CILTER Teacher Education Thematic Hub Webinar February 2026 Empirical perspectives on sociocultural CALL teacher education: insights from virtual exchange and school contexts - Free
The growing body of research on Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) teacher education has proposed a range of approaches to address the challenge of preparing teachers to integrate digital technologies meaningfully into language classrooms. Within this literature, sociocultural perspectives have emerged as particularly productive frameworks, as they conceptualise learning as a socially mediated, collaborative and contextually situated process (Johnson, 2009; Vygotsky, 1978).
From a sociocultural perspective, CALL teacher education is understood as guided participation in authentic practices, with teacher educators scaffolding pre- and in-service teachers' learning within their zones of proximal development. Key pedagogical elements discussed in the literature include situated practice, experiential modelling, peer mentoring and research-based reflection. Together, these elements emphasise learning through participation, collaboration and critical engagement with pedagogical practice.
This webinar synthesises findings from three recent empirical studies in CALL teacher education that adopt a sociocultural approach. Two studies were conducted within European-funded projects: VALIANT (Virtual Innovation and Support Networks for Teachers; Erasmus+ KA3, 2021 to 2024) and TEMPLATE (Technology-Mediated Plurilingual Activities for (Language) Teacher Education; Erasmus+ KA2, 2020 to 2023). Both projects explored the use of virtual exchange as a pedagogical tool in CALL teacher education for pre- and in-service teachers.
The third study examines pre-service CALL teacher education embedded in authentic school contexts. By comparing these pedagogical settings, the webinar highlights key principles, benefits and challenges of socioculturally grounded CALL teacher education and offers practical insights for teacher educators, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders involved in designing sustainable CALL teacher education programmes.