scholarly journals Letting Go and Letting the Angels Grow

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Breen
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Group Sessions

This paper describes a small-scale qualitative research study conducted within a community of English Language teachers, and explores how teacher development workshops can be used to foster or cultivate Communities of Practice. The study was situated in a Language Centre within the domain of UK Higher Education where there was an institutional drive to better integrate the use of new technologies with traditional approaches to pedagogy. Data was collected through focus group sessions with a team of English Language teachers before, during and after a series of teacher development workshops on the use of technology in the English for Academic Purposes classroom. These focus group sessions were then followed up with individual interviews, drawing on a framework of stimulated recall. The data was then analysed through an established discourse analysis framework in the early stages, followed by a more inductive approach of thematic analysis in the later stages; triangulated by classroom observations of all participants. The purpose of the paper is to understand the functioning of a Community of Practice in terms of its contribution to teacher development The core argument within this paper is that Communities of Practice theory can contribute much to the fields of EAP (English for Academic Purposes), and teacher development in both theoretical and practical terms. It advocates a loosening of the reins on the part of organisations so that teachers are allowed to develop at their own pace and in a manner that is self-directed and tailored to their individual needs. It draws on Vygotskian-based theories of teacher cognition which suggest that in order for development to occur in a teacher education programme, participants need some form of prompting to move from within their “zone of proximal development” (Manning & Payne, 1993, p. 361). This prompting or scaffolding, as described in Vygotsky's own work (1934), generally takes place through a combination of support from more experienced practitioners in the first instance and then “situated engagement and negotiation” with peers and practitioners within a teaching community (Samaras & Gismondi, 1998, pp. 715-733).

Teacher Development: Strategies and Perception

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 69-78
Author(s):  
Padam Lal Bharati ◽  
Subas Chalise
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Clear Idea

Aspects of teachers’ professional development in general and EFL teachers in non-English speaking countries in particular are issues that warrant constant research. Although these are widely researched areas internationally, within Nepal grounded professional development studies have been sparsely carried out. A considerable section of practicing English language teachers has no clear idea of the issue although it directly concerns themselves. Against this backdrop, this article explores some EFL teachers’ perception on the concept of teacher development in a relatively sophisticated centrally located town of Nepal.The Saptagandaki Journal Vol.8 2017: 69-78

scholarly journals Becoming mentors: a narrative exercise to unveil struggles guiding an english language teaching practicum

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 312-324
Author(s):  
Pilar Méndez-Rivera ◽  
Francisco Pérez-Gómez
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Collaborative Reflection ◽  
Teaching Practicum ◽  
Narrative Study ◽  
English Language Teachers

This paper analyses the memories of two English language teachers recollected about their struggles to break through as practicum mentors in two public universities. This small- scale narrative study emerged from the constant and collaborative reflection upon their long years of experience advising primary and secondary schools’ mentees, and upon the different situations mentors had to experience while performing their job. Findings revealed that despite having worked in two allegedly different settings, both mentors faced similar issues regarding their vision of education, their view on language and their own identity as teachers, which affected their guidance. They also found that the feedback they provided their mentees perpetuated or contradicted dominant visions where inclusion and diversity were neutralized.

scholarly journals An Eclectic Professional Development Proposal for English Language Teachers

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orlando Chaves ◽  
Maria Eugenia Guapacha
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
English Language ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
Professional Needs ◽  
Eclectic Approach ◽  
English Language Teachers

<span>This article reports a mixed-method research project aimed at improving the practices of public sector English teachers in Cali (Colombia) through a professional development program. At the diagnostic stage surveys, documentary analysis, and a focus group yielded the teachers’ profile and professional needs. The action phase measured the program’s impact via surveys, evaluation formats, a focus group, researchers’ journal, and documentary analysis. Findings revealed that an eclectic approach tailored to the participants’ needs and interests and a practice-reflection-theory cycle improved the teachers’ quality.</span><p> </p>

Task-based Pedagogies in Iran: The Relationship between Oracy and Literacy

RELC Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 412-426
Author(s):  
Elahe Shakhsi Dastgahian ◽  
Marianne Turner ◽  
Janet Scull
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Summer School ◽  
English Language ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Classroom Context ◽  
English Language Teachers

Despite the recent emphasis on oral English language proficiency in the Iranian education system, the teaching of oral communication remains a challenge for secondary school English language teachers. In this article, we suggest that this, in part, relates to the continued emphasis on literacy practices. The article explores the approach taken by three Iranian junior high school English language teachers to teaching oracy during a summer school task-based intervention. Data were gathered through observations and interviews, and third generation activity theory from Engeström (1996; Engeström 2001) was used to analyse teachers’ practices. Findings revealed that, while trialling aspects of task-based pedagogies, the teachers’ attention to oracy increased. However, they retained a strong traditional focus on literacy teaching, which had an effect on their approach to oracy and also appeared to constrain their movement towards less-controlled spoken language. This small-scale study offers insights into approaches to oracy teaching while employing task-based pedagogies in foreign language contexts like Iran. In this context, English literacy has been the historical focus, the Roman alphabet is new for the students, and there is often limited exposure to oracy practices outside the classroom context (Sadeghi and Richards, 2015).

