Critical Reflection, Teacher Cognition and Inclusive Pedagogy in SLTE

This presentation explores the evolving landscape of English Language Teaching (ELT) through the lens of teacher cognition, reflective practice, and innovative course design in second language teacher education (SLTE), with a specific focus on oral communication and pronunciation pedagogy.

Drawing on four recent papers, it aims to examine how teacher and teacher educator cognition (beliefs and knowledge) and reflective practice inform the development of effective oral communication and pronunciation pedagogy in multipolar and multimodal learning environments.

The first paper (Baker, 2025) sets the scene, exploring ELT teacher cognition in relation to identity, social justice, and well-being, emphasising the need for critical reflection in diverse educational contexts.

The second and third papers (Baker & Burri, in press; Baker & Burri, forthcoming) evaluate the impact of online and blended course formats on pre- and in-service teachers' learning of pronunciation pedagogy, highlighting the role of both digital resources and teacher educator qualities in shaping this learning development.

The fourth paper (Baker, 2022) offers insights into the reflective practices of a teacher educator redesigning an oral communication pedagogy course. This study revealed how feedback from student teachers (pre- and in-service teachers) and the teacher educator's self-reflection serve to enhance pedagogical content knowledge.

Together, these studies underscore the importance of integrating teacher cognition, reflective practice, and flexible course design to empower ELT professionals. Implications for SLTE programs include fostering critical reflection, supporting multimodal learning, and promoting inclusive, context-sensitive approaches to teaching oral communication and pronunciation.

Date

Friday 8 August 2025

Time

1 to 2 pm

Location

Online via Zoom

Speaker

Associate Professor Amanda Baker
University of Wollongong

Suggested pre-reading

Baker, A. (2025). ELT teacher cognition. In N. A. Nazari (Ed.), Empowering the English language teacher in a multipolar environment (pp. 141-155). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.

Baker, A. (2022). Enhancing teachers' knowledge base of L2 oral communication pedagogy: Reflective practices of an online teacher educator. English Australia Journal, 38(2), 5-22.

Baker, A., & Burri, M. (In press). Learning to teach L2 pronunciation via online and blended on-campus coursework. TEFLIN Journal, 36(1).

Baker, A., & Burri, M. (Forthcoming). Effective teacher education in L2 pronunciation pedagogy: Blended on-campus and online course delivery and design. In E. Tergujeff & A. Kirkova-Naskova (Eds.), Achievements in second language pronunciation: Good practices for L2 teaching and learning (pp. TBD). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.