Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Inferences Drawn From Professional Development Programs Held in English Language Department of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Inferences Drawn From Professional Development Programs Held in English Language Department of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
ISSN: 2617-0299
www.ijllt.org
Received: May 24, 2019 Teaching of English in Saudi Arabia is a necessitous concern in education.
Accepted: June 27, 2019 The administration, planners, syllabus designers, textbook writers, teachers,
Published: July 31, 2019 and government have been trying to advance the teaching/learning of English
Volume: 2 in the country. The teachers are capable, experienced and the infrastructural
Issue: 4 facilities including e-information processing facilities are available for the use
DOI: 10.32996/ijllt.2019.2.4.29 of pedagogic requirements. However, the results are not consistently
satisfactory. In this case, the researchers tend to shift their focus on the growth
KEYWORDS of English teachers. It is felt that the target teachers should diagnose the
challenges of learning English, and accordingly evolve instructional strategies
Professional Development for better output. Professional development is perceived as a method to sustain
Programmes, teaching skills, and improve the quality of teachers. The acquired information does not only
IAU Graduates bring about improvement in the teaching process, but also leads to career
development. This article discusses Inferences drawn from Professional
Development programs held in English Language Department of Imam
Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in concurrence with a survey of the
relevant theoretical and comparative literature. The emphasis here is on the
various methods of development- teachers can use to advance themselves
persistently. Similarly, we have a lot of content in the framework of language
teacher requirements for classroom practices. Although language teachers
continually develop new theories and practices, it is not unusual for them to
encounter difficulties in their professional development. These difficulties and
their effects can be addressed and subsequently mitigated by school
administrators and teachers in College.
1. INTRODUCTION
With regard to educational reform in The Kingdom of language. Teachers ought to be prepared to teach a
Saudi Arabia that brings the new "learning" paradigm wide range of students in terms of interest, motivation
widely known as "student-centeredness," it's a crucial and ability, some of whom may need additional
mission for all teachers to provide the students with assistance. Moreover, these behavioral characteristics
suitable learning techniques that encourage them to be are known to have a considerable effect on the students
active learners. Student-centered learning focuses on in learning English. Also, teachers should assess
the student's needs, abilities, interests, and learning students' needs and abilities and cater to those needs
styles with the teacher as a facilitator of learning. The accordingly with preparedness on a class-by-class
students will be trained to be self-directed and life- basis.
long learners, to be immunized from rapid changes,
and to live a holistically healthy and productive life It is true that, as language teachers, we must make
while doing their bit to contribute to society. decisions all the time. Some of our decisions are
Clearly, working as a language teacher in this day and relatively minor ones while others might have more
age is not simple by any means; one requires a diverse profound implications. We might ask ourselves,
set of skills involving but not limited to- lesson "What should be the goal of language instruction?"
planning, presentation techniques, and activity "Which language teaching method will be most
selection and modulation, not to mention constantly effective?" The answer not only depends on whom you
keeping updated with new teaching strategies and ask, but also varies as a function of various factors
techniques for teaching the four main skills of such as available resources, infrastructure,
technological-aids, student abilities and
281
Inferences drawn from Professional Development programs held in English Language Department of Imam Abdul Rehman Bin Faisal U niversity
characteristics, and lastly but most importantly, the characteristics, as requiring specialized skills and
perception of the teacher in terms of their cognizance training, and as being a lifelong and valued career
of their own skills and room for improvement and choice.
development thereof.
Likewise, Day (1999) gives the concept of teacher
2. THE CONCEPT OF PROFESSIONAL professional development as follows:
DEVELOPMENT
Professional development consists of natural learning
According to Adams & Pierce (1999), having many experiences and those conscious and planned activities
years of experience doesn't guarantee expert teaching; which are intended to be of direct or indirect benefit to
experience is useful only when the teacher continually the individual, group or school and which contribute,
engages in self-reflection and modifies classroom through these, to the quality of education in the
techniques to better serve the needs of students. classroom. It is the process by which, alone and with
Teacher development is one of the ways that provides others, teachers review, renew and extend their
the answer. When teachers are occasionally introduced commitment as change agents to the moral purposes
to new theories and practices of teaching, they reap the of teaching; and by which they acquire and develop
benefits of the opportunity to reframe the ways in critically the knowledge, skills and emotional
which they reflect upon their own teaching, thereby intelligence essential to good professional thinking,
enabling them to improve performance results in class. planning and practice with children, young people, and
colleagues through each phase of their teaching lives.
