A Comparative Study of the Realms of Thinking by German Language Teachers Using Metaphors
Sevinç HatipoğluThe fact that the perceptions of the teaching profession determine the attitudes of teachers and their behavior within the classroom is mentioned often in different scientific discourses. In this regard, it is important to explore prospective teachers’ perceptions of teachers and the teaching profession in order to make conclusions about their own learning and teaching behavior. The use of metaphors to identify the realms of thinking of prospective German language teachers regarding their future role as teachers is vital if one assumes that teachers have a fundamental role in the teaching process. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the metaphors that German language teacher trainees employ to describe their role as future teachers. Since the material is analyzed qualitatively, the method of metaphor analysis used: the data were gathered from Turkish and German students in the German language teacher training programs. This study evaluates the likelihood of emerging cultural differences that can be seen in the thinking of these prospective teachers. The results of the study show that both groups see the teacher as a guide, mentoring and helping their students. It is suggested that the obtained results should be included in the process of German language teacher training, and as such, made part of the discussion of the role of the teacher in the future.
Eine vergleichende Studie zu Denkwelten von Deutschlehrern anhand von Metaphern
Sevinç HatipoğluDass die Wahrnehmungen bzgl. des Lehrerberufs die Einstellungen von Lehrern und ihre Verhaltensweisen innerhalb der Klasse bestimmen, wird im Fachdiskurs immer wieder angesprochen. In dieser Hinsicht ist es von Bedeutung, dass die Wahrnehmungen bzgl. der Lehrer und des Lehrerberufs der angehenden Lehrer festgestellt werden, um Rückschlüsse auf das spӓtere eigene Lern- und Lehrverhalten ziehen zu können. Der Einsatz von Metaphern zur Feststellung der Denkwelten von angehenden Deutschlehrern bzgl. ihrer zukünftigen Rolle als Lehrer ist von Bedeutung, wenn man davon ausgeht, dass die Lehrer eine besondere Relevanz im Lehrprozess haben. Daher hat sich die folgende Untersuchung zum Ziel gestetzt, festzustellen, mit welchen Metaphern die angehenden Deutschlehrer ihre Rolle als zukünftige Lehrende beschreiben. In der qualitativen Studie wurde die Technik der Metaphernanalyse verwendet. Das notwendige Datenmaterial wurde, anhand einer Untersuchung, von türkischen und deutschen Studierenden der Deutschlehrerausbildung gesammelt, um somit zum einen zu sehen, wie angehende Deutschlehrer ihren zukünftigen Beruf sehen. Zum anderen soll die Auswertung eine Vergleichsbasis herstellen, um festzustellen, ob kulturelle Unterschiede in den Denkwelten der angehenden Lehrer zu sehen sind. Die Ergebnisse der Studie zeigen, dass beide Gruppen den Lehrer als einen Wegweiser sehen, der sie führt und ihnen hilft. Die Ergebnisse sollen in den Prozess der Deutschlehrerausbildungen implementiert werden, wenn es darum geht, die Rolle des Lehrers gemäß der neueren Ergebnisse der Lehrerforschung zu definieren.
The fact that the perceptions of the teaching profession determine the attitudes of teachers and their behavior within the classroom is often mentioned in academic literature (Borg, 2003, p. 81). In this regard, it is important to explore prospective teachers’ perceptions of teachers and the teaching profession in order to make conclusions about their own learning and teaching behavior. The word “metaphor,” originally from Greek, is an important tool to describe how people see life, the environment, events and objects, and seek explanation through comparison (Cerit, 2008, p. 694). Metaphors structure our inner world, thinking processes, and reflect not only our plans and ideas, but also how we perceive our environment (Marsch, 2009). To a large extent, metaphors also form the way we think, experience, decide, and behave in our daily lives (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980).
Numerous studies show the reproduction of thinking of prospective (or currently practicing) English teachers via metaphors. In particular, in this sense, in the field of prospective German language teachers (or currently practicing) the potential to use metaphors has hardly been used. Therefore, this study aims to determine which metaphors prospective German language teachers describe their role as future teachers. Since teachers describe their role through metaphors, they also construct specific personal meanings about teaching per se. This study attempts to answer the following five research questions: (i) What metaphors do prospective Turkish language teachers of German create to describe a German language teacher? (ii) What metaphors do prospective German language teachers of German create to describe a German language teacher? (iii) How do prospective Turkish language teachers of German describe their metaphors? (iv) How do the prospective German language teachers of German describe their metaphors? (v) Do these metaphors reveal cultural differences? Data were gathered from a research study group consisting of 130 German language students (62 Turkish and 68 German) who were at the time studying in their first year in the German language teacher training programs at Turkish and German universities respectively. These teacher trainee students were asked to provide their own conceptualization regarding their roles as language teachers through the statement “A German teacher is like ……………because…………………..” They were asked to focus on only one metaphor. These reasons enabled a more precise interpretation of the metaphors and their classification into categories. The data for this study were analyzed using the metaphor analysis methodology. The metaphors were separately analyzed. Similar metaphors were brought together and were codified according to the typology of metaphors developed by De Guerrero and Villamil (2000). This categorization includes nine role categories: cooperative leader, knowledge provider, challenger/agent of change, nurturer, innovator, provider of tools, artist, repairer, and gym instructor.
The results show that the Turkish participants named 35 different metaphors while the German participants named 48. The metaphors that the participants produced varied in terms of number and content. The German participants preferred animate metaphors whereas the Turkish participants mostly created not-so-imaginative metaphors. Only the metaphors of teacher, travel guide, and parent were used by both groups. Because most of the prospective teachers were being considered teachers, they were also conceptualized as being cooperative leaders. In both groups, this category was the most commonly described metaphor. While the Turkish student group saw the teacher as a second “knowledge provider,” this category was only seventh among the German student group. It is remarkable that both groups did not see the teacher as an “innovator”. The results of the Turkish students, in particular, show that they see the teacher according to behavioristic principles, that is, as a person who–besides conveying knowledge and giving support to students– does not take any other roles. From the analysis of the results, it can be concluded that cultural characteristics are hardly apparent. Undoubtedly, the results, as described above, cannot be generalized and must be supported by further research. In this context, the study presented here is only a first step in this direction, for it attempts to give an insight into the realm of thinking in the field of prospective German language teachers.
