Non-native EFL Teacher Trainees’ Attitude towards the Recruitment of NESTs and Teacher Collaboration in Language Classrooms

Abstract

Teacher collaboration is a key feature of effective professional development and is a necessary element for improved student achievement and ongoing school success. This study investigated pre-service Non-Native English Speaking Teachers (NNESTs)' attitude towards the recruitment of Native English Speaking Teachers (NESTs) and the collaboration with NESTs in EFL classrooms. The results show that most participants are not against the presence of NESTs as their teaching partners, but see qualification as the key criterion in recruiting NESTs. Even though the participants believe that team teaching with NESTs is beneficial to English learners, they are concerned about unequal partnerships and communication problems with NESTs. The results suggest that teacher educators need to take greater responsibilities to engage preservice teachers in team teaching to support pre-service teachers' professional lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]