Pedagogical tact in the English language teacher education programme

Abstract

This study fills a major gap in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher education by examining the integration of pedagogical tact (PT) in an EFL teacher education programme in Turkey. Through an in‐depth examination of the programme and semi‐structured interviews, this study investigated to what extent PT, including empathising with and motivating learners, effective classroom management, differentiated instruction and support for meaningful decision‐making, is integrated. The qualitative content analysis of the programme demonstrated that many courses in the EFL teacher education programme are consistent with aspects of PT. However, there were a few areas where the programme could be further enhanced to better include all aspects of PT. This includes offering courses on effective communication and decision‐making. The interviews conducted with 21 pre‐service EFL teachers also revealed that most of them acknowledged that the programme is based on their potential teaching needs and challenges. However, they offered suggestions to improve the programme such as adding more technology courses and practice‐based implementations. Throughout the study, recommendations are provided regarding how EFL teacher education programmes could be developed and implemented with more emphasis on PT. Hence, the study's findings have important implications for teacher education programme developers in Turkey and international contexts.