an exploration of iranian english tutors’ pedagogical decision-makings while dealing with a newcomer english learner

Since english learners’ capabilities and preferences for english learning are not at the same level, a single method of teaching, as well as the same kind of materials, cannot be offered to every student. a gained score from a placement test cannot be regarded as indicative of students’ background knowledge of english; therefore, understanding the procedures an english tutor goes through from having a newcomer student to arriving at a correct pedagogical decision is of great importance. the aim of this qualitative study was to explore different methods and techniques iranian english tutors applied to arrive at some pedagogical decisions about placing students in appropriate english levels and setting the criteria for selecting proper materials in congruence with students’ current language skills. in doing so, 10 iranian english tutors were interviewed, the gathered data were analyzed, and the emerging thematic structures were found to explore the main concerns of the study. data analysis represented that participants had the essential teachers’ knowledge to make reasonable decisions. in addition, they stated that the contents of common placement tests were not always in harmony with what they were going to cover in their classes. they believed that since human beings were distinct in individual characteristics, being familiar with students’ prior learning and individual characteristics were necessary to devise corresponding strategies in dealing with specific situations. the participants had also paid attention to the cultural, social, and religious beliefs in selecting the appropriate material contents which should have been congruent with the community norms. finally, their fresh and novel comments and experiences pertaining to their decision-making process shed light on the fact that decision-making is an interactive and multidimensional process, and developing teacher’s competence in the pre-planning phase could be a major goal in teacher education and professional training courses.

An Exploration of Iranian English Tutors’ Pedagogical Decision-Makings While Dealing with a Newcomer English Learner

Since English learners’ capabilities and preferences for English learning are not at the same level, a single method of teaching, as well as the same kind of materials, cannot be offered to every student. A gained score from a placement test cannot be regarded as indicative of students’ background knowledge of English; therefore, understanding the procedures an English tutor goes through from having a newcomer student to arriving at a correct pedagogical decision is of great importance. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore different methods and techniques Iranian English tutors applied to arrive at some pedagogical decisions about placing students in appropriate English levels and setting the criteria for selecting proper materials in congruence with students’ current language skills. In doing so, 10 Iranian English tutors were interviewed, the gathered data were analyzed, and the emerging thematic structures were found to explore the main concerns of the study. Data analysis represented that participants had the essential teachers’ knowledge to make reasonable decisions. In addition, they stated that the contents of common placement tests were not always in harmony with what they were going to cover in their classes. They believed that since human beings were distinct in individual characteristics, being familiar with students’ prior learning and individual characteristics were necessary to devise corresponding strategies in dealing with specific situations. The participants had also paid attention to the cultural, social, and religious beliefs in selecting the appropriate material contents which should have been congruent with the community norms. Finally, their fresh and novel comments and experiences pertaining to their decision-making process shed light on the fact that decision-making is an interactive and multidimensional process, and developing teacher’s competence in the pre-planning phase could be a major goal in teacher education and professional training courses.