Teachers as slaves or masters to their coursebooks: An in-depth study on two English language teachers’ coursebook utilization

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110362
Author(s):  
Stefan Rathert ◽  
Neşe Cabaroğlu
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Program Planning ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Institutional Constraints ◽  
Stimulated Recall ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
English Language Teachers

Addressing an underappreciated research area, this study reports on how two English language teachers in a Turkish tertiary education context use a global coursebook. At the beginning of the study, a metaphor elicitation task and pre-study interviews were employed to detect the teachers’ coursebook conceptualizations. Then, a total of 12 lessons were video-recorded and adaptations were identified using a research-informed framework developed for this study. The participants examined and evaluated their own practices in stimulated recall sessions, reflective conversations and journal writing. The study was concluded with post-study interviews. Data revealed that the teachers’ instructional practice was driven by the coursebook to a large extent as they stuck to minor adaptations and followed the guidance given by the coursebook. Along with the institutional constraints, the teachers’ practices were influenced by their own personal preferences, attempts to make coursebook tasks accessible to learners, lack of planning and the highly structured delivery of tasks in the coursebook. However, pedagogic considerations were not foregrounded by the teachers. The results of the study call for professional teacher development on coursebook utilization, coursebook-based instead of coursebook-led program planning alongside redesign of coursebooks as resources rather than instructions.

scholarly journals iPads in the classroom: teachers’ perspectives post-implementation

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-26
Author(s):  
Rob Miles
Keyword(s):  
Classroom Management ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Constructivist Epistemology ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Samr Model

This small-scale qualitative case study aimed to investigate English language teachers’ perceptions of the impact of iPads in classrooms in ideal, actual and realistic terms. The study took place at the end of a five-year initiative that saw iPads introduced to English Language classrooms in a UAE Federal Institution. The investigation was carried out from a constructivist epistemology perspective using observations and interviews, analysed through the lens of the SAMR Model (Puentedura, 2010). While curriculum constraints limited the impact in this initiative, the device has the potential to engage students in collaborative tasks and assist in classroom management. A potential two-dimensional SAMR model is proposed, as are opportunities for further research. ﺗﮭ د ف د را ﺳﺔ اﻟ ﺣﺎﻟ ﺔ اﻟﻧ وﻋﯾ ﺔ اﻟ ﻣ ﺻ ﻐرة ھذه إﻟ ﻰ اﻟﺑ ﺣ ث ﻓ ﻲ ﺗ ﺻ ورا ت ﻣﻌﻠ ﻣ ﻲ اﻟﻠ ﻐﺔ ا ﻹﻧ ﺟﻠﯾ زﯾ ﺔ ﺣول ﺗﺄﺛﯾ ر ا ﻷﺟﮭزة اﻟﻠ وﺣﯾ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﻔ ﺻ ول اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ ﺑ ﺻ و ر ة ﻣﺛﺎﻟﯾ ﺔ و و اﻗ ﻌﯾ ﺔ و ﺣ ﻘﯾﻘﯾ ﺔ. و ﻗد ﺑﻧﯾ ت ھ ذه اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﺔ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﻣﻧ ظ و ر ﻧ ظ ر ﯾ ﺔ اﻟﻣﻌر ﻓﺔ اﻟ ﺑﻧﺎﺋﯾ ﺔ ﺑﺎ ﺳ ﺗ ﺧ دا م اﻟﻣ ﻼ ﺣ ظ ﺎ ت و اﻟﻣﻘﺎﺑ ﻼ ت ، وا ﻟﺗ ﻲ ﺗم ﺗ ﺣﻠﯾﻠ ﮭﺎ ﻣ ن ﺧﻼل ﻋد ﺳﺔ ﻧ ﻣوذ ج SAMR .(Puentedura, 2010) ( ﻓﺑﺎﻟ رﻏم ﻣ ن أ ن ﻗﯾ ود اﻟ ﻣﻧﺎ ھﺞ ﺣد ت ﻣ ن ﺗﺄﺛﯾ ر ا ﻷﺟﮭزة اﻟﻠ و ﺣ ﯾ ﺔ إ ﻻ أ ن ﻟ دﯾ ﮭﺎ اﻟ ﻘد ر ة ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ إ ﺷ ر ا ك اﻟط ﻼ ب ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﻣﮭﺎم اﻟ ﺗ ﻌﺎ و ﻧﯾ ﺔ و اﻟﻣ ﺳ ﺎ ﻋ دة ﻓ ﻲ إ دا ر ة اﻟ ﻔ ﺻ و ل اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ. ﺗﻘﺗ ر ح ھ ذه اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﺔ ﻧ ﻣو ذ ج SAMR ذو أﺑ ﻌﺎد ﺛﻧﺎﺋﯾﺔ، ﺑﺎ ﻹ ﺿ ﺎﻓﺔ إﻟ ﻰ ﻓ ر ص ﻹﺟرا ء ﻣزﯾد ﻣ ن اﻟﺑ ﺣو ث.

