The pedagogical development of an international teacher in the cultural context of Finnish CLIL home economics

Abstract

This thesis draws on content and language integrated learning (CLIL) as a methodological innovation in language education. In order to become competent CLIL teachers in 21st century, however, teachers should not merely have expertise knowledge in their own teaching fields but take pedagogical tact into consideration. The aim of this qualitative action research is to understand: (1) How an international teacher from Taiwan utilized the theoretical framework of CLIL 4Cs and (2) How 4Cs were used as a support to develop pedagogical tact in CLIL home economics classes in a Finnish lower secondary school. The action research approach and process were conducted in two cycles that included planning, acting, observing and reflecting. The data collection and analysis adopted a qualitative approach to select, refine and thematically code the data. The three main key findings are that: (1) the harmonious integration of 4Cs can support the considerable conceptual change from teacher-led to student-centered CLIL class, (2) the 4Cs and pedagogical tact are necessary parts of a teacher’s repertoire, and (3) the three dimensions of developing pedagogical tact indicate the importance of a trust-worthy relationship between teachers and students when using 4Cs as a support. This research highlights the value of cross-cultural experiential learning and teaching this experience can be viewed as an essential experience for CLIL teachers to develop more pedagogical tact. It is hoped that this action research will encourage Taiwanese government re-conceptualize the core spirit of CLIL education.