Richards (2002) defines teacher development as a continuous (p.18)
process which can lead to doing a better job and to
professional growth. It is an expansion of skills and As mentioned earlier, it can be concluded that teachers
understanding that all teachers should obtain the same way as in the new paradigm should be active and capable.
students need for learning a language. It often involves Their teaching needs to be improved and developed in
examining different dimensions of one's own practice as a accordance with social changes, academic growth, and
basis for reflective review and can be seen as "bottom—up". the needs of the learners.
The idea of teacher development is clarified by Richards &
Farrell (2005, p.4) that it serves as a long-term goal and 3. PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE TEACHER
growth of teachers' understanding of teaching and of DEVELOPMENT
themselves as teachers. They also add some examples of
goals from a development perspective as follows: Professional development requires an ongoing
commitment. It is not something that teachers do just
1. Understanding how the process of language while in a teacher education program or at the
development occurs beginning of a teaching career. In other words, even
the most experienced teacher can learn new things
2. Understanding how teachers' roles change about teaching. Bull (1994) proposes five general
according to the kind of learners they are teaching principles for effective professional development
emerging from the view of overall school
3. Understanding the kinds of decision-making that improvement:
occur during lessons
1. It is school based. One of the advantages of this
4. Reviewing one's own theories and principles of approach is that it gets teachers involved in the design
language teaching and implementation of their own professional
development activities, which can be essential to the
5. Developing an understanding of different styles of success of those activities.
teaching
2. It uses coaching and other follow-up procedures. It
6. Determining learners' perceptions of classroom is found that single training sessions with no follow-
activities up are ineffective.
Professional development is a long-term investment 3. It is collaborative. Self-development requires the
and involves a process of growth and change including cooperation of others. Setting the activities which
an expansion of skills and understanding. This idea is isolate teachers from their peers should be avoided. In
supported by Richards & Lockhart (1995) who this sense, successful development works best as a
indicate that language teaching is not universally collaborative endeavor.
regarded as a profession — that is, as having unique
282
IJLLT 2(4):281-289
4. It is embedded in the daily lives of teachers, 4. Accessibility. Foreign Language teachers, by virtue
providing for continuous growth. That is, continuous of the very subject they teach, are often a part of the
learning opportunities need to become part of teachers' minority in the staff room of any given institution.
everyday working lives and part of every school's Hence, access to colleagues in the same field for
institutional priorities. productive discussion and the learning therein, not to
mention the sheer luxury of social interaction with
5. It focuses on student learning and is evaluated at professional colleagues becomes difficult to come by.
least in part on that basis. Therefore, professional This interaction is a developmental necessity the
development should be judged primarily by its effect importance of which we have begun to grasp only after
on students. The best way to judge the effects of this bearing the brunt of its absence; hitherto unaddressed
development is to conduct some sort of evaluation as it has not been absent in most other major, more
beyond the standard five-point scale questionnaire populated fields.
used after so many in-service sessions.
5. The need for outside support for learning the
4. DISTINCTIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE subject. For effective instruction, FL teachers must
TEACHERS seek ways of providing extracurricular activities
through which naturalistic learning environments can
Although the general principles of teacher be created. Such activities are less of a necessity in
development above can apply to all fields, there seem other subjects. No empirical support is provided for
to be some other rules regarding the nature of language the above claims, and I highlight them here not to
teacher that should be taken into consideration. The argue for their validity but as an example (and a rare
foreign and second language teaching presents one it would seem) of the manner in which language
learning objectives, tasks, and environments that are teachers' distinctive characteristics have been
qualitatively distinct from those of other subjects. This conceptualized.
concept is supported by a comparative study
conducted by Borg (2006) examining ways in which In conclusion, language teachers have unique
language teachers are seen to be different to teachers challenges, so they require specialized skills and
of other subjects. This study investigates actual professional development in order to construct a
classroom practices of language teaching and other learning friendly environment, making students look
subjects and comes up with five factors. The five forward to coming to class.
factors that distinguish the experience of foreign
language teachers from that of teachers of other 5. CONTENTS FOR LANGUAGE TEACHER
subjects are proposed as follows: DEVELOPMENT
1. The nature of the subject matter itself: FL teaching In order to reach the goal of successful language
is the only subject where effective instruction requires teaching, professional development is needed in the
the teacher to use a medium the students do not yet "tools" of the teaching profession in terms of theory,
understand. This reality is rooted in the subject matter curriculum design, methods, materials, classroom
of foreign language itself. In foreign language management, activities, curriculum, evaluation, etc.
teaching, the content and the process for learning the
content are the same. In other words, in foreign Teaching Skills and Classroom Management
language teaching the medium is the message.
