scholarly journals Self-directed Teacher Professional Development in Saudi Arabia: EFL Teachers’ Perceptions

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1359
Author(s):  
Hamad I. Alshaikhi
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Professional Development ◽  
Workplace Learning ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Directed Learning ◽  
Teacher Professional

This study explores Saudi EFL teachers’ perspectives, attitudes and experiences with regards to their teacher professional development (TPD) with special emphasis on workplace learning and self-directed initiatives. Using semi-structured interviews and reflective essays, the study managed to highlight a thriving workplace learning context in which teachers are involved in many forms of self-directed learning, including experiences stemming from the dailiness of the everyday realities of their schools. Data showed that Saudi EFL teachers are committed professionals who are well aware of a variety of TPD resources and opportunities; some of them are institutionalised while the majority are self-directed by teachers themselves beyond any institutional requirement. The study revealed that many participants had high preferences for self-directed learning over institutional provisions for its embeddedness in their context, the nature of their specialisation, and for the changing nature of their profession. Networking, collaboration, reflection and collegiality are some of the main features of self-directed learning as reflected in teachers’ current practices.

scholarly journals Teachers As Learners: Implications Of Adult Education For Professional Development

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Beavers
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Teacher Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Directed Learning ◽  
Teacher Professional

Effective communication with teachers is a critical element of any successful professional development.  Teachers are the foundational component of any educational system.  It is vital that adequate attention is focused on appropriate and effective training of these teachers.  Ideally, professional development offers a means of collaborative support and training to collectively conquer challenges facing teachers both in and out of the classroom.  The need for continued professional development is widely accepted.  Certainly, programs based on high-quality and meaningful teacher development can affect teachers’ skills and attitudes in the classroom, further increasing the quality of education the students receive.  There are numerous resources and studies detailing the components of effective professional development; however, these models can be quite extensive and potentially overwhelming to an administrator who already has enough tasks to occupy their time.  By incorporating a few basic principles established within the field of adult education, teacher professional development can dramatically increase its effectiveness.  This paper outlines very briefly some of these concepts and offers simple and applicable suggestions for teacher professional development programs such as: the characteristics of adult learners, self-directed learning, transformative learning and critical reflection.

Enhancing EFL Teachers’ Pronunciation Pedagogy Through Professional Learning: A Vietnamese Case Study

RELC Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 003368822095247
Author(s):  
Loc Tan Nguyen ◽  
Jonathan Newton
Keyword(s):  
Professional Learning ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Teaching Skills ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
The Impact

The role of teacher professional learning (TPL) in assisting teachers to teach pronunciation in English as a second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) contexts has received little attention. The study reported in this paper extends this line of research by investigating how six EFL teachers at a Vietnamese university transform and integrate the pronunciation pedagogical knowledge they received from a TPL workshop into teaching practice. It then examines the teachers’ perceptions of the impact of the workshop on their knowledge gains and pronunciation teaching skills. Data were collected from seven lesson plans designed by the teachers, video recordings of 24 subsequent classroom observations, and six individual semi-structured interviews. The study adopted a content-based approach to qualitative data analysis. The findings show that the teachers were all able to translate TPL into classroom practice of pronunciation teaching. The findings further show that workshops designed and implemented in accordance with research-based TPL principles can be effective for promoting teachers’ knowledge of pronunciation pedagogy and refining their pronunciation teaching skills. The study has implications for ESL/EFL teachers’ professional development in pronunciation teaching.

scholarly journals INVESTIGATING EARLY-CAREER TEACHERS’ ADAPTATION CHALLENGES: A CASE OF INDONESIAN EFL TEACHERS

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 367
Author(s):  
Yogi Saputra Mahmud
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Classroom Management ◽  
Beginning Teachers ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teaching Resources ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teacher Professional

Teacher professional development has recently become a central focus in the Indonesian context, particularly after the implementation of the post-bachelor teacher professional education program or Pendidikan Profesi Guru (PPG) for both pre-service and in-service EFL teachers in 2013. However, studies reveal that the transition from teacher education programs to the initial teaching career at schools has been described as a challenging phase. Despite the growing attention of scholars in exploring beginning teachers’ challenges, studies focusing on the early-career Indonesian EFL teachers, particularly those who just completed the PPG program, are considered limited. Therefore, drawing on a qualitative case study with two beginning Indonesian secondary EFL teachers, this study aims to unravel the challenges during their first-year teaching experience at school after completing the PPG program. By thematically analysing the semi-structured interviews, this study indicated that the teachers experienced four significant challenges: 1) pedagogical (classroom management, lack of teaching resources, test-based learning atmosphere), 2) professional (complex self-identification), 3) social (maintaining rapport with senior teachers), and 4) personal (mood management).  Despite having been trained professionally through the PPG program, the result suggested that the beginning teachers still faced considerable challenges during their initial endeavour as an English teacher at school. Pedagogical implications are discussed in terms of the need for continuous professional development for the newly certified teachers during their initial career at schools.

