A Professional Development Program for Developing In-Service Preparatory Stage EFL Teachers’ Performance in the Light of their Teaching Needs

Hashem, Laila

doi:10.21608/jsre.2020.106012

A Professional Development Program for Developing In-Service Preparatory Stage EFL Teachers’ Performance in the Light of their Teaching Needs

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Laila Hashem

10.21608/jsre.2020.106012

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the effect of a professional development program on in-service preparatory stage EFL teachers’ performance in the light of their teaching needs. Three main instruments were administered to twenty male and female teachers (a questionnaire, an achievement test and an observation sheet) who represented the experimental group (10) and the control group (10). The professional development program was administered for eight weeks. The data, collected in terms of a range of measures of seven knowledge aspects and four main teaching skills were subjected to t-test. The results indicated that, after the implementation of the program, the participants achieved higher levels in the post-administration of the achievement test as well as in the post-administration of the observation sheet than in the pre-administration of both of them. Moreover, the participants achieved higher levels in the post-administration of the achievement test as well as in the post-administration of the observation sheet than the control group. The results highlighted the positive effect of the suggested program based on teachers’ teaching needs on developing teachers’ knowledge aspects and teaching skills. The program enabled the participants to gain deeper insights into themselves and the courses they taught. It also enabled teachers to update their knowledge and skills, and thus review their teaching practices.

Keywords

Keywords: professional development program/ performance / teaching needs

Main Subjects

Curriculum and methods of teaching

References

References

Abdel Hady, A. (2013). Developing the Professional Development Program for Primary School English Language Teachers (unpublished Ph.D. thesis): Cairo University.

Aggarwal, J. (2004). Principles, methods and techniques of teaching. (Fifth ed.). Delhi, India: Vikas Publishing House.

Akcan, S. (2016). Novice non-native English teachers’ reflections on their teacher education programs and their first years of teaching. Profile Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development,18 (1), 55-70.

Al-Qahtani, H. (2015). A Needs analysis of teachers’ needs for professional development with the emergence of the current English textbooks. English Language Teaching, 6 (8), 128-141.

Booth W., Colomb G., Williams J., Bizup J. & Fitzgerald W. (2016). The craft of research. Fourth edition. Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A: The University of Chicago Press.

Cheng, L. (2004). Understanding professional challenges faced by Chinese teachers of English. The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language, 7 (4), 1-14.

El-Okda, H. (2010). A proposed framework for prep stage EFL teachers’ professional development in the light of their needs (unpublished M.A. thesis): Faculty of Graduate Studies for Education. Cairo University.

Garcềs A. & Granada L. (2016). The role of collaborative action research in teachers’ professional development. Profile Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 18 (1), 39-54.

Giraldo, F. (2013). The impact of a professional development program on English Language teachers’ classroom performance. Profile Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 16 (1), 63-76.

Harmer, J. (2000). How to teach English. (Sixth ed.). London, U.K.: Pearson Longman.

Hassan E. (2016). Female teachers’ professional development through action research practice. Journal of Education and Practice, 7 (22), 6-18.

Hunzicker, J. (2011). Effective professional development for teachers: a checklist. Professional Development in Education, 37 (2), 177-179.

Mahmoud, S. (2011). The Effectiveness of Using Learning Circles on Developing Preparatory Stage English Teachers’ Teaching Skills (unpublished M.A. thesis): Faculty of Graduate Studies for Education. Cairo University.

Muzaffar, M. (2012). Attitude of teachers towards professional development trainings. Language in India, 12 (8), 304-322.

Richards J. (2015). Key issues in language teaching. (First ed.). Cambridge. U.K.: Cambridge University Press.

Richards J. & Rodgers T. (2014). Approaches and methods in language teaching. (Third ed.). Cambridge. U.K.: Cambridge University Press.

Shehata, H. & El Naggar, Z. (2003). Dictionary of educational and psychological terms. Cairo. Egypt: Al Dar AL Masria Al Lobnania.

Sleem, A. (2009). The Effectiveness of Proposed In-Service Training Program for English Language Teachers in the Secondary Stage on Developing their Linguistic and Methodological Skills in the Light of their Professional Needs (unpublished Ph.D. thesis): Faculty of Graduate Studies for Education. Cairo University.

Tawallbeh, T. (2015). Instructors’ perceived effectiveness of current professional development programs at Taif university English Language center. English Language Teaching, 8 (11), 117-130.

Young J., Freeman D., Hauck M., Gomez P. & Papageorgion S. (2014). A Design framework for the EL teach program assessments. New Jersey. U.S.A: Educational Testing Service.

Yurtseven, N. (2017). The investigation of teachers’ metaphoric perceptions about professional development. Journal of Education and Learning, 6 (2), 120-131.

Zoheer, K. (2013). Developing EFL Teachers’ Performance at Sana’a Secondary Schools in the Light of their Professional and Specialist Needs (unpublished Ph.D. thesis): Faculty of Graduate Studies for Education. Cairo University.