by providing the first study on the representation of EFL teachers in a TV show. A future research direction is also presented.
RESUMEN
The primary purpose of this study is to identify academic cultural themes in the popular television sitcom The Big Bang Theory in order to enhance doctoral students' awareness and acquisition of Ph.D. competencies through formalized and explicit instruction. The secondary aim is to assess the impact of the selected academic themes on doctoral students' acquisition of Ph.D. competencies in an English for Academic Conversation (EAC) classroom. Drawing upon the concept of thematic learning instruction, a qualitative research method involving six clusters of Ph.D. competency reference framework developed by Durette and others was adopted to identify the academic cultural themes depicted by the sitcom's main characters. This is followed by evaluating the effectiveness of an EAC course in fostering learners' Ph.D. competencies using selected identified academic cultural themes. The result showed that the sitcom's main characters demonstrate the personal and professional skills commonly possessed by a competent academic as an individual or group. This is evidenced as all the thirty-four identified skills traverse the six clusters of Ph.D. competencies devised by Durette and colleagues in 2016. Also, the impact assessment results revealed that the course fostered learners' Ph.D. competencies as they shared knowledge, past experience, and action plans of every selected academic theme. This work contributes to existing knowledge of doctoral competencies vital to promoting competency-based Ph.D. programs in higher education.
RESUMEN
The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the sustainability of local videos development, their integration in the EFL classroom, and their impact on students' learning outcomes. The research aims as well to assess the impact of the videos on learners' English language skills achievement and individual difference factors. We recruited a random sample of 100 and 76 students learning different levels of English in our English institute through an online survey. A cross-sectional study of perceived English language skill achievement and individual difference factors such as motivation, attitude, and cultural awareness was carried out. A combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches was used for data collection and analysis. Our conceptual framework showed that the sustainability of the local video production and its integration in the EFL classroom depends on the university's funding policy, which is subjected to the positive impact of the videos on students' learning outcomes. Also, the obtained results revealed that the videos fostered learners' English language skills as well as their motivation to learn the language, positive attitudes toward its integration, and local cultural awareness. This work contributes to existing knowledge of sustainable local curriculum development by providing the first empirical evidence on the positive impact of sustainable local videos as an instructional material on students' learning outcomes.