Teachers' Perceptions of the Implementation of Single-Sex Classes in Coeducational Schools

1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley H. Parker ◽  
Léonie J. Rennie
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Professional Development ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Single Sex ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
School Organisation

THIS paper reports research conducted as part of the Single-Sex Education Pilot Project (SSEPP) which was undertaken in 1993–1994 in Western Australia. The project involved the implementation of single-sex science and/or mathematics in ten coeducational secondary schools. Unlike previous similar initiatives, the SSEPP included professional development for the teachers involved and systematic monitoring. The paper presents an analysis of teachers' reactions to and perceptions of the SSEPP. It gives voice to teachers' views of the major issues which arose during the project, concerning outcomes for students, school organisation, teacher professional development, community response and sustainability of the change.

scholarly journals EFL teachers’ online teacher professional development experiences amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: Practices and perceptions

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Arief Eko Priyo Atmojo
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teacher Professional Development ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Teaching Online ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
Online Teacher ◽  
Online Teacher Professional Development

This research investigates the EFL teachers’ practices and perceptions of online teacher professional development (OTPD) experiences to improve their competencies for teaching online language learning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. 42 EFL teachers voluntarily became the participants through invitation. All participants were requested to give responses on a questionnaire. Eight participants were then invited for an individual semi-structured interview. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the questionnaire data, whilst qualitative coding was used to analyse the interview data. The results reveal many important findings regarding EFL teachers’ practices and perceptions of experiencing OTPD amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings are beneficial to help OTPD designers and providers, policy makers, and school leaders provide OTPD which best fits EFL teachers’ needs, preferences, and teaching contexts.

scholarly journals Indonesian Biology Teachers’ Perceptions about Socio-Scientific Issue-Based Biology Instruction

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Agung W. Subiantoro ◽  
David Treagust ◽  
Kok-Sing Tang
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Professional Development ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Professional Development Program ◽  
Biology Teachers ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Scientific Issue ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
Based Instruction

Abstract Promoting socio-scientific issue (SSI)-based instruction in Indonesian science classrooms requires competent science teachers. To understand teachers’ perceptions about the implementation of SSI-based instruction, a case study involving four biology teachers engaged in a teacher professional development program was conducted. The program consisted of four phases: reflection on teachers’ prior teaching experience and background knowledge, 3-day SSI-based teaching workshop, collaborative development and implementation of SSI-based learning in biology, and post-implementation reflections by teachers. Teachers’ perceptions were gathered via interviews and written reflections, which were analyzed qualitatively with an explanation building mode approach. Findings indicated a positive development along four dimensions: knowledge about SSIs and scientific literacy, the necessity of including SSIs in science instruction, situational factors related to addressing SSIs in class, and teachers’ attitude towards teaching SSIs. Further research needs to be conducted in Indonesian contexts to be able to extend the SSI teacher professional development program to different regions.

scholarly journals Shaping the Way We Teach English: Potential Effects of a Teacher Professional Development Program on Jordanian EFL Teachers’ Instructional Practices

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Ruba Fahmi Bataineh ◽  
Lubna Ahmad Shawish ◽  
Mohammad Khalid Al-Alawneh
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Classroom Management ◽  
Instructional Practices ◽  
Teacher Professional Development ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Professional Development Program ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
The Way

<p> </p><p class="Default">This study examines the potential effect of <em>Shaping the Way We Teach English</em>, a teacher professional development program, on Jordanian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ instructional practices. The participants of the study are 20 Jordanian EFL teachers selected from 14 public schools in North Ghour Directorate of Education in the first semester of the academic year 2018/2019. Observations of the participants, along the seven domains of <em>classroom management, language, teaching strategies, learning strategies, assessment strategies, authentic materials, </em>and<em> reflection</em>, were conducted before and after the treatment to determine whether or not the treatment has an effect on the participants’ instructional practices. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the participants’ performance before and after the treatment. The findings revealed that the participants gained on all seven domains of the observation checklist, with statistically significant differences found (at α=0.05) in their instructional practices before and after the treatment, in favor of the latter.  The study concludes with pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research.</p><p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>

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