borg cpd hammamet 2013 all slides

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Professional Development:Rewards and Challenges

Hammamet, 14-16 February 2013

Professor Simon Borg, University of [email protected]

• Participant-centred CPD• School-based CPD• School-focused CPD• Collaborative CPD• Inquiry-based CPD• Constructivist CPD

Current Thinking

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Teacher Development

Teachers cannot be developed(passively). They develop (actively). It

is vital, therefore, that they arecentrally involved in decisionsconcerning the direction and

processes of their own learning (Day1999: 2)

PROFESSION

training

knowledge

lifelonglearningcommunity

autonomy

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Being a Professional

a capacity for autonomous professionaldevelopment through systematic self-study, through the study of the work of

other teachers, and through questioningand testing of ideas by classroom

research procedures (Stenhouse 1975:144)

(Waters & Vilches 2010)

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… activities which are intended tobe of direct or indirect benefit to

the individual, group or school andwhich contribute through these to

the quality of education in theclassroom …. (Day 1999:4).

It is the process by which, aloneand with others, teachers …

acquire and develop critically theknowledge, skills … essential to

good professional thinking,planning and practice …. (Day

1999:4).

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Richards & Farrell (2005)

Workshops Teaching portfoliosSelf-monitoring Case analysisTeacher support

groupsAnalyzing critical

incidentsTeaching journals Peer coachingPeer observation Team teachingAction research

• Series of workshops

• Informal networking

• Accredited programmes

• Single workshops

• Demonstration lessons (least)

Goodall et al. (2005)

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Criticisms of INSET

not based on analysis of teachers’needs

focuses on individuals voluntary does not address the needs of schools little impact on the classroom disrupts the school day

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

Teacher Autonomy and TeacherCognition

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Robot

Craftsman

AppliedScientist

Thinker


1975 – National Institute of Education (USA)

It is obvious that what teachers do isdirected in no small measure by what

they think....[If] teaching … is“thoughtless” … it becomes

mechanical and might well be doneby a machine.

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Teacher Cognition

What teachers think, know and believe and therelationships between these and teachers’

classroom practices.


Many factors have advanced the field’sunderstanding of L2 teachers’ work, but none is

more significant than the emergence of asubstantial body of research now referred to as

teacher cognition. (Johnson, 2006: 235)

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TEACHERAUTONOMYTEACHER

AUTONOMY

Professional freedomProfessional freedom

Professional capacityProfessional capacity

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Teacher Autonomy

a capacity to engage in informed self-directed action and development


Key Question

In CPD, how can a capacity to engage ininformed self-directed action and

development be promoted through attentionto teacher cognition?

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Teacher Cognition & Teacher Autonomy

Theoreticalknowledge Teachers’ beliefs


Theoretical Knowledge

• PPP &TBL

• Inductive & deductive activities

• Explicit & implicit corrective feedback

• Output & input practice

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Theoretical Knowledge

Greaterawareness ofpedagogical

options

Increasedrepertoire of

choices

More informeddecision-making


Teachers’ Beliefs

Asking learners to work outgrammar rules is a moreeffective way of teachinggrammar than explaining

the rules directly.

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Teachers’ Beliefs

Awareness ofbeliefs

Opportunities toreview these

Moretransparent and

informeddecision-making


ClassroomPractice

TeacherCognition

TeacherAutonomy

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Implications for CPD

• Understanding behaviour =Understanding beliefs

• Reflection – behaviour and beliefs

• External theory as a source of CPD

Criticisms of INSET

not based on analysis of teachers’needs

focuses on individuals voluntary does not address the needs of schools little impact on the classroom disrupts the school day

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School-Based CPD

In schools By teachers Individual or collaborative Teachers involved in decisions Reflection – may be less formal Teacher research - more systematic

Reflective Practice

conscious recall and examination of[an] experience as a basis for

evaluation and decision-making andas a source for planning and action.

(Richards 1991: 4)

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Reflective Practice

Peer Observation

Peers – not hierarchical Developmental – not judgemental Pre-observation meetings – agree

focus Observation Post-observation meeting Action points – record of activity

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TEACHERRESEARCH

By teachers

In theircontext

Tounderstandtheir work

Purposeful Systematic

Evidence-based Shared

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Askquestions

Collectdata

Analyzedata

Makesense


Benefits of Teacher Research

… an important means by whichteachers can develop their capacity for

making … sound autonomousprofessional judgements and decisions.

(Lankshear & Knobel, 2004:5)

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Benefits of Teacher Research

… teacher research has the potentialto make a real difference to pupils andstaff, the whole school and the wider

community. (Sharp, 2007:22)


HEC/BC Teacher Research Project

• 10-month project

• 18 teachers of English

• Three workshops

• On-line support

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Phase 1Planning

Phase 2Doing

Phase 3Report writing

Dissemination


What Teachers Say

I look upon problems aschallenges to be overcome

through research not hurdlesto cry about.

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What Teachers Say

As teachers we are aware ofissues and problems, but being a

researcher has given me anopportunity to work for possible

solutions, which is GREAT.


What Teachers Say

We have been teaching thesame way we taught ten years

ago but now we have an urge toexperiment with new ideas in our

teaching.

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Outcomes

• Enhanced professionals

• Skilled researchers

• Teacher research ‘champions’

• Research mentors


The teacher who just teachesand the one who has done

research the difference is thatof dead and alive!

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Levels of Impact

Level Examines impact in terms of

Reactions Feelings immediately after training

Learning Changes in beliefs, knowledge and skills

Behaviour Application of new ideas over time

Results Effect on the organization

Awareness Theoreticalknowledge

Learningnew skills

Applyingnew skills

Presentation + +

Modelling + ?

SimulatedPractice

+ ? +

Feedback onperformance

+ +

On the jobsupport

+

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Collecting Impact Data

End of session written feedbackPre- and post-course questionnairesObservation of teachersInterviews with teachersTeacher portfoliosWritten assignmentsTests/examinationsTeacher journalsInterviews with learnersLearners’ test scoresInterviews with headteachers