scholarly journals Appositeness of Teacher Training for In-Service EFL Teachers in Real Teaching Context

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 121-127
Author(s):  
Shankar Dhakal
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
World Journal ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Diverse Classroom ◽  
College And University ◽  
Teaching Context ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
English Language Teachers

There are various ways for EFL teachers to grow professionally. Attending workshops and training programs are believed to foster their upward mobility. At the same time, different teachers come up with numerous challenges in their classroom with the change of time. So, the learning they had in their college and university level may not always help them to dissolve all the problems in their diverse classroom settings. In this context, this small-scale study is explores whether the insights teachers get from the workshops and the trainings conducted by Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association (NELTA) are applicable and they contribute to liquefy the challenges EFL teachers face in their classroom. Drawing on the findings of this study and the support from the literature, it has been justified that training programs help teachers to grow professionally, but they can hardly apply the knowledge and skills they learn in their real classroom situations. With the help of data collected through the interview, it is crystallized that trainings have been almost unsuccessful to help the teachers cope with ever changing professional world. Journal of NELTA, Vol. 21, No. 1-2, 2016, Page:121-127

scholarly journals Learning From Collaborative Teacher Development in an EAP/ESP Context

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-78
Author(s):  
Elena Velikaya
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Development ◽  
Research University ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Peer Observation ◽  
Collaborative Process ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Almost All

‘Collaborative teacher development is an increasingly common kind of teacher development found in a wide range of language teaching contexts’. Teachers can collaborate with other teachers in writing materials, books, doing research, and analysing observed lessons. Even the format and the content of a teaching journal can be developed in cooperation with other colleagues. The article reports on collaborative teacher development of English language teachers at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (NRU HSE) in Moscow, Russia. The study used a survey to investigate needs for teacher development at NRU HSE. Findings reveal that not all teachers practise self-observation; many teachers believe that feedback must be personal; the majority of teachers find peer observation subjective; almost all teachers have teaching journals but their understanding of what a teaching journal is seems to be erroneous. These results indicate that without a clear understanding of the listed above issues and their implementation in a given context professional development can hardly be possible. The author analyses the results of this research and makes suggestions about teacher development as a continuous and collaborative process.

scholarly journals TEACHERS LEARNING ABOUT ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA ON FACEBOOK: INSIGHTS FROM A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (65) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Luciana Cabrini Simões Calvo ◽  
Michelle El Kadri ◽  
Telma Gimenez
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
English Language Teachers

<span lang="EN-US">Communities of practice is a concept widely adopted by teacher educators affiliated with a practice-based education and situated learning. It provides a lens to examine how experienced and novice teachers engage in collaborative problem-solving and learn from each other in emergent interactions. Both face-to-face and virtual communities of professionals provide room for learning opportunities, with dynamic trajectories from more peripheral to more central forms of participation. According to this theoretical framework (</span><span lang="FR">LAVE; WENGER, 1991; WENGER, 1998; WENGER et al., 2002, 2011)</span><span lang="EN-US">, teachers learn from engagement with others and build their understandings upon interactions focused on the practice of the community. ELF is a concept that is not yet reified among English language teachers in Brazil but is beginning to catch the attention of a wider group of professionals, since English is now compulsory in basic education and the national curriculum defines English as a lingua franca. In this paper we analyze interactions in a Facebook community of teachers (BrELT Brazil´s English Language Teachers) who, over a period of two months, discussed the meanings of ELF and how it was/could be contextualized in their classrooms. </span><span lang="EN-US">We looked into the various ways in which the sharing of information and experiences were displayed and the strategic resources employed to advance their learning on this theme. The BrELT group reconstructed their knowledge on ELF, interacting in democratic ways and showing how they care about their domain. Also, the group revealed to be a potential learning site, as they engaged in the activity and negotiated new meanings. Finally, the BrELT community illustrates how social media can play an important role in teacher development, as it can bring together professionals with different levels of expertise who are willing to share their experience.</span>

scholarly journals A Comparative Study of Flipped-Learning and E-Learning in ELT Teacher Education

2019 ◽  
Vol IV (II) ◽  
pp. 430-437
Author(s):  
Ejaz Mirza ◽  
Muhammad Haseeb Nasir
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Group Discussion ◽  
English Language ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
Flipped Learning ◽  
E Learning ◽  
English Language Teachers

Advancement in technology has brought a positive change in pedagogical practices. The development started with the integration of technology as a tool for teaching and has reached e-learning and Flipped-learning. In this study, the features of e-learning and Flippedlearning are compared from the perspective of technology and pedagogy in practice. To collect the data, English language teachers of public sector colleges and universities, who had attended online courses and blended courses, were selected for focus group discussion through purely judgmental sampling. The questions for focus group discussion were based on the Stephen Bax's (2003) criteria to compare different phases of CALL. The research highlights that flipped-learning gives more support and freedom to the learner to work at his own pace, whereas e-learning gives more opportunities for independent learning. There is no face-toface interaction in e-learning, whereas, in flipped-learning, the learners get a chance to interact in real-time. The participants of e-learning courses were urged to incorporate some sort of realtime interaction, whether online or face-to-face.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document