An Inquiry into the Methodological Awareness of Experienced and Less-experienced Italian CLIL Teachers

Abstract

The role of CLIL teachers is crucial for the quality and effectiveness of CLIL programs. In order to fully understand the teacher’s role in CLIL, ‘the hidden side of the work’ is of pivotal importance: cognitive aspects related to what they ‘know, believe, and think’ exert a substantial influence on how they actually teach. Given the linguistic and methodological nature of CLIL, teachers’ awareness of the methodological features of CLIL appears to be particularly relevant in this respect. Based on the Italian context – where a recent School Reform has made CLIL compulsory in the final year(s) of high school – an investigation on the differences in terms of methodological awareness has been carried out between teachers who have been teaching in CLIL since before it became compulsory in the last year of high school (in 2014/15) and teachers who started teaching in CLIL as from 2014/15. Implications will be discussed and suggestions for practice and further research will be offered.

Keywords

• CLIL methodology. CLIL teachers. Methodological awareness. School Reform