Professional Development and the Place of Journals in ELT

RELC Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Macalister
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Journal Article ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Professional Organizations ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Asia Pacific Region ◽  
Tertiary Sector

Professional development is an activity in which language teachers should have ongoing and sustained involvement. There are many ways in which language teachers can pursue professional development, and reading journals is one of these ways. This article reports on a survey of 465 English Language Teaching (ELT) professionals, largely drawn from the Asia-Pacific region, and their engagement in professional development, with a particular focus on journals. Reading a book or journal was the single most commonly reported activity, and overall more than 80% of respondents had read a journal article within the last year. Academic and teaching purposes emerged as the main reasons for this reading. However, those working in the primary and secondary sectors were much less likely to have read a journal article than those in the tertiary sector, and the reasons for this are discussed. These results provide the basis for reflections on the place of journals in ELT professional development today. One reflection is on the value for teachers of journals published by the professional organizations to which they belong.

scholarly journals Female English Teachers Perceptions and Experience of Continuing Professional Development in Qatar

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 160
Author(s):  
Saba Qadhi ◽  
Alan Floyd
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching

The Qatari government views English language learning as crucial to the country’s future success. Anecdotal evidence suggests, however, that English language teachers (ELTs) employed in Qatar may not necessarily have the appropriate training, qualifications, and experience to enable them to teach successfully. Despite growing research and interest in the continuing professional development (CPD) experiences and needs of ELTs in Western contexts, there remains a lack of research in Middle Eastern countries in general and in Qatar in particular. The aim of this study was to address this gap by exploring female ELTs’ perceptions and experiences of CPD in Qatar in order to develop new practical and theoretical insights into our understanding of this area. The study draws on data from life history interviews undertaken with 16 female ELTs with at least 3 years of teaching experience in Qatari schools. The study found that the participants had very different experiences of CPD based on their personal and professional characteristics. This suggests that for it to be perceived as a positive experience, the current model of professional development for ELTs may need revising. We propose a paradigm shift from a traditional “one size fits all” CPD model towards a more dynamic and interactive style of teacher development that facilitates both personal reflection and professional discourse among teachers. It is argued that such a shift would prove a considerable step forward for English language teaching in this country.

scholarly journals Cheating in school: What we know and what we can do

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey Bretag
Keyword(s):  
Academic Integrity ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Primary Grade ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Asia Pacific Region ◽  
Tertiary Sector ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Student Cheating

Cheating in school: What we know and what we can do, is perhaps the most comprehensive and accessible text on the topic of academic integrity that I have read. Readers in the Asia-Pacific region who think the title is indicative of an interest in student cheating in the pre-tertiary sector, will be pleased to know that this book covers student cheating across the range of educational institutions, from primary (grade) school, through to the middle years, high school and post-secondary colleges and universities. I spent three days of valuable professional development reading and noting the book, often going to the numerous websites referred to, and generally refreshing my understandings of the academic integrity research and best practice from the last 15 years. It does not seem adequate to say that Davis, Drinan and Bertram Gallant should be congratulated on this carefully and elegantly constructed presentation of the field. View the PDF for the full review

scholarly journals Reflective Practice: its Contributions for Initial Pre-service Teachers and Further Teachers’ Professional Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-116
Author(s):  
Muhamad Ahsanu
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Research Method ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Library Research ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

This article deals with the notion of reflective practice (RP) and how it may contribute to the professional development in teacher education programs especially for pre-service teachers and in-service teachers within the context of Indonesia. It aims to explore and explain the stance and features of RP and how it can serve to help both pre-service and in-service teachers improve their teaching quality and develop their teaching professionalism, especially those involved in English language teaching (ELT). This article examines the feasibility of this concept to be applied in Indonesian pedagogical contexts. Being widely accepted as an empowering teaching mode practice in most parts of the world, this RP plays a central role in triggering teachers' professional development, leading the teachers to be self-learning, autonomous learning, self-evaluating, and problem-solving-oriented practitioners. The research method used in this article is library research, through which the standpoint and characteristics of RP are explored and disclosed, and RP's potential can be maximized systematically. This library research method is realized based on the five research problems posed in this article. The same data on RP were extracted from research articles and textbooks on RP. The main findings suggest such aspects as the conceptualization of RP, defining features of RP practitioners, benefits teachers can gain from RP, and potential contributions of RP for both pre-service and in-service teachers' teaching competence and continual professional development. Hence, this RP article potentially provides a meaningful paradigm for language teachers and enriches their pedagogical repertoire.  Thus, this article brings about two important notes. First, it theoretically portrays how RP can meaningfully affect the efficacy of ELT practice in Indonesia. Secondly, it fundamentally sets out RP conceptualization as the basis for professional teaching practice through continuous learning and development. That is, learning to develop through a critical self-evaluation of teachers' teaching practice

scholarly journals English Language Teacher Professional Development During COVID-19 in Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 103-112
Author(s):  
Ganga Ram Gautam
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
New Situation

COVID-19 pandemic has brought a big pedagogical shift in education across the board. In this context, teachers expected to be adaptable in the new situation in by familiarizing themselves to the emerging technology-driven pedagogy. This article explores how 102 English language teachers in Nepal prepared themselves to respond to COVID-19 by attending various professional development events organized between April and September 2020 by different professional forums and organizations. The results show that English teachers in Nepal attended three kinds of events that include training programs to learn technology, events to learn about the online resources for English language teaching and professional development events to enhance their professional skills. Participation in these events made English teachers digitally confident to run the classes online and increased awareness of the integration of online resources in English language teaching.

Teacher Tales About Professional Development in an Evolving Profession

2019 ◽  
pp. 179-216
Author(s):  
Amanada K. Wilson ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
English Language ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Central Mexico ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Impact

This chapter presents the results of an investigation which explores the impact on in-service teacher development resulting from an evolution in English language teaching in Mexico. Using a qualitative approach grounded in sociocultural theory, it presents the narrated stories of seven English language teachers whose experiences span a period of almost a quarter of a century at a public university in central Mexico. Their development as teachers is seen through the re-living, telling, and re-telling of their lived experiences viewed through a Vygotskian lens. A thematic re-storying system is used to analyze the data collected, revealing common themes beginning with the participants’ entry into the profession, their socialization into the community of teachers, and ultimately, their motivation to develop as teachers. This study is not meant to offer an exhaustive review of all teachers throughout the country, but through these narrated stories, both the how and the why of participants’ in-service teacher development tell a bigger story of a winding path from institutionally-promoted teacher training to self-motivated teacher development and a growing sense of professionalism.

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