Investigating the Processes and Means Involved in EAP Teacher Learning: A Sociocultural Analysis of In-service Teachers’ Experience as They Professionally Learn

There is little understanding of the processes and means involved in teacher learning. Further research is needed to better understand what happens when teachers learn. Therefore, using sociocultural theory (SCT) as a theoretical framework, English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teacher learning was documented and examined. To achieve this goal, an in-depth description of nine in-service EAP teachers’ experience as they professionally learned was provided. The participating teachers’ learning was traced from an analysis of their current cognitions on EAP towards reaching a deeper understanding of the issues as mediated during dialogical interactions. Constant comparative analysis was used to analyze the data collected through observation, recordings and field notes. The findings showed that reaching an expert’s understanding involved the processes of externalizing current cognitions, verbalizing emerging understanding and full transformation in the individual’s thinking. Mediational moves (means of learning) were found to be contingent on teacher-learners’ learning needs. ‘Narrating’, ‘judgmental speech’ and ‘externalization’ were shown to provide space for using the potential of ‘speech’ and ‘others’. The findings of this study might promise some implications for teacher education.