EXPLORING EFL STUDENT TEACHERS' ANXIETY IN DISTANCE EDUCATION

Abstract

The role of affective factors in language education is undeniable, and anxiety as one of the mostly studied affective factors plays a significant role in understanding the psychological constructs during this education process. Many studies regarding anxiety, teacher anxiety and classroom anxiety have been already conducted, yet anxiety studies concerning EFL student teachers are rare and need further elaboration. In such a study context, the present study aimed at disclosing EFL student teachers’ anxieties upon their microteachings and teaching practicum. A total of 123 EFL student teachers were participated in the study. Arising from a quantitative perspective, the data were collected through a 5-point Likert type scale titled “Foreign Language Student Teacher Anxiety Scale (FLSTA)”. The analysis of the data indicated that EFL student teachers had a moderate level of anxiety.  Inspection of gender and grade differences over anxiety levels indicated that grade made a significant difference on FLSTA, but not gender. The findings of the study would be beneficial for teacher education, supervisors and student teachers to create a moderate and comfortable environment for all the parties involved.