Investigating the EFL Preservice Teachers’ Professional Development in Virtual Exchange: Benefits, Challenges, and Pedagogical Implications

International LET-IN 2022 Conference, Ankara, Türkiye, 6 - 08 Ekim 2022, ss.97

Abstract:

Virtual Exchange (VE) refers to student engagement in online intercultural collaborative

interaction with international partners under the supervision of their instructors. There has

been a growing interest in VE recently. Although the extant literature has focused on learners’

benefits and challenges, particularly on the development of their intercultural, digital, and

communicative skills, the impact of VE on EFL pre-service teachers’ professional

development has been underexplored. Hence, the aim of this qualitative multiple case study

was to explore the impact of VE on the professional development of Turkish EFL pre-service

teachers at a state university. Four VEs were examined in this study. The data were analyzed

via content analysis. The findings revealed that VE projects contributed to EFL pre-service

teachers’ professional development in different ways while posing certain challenges. They

regarded their VE involvement as an invaluable professional learning experience in terms of

gaining multiple perspectives into student-centered, innovative, collaborative, and interactive

pedagogical approaches and practices, enhanced intercultural competencies and critical digital

literacy skills. Finally, participants raised their awareness towards the importance of being

part of an international network of teachers. They also mentioned certain challenges regarding

sustaining motivation and online intercultural interaction and conflict resolution. The study

had implications on task design and pedagogical mentoring in VE. Despite the limited sample

size and the short duration of the VE projects, the study might provide a road map for teacher

educators who are new to VE and those who would like to design and conduct VEs.

Keywords: Virtual exchange; EFL pre-service teachers; intercultural competence,

professional development; critical digital literacy skills; pedagogical mentoring.