Schedule: 2009-09-12 (10:45 - 11:30)
Parallel Session 1 (Room A-30)

Title: online tutors' beliefs on feedback: an exploratory study.
Authors: María del Carmen Contijoch-Escontria
Abstract: This paper involves research related to the area of e-learning with particular reference to the topic of feedback. The study here presented is part of a PhD thesis that is being carried out in Mexico.
The objective of the study is to examine what online tutors believe about the role of feedback in an online course that purports a socio-constructivist view of learning.
The study addresses the following research questions:
• What are online tutors’ beliefs about the role of feedback in an online teachers’ development Diploma course?
• Do online tutors beliefs about feedback differ radically? If so, to what extent? If not, how similar are they?
• Is there any evidence these beliefs match the socio-constructivist views that the course purports?
According to Pajares (1992) beliefs have been studied in different areas such as medicine, law, sociology, anthropology political science and psychology. In 1979, Fenstermacher predicted that the study of beliefs would become the focus of attention for teacher effectiveness research. Also, Pintrich in 1990 mentioned that beliefs could become important constructs in the area of teacher education. This can be confirmed looking at recent studies related to beliefs on teaching and learning by Chai, Khine & Teo (2006); Levin & Wadmany (2006) and Borg (2003).
In relation to the concept of feedback, it can be defined as the information that the learner/participant (recipient) receives from the teacher (sender). Nowadays, feedback is considered to play a determinant function in the teaching-learning process. Clariana (2000) suggests that there are many unanswered questions related to the role of feedback in learning. Participants in the study are current online tutors who teach an online Diploma Course that aims to update language teachers in the area of applied linguistics.
A questionnaire divided into three sections (tutor’s general profile, views about feedback and views about feedback and learners) was designed and administered in order to obtain information from participants. Follow-up interviews were also carried out in order to clarify issues and to obtain more in depth information about tutors beliefs and views on feedback. Results of the questionnaires and the interviews will be shown and discussed in the presentation.
The study offers some insights into the role of online tutors and how feedback is conceived within the virtual environment

References

Borg, S. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what
language teachers think, know, believe and do. Language Teaching, 36, 81-109.
Chai, S. C., Khine, M. S., Teo, T. (2006). Epistemological beliefs on teaching and
learning: A survey among pre-service teachers in Singapore. Educational Media
International, 43(4), 285-298.
Clariana, R. B. (2000). Feedback in computer-assisted learning. NETg University of
Limerick Lecture Series.
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods
approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Denscombe,M. (2003). The good research guide for small-scale social research
projects. Open University Press. McGraw Hill Education. Maidenhead: England.
Donaghue, H. (2003). An instrument to elicit teachers’ beliefs and assumptions. ELT
Journal, 57(4), 344-351.
Debowski, S. (2002). Modelling and feedback: Providing constructive guidance through
a web medium. In Focusing on the Student: Proceedings of the 11th Annual
Teaching and Learning Forum. Edith Cowan University. Mount Lawley
Campus, Perth Australia, 5th & 6th February, 2002.
http://www.ecu.edu.au/conferences/tlf/2002/pub/docs/Debowski.pdf
Accessed 24th February, 2007.
Fenstermacher, G. D. (1979). A philosophical consideration of recent research on
teacher effectiveness. In. L. S. Shulman (Ed.), Review of research in education,
6, (pp. 157-185). Itasca, IL: Peacock.
Levin, T., & Wadmany, R. (2006). Teachers’ beliefs and practices in technology based
classrooms: a developmental view. Journal of Research on Technology in
Education, 39(2), 157-181.
Pajares, M. F. (1992). Teachers’ beliefs and educational research: Cleaning up a messy
construct. Review of Educational Research, 62 (3), 307-332.
Pintrich, P. R. (1990). Implications of psychological research on student learning and
college learning for teacher education. In W. R. Houston (Ed.), Handbook of
research on teacher education, (pp. 826-857). New York: Macmillan.
Keywords: Online Tutor, Beliefs, Feedback

Main topic: Curriculum development for CALL.

