Teacher candidates at two universities were provided access information by their instructors. As a result, the website and password were provided to 52 potential participants.
FINDINGS
Questionnaire findings
A total of 38 participants responded to the questionnaire, the majority of whom were female( 78.9 %). Approximately 47 % of respondents were teacher candidates, 24 % identified their current position as probationary elementary( primary) or secondary teachers with the remaining 22 % identifying their current position as‘ other’ which included PhD students, teacher educators and former teachers. A very small number of participants( 8 %) indicated that they were consultants or permanent teachers of core French. Consequently the majority of respondents( 55 %) had less than one year’ s teaching experience.
In relation to research experience, respondents were asked to indicate the frequency with which they did any of the
24 statements in Table 1. Examination of the distribution of responses for each response option( never, rarely, sometimes, often, always) showed that for most statements only a small number of respondents chose one or two of the options and therefore those response options that were conceptually related were combined: never / rarely and often / always.
The majority of respondents reported they‘ often / always’ do the following: choose their teaching strategies based on practical experience( 84.4 %), and learn of research through the Internet( 63.7 %). Between 40 and 50 % of respondents reported they‘ often / always’ do the following or it often / always occurs: read research articles( 48.5 %), learn of research through professional publications( 42.5 %), learn of research through personal interaction with my colleagues at my school( 42.4 %), and board provides access to research journals( 43.7 %).
The majority of respondents indicated they‘ never / rarely’ do the following or it never / rarely occurs: worked on a team to conduct a research project( 81.8 %), led a research project( 75.8 %), read the
Canadian Modern Language Review( 63.7 %), attend conferences that present research evidence( 60.6 %), learn of research through association publications( 60.6 %), board provides funds to conduct research( 56.7 %), board encourages me to do action research( 55.2 %), have been a participant in a research study( 54.5 %), board undertaking research projects in FSL( 53.3 %), discuss research findings in staff meetings( 53.3 %), and board undertaking research projects in ESL( 51.8 %). Between 40 and 50 % of respondents choose‘ never / rarely’ for the following: learn of research through subject specific conferences( 48.5 %), learn of research through inboard professional development activities( 45.4 %), board is involved in research projects( 44.8 %), consultant / coordinator shares research findings( 44.8 %), and discuss research findings in subject specific meetings( 44.8 %).
The majority of respondents indicated they do the following‘ sometimes’: consider research evidence when choosing materials( 57.6 %). Between 40 and 50 %‘ sometimes’ do the following or it‘ sometimes’ occurs: choose my teaching strategies based on research evidence( 45.5 %), learn of
Research experience Never / Rarely Sometimes Often / Always N
I choose my teaching strategies based on research evidence
18.2 45.5 36.3 33
I consider research evidence when choosing materials 6.0 57.6 36.4 33 My board provides access to research journals 21.9 34.4 43.7 32 I read research articles 9.1 42.4 48.5 33 I read the Canadian Modern Language Review 63.7 12.1 24.2 33 I attend conferences that present research evidence 60.6 12.1 27.3 33
I learn of research through subject specific conferences
I learn of research through inboard Professional development activities
48.5 18.2 33.4 33
45.4 21.2 33.3 33
I learn of research through Professional publications 33.4 24.2 42.5 33 I learn of research through association publications 60.6 21.2 18.2 33 I learn of research through the internet 6.0 30.3 63.7 33
I learn of research through personal interaction with my colleagues at my school
12.2 45.5 42.4 33
I have led a research project 75.8 12.1 12.2 33 I have worked on a team to conduct a research project 81.8 9.1 9.1 33 I have been a participant in a research study 54.5 27.3 18.2 33 My board provides funds to conduct research 56.7 26.7 16.7 30 My board is involved in research projects 44.8 41.4 13.7 29 My board is undertaking research projects in FSL 53.3 33.3 13.3 30 My board is undertaking research projects in ESL 51.8 33.3 14.8 27 My board encourages me to do action research 55.2 20.7 24.1 29 My consultant / coordinator shares research findings 44.8 31.0 24.1 29
We discuss research findings in subject specific meetings
44.8 24.1 31.0 29
We discuss research findings in staff meetings 53.3 26.7 20.0 30 Table 1: Frequency of research exposure(%)
34 BABEL