Cognitive/emotional dissonance as growth points in learning to teach

Abstract

While teaching has long been considered an emotional practice with teachers' daily practices recognized as being permeated with emotional meanings and influences, as teacher educators we are often perplexed by how best to respond to novice teachers' expressions of emotion. In this study, we document the practices that characterize our work as teacher educators in assisting novice teachers in the processes of learning-to-teach. Specifically, we explore how instances of cognitive/emotional dissonance that often emerge in these practices signal growth points in novice teacher development. The empirical data come from a teacher education practice designed to create multiple opportunities for novice teachers to participate in a range of authentic activities associated with the teaching of English as a second language (ESL). The findings bring to the surface the inherent challenges of both recognizing and capitalizing on instances of cognitive/emotional dissonance as growth points in novice teacher development.

Metacognition in Language Learning and Teaching

“…In teacher education, keeping narrative journals has proved fruitful for teacher development (Golombek and Johnson 2004), as has narrativising experiences in dialogic engagement with key tutors, or other professionals (Johnson and Worden 2014). In this study blogging served alongside the many other opportunities for writing and speaking offered on the course to see whether this opportunity for the narrativisation of experience provided a channel for emotional expression that did not find an easy outlet in other activities.…”

“…In fact, "reflection", where people recall, consider and evaluate their experience, deepen their understanding of that experience and potentially improve their practice (Zeichner and Liston 1996), forms the backbone of many teacher education courses, in line with Mezirow's (2000) transformative learning framework. However, the emotional aspect of such learning is often disregarded (Johnson and Golombek 2013), which is surprising given that developing self-knowledge in relation to teaching is likely to bring with it particular challenges to one's identity (see Day and Leitch 2001;Johnson and Worden 2014;Nias 1996). In order, therefore, to help manage the turbulence that developing self-knowledge might bring, teacher education courses need to help beginning teachers to develop understanding of their own emotional temperature, for example, to recognise emotional triggers, how and when they get frustrated, how tensions might be resolved if they arise, and how to help them make evaluations of their progress that are non-threatening to their sense of self.…”

“…Work by Golombek and Doran (2014) and Johnson and Golombek (2013) has shown that emotion is present in much novice teacher writing, whether teaching journals or practicum blogs, and that direct teacher educator mediation can help novices navigate some cognitive and emotional dissonance involved in becoming a teacher. Johnson and Worden (2014) identify, however, the challenge facing teacher education courses in understanding teachers' emotions and responding to them in ways that support further professional learning.…”

“…Weekly contact with a school based mentor and bi-termly meetings with the university tutor support further reflection on progress. Indeed, Johnson and Worden (2014) found that they could do some strategic mediation in face-to-face meetings, something that depended on the skill of the teacher educator in recognising any crises or cognitive/ emotional dissonance that training might be throwing up. It seemed important here, however, to offer another possible outlet through writing for those trainees whose disquiet might not be picked up otherwise, or who might not have felt able to do this sort of face-to-face talk comfortably.…”

“…In this sense Wordsworth, while coming to the issue from a completely different paradigm, is referring to a form of metacognition, where emotion recollected can give rise to cognitions about the emotion. This is relevant for this chapter on teachers' metacognition in two ways: first, the link between emotion and thought (and the ways in which these connect to the conscious self) is increasingly understood (Damasio 2006); and second, it is recognised that becoming a teacher entails emotional engagement (see Johnson and Worden 2014;Nias 1996;Sutton and Wheatley 2003;Zembylas 2003).…”