According to Gebhard (2005, p.69), classroom
2. The interaction patterns necessary to provide management refers to the way teachers organize what
instruction. Effective FL instruction requires goes on in the classroom. Teachers are seen as the
interaction patterns such as group work which are most powerful persons who have the authority to
desirable, but not necessary for effective instruction in influence the kind of interaction that goes on in the
other subjects. class, and this interaction is created from a
combination of many related factors. The goal of
3. The challenge for teachers of increasing their classroom management is to create a classroom
knowledge of the subject. Language teachers teach atmosphere conducive to interacting in English in
communication, not facts. In other subjects, teachers meaningful ways to make students have progress in
can increase their subject matter knowledge through learning English. Therefore, good managerial skills
books, but it is harder for FL teachers to maintain and are an essential component of good teacher. Richards
increase their knowledge of the FL because doing so (2002, p.14) asserts that "in a well-managed class,
requires regular opportunities for them to engage in FL discipline problems are few, and learners are actively
communication. engaged in learning tasks and activities; this
contributes to high motivation and expectations for
283
Inferences drawn from Professional Development programs held in English Language Department of Imam Abdul Rehman Bin Faisal U niversity
success." The concept of effective teaching can be study, you may need to have measures of the language
determined from the teacher's behavior, the learner's proficiency of your subjects. For this, you need either
behavior, classroom interaction. to choose an appropriate existing language test or
design your own. (McNamara, 2000)
Teaching Materials
Syllabus Design
Basically, materials used in EFL/ESL classrooms are
created by four groups of people. These include Syllabus design is concerned with the choice and
publishing companies, government agencies, sequencing of instructional content. The procedures
curriculum development teams at the school level, and for developing a syllabus or curriculum involve
classroom teachers. According to Gebhard (2005), examining instructional objectives and arranging them
materials can be commercial materials including texts, by priorities, and then determining what kind of
audiotapes, and computer program. They can also be content is required to attain the objectives. According
materials produced by a government education agency to Richards (2002), conceptions of the nature of a
or committee and material produced by teachers who curriculum are closely related to the view of language
have EFL/ESL teaching experience. learning. Under the impact of grammar-based views of
the nature of language, language curriculum is
Language Culture expressed in terms of grammar, sentence patterns, and
vocabulary. However, when based on communicative
Culture refers to the common values and beliefs of a theories, curriculum tends to be expressed more in
people and the behaviors that reflect them. Gebhard communicative terms. For language curriculum
(2005) suggests that teachers can teach concepts that development, Richards also suggests processes
not only can bring about appreciation for people and comprising needs analysis, goal setting, syllabus
culture but also can be useful for students when they design, methodology, and testing and evaluation.
are placed in cross-cultural communication situations.
Teachers should be knowledgeable about processes to Teaching Methodology, Approaches, and
help students develop their own experience with the Strategies
cultural environments of the language they are
learning. After the goals, objectives, and content of a language
program have been determined, decisions about
Technology for Language Learning methodology can be taken up in detail. Methodology
can be characterized as the activities, tasks, and
In recent years, foreign-language teachers have been learning experiences selected by the teacher in order
offered with an increasingly large collection of to achieve learning, and how these are used within the
"multimedia" tools to enhance their teaching. These teaching/learning process. Strategies are usually
include audiotapes, video packages, and computer defined as approaches that can be used across
programs. Moreover, language labs have been used as curricular areas to support the learning of students.
language learning centers in all levels of education.
