Third-party complaints in teacher post-observation meetings

This study examines a series of post-observation meetings between a novice language teacher and a TESOL practicum mentor, focusing on how and why the teacher engages in complaining. We draw upon conversation analysis and narrative analysis to look at how the teacher's complaints are developed and responded to, as well as what they accomplish, within this institutional context. The data show the teacher uses a variety of interactional resources to construct her complaints, which surface key issues relevant to professional development. In response, the mentor displays a lack of affiliation and disattending to complaints, and by doing so, insulates his own professional competency and retains the focus on the institutional task at hand. Based on our analysis, we discuss implications for mentor practice. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study investigates the phenomenon of novice language teachers engaging in complaints during post-observation meetings with TESOL practicum mentors, highlighting how teachers use various interactional resources to raise key issues, and how mentors often lack affiliation and response to these complaints.