Rethinking Pre-Service Language Teacher Education in the Global Era: A Focus on Teachers’ Core Competencies at the Local Level in South Korea

This exploratory qualitative study examines the core competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) that Korean in-service public secondary English teachers need in their job, the major factors that contributed to the growth and development of these core competencies, and how pre-service teacher education programmes can be better designed to nurture teacher-learners’ core competencies and better prepare them for an in-service role. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 in-service English teachers and 15 English teacher educators, recorded video observations of 10 in-service teacher participants’ classes, and follow-up interviews with in-service teacher participants. The findings suggest that Korean in-service public secondary English teachers’ core competencies consist of an integrative ensemble of pedagogical, administrative, and self-related knowledge, skills, and abilities. The factors that were perceived as playing the largest role in the development of these core competencies included: 1) participation in practical courses, workshops, and lectures; 2) interaction with knowledgeable peers; 3) lesson observation and feedback; 4) practicum and teaching experiences; 5) self-study; and 6) reflection. In addition to having these factors integrated into pre-service teacher education programmes, in-service teachers also indicated that programmes could be improved by placing a focus on practice over theory, providing contextually relevant and realistic content and examples, involving teacher-learners in a longer practicum, incorporating readiness assessments from in-service teachers, providing more interaction with in-service teachers, and reconsidering the composition of teacher educator faculty. The findings of this study have important implications for various stakeholders in teacher education globally as they highlight the importance of considering what teachers need at the local level. Furthermore, the core competency conceptual framework, reported key contributing development factors, and suggestions for pre-service teacher education programmes provide new pathways for teacher education which can help foster teachers who are better prepared for the profession in South Korea and beyond.