EFL teachers’ beliefs about professionalism and professional development

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Sawsan Al-Bakri ◽  
Salah Troudi
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Context Sensitive ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Context Specific

This study explores how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ perspectives on professionalism and beliefs about the usefulness of professional development (PD) activities influence their teaching practices and acceptance of new approaches. The focus is on tertiary English-language teachers working in Oman, and an exploratory research methodology was employed in which qualitative data were obtained from two focus group interviews with two groups of six teachers. The first group, which was asked about the meaning of professionalism, indicated that while a variety of aspects were of concern, there was a shared belief that professionalism is mainly related to moral values, which should be context sensitive. The second group, which was asked about PD, indicated that teachers’ engagement with PD activities is mainly related to context-specific skills improvement activities, and that the main obstacle to PD is a lack of institutional support. The research thus contributes to the study of Englishlanguage teachers’ own perspectives on professionalism, a topic which has previously received only limited attention.

scholarly journals Professional development of English language teachers in Malang, Indonesia: Institutional and individual perspectives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anik Nunuk Wulyani
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Ict Skills ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Individual

<p>Two important areas of professional development for teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Indonesia identified in the 2003 Law on National Education System and 2005 Law on Teachers and Lecturers are disciplinary knowledge and ICT skills. The present thesis investigates institutional and individual aspects of EFL teacher professional development (TPD) in Indonesia in relation to the development of these two areas of expertise.  Three studies were carried out. The first study measured Indonesian EFL teachers’ target language (English) proficiency as a core component of their professional knowledge and how it is maintained and developed by the teachers. EFL teachers’ language proficiency in this study was operationalised as their lexical, reading and writing proficiency and measured using the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT), IELTS-like reading comprehension test and IELTS-like academic writing test, respectively. The results showed that the teachers’ length of service correlated negatively with their knowledge of academic vocabulary, as well as reading and writing proficiency, indicating issues with the outcomes of the TPD in this area. To triangulate the test results, teacher perceptions data were also gathered using questionnaires and interviews. It was found that the EFL teachers tended to overestimate their own overall English language proficiency.  The second study used a longitudinal blogging activity with the EFL teachers as a form of personal professional development that targeted their English language and ICT skills while reflecting on topics related to their professional (teaching) activities. Qualitative analysis of the blog entries of three EFL teachers suggested that the individual teachers’ blogging, critical reading and reflective writing skills were very uneven. Interviews with nine teachers and 11 educational stakeholders were then conducted to understand their views on blogging as a form of professional development. The results revealed that the perceived obstacles and drawbacks outweighed the perceived benefits of blogging as a form of personal professional development.  The third study examined Indonesian national TPD policy documents, how these policies were translated into local professional development programmes in Malang district. It was found that the needs for EFL teachers to maintain their English proficiency and ICT skills were only partially addressed in TPD policy and implementation. In addition, the interviewed teachers and stakeholders perceived the definitions, goals, administration, evaluation, benefits, and challenges of TPD differently.  Taken as a whole, the present findings show that institutional implementation of TPD policies in Indonesia needs to better target individual EFL teachers’ English proficiency and ICT skills, and that opportunities for better professional development need to be sought at both personal and institutional levels. At the individual level, self-motivation to continue learning is crucial for English language teachers who want to keep up with change and innovation in English language teaching. At the institutional level, needs analyses and environmental analyses are essential in designing programs for maintaining and developing teacher professional competency.</p>

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 Professional development of English language teachers in Malang, Indonesia: Institutional and individual perspectives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anik Nunuk Wulyani
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Ict Skills ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Individual

<p>Two important areas of professional development for teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Indonesia identified in the 2003 Law on National Education System and 2005 Law on Teachers and Lecturers are disciplinary knowledge and ICT skills. The present thesis investigates institutional and individual aspects of EFL teacher professional development (TPD) in Indonesia in relation to the development of these two areas of expertise.  Three studies were carried out. The first study measured Indonesian EFL teachers’ target language (English) proficiency as a core component of their professional knowledge and how it is maintained and developed by the teachers. EFL teachers’ language proficiency in this study was operationalised as their lexical, reading and writing proficiency and measured using the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT), IELTS-like reading comprehension test and IELTS-like academic writing test, respectively. The results showed that the teachers’ length of service correlated negatively with their knowledge of academic vocabulary, as well as reading and writing proficiency, indicating issues with the outcomes of the TPD in this area. To triangulate the test results, teacher perceptions data were also gathered using questionnaires and interviews. It was found that the EFL teachers tended to overestimate their own overall English language proficiency.  The second study used a longitudinal blogging activity with the EFL teachers as a form of personal professional development that targeted their English language and ICT skills while reflecting on topics related to their professional (teaching) activities. Qualitative analysis of the blog entries of three EFL teachers suggested that the individual teachers’ blogging, critical reading and reflective writing skills were very uneven. Interviews with nine teachers and 11 educational stakeholders were then conducted to understand their views on blogging as a form of professional development. The results revealed that the perceived obstacles and drawbacks outweighed the perceived benefits of blogging as a form of personal professional development.  The third study examined Indonesian national TPD policy documents, how these policies were translated into local professional development programmes in Malang district. It was found that the needs for EFL teachers to maintain their English proficiency and ICT skills were only partially addressed in TPD policy and implementation. In addition, the interviewed teachers and stakeholders perceived the definitions, goals, administration, evaluation, benefits, and challenges of TPD differently.  Taken as a whole, the present findings show that institutional implementation of TPD policies in Indonesia needs to better target individual EFL teachers’ English proficiency and ICT skills, and that opportunities for better professional development need to be sought at both personal and institutional levels. At the individual level, self-motivation to continue learning is crucial for English language teachers who want to keep up with change and innovation in English language teaching. At the institutional level, needs analyses and environmental analyses are essential in designing programs for maintaining and developing teacher professional competency.</p>

