scholarly journals Voice of EFL mentor teachers: Mentorship for mutual professional development.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 986-1005
Author(s):  
Firima Zona Tanjung ◽  
Bachrudin Musthafa ◽  
Yanty Wirza
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Classroom Management ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Mentor Teachers ◽  
Coding System ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
School Teaching

This study aimed to report the voice of mentor teachers towards pre-service English teachers’ professional development viewed from relational, developmental, and contextual components during school teaching practice programs. The study employed a descriptive case study. Utilizing the purposive sampling technique, four mentor teachers from public and private junior secondary schools participated in this study. The instrument used was an interview protocol, and the data were collected through a one-on-one interview using a voice recorder for gathering a comprehensive perspective towards the pre-service English teachers’ professional learning. The data were analyzed by using a coding system and employing coding cycles. The findings showed that all components—relational, developmental, and contextual—were found. The mentor teachers voiced their perspective and stressed the developmental component because they found that the pre-service English teachers experienced hindrances both externally and internally regarding teaching performance, classroom management, and motivation. These hindrances contribute to their professional development. This present study result implies a policy implementation related to the synchronization between collaborating schools and universities. The synchronization can be in terms of preparing the mentor teachers and providing the pre-service English teachers a supportive mentorship. Furthermore, the collaboration between schools and universities is also required in the exchange of valuable sources concerning educational instruction trends such as evidence-based practices in peripheral contexts, English teaching for students with diverse cultural backgrounds and academic competencies, and dissemination of best practices that have been implemented in schools for the formulation of teaching theories being taught through course subjects at teacher education departments in the universities.

scholarly journals Classroom Management in Pre-service Teachers’ Teaching Practice Demo Lessons: A Comparison to Actual Lessons by In-service English Teachers

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Perihan Korkut
Keyword(s):  
Classroom Management ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Mentor Teachers ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
University Instructors ◽  
Interactional Features

The pre-service teachers find the chance to practice their classroom management skills during their practicum as they present demo lessons under supervision of their university instructors and mentor teachers. It had been discovered in a previous study, however, that the interactional features during the classroom management episodes in pre-service teachers’ demo lessons were different from those in the lessons of the in-service teachers. The aim of this study was to unveil how pre-service teachers manage their classes differently from in-service teachers by carrying out a fine-grained comparison. The point-by-point comparison revealed both qualitative and quantitative differences which might not be immediately obvious to an observer at first sight. The differences were discussed in terms of the specific procedures of the teaching practice course and some suggestions were presented.

scholarly journals COURSERA ONLINE COURSE: A PLATFORM FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS’ MEANINGFUL AND VIBRANT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnis Silvia
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Development Program ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Online Platforms

This article reports on English teachers‘ attitudes towards a professional development program run by Coursera (coursera.org). Theseteachers were participants of Foundation of Teaching for Learning 1: Introduction online course. Using a survey case study, the findings reveal that most of the participants perceive the course as a well-organized and effective platform to engage in professional learning. Coursera is an online learning platform offering various courses for teacher educators which are meaningful (closely related to their daily teaching practice) and vibrant (involves active collaboration among peer participants to review and assess their projects). Albeit this nature, another finding shows that the participants lament that their institutions do not provide professional development (PD) support. In fact, PD programs are not constrained to face-to-face encounters, since it can be designed using online platforms such as Coursera, a massive open online course (MOOC). Accordingly, the contribution of the article is to show how online platforms make meaningful and vibrant teacher professional development (TPD) possible. The implication of the study is that school administrators and policy makers should provide support for their teachers to take online PD programs. This professional learning should contribute to the best teaching practice and student learning attainment.

scholarly journals Blog-based professional development of English teachers in Mumbai: The potential of innovative practice under scrutiny

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atiya Khan
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Learning Networks ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Interactive Workshop

The professional development of teachers in India is still, by and large, based on formal and outdated professional learning traditions, often characterised by crash courses and one-off workshops. In education, blogs have proven to be an effective means of establishing and maintaining collaborative learning networks and helping members reflect on their professional practices. Information and communications technology (ICT) enabled practices of teacher professional development is still in its infancy in India. Moreover, there is limited research in India to secure foundational understanding of how and in what ways teachers of English in India use blogs for their professional development. This study explores the use of teacher reflective practice, teacher networking, and teacher collaboration, beyond formal ICT training, through blog-based professional development of English teachers in the Mumbai region of India. Using data collected from 32 teachers from three private schools in Mumbai, through ICT interactive workshop observations, questionnaires, interviews, and blog comments, this action case study explains whether and why blogging, as a learning community, has the potential to add significant value to existing professional development of English teachers in Mumbai.

scholarly journals Librarians’ Use of Social Media for Professional Development in Nigeria

