Exploring L2 English teachers’ investment in the Chinese smart classroom from a socio-material perspective

Thesis

This study explores the language investment of L2 English teachers in Chinese smart classrooms. The guiding framework of the study – Norton’s (2015) model of investment, which includes the constructs of identity, capital and ideology - is explored through a qualitative case study design. The study adopts a particular socio-material focus for the analysis of identity to capture the complex interactions between human and non-human elements in the process of identity construction. Data were collected from six L2 English teachers through the background questionnaire, diaries, classroom observation and the semi-structured interview.

The findings revealed the complex interplay between identity, capital and ideology and found that 1) the affordances and constraints of smart classrooms promote both positive and negative identity positioning. 2) Participants have conflicting attitudes towards viewing L1 as valuable linguistic capital and often leverage their existing capital for language investment. 3) Conflicting ideologies, informed by participants’ cultural capitals and institutional constraints, further shape teachers’ classroom practices. These findings suggest new directions for future research on language investment and provide pedagogical implications for educators and policymakers.

Authors: Zhong , W

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-bdpozqo7z
• Type of award: MSc taught course
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: diaries; identity; interviews; second language; ALSLA; ALSLA2024; capital; english teachers; ideology; language investment; observation; qualitative
• Subjects: Group identity; Second language acquisition; Interviews; Qualitative research; Observation (Educational method); Applied linguistics; Ideology; Diaries