Abstract

GARCIA-MONTES, Paula Andrea; MARTINEZ, Juan Sebastián  and  ROMERO, Andrés. Contradictions in Learning to Teach Digital Literacy Practices in an EFL Public Setting: An Activity Theory Analysis. Íkala [online]. 2022, vol.27, n.1, pp.105-124.  Epub Nov 28, 2022. ISSN 0123-3432.  https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.ikala.v27n1a06.

Teaching reforms, methods for teaching EFL and institutional requirements present a significant number of contradictions in the activity system of EFL preservice teachers (PST). As novice practitioners, EFL PST are exposed to these contradictions while engaging in new activity systems, particularly when learning to put theory into practice. Hence, this case study examines the contradictions that an EFL PST, from a university in Córdoba, Colombia, faced when incorporating digital literacy practices (DLP) in her planning as a result of her interaction with the activity theory (AT) elements. It also describes the shifts in agency that occurred when she was exposed to contradictory dynamics of teaching. The study involved the PST and a group of 35 students in 10th grade. Class observations and semi-structured interviews with the PST revealed contradictions in terms of mediating artifacts, objects, division of labor, and rules. They also indicated how the identified contradictions could form the basis for a shift in her teaching activity system. These results suggest teaching programs should not only concentrate on how much our students learn new strategies but also on how much they have acquired transferable skills for transforming their contexts.

Keywords : Activity theory; contradictions; digital literacy practices; pre-service teachers; EFL; teacher education.

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