scholarly journals Failing Forward: Educative Curriculum Materials, an English Teaching App, and a Revolution

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-148
Author(s):  
Janine Julianna Darragh ◽  
Gina Mikel Petrie ◽  
Stan Pichinevskiy
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Delivery System ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Curriculum Materials ◽  
Dual Function ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
English Teaching ◽  
Educative Curriculum Materials ◽  
Educative Curriculum ◽  
Digital Delivery

Educative Curriculum Materials (ECMs) are teaching materials that have the dual function of providing learning activities to students and providing professional development to the teachers that use them. Answering a call for professional development opportunities, and with input from English teachers in rural Nicaraguan schools, the designers created a set of ECMs aligned with the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education Curriculum. When physically bringing the completed materials to educators in rural Nicaraguan schools became impossible, it was determined that the delivery system had to change. With support from a team of undergraduate computer science students, the ECMs were transferred to a digital delivery system, the new format allowing for even more English teaching and learning support. This paper shares how a revolution in Nicaragua and failed project ultimately led to the creation of the English teaching app Reaching for English.

How much professional development is needed with educative curriculum materials? It depends upon the intended student learning outcomes

2017 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
pp. 1015-1033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita M. Schuchardt ◽  
Miray Tekkumru-Kisa ◽  
Christian D. Schunn ◽  
Mary Kay Stein ◽  
Birdy Reynolds
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Curriculum Materials ◽  
Educative Curriculum Materials ◽  
Educative Curriculum

scholarly journals The UN Sustainable Development Goals and Teacher Development for Effective English Teaching in Bangladesh: A Gap that Needs Bridging

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Al Amin ◽  
Janinka Greenwood
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Strategic Development ◽  
Secondary English ◽  
English Teaching ◽  
National Education ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Training Programmes

Abstract This article takes up the opportunity offered by the United Nations’ Strategic Development Goals to examine provisions for the selection, recruitment, training and professional development of secondary English teachers in Bangladesh. Qualified and trained teachers are considered as essential to effect the changes in English teaching and learning planned in national education policy. Since the adoption of a communicative approach to language teaching, initiatives have been taken to train teachers to teach English in this approach, and particularly to use multimedia equipment in their teaching; however the adequacy of these provisions is questioned in existing research and in media debates. This article starts with a brief description of the education context, highlighting the global Strategic Development Goals and local secondary English teaching. A review of existing recruitment and professional development provisions for secondary English teachers follows. Then project-based training programmes, which are funded and managed by external donors and aid agencies, are critically examined. Finally emerging issues and recommended changes are discussed.

“I Cannot Dance Upon My Toes”: A Case Study Into Teacher Learning Through Participating in an English Teaching Contest in China

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Yueting
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Effectiveness ◽  
Lesson Plan ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Legitimate Peripheral Participation ◽  
English Teaching ◽  
Differentiated Learning

AbstractThe professional development of College English (CE) teachers in China has received considerable attention due to their responsibility in preparing university graduates for adequate English proficiency. Many continuous professional development (CPD) activities have been conducted (e.g., national teaching contest) to improve CE teachers’ teaching effectiveness, an essential component of teacher learning. However, it has remained unknown concerning how teacher learning takes place in these well-intended CPD activities, and what mediating factors play an important role in teacher learning. To address this gap, this case study reports on a CE teacher’s (Janna, pseudonym) experience in preparing for and participating in an English teaching contest. Drawing upon multiple sets of data such as teacher reflective journals, interviews, observations of group discussions, and video-recorded teaching demonstration and lesson plan presentation, the findings reveal that teacher learning takes place at a superficial level through legitimate peripheral participation, yet at a deeper level through identity crisis. Vulnerable teacher learning is also identified in the CPD activity, with differentiated learning possibilities created by the tensions between resources and power relations within the community and the teacher’s conceptions of teaching and learning. The study concludes with implications for research of teacher learning and practice for teacher professional development.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of TESOL Teachers Continuous Professional Development: Perspectives form Oman

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Khadija Al Balushi
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Teacher Quality ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teaching Profession ◽  
Continuous Professional Development ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
The Impact

Teacher continuous professional development (CPD) is perceived as a significant way of improving schools, increasing teacher quality, and enhancing student learning (Vangrieken et al., 2017; Day, 1999). Therefore, educational scholars and policy makers demand CPD opportunities for teachers to help them enhance their knowledge and develop new instructional practices. However, the effectiveness of CPD initiatives and the impact they have on teaching and learning is questionable as reported by many research studies both locally in Oman and internationally (e.g. Al-Balushi, 2017; Antoniou & Kyriakides, 2013). This paper reports the findings of a study, which critically examined the effectiveness of the CPD activities run by the Ministry of Education-Oman for TESOL teachers and the impact of these activities in improving schools, increasing teacher quality and improving the quality of student learning. Data were collected using questionnaires, observations, semi structured and focus-group interview with EFL teachers in Oman. The findings revealed that a number of factors affect English teachers’ CPD in Oman; some of these factors facilitate teachers access to CPD and its’ success while others inhibit that. The data indicates that CPD timing and location can facilitate teachers’ access to CPD while workload and family responsibilities are key inhibitors to CPD access. The findings further showed that suitability and relevance of CPD activity in terms of the topics presented in it and the ideas discussed was reported as an important factor to effective CPD whereas CPD done by unqualified teacher educators can hinder the success of CPD. The study further indicated that the centralised top-down nature of the current CPD system seems to negatively affect the success of CPD in the in-service TESOL context in Oman. The findings suggest that the role of teachers themselves in the provision of CPD is significant; the way teachers are currently marginalized and seen as grateful recipients of CPD do not provide the conditions for intelligent and responsive teaching profession

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