scholarly journals Saudi EFL Teachers’ Attitudes towards Professional Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 242-258
Author(s):  
Maha Alzahrani
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
English Language ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Teachers Attitudes

The study reported in this paper aimed to investigate the Professional Development (PD, henceforth) needs of English language teachers in Saudi Arabia. Its primary objectives were to assess the needs of PD and training of Saudi English language teachers and to explore the teachers’ attitudes towards the amount and quality of English teaching preparation received prior to their teaching career. The study adopted a mixed-method approach in order to gain a deep understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. The participants of the study included 109 Saudi teachers of English language who teach in public schools. The study involved quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Whilst the quantitative data of the study was gathered via a survey questionnaire, the qualitative data was obtained via interviews with 10 of EFL teachers. The findings indicated the teachers’ dissatisfaction with the amount and quality of pre-service training they received. This was due to poor information, a lack of qualified trainers and limited selection of topics which does not serve their teaching needs.

scholarly journals A study of EFL teachers’ classroom grading practices in secondary schools and private institutes: a mixed methods approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Majid Nowruzi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Motivation Enhancement ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Internal And External Factors

AbstractThis explanatory sequential mixed methods study aimed at exploring the grading decision-making of Iranian English language teachers in terms of the factors used when assigning grades and the rationales behind using those factors. In the preliminary quantitative phase, a questionnaire was issued to 300 secondary school and private institute EFL teachers. Quantitative data analyses showed that teachers attached the most weight to nonachievement factors such as effort, improvement, ability, and participation when determining grades. Next, follow-up interviews were conducted with 30 teachers from the initial sample. The analyses of interview data revealed that teachers assigned hodgepodge grades on five major grounds of learning encouragement, motivation enhancement, lack of specific grading criteria, pressure from stakeholders, and flexibility in grading. Data integration indicated that teacher grading decision-making was influenced by both internal and external factors, with adverse consequences for grading validity. Eliciting explanations for the use of specific grading criteria from the same teachers who utilized those criteria in their grading in a single study added to the novelty of this research. Implications for grade interpretation and use, accountability in classroom assessment, and teachers’ professional development are discussed.

Professional Development Landscapes

2017 ◽  
pp. 98-111
Author(s):  
Beril Yucel ◽  
Meral Güçeri
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Action Research ◽  
English Language ◽  
Collaborative Action Research ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Collaborative Action ◽  
English Language Teachers

This chapter aims to present two action research case studies conducted in the English Language Schools of two universities in Turkey and discuss the long-term effects of this Professional Development activity on teachers' professional lives. In both of these studies, teachers were involved in collaborative action research. The first case study discusses a small scale collaborative Action Research project which targeted 16 English language teachers. Case Study Two, on the other hand, is a large scale project which explores 160 English language teachers' collaborative action research study. Detailed information about each case study is provided by highlighting the aims, institutional contexts, participant profiles, methodology used and findings. Teachers' perceptions about action research and the long-term impact of it on their professional growth are also discussed. Conclusion part highlights the factors that need to be taken into consideration while setting up collaborative action research projects in institutions. Finally, future research recommendations are made.

scholarly journals Prospective English Language Teachers’ Grammatical Awareness Development to Undertake Academic Writing

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Jaramillo Delgado ◽  
Erika Marcela Restrepo Bolívar
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Private University ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Grammatical Awareness ◽  
Grammatical Errors ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Internal And External Factors

This study examines prospective English language teachers’ grammatical awareness development, and its impact on the production of academic written texts in an English teaching undergraduate program at a private university in Colombia. Data were collected through semi-structured individual and focus group interviews, as well as participants’ academic written production. Results reveal the internal and external factors which affect pre-service teachers’ grammatical awareness development in this context, in addition to the frequent grammatical errors found in their work. This research highlights the importance of establishing useful strategies to help future English language teachers develop grammatical awareness to succeed in academic writing.

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