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 136-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uloma Doris Onuoha
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Online Social Networks ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Online Forum ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Learning Development

This paper examined the use of social media for professional development by librarians in Nigeria. The study was carried out using the survey research method. The study population was made up of 1294 registered members of Nigerian Library Association Online Forum. Random sampling technique was used in selecting 297 respondents for the study. Data was collected by means of questionnaire. Findings from the study revealed that online discussion forums such as NLA online forum, online social networks such as Facebook and Wikis were mostly used for professional development, while others such as podcast and book marking tools were used minimally. Librarians were also found to learn mostly by reading through the conversations of others and joining discussion groups. Based on the findings, the study concluded that librarians in Nigeria actively seek means of professional development using social media and recommends among others, that the use of social media applications such as podcast and bookmarking tools be explored as they could also contribute to professional learning/development.

scholarly journals Mathematics teachers’ learning on Exploratory Teaching: analysis of a Multimedia Case in a Community of Practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-133
Author(s):  
Cristina Cirino de Jesus ◽  
Marcia Cristina de Costa Trindade Cyrino ◽  
Hélia Margarida de Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Classroom Management ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Lesson Planning ◽  
Audio Recording ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Multimedia Resource

This article aim is to investigate what professional learning regarding Exploratory Teaching (ET) perspective was revealed by Mathematics teachers, in a Community of Practice (CoP). In a context intended to promote teachers’ professional development, a multimedia resource integrating real classroom situations was used to promote discussion and learning. Qualitative research has been carried out with an audio recording of the group meetings and the written productions elaborated by the teachers. The learning related to the Exploratory Teaching perspective revealed by the teachers is associated to the actions and roles of the teacher, the student’s role, classroom management and the relevance of lesson planning in teacher’s practice. The involvement in the CoP favored teachers to rethink and question some of their actions during the lessons and to notice essential aspects of ET perspective and to connect them with their experiences from the classroom. The results show that the constitution of a CoP around the exploration of a multimedia case in professional development contexts can be a facilitator for the learning of its members.

scholarly journals Impact of Distance Learning on the Professional Development of English Language Prospective Teachers

2020 ◽  
Vol V (I) ◽  
pp. 239-250
Author(s):  
Aroona Hashmi ◽  
Fasiha Altaf ◽  
Mubashara Akhar
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
English Language ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
The Impact ◽  
One Way Anova

The present study was conducted to explore the impact of distance learning on the professional development of prospective English teachers who applied for the TEFL programme designed and organized by Allama Iqbal Open University. The objective of the study was to investigate the impact of distance learning on the professional development of English teachers. Through stratified random sampling technique (30 males and 45 females) were selected as a sample. The questionnaire was developed to assess the impact of distance learning. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis techniques were applied to analyze the data. The independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the demographic variables. The findings revealed that the majority of the participants were satisfied with the TEFL programme as it is catering to all the required learning needs of the teachers, and they were of the view that this programme has profound effects in terms of their professional development.

scholarly journals Engaging EFL Teachers in Reflective Practice as A Way to Pursue Sustained Professional Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Joko Nurkamto ◽  
Teguh Sarosa
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Reflective Teaching ◽  
Intensive Training ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
Field Notes

<p>Reflective practice has become a significant aspect in determining good teaching and learning practices and is an important part of professional practice and professional growth. However, English teachers in Indonesia has not been able to perform reflection on their teaching in order to improve their teaching practice. This study reports the results of an intensive training held by PKM UNS to help teachers develop a reflective teaching habit. The participants were 30 English teachers of Islamic Senior High School in Solo Raya. Observation field notes and teacher assignments were used as the main data collection method. From this program, it was found that the English teachers encountered plethora of challenges in developing reflective practice due to their lack of understanding of reflective teaching. However, the teachers show an improvement in implementing reflective teaching strategies after their participation in the training. Recommendations to include reflective practices in teacher professional development programs is drawn based on the findings.</p>

scholarly journals Developing Culture-Based English Instructional Materials to Improve Students’ Thinking, ELT Achievement, and Classroom Interaction

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-218
Author(s):  
Zukhairatunniswah Prayati ◽  
Haerazi Haerazi ◽  
Lalu Ari Irawan ◽  
Rully May Vikasari
Keyword(s):  
Middle Schools ◽  
Classroom Management ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Classroom Interaction ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Instructional Materials ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Learning Needs

The research aimed to provide students’ learning and target needs of incorporating culture-based English instructionalmaterials in enhancing students’ critical thinking skills, ELT achievement, and classroom interaction at the Central Lombok middle schools. The research was a quantitative study. The 350 students and 10 English teachers were involved in the research. The average of students’ age ranged from 12-13 years old, while the English teachers were certified Englishteachers at the middle schools. They had also been from five to seven years of teaching practice experience. The data were collected using a questionnaire to see the students’ and teachers’ needs that were focused on target needs and learning needs. The target needs comprised the learning goals, lacks, and wants, while the learning needs included learning inputs, students’ roles, and classroom management. The data were analyzed using some steps; computation, display, drawing conclusion, and verification processes. Based on the data analysis, the target needs show that students are expected to get English proficiencies by providing them various cultural materials, namely local arts, traditional games, traditional rates, traditional technologies, and traditional pieces of literature. It can bring them to think critically to improve ELT achievement and build classroom interaction. At the same time, the analysis of learning needs informs that students need an appropriate English learning approach. They show they have an intention to be autonomous learners.

