Teachers cannot be developed (passively). They develop (actively). It is vital, therefore, that they are centrally involved in decisions concerning the direction and processes of their own learning (Day1999: 2)

1. 1
Professional Development:
Rewards and Challenges
Hammamet,14-16February2013
ProfessorSimonBorg,UniversityofLeeds
s.borg@education.leeds.ac.uk
• Participant-centred CPD
• School-based CPD
• School-focused CPD
• Collaborative CPD
• Inquiry-based CPD
• Constructivist CPD
Current Thinking

2. 2
Teacher Development
Teachers cannot be developed
(passively). They develop (actively). It
is vital, therefore, that they are
centrally involved in decisions
concerning the direction and
processes of their own learning (Day
1999: 2)
PROFESSION
training
knowledge
lifelong
learning
community
autonomy

3. 3
Being a Professional
a capacity for autonomous professional
development through systematic self-
study, through the study of the work of
other teachers, and through questioning
and testing of ideas by classroom
research procedures (Stenhouse 1975:
144)
(Waters & Vilches 2010)

4. 4
… activities which are intended to
be of direct or indirect benefit to
the individual, group or school and
which contribute through these to
the quality of education in the
classroom …. (Day 1999:4).
It is the process by which, alone
and with others, teachers …
acquire and develop critically the
knowledge, skills … essential to
good professional thinking,
planning and practice …. (Day
1999:4).

5. 5
Richards & Farrell (2005)
Workshops Teaching portfolios
Self-monitoring Case analysis
Teacher support
groups
Analyzing critical
incidents
Teaching journals Peer coaching
Peer observation Team teaching
Action research
• Series of workshops
• Informal networking
• Accredited programmes
• Single workshops
• Demonstration lessons (least)
Goodall et al. (2005)

6. 6
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 Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Teacher Autonomy and Teacher
Cognition

7. 7
Robot
Craftsman
Applied
Scientist
Thinker
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
1975 – National Institute of Education (USA)
It is obvious that what teachers do is
directed in no small measure by what
they think....[If] teaching … is
“thoughtless” … it becomes
mechanical and might well be done
by a machine.

8. 8
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Teacher Cognition
What teachers think, know and believe and the
relationships between these and teachers’
classroom practices.
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Many factors have advanced the field’s
understanding of L2 teachers’ work, but none is
more significant than the emergence of a
substantial body of research now referred to as
teacher cognition. (Johnson, 2006: 235)

9. 9
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
TEACHER
AUTONOMY
TEACHER
AUTONOMY
Professional freedomProfessional freedom
Professional capacityProfessional capacity

10. 10
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Teacher Autonomy
a capacity to engage in informed self-
directed action and development
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Key Question
In CPD, how can a capacity to engage in
informed self-directed action and
development be promoted through attention
to teacher cognition?

11. 11
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Teacher Cognition & Teacher Autonomy
Theoretical
knowledge
Teachers’ beliefs
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Theoretical Knowledge
• PPP &TBL
• Inductive & deductive activities
• Explicit & implicit corrective feedback
• Output & input practice

12. 12
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Theoretical Knowledge
Greater
awareness of
pedagogical
options
Increased
repertoire of
choices
More informed
decision-making
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Teachers’ Beliefs
Asking learners to work out
grammar rules is a more
effective way of teaching
grammar than explaining
the rules directly.

13. 13
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Teachers’ Beliefs
Awareness of
beliefs
Opportunities to
review these
More
transparent and
informed
decision-making
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Classroom
Practice
Teacher
Cognition
Teacher
Autonomy

14. 14
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
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

15. 15
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 and
as a source for planning and action.
(Richards 1991: 4)

16. 16
Reflective Practice
Peer Observation
 Peers – not hierarchical
 Developmental – not judgemental
 Pre-observation meetings – agree
focus
 Observation
 Post-observation meeting
 Action points – record of activity

17. 17
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
TEACHER
RESEARCH
By teachers
In their
context
To
understand
their work
Purposeful Systematic
Evidence-based Shared

18. 18
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Ask
questions
Collect
data
Analyze
data
Make
sense
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Benefits of Teacher Research
… an important means by which
teachers can develop their capacity for
making … sound autonomous
professional judgements and decisions.
(Lankshear & Knobel, 2004:5)

19. 19
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Benefits of Teacher Research
… teacher research has the potential
to make a real difference to pupils and
staff, the whole school and the wider
community. (Sharp, 2007:22)
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
HEC/BC Teacher Research Project
• 10-month project
• 18 teachers of English
• Three workshops
• On-line support

20. 20
Phase 1
Planning
Phase 2
Doing
Phase 3
Report writing
Dissemination
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
What Teachers Say
I look upon problems as
challenges to be overcome
through research not hurdles
to cry about.

21. 21
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
What Teachers Say
As teachers we are aware of
issues and problems, but being a
researcher has given me an
opportunity to work for possible
solutions, which is GREAT.
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
What Teachers Say
We have been teaching the
same way we taught ten years
ago but now we have an urge to
experiment with new ideas in our
teaching.

22. 22
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
Outcomes
• Enhanced professionals
• Skilled researchers
• Teacher research ‘champions’
• Research mentors
School of Education
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law
The teacher who just teaches
and the one who has done
research the difference is that
of dead and alive!

23. 23
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 Theoretical
knowledge
Learning
new skills
Applying
new skills
Presentation + +
Modelling + ?
Simulated
Practice
+ ? +
Feedback on
performance
+ +
On the job
support
+

24. 24
CollectingImpact Data
End of session written feedback
Pre- and post-course questionnaires
Observation of teachers
Interviews with teachers
Teacher portfolios
Written assignments
Tests/examinations
Teacher journals
Interviews with learners
Learners’ test scores
Interviews with headteachers