Furstenburg & Morgenstern (1992) assert that the Language Skills
future of technology in the foreign-language field is
inseparable from a certain number of other larger There is general agreement that teachers need to be
issues, such as theories of language acquisition, the competent in four language skills (listening, reading,
role of technology in the teaching and learning speaking, and writing) in order to help students,
process, the role of teacher, and the recognition given develop their English skill successful. So, it is
to language teaching. necessary for teachers to meet English proficiency
requirement. In other words, apart from a good
Language Testing and Assessment teaching qualification, teachers need to have good
English ability. Teachers with the required language
Language tests play a powerful role in many people's proficiency and a specialist ELT teaching qualification
lives in education, employment, and in moving from will have more chance of getting results in the
one country to another. Language teachers usually get classroom.
involved with language test in two ways. First, they
must prepare tests for students on courses. It is Teaching Activities
necessary for them to develop a critical understanding
of the principles and practice of language assessment To manage and promote interactive classrooms, a
as they are responsible for language test development. variety of activities can be used. An activity is
Second, if you are conducting research in language described as a task that has been selected to attain the
284
IJLLT 2(4):281-289
instructional goals. For example, an activity may focus experience, reading, observation, discussion with
on a specific area of language such as developing colleagues, writing research papers etc.
particular skills or practicing an item of grammar, a
feature of pronunciation, or vocabulary, or the activity Several methods of teacher development have been
may encourage the integrated use of a variety of proposed and implemented. Lieberman (1996)
aspects of language. Therefore, the chosen activity identifies four settings in which learning occurs:
might have a link with classroom management in
many different types such as alone, in dyads, and in 1. Direct teaching (through, for example, conferences,
small groups, or as a whole class. These arrangements courses, workshops, consultations)
provide more choices of activities for students in class.
Learning activities vary in their goals (Gebhard, 2005, 2. Learning in school (through for example, peer
p.69). The concept of effective teaching can be coaching, critical friends, quality review, appraisal,
determined from the teacher's behavior, the learner's action research, portfolio assessment, working on
behavior, classroom interaction. tasks together)
285
Inferences drawn from Professional Development programs held in English Language Department of Imam Abdul Rehman Bin Faisal U niversity
can set a text to read and come together with In Saudi Arabia, we have seen much potential for
colleagues a few weeks later to discuss its content. teacher development in universities. They provide
Everything can be learnt through sharing of many effective professional development programs
impressions and discussing issues the reading material for their own faculty members and others from
raises. different universities. For example, EFL/ESL teachers
get together through seminars to exchange ideas,
Training Course and Seminar experiences, and to discuss their teaching difficulties.
They help each other to solve these problems. So, the
Good & Brophy (1997) state that the most most effective cure for teacher anxiety and depression
fundamental factor making it difficult for teachers to is to find the cause and take some positive actions to
assess classroom behaviors is that most of them remove it. At this point, teachers have been trained to
happen so rapidly. This problem can be solved in part analyze the cause of the problems and ways to solve
through training. In other words, training can make them. This enables them to realize the role they are
them become more aware of their classroom playing, to become aware of the approach they are
behaviors. Therefore, teachers should be occasionally using, and to do their best to improve their teaching
introduced to new theory and practice of teaching as process.
this will give them an opportunity to reframe the ways
in which they reflect upon their own teaching and Classroom Observation
provide them with more satisfactory performance in
class. That is, instructors may need to set-aside time Observation, according to Montgomery (1999) is the
for learning and time to experience or digest new act or practice of noting and recording facts and events
ideas. Strevens (1992) strongly agrees that the general as they happen in order to see what occurs in the
effectiveness of language learning and teaching in any classroom. Traditionally, classroom observation has
given country is heavily dependent on the nature and been done by most supervisors who sit in a lesson and
quality of the training which teachers undergo before compile a list of corrective points where improvement
and after entering their profession. is needed. Although the main purpose to visit
classrooms is to evaluate teaching, we can apply this
There are two reasons why newly acquired teaching idea to other benefits. To observe other teachers is a
methods/ strategies do not transfer easily to the way which provides teachers with awareness of their
teachers' classrooms. Teachers are not only own teaching. This means they can see their own
inexperienced setting up and handling the new teaching in the teaching of others, and they also
teaching activities, but they also lack the experience to observe others to gain self-knowledge. In other words,
shelter instructions and use graded language to match they will have a chance to reconstruct their own
the level of the students they are teaching. As we know knowledge. It is dangerous if the teachers are unaware
well those activities will provide a meaningful context of their respective behaviors in their classrooms. For
for the learning and practice of the classroom example, they devote time to subjects partly based on
language, the teachers who pass the training course their attitudes. They may enjoy teaching reading more
can perform the language and methodology more than writing. Sometimes, they tend to call more
confidently. Thus, the best way to help teachers gain frequently on students they believe to be the most
more techniques of teaching is to provide them with a capable. They may show little positive support and
training course and seminar where they can gain more encouragement when their students are constructive.
