http://e-flt.nus.edu.sg/
Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching
2016, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 229–244
© Centre for Language Studies
National University of Singapore
Engaging Student Teachers in Collaborative and
Reflective Online Video-Assisted Extensive Listening in
an Indonesian Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Context
Handoyo Puji Widodo
(handoyopw@yahoo.com)
Shantou University, PR China
Refi Ranto Rozak
(refi.ranto@ikippgribojonegoro.ac.id)
IKIP PGRI Bojonegoro, Indonesia
Abstract
This article reports on findings of qualitative investigation into the use of online videos for extensive listening
(EL) practice coupled with reflective practice and online discussion. Drawn on Day and Bamford’s extensive
reading (ER) principles, it seeks to situate how this EL practice is pedagogically enacted in the Indonesian
ITE context. Grounded in action learning (AL), the study examines how much intermediate-level English
student teachers engaged in collaborative and reflective online video-assisted EL practice over a period of 12
weeks. Throughout the project, 24 student teachers participated in four main activities, including (1) self-
selection of EL materials, (2) collaborative video viewing, (3) reflective practice, and (4) online discussion.
Study findings suggest that even though the participants encountered language-related difficulties at the out-
set, they were positive about collaborative and reflective online video-assisted EL. The participants felt that
they moved listening beyond the teacher-fronted action zone in which the teacher played roles as their facili-
tator and collaborator. Not only did they learn to listen for meaning, but they also learned to become autono-
mous and reflective language learners.
1 Introduction
In most of the initial teacher education (ITE) programs, the onus of listening programs is still
placed on listening comprehension or intensive listening. Language student teachers receive no
sufficient training in the teaching of extensive listening (EL). During micro-teaching and teaching
practicum programs, they are not afforded the opportunity to teach EL, but they usually teach text-
books, which adopt a comprehension approach (Field, 2008). This experience may affect how lan-
guage student teachers teach listening in real-life classrooms when entering the profession. It is no
wonder that in most of the language classrooms, the teaching of listening focuses primarily on how
to answer comprehension questions correctly without any interactive discussion, and teachers
choose listening materials without doing learners’ learning needs analysis. As student teachers are
accustomed to socializing into only intensive listening methodology, when they become English
teachers in the actual profession, their beliefs are firmly anchored in a comprehension or mechani-
cal paradigm. This traditional listening instruction is prevalent in most Asian language classrooms,