Teaching With Picture Books in the EFL Classroom: A Study of Preservice Teachers’ Beliefs and Growth

Abstract

This study investigates EFL preservice teachers’ (PSTs) beliefs about the role and teaching of picture books (PBs) and how these beliefs evolve during a university reading course. Adopting a qualitative case study design, the research draws on two rounds of semi-structured interviews conducted with five PSTs enrolled in an English teacher education program in Chile. Participants were in the early stages of their training and had limited prior exposure to children's literature, making them an information-rich sample for examining initial belief formation and development. Findings indicate that PSTs initially conceptualized PBs primarily as tools for vocabulary development and language practice. Over time, however, their beliefs shifted toward recognizing PBs as multimodal and interpretive texts that can support meaning-making, critical thinking, and student engagement. Participants also developed more purposeful and varied instructional strategies and increasingly positioned the teacher as a mediator of literary experiences. Despite these developments, gaps remained in their use of literary terminology and in their understanding of the aesthetic and multimodal dimensions of PBs. The study highlights the role of sustained, literature-focused teacher education in supporting the development of more complex and reflective beliefs about literature in EFL contexts. It also underscores the need for explicit instruction in literary and multimodal analysis to prepare PSTs for integrating PBs into classroom practice.