Estructuras resistivas (R1 y R2)

As demonstrated in the previous sections, the SFL genre pedagogy is considered highly to effectively support Chinese EFL students in their learning to write and to consequently achieve the CECR’s primary goal. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore how Chinese EFL teachers perceive the benefits of the SFL genre pedagogy towards contributing to the development of their students’ writing competence in CE classes. Ultimately, this study aims to address the overarching research question below:

How do Chinese EFL teachers view the effectiveness of SFL genre pedagogy in supporting their students’ learning of writing in College English classes?

The following sub-questions were formulated to achieve the research purpose:

• How do Chinese EFL teachers articulate their current strategies to support students’ learning of writing?

• How do Chinese EFL teachers make sense of the genre pedagogy to effectively support students’ learning of writing?

• What is the relationship between students’ writing outcomes and their teachers’ perceptions of the genre pedagogy?

A qualitative case study research method was used to investigate the impact of this pedagogical change on Chinese EFL teachers’ cognition and teaching practices, and on their students’ subsequent learning outcomes. The exploratory nature of providing a detailed description and interpretation of the issue under investigation characterized this study as qualitative research (Ary,

Jacobs, & Razavieh, 2002; Creswell, 2007; Merriam, 1998; Miles & Huberman, 1994). In particular, a case study was chosen which drew upon multiple sources to examine the research question in detail and in depth (Creswell, 2007). The qualitative case study method clearly suited the purpose of the current research study.

In response to the first research sub-question, the teacher participants’ initial understandings about effective writing instructions were investigated, which was useful to subsequently understand teachers’ beliefs in the genre pedagogy. On this basis, teachers’ cognition about the SFL genre pedagogy was examined to address the second research sub-question. Before collecting the data in relation to this pedagogy, professional workshop training in the genre approach was offered to the teacher participants. This training enabled the study to appreciate teachers’ cognition about the genre pedagogy from teachers’ statements and teaching practices, and possible changes in their students’ writing outcomes after their exposure to the intervention of this pedagogy. The relationships between changes to the teachers’ cognition and their students’ learning outcomes could then be analysed to address the last research sub-question. Consequently, this study investigated Chinese EFL teachers’ perceptions of the SFL genre pedagogy in aiding their students’ learning of writing in CE classes.

Data were collected in two phases, depending on the conduct of the workshop training in the SFL genre pedagogy with the teacher participants. In the first phase, pre-workshop interviews with individual teachers, classroom observations and associated teaching plans were undertaken to explore the teacher participants’ initial cognition about writing instructions, which corresponded to the first research sub-question. Consistent data sources (except for teaching plans) were involved in the second phase. Information obtained from post-workshop findings helped to reveal teachers’ perceptions of the SFL genre pedagogy, which was in response to the second research sub- question. Additionally, in both observations, student participants’ in-class writing samples were collected, aiming to gather evidence to address the last research sub-question.

With regard to the theoretical framework, a few analytical tools applied in this study drew on three major research sources, namely TC, SFL genre theories, and sociocultural theories. Research on TC was regarded as the first key source, because investigating the potential of the genre pedagogy focused on teachers’ perceptions. Specifically, Borg’s (2003) model of TC was employed to frame how teachers’ cognition about the genre pedagogy was related to their behaviours in writing instructions and related factors. Because Borg’s model is too general (Gerami & Noordin, 2013), Shulman’s (1986, 1987) model was also used for its more comprehensive coverage of teachers’ knowledge base. This model was particularly useful to identify the teachers’ knowledge base of writing instruction both before and after the workshop training in the genre pedagogy.

SFL genre theories were the second key source of theoretical frameworks which were consistent with the guidance for the instructional design. To achieve the research purpose, the overall design of the instructional plans, was guided by the teaching-learning cycle, the implementation model of the SFL genre pedagogy (Callaghan & Rothery, 1988). In particular, Callaghan and Knapp’s (1989) model of instructing in the Discussion Genre was followed because it explains how language functions to achieve the social purpose of this genre in detail. Analysing students’ writing samples therefore followed similar textual features of Discussion Genre texts in this model. Another framework on a more detailed level of data analysis was Hammond and Gibbons’ (2005) scaffolding theory. This theory informed the design of pedagogic intervention to be implemented by the teachers. Similarly, teachers’ knowledge about the socio-cultural theory would also be suggested in the meantime. Consequently, the SFL genre theories were used as the analytic tools to indicate the changes to the teacher participants’ knowledge of teaching the Discussion Genre and the changes in their students’ writing performance.