knowledge and share ideas with one another. These behaviors are said to have effects on the
students in learning English. In other words, teachers'
Teacher-training courses come in many shapes and lack of awareness about their own behavior certainly
sizes such as in-service, pre-service, short/long, lessens their classroom effectiveness.
visiting expert. However, there seem to be some
elements which can be considered essential in any Good & Brophy (1997: 23-55) proposes many ways of
such course. These elements are the specific purpose observing in classrooms. Some observers will be able
of the teacher-training course and local circumstances to focus on six behaviors; others may be able to code
or constraints. The course should be designed so that ten. Some may be in the classroom eight hours a week;
trainees can learn new methods and back in their own some may remain only four. Some may see two or
classrooms. In brief, teachers, whether native or non- three different teachers; others will be in the same
native, should not be expected to be able to handle room. No matter what situational differences are, we
teaching English without any special training. It is still hold on some general principles when we observe
even more difficult for those who have never been in classrooms. First, observers should try to reduce the
exposed to English-medium teaching themselves. bias in viewing teacher behavior by examining both
(Roberts, 1998)
286
IJLLT 2(4):281-289
287
Inferences drawn from Professional Development programs held in English Language Department of Imam Abdul Rehman Bin Faisal U niversity
288
IJLLT 2(4):281-289
28. Richards, J. (2002) "30 years of TEFL/TESL: development and the formation of
A Personal Reflection." RELC Journal. communities of practice. Journal of
33(2):1-35. Computer Assisted Learning, 20(6), 426 439
29. Richards, J., & Farrell, T. (2005). 39. Tye, K. A., & Tye, B. B. (1984). Teacher
Professional development for language isolation and school reform. Phi Delta
teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Kappan, 65(5), 319-322.
Press. 40. Ur, Penny. (2002). Methodology In language
30. Richards, J., & Lockhart, C. (1995). teaching: An anthology of current practice.
Reflective teaching in second language Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
classrooms (2 nd ed.). Cambridge: 41. Wade, R. K. (1984). What makes a difference
Cambridge University Press. in in-service teacher education? A meta-
31. Richards, J., & Renandya, W. (Eds.). (2002). analysis of research. Educational
Methodology in language teaching: An Leadership, 42(4), 48- 54.
anthology of current practice. Cambridge: 42. Waugh, R. F., & Punch, K. F. (1987).
Cambridge University Press. Teacher receptivity to system wide change in
32. Roberts, J. (1998). Language teacher the implementation stage. Review of
education. New York: Arnold Print Press. Educational Research, 57(3), 237-254.
33. Stevens, P. (1992). New orientations in the 43. Weatherley, R., & Lipsky, M. (1977). Street-
teaching of English (2 nd ed.). Oxford: level bureaucrats and institutional
Oxford University Press. innovation: Implementing special education
34. Sparks, G. M. (1983). Synthesis of research reform. Harvard Educational Review, 47(2),
on staff development for effective teaching. 171-197.
Educational Leadership, 41(3), 65-72. 44. Wise, A. E. (1991). On teacher
35. Sparks, D. (1994). A paradigm shift in staff accountability. In Voices from the field: 30
development. Journal of Staff Development, expert opinions on "America 2000," the Bush
15(4), 26-29. administration strategy to "reinvent"
36. Stoller, F. (1994). The diffusion of America's schools. (pp. 23-24).
innovations in intensive ESL programs. 45. Washington, D.C.: William T. Grant
Applied Linguistics, 15(3), 300-327. Foundation Commission on Work, Family
37. Tobin, K., 1988, Improving science teaching and Citizenship and Institute for Educational
practices, International Journal of Science Leadership
education, 10(5) : 475-484. 46. Wood, F. H., & Thompson, S. R. (1980).
38. Triggs, P., &John, P. (2004). From Guidelines for better staff development.
transaction to transformation: Information Educational Leadership, 37, 374 378.
and communication technology, professional
289