Biodata: María del Carmen Contijoch Escontria is an English teacher, teacher trainer and online tutor at the Foreign Language Teaching Centre at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) where she has worked for 23 years. She holds a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics from UNAM. Currently she is enrolled in the "Doctor of Applied Linguistics Program" at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
Type of presentation Paper presentation

Paper category Research

Target educational sector Higher education

Language of delivery English

EU-funded project No

Schedule:	2009-09-12 (10:45 - 11:30) Parallel Session 1 (Room A-30)
Title:	online tutors' beliefs on feedback: an exploratory study.
Authors:	María del Carmen Contijoch-Escontria
Abstract:	This paper involves research related to the area of e-learning with particular reference to the topic of feedback. The study here presented is part of a PhD thesis that is being carried out in Mexico. The objective of the study is to examine what online tutors believe about the role of feedback in an online course that purports a socio-constructivist view of learning. The study addresses the following research questions: • What are online tutors’ beliefs about the role of feedback in an online teachers’ development Diploma course? • Do online tutors beliefs about feedback differ radically? If so, to what extent? If not, how similar are they? • Is there any evidence these beliefs match the socio-constructivist views that the course purports? According to Pajares (1992) beliefs have been studied in different areas such as medicine, law, sociology, anthropology political science and psychology. In 1979, Fenstermacher predicted that the study of beliefs would become the focus of attention for teacher effectiveness research. Also, Pintrich in 1990 mentioned that beliefs could become important constructs in the area of teacher education. This can be confirmed looking at recent studies related to beliefs on teaching and learning by Chai, Khine & Teo (2006); Levin & Wadmany (2006) and Borg (2003). In relation to the concept of feedback, it can be defined as the information that the learner/participant (recipient) receives from the teacher (sender). Nowadays, feedback is considered to play a determinant function in the teaching-learning process. Clariana (2000) suggests that there are many unanswered questions related to the role of feedback in learning. Participants in the study are current online tutors who teach an online Diploma Course that aims to update language teachers in the area of applied linguistics. A questionnaire divided into three sections (tutor’s general profile, views about feedback and views about feedback and learners) was designed and administered in order to obtain information from participants. Follow-up interviews were also carried out in order to clarify issues and to obtain more in depth information about tutors beliefs and views on feedback. Results of the questionnaires and the interviews will be shown and discussed in the presentation. The study offers some insights into the role of online tutors and how feedback is conceived within the virtual environment References Borg, S. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe and do. Language Teaching, 36, 81-109. Chai, S. C., Khine, M. S., Teo, T. (2006). Epistemological beliefs on teaching and learning: A survey among pre-service teachers in Singapore. Educational Media International, 43(4), 285-298. Clariana, R. B. (2000). Feedback in computer-assisted learning. NETg University of Limerick Lecture Series. Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Denscombe,M. (2003). The good research guide for small-scale social research projects. Open University Press. McGraw Hill Education. Maidenhead: England. Donaghue, H. (2003). An instrument to elicit teachers’ beliefs and assumptions. ELT Journal, 57(4), 344-351. Debowski, S. (2002). Modelling and feedback: Providing constructive guidance through a web medium. In Focusing on the Student: Proceedings of the 11th Annual Teaching and Learning Forum. Edith Cowan University. Mount Lawley Campus, Perth Australia, 5th & 6th February, 2002. http://www.ecu.edu.au/conferences/tlf/2002/pub/docs/Debowski.pdf Accessed 24th February, 2007. Fenstermacher, G. D. (1979). A philosophical consideration of recent research on teacher effectiveness. In. L. S. Shulman (Ed.), Review of research in education, 6, (pp. 157-185). Itasca, IL: Peacock. Levin, T., & Wadmany, R. (2006). Teachers’ beliefs and practices in technology based classrooms: a developmental view. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 39(2), 157-181. Pajares, M. F. (1992). Teachers’ beliefs and educational research: Cleaning up a messy construct. Review of Educational Research, 62 (3), 307-332. Pintrich, P. R. (1990). Implications of psychological research on student learning and college learning for teacher education. In W. R. Houston (Ed.), Handbook of research on teacher education, (pp. 826-857). New York: Macmillan.
Keywords:	Online Tutor, Beliefs, Feedback
Main topic:	Curriculum development for CALL.
Biodata:	María del Carmen Contijoch Escontria is an English teacher, teacher trainer and online tutor at the Foreign Language Teaching Centre at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) where she has worked for 23 years. She holds a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics from UNAM. Currently she is enrolled in the "Doctor of Applied Linguistics Program" at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
Type of presentation	Paper presentation
Paper category	Research
Target educational sector	Higher education
Language of delivery	English
EU-funded project	No