Research Design

3.3.1. Design of this Study: Combination of Case Studies and Narrative Inquiry

The methodological design of this study combines case studies with narrative inquiry. Such decision can be explained in terms of the characteristics of each methodological approach,

4 _{In this study, multidimensional peace language activities (MPLAs) refer to activities involving verbal or} nonverbal forms of language used to reflect, express and/or expand peace in any of the six dimensions, including inner, interpersonal, intergroup, intercultural, international, and ecological. University practicum sessions refer to the theoretical weekly meetings that are part of the practicum course. Moreover, the term in-school teaching experience refers to the lessons pre-service teachers teach in the assigned school grade at elementary level. Practicum experience refers to the overall experience in the practicum course including both university practicum sessions and pre-service teachers’ in-school teaching experience.

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and how these relate to the purpose of the study, the theoretical framework undergirding the research, as well as the potential that the approaches have to facilitate teacher development. Both approaches will be explained below, followed by an explanation of the rationale for adopting such design.

3.3.1.1. Multiple case studies.The study employs a qualitative multiple case study research design. Multiple case studies are defined as “A detailed in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of information rich in context” (Creswell, 1998, p. 61). Therefore, this design can provide important evidence of the phenomena under investigation.

The methodology is framed within an interpretive or constructivist lens, by which the researcher seeks to understand the how and why of a phenomena from a holistic perspective, informed by the experiences of participants in their own context (Duff, 2008). Based on this idea, it seems a suitable design to explore pre-service teachers’ beliefs and emotions and to analyze their development given that context plays a fundamental role in shaping them. Even if the purpose of qualitative case studies is not to generalize, in Stake’s (2005) view, multiple case studies might help gain insights about a larger number of cases.

3.3.1.2. Narrative Inquiry.The collection and analysis of the data in this study is framed within narrative approaches. Narrative approaches are a powerful tool for researchers to explore participants’ inner worlds and experiences (Oxford, 2013b). Narrative inquiry is defined as “systematic exploration that is conducted by teachers and for teachers through their own stories and language” (Johnson & Golombek, 2002, p. 6). Through the telling of their stories and by reflecting on them, participants construct and reconstruct their identity (Pavlenko, 2007; Savin-Baden & Howell Major, 2013).

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merely on quantitative approaches in the recognition that certain constructs, such as individual differences, are complex and deserve a deeper analysis. In light of this, it was suggested that certain constructs should be investigated through stretches of talk or pieces of writing in order to have a better understanding of the nature and sources of their development (Kalaja, 2003). Consequently, emotions and beliefs in AL in the last decades have been studied through narrative inquiry (e.g., Aragão, 2011; Barcelos, 2003; Kalaja, Alanen, & Dufva, 2008; Oxford & Cuéllar, 2014).

Narrative inquiry is also a powerful tool in the field of SLTE because it offers the possibility for teacher development. When pre-service teachers verbalize (and relate) their perceptions, feelings, and behaviors about their practicum experiences, narrative inquiry may disclose what is often implicit, such as beliefs and emotions (Johnson & Golombek, 2011). Likewise, narrative inquiry helps make explicit the relationship between the “how” and the “what”. In other words, the way in which pre-service teachers make sense of their experiences when engaged in the narrative activity will shape what they learn and eventually do in their classrooms (Johnson & Golombek, 2016).

Narrative inquiry is also seen as a suitable approach to examine how language teachers and learners are situated in specific micro and macro contexts. Given that this study explores pre-service teachers’ beliefs and emotions (including the relationship of these constructs with their classroom practices) and their development throughout the practicum course, narrative approaches through case studies seem compatible options.

There are multiple conceptualizations on narratives among qualitative researchers depending on various aspects, such as the content of the narrative, how narratives are

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present study narratives are those that ‘‘entail a significant measure of reflection on either an event or an experience, a significant portion of a life, or the whole of it’’ (p.131). This

conceptualization of narratives relates to the types of stories that are considered “big stories” in narrative research. Big-stories in narrative research tend to include those collected throughout a period of time, which can consist of multiple interviews, field notes from classroom

observations, and/or written reflections. This type of research tends to focus on the content of the narratives and aims at reconstructing the participants’ stories of their lived experiences and events, as well as their emotions involved (Barkhuizen, 2011).

3.3.2. Rationale for Research Design

As explained above, the methodological design of this study is based on multiple case studies and narrative inquiry. Such decisions can be explained in terms of the research questions proposed in this study, as well as the need to advance the field of teacher cognition research in the way suggested by scholars.

Firstly, as explained by qualitative research specialists (Barnard & Burns, 2012; Duff, 2008), through case study research it is possible to obtain a refined perspective of the

participant’s lived experiences in their own contexts and understand what these mean to them. Given that the present study aims at discovering and understanding pre-service teachers’ experiences regarding MPLAs, including their beliefs, emotions, and actions in their specific context of learning and teaching, multiple case studies seems a suitable design. Moreover, by focusing on multiple cases instead of a single case, aspects such as commonality and variation between and among cases can be addressed.

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suggested by scholars. Following Allwright (2006), researchers should deepen their understanding of the complexity of phenomena involved in learning and teaching within a specific context, instead of studying what is common across classrooms through, for example, quantitative methods. In addition, Barnard & Burns (2012) claim that the study of teachers’ beliefs and practices should provide thick descriptions of the phenomena under investigation and the context by adopting a combination of data collection sources, as this would allow the findings to be compared, contrasted and triangulated and thereby, have rich interpretations. Similarly, exploring pre-service teachers’ beliefs and emotions through multiple case studies involves adopting a bottom-up approach to exploring the teachers’ complex inner lives in their own specific micro and macro contexts. Moreover, as MacIntyre (2014) suggests, it would imply focusing on individual cases instead of solely on large populations in order to deepen the understanding of what leads to pre-service teachers’ development.

The choice of narrative approaches can be explained in terms of the value these have for facilitating teacher development by offering pre-service teachers spaces to reflect on their beliefs and emotions, which are the two constructs investigated in this study. In Swain’s (2013, p. 196), “it is in narratives – anecdotes and stories of learners’ experiences – that the centrality of emotion and its connections to cognition becomes evident”.

As it is known among SLTE scholars, narratives offer an opportunity for teachers to reconceptualize their understandings of who they are, what they believe in, and what they do in the classroom (Golombek & Johnson, 2004). In other words, when teachers reflect on their own experiences through narratives, their inquiry leads them to question and reinterpret what they thought they knew about themselves and about the act of teaching and learning, leading to teacher development. More specifically, narratives seem to enhance teachers’ verbalization of

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the cognitions and emotions involved in their process of learning to teach. In this way, narrative inquiry becomes a powerful tool for reflection in which teachers can identify contradictions in their teaching (Golombek & Johnson, 2004).