Mediation activities in problem-based learning in English language teacher education
Abstract
This article presents the findings of a qualitative study investigating the use of mediation activities and strategies within an English teacher education course that implemented problem-based learning (PBL). Working collaboratively in teams, pre-service teachers engaged in solving realistic problems situated in the context of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the mediation descriptors defined in the CEFR Companion Volume (Council of Europe, 2020). The results indicate that core components of the PBL methodology, namely, individual engagement with background literature and collaborative team discussions, fostered the use of mediation activities and strategies across both cognitive and social dimensions. Among these, activities classified under the “mediating concepts” category, which involves facilitating others’ access to knowledge and conceptual understanding, emerged as the most frequently employed. Participants also reported several perceived benefits of the PBL approach, many of which were closely associated with the mediation practices they enacted. By underscoring the strong connections between PBL and mediation in English teacher education, the study advocates for the incorporation of mediation-oriented practices in pre-service teacher training and emphasizes the importance of developing mediation skills in EFL instruction.