Mentoring for all: building knowledge and community

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 242-255
Author(s):  
Suzanne Molitor ◽  
Lana Parker ◽  
Diane Vetter
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Beginning Teachers ◽  
Teacher Induction ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Leadership Capacity ◽  
Mentor Teachers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Context Of Learning

Purpose After many years working with mentors for beginning teachers, both through a formal, Ministry-sponsored program, known in Ontario as the New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) and through a university-based Faculty of Education practicum, the authors cultivated an understanding of the value of both mentoring and the communities that foster it. The authors observed that pre-service mentors are not offered the same level of support as their induction mentor counterparts. The purpose of this paper is to explore the aforementioned gap by bringing together a small group of pre-service mentor teachers with several highly trained induction mentors from the NTIP program in two full days of professional development: one day of learning and community building among mentors, and the second day of collaboration by pre-service mentors alongside their teacher candidates (TCs). The authors learned that pre-service mentors need and desire professional learning and community mentoring support to develop foundational understandings about the role of mentors and the skills and strategies that support an effective mentoring practice. As a result, the authors advocate for sustainable professional development that leverages existing programs and the clarification of the pre-service mentoring role through continued study and collaboration over time. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study was designed to explore, understand, and interpret pre-service mentor teachers’ experience of professional learning about mentoring and the role of the mentor, including their responses to participating in a like community of learners. This study brought together educators serving as pre-service and induction mentors to engage them in formal professional learning about mentoring, within an environment that created the conditions for collaboration and community in the context of learning about mentoring. Findings This study surfaces the insights related to the types of knowledge and skills that mentors developed in this study in addition to pointing toward the knowledge and skills they perceive to be necessary to their effective participation in their roles as mentors. The study also identifies both the value that pre-service mentors perceived as a result of being invited into a learning space and the dynamics of professional learning and dialogue in collaboration with their induction mentor counterparts and their pre-service mentees. Research limitations/implications This research study explores a research gap in the area of mentoring as it relates to pre-service mentors or cooperating teachers. Its unique feature involves bringing together two previously segmented groups of mentors: pre-service mentors supporting developing TCs and induction mentors supporting novice teachers. It describes the value and impact of mentoring as understood by pre-service mentors, in particular identifying the reciprocal benefits they experienced. The authors also investigate and shed light on the value and impact of pre-service mentor participation in a community that is intentionally created to support their professional learning about their role. It provides recommendations for practice and indicates areas of potential research. Practical implications This study surfaces the potential benefits of professional learning and community for pre-service mentors who play an integral role in supporting TCs in the completion of their education degrees. It makes practical recommendations which point to uniting pre-service and in-service mentors as participants in learning communities that build leadership capacity and advance mentoring knowledge and skills to impact the mentoring relationship. This study advocates for a restructuring existing practice in the area of pre-service mentoring to encourage professional learning and interaction that connects the work of pre-service and in-service mentors, bridging two currently separate mentoring communities. Originality/value This study offers a re-visioning of mentoring as a community endeavor. It advances the notion that, supported by a targeted program of professional development and participation in communities of inquiry, knowledge creation and mobilization, mentors can build their mentoring and leadership capacity and extend their professional impact.

scholarly journals Increasing access to professional learning for academic staff through open educational resources and authentic design

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-66
Author(s):  
Gail Wilson ◽  
◽  
Paula Myatt ◽  
Jonathan Purdy ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Limited Time ◽  
Personal Reflections

This research examines the design and delivery of a new Foundations of University Teaching Practice (FUTP) program delivered through asynchronous online modules. The freedom to choose defines the new momentum of openness in distance and open learning. University teaching staff expect quality resources to support their professional development within the reality of limited time for learning and a desire for increased accessibility. Openness and increased access bring both opportunities and challenges. This paper uses mixed methods to examine the FUTP from the perspectives of both the designers and the academic staff who participated in the program. Using personal reflections, focus groups, a survey, and interviews, we explore those opportunities and challenges within the context of the design and delivery of the program and report on the findings. Our research confirmed the value of openness and increased access to professional learning in higher education

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