The instructors viewed the main goals of the program as fostering reflection among the teachers on their current practices and experiences. They aimed to provide alternative perspectives and tools to encourage appropriation without a top-down approach. The roles of the program were seen as activating awareness, reflection, and sharing of practices between teachers from different contexts. The instructors hoped teachers would participate actively and begin applying ideas in their own contexts over time. They also hoped program sponsors would provide ongoing support for teacher learning and development after the short-term program.

1. 1
Yuka Kurihara
Tokai University・School of Humanities
KATE 2022/12/10-11
Examining how program instructors
perceive the overseas teacher
training for EFL professionals

2. Introduction
 Overseas professional development programs
for JTE has started since 1979 (MEXT, 2011) and
continue to exist (e.g., NITS, 2018)
 not much knowledge about how hosts perceive
these programs (Kurihara, 2019)
 less knowledge about instructors’ perspectives
on these programs
2

3. 3
Theoretical Framework:
Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Mind
- learning through social engagements, which
are embedded in historical, cultural, and social
conditions.
- the mediation of human activity by using
physical and psychological tools
(e.g., Vygotsky, 1978; Lantolf & Thorne, 2006; Wertsch, 1991)

4. Theoretical Framework:
Why is this theory useful for TE research?
Providing a theoretical framework for
examining teachers’ “appropriation” of
pedagogical tools
Appropriation: “the process....of taking
something that belongs to others and
making it one’s own” (Wertsch, 1998 p. 53).
4

5. Purpose of the study
To understand the nature of EFL teachers’
learning to teach
↓
 To foster EFL teachers’ appropriation of
pedagogical tools
 To develop effective TE programs for EFL
teachers
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6. 6
Research Question
 How does the instructors of the
overseas teacher training view the
goals and roles of the program?

7. 7
Methodology:
Qualitative case study approach
Participants:
- 2 program instructors
- 2 program coordinators

8. 8
Methodology: Sites
 3 week EFL teacher training program
within a research-based university-
affiliated English language program in
Australia
- Jul. 25, 2016 ～ Aug. 12, 2016 (3 weeks)
- 64 teachers from Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea
- Among them, 24 were JTEs

9. Basic principles of the program
 “Constructive approach to the nature of
knowledge and teacher development”
 “Reflection”
 “Communicative language teaching”
 “Language for real life communication”
(program coordinator A & B, Interview: 7/29/2016)
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10. 10
What was presented in the program?
 ELT Methodology (for 3 weeks)
 Its application by peer-teaching (twice)
 Reflection (throughout the program)
 Classroom observations in local schools (twice)
 Lecture by a university professor about the
education system in Australia (once)
 Exploration of Australian culture & society
(visiting 4 local places, including a zoo, a
museum, & an island)

11. Pedagogical tools presented
in the program
 Practical oriented
 Centerpieces of the pedagogical tools:
-artifacts
-pair-/group work (e.g., sharing ideas with other Ts)
-reflection (e.g., orally, in written form)
-demonstration
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12. 12
Data Collection: Methods
In Australia
 Classroom observations of the Japanese EFL
teachers: 7/25/2016～8/12/2016
 An interview with two program coordinators: Aug.
2016 (twice)
 Interviews with two teacher trainers: Aug. 2016
(twice)
 Documents (e.g., field notes, handouts)

13. Research Question
How does the host, especially
program instructors, of the
overseas teacher training view
the goals and roles of the
program?
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14. Voice of the host
Goals of the program/the
classes
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15. Reflection through alternatives
The main goals are for them [teachers] to reflect on their
current teaching practice. And we get them to reflect on
that through different means, through different focuses
on different methodological areas [“communicative
methodology”], through doing demonstration lessons,
and through experiencing being a learner themselves,
and then reflecting on those experiences…. We’re not
here to have a top-down approach…. Our aim is to work
with the teachers as professionals. They’re experts in
their own context. So we recognize that it’s up to them to
reflect on that [in the end] and decide what’s best for
them to take from the program.
(Program coordinator A, Interview: 7/29/2016) 15

16. Building an awareness and
exchanging information:
I think it’s building an awareness of what you can do in
the language class. I think, especially on this program
where there are people from different nationalities,
different backgrounds in counties, a secondary thing is
an opportunity for them to share and find out what
happens in Korea, in Japan, in China, and what’s the
same and what’s different…… In the professional
development program, it’s not just me giving
information. It’s an exchange of information (among
teachers). (Program instructor C , Interview: Aug., 2016)
16

17. Building on teachers’ knowledge
and experiences
With in-service teachers, they already have a lot of
experiences and knowledge. And so to be effective,
this class needs to build on that…getting people to
talk about it (knowledge and experiences) and share
is useful and valuable…A lots of the tasks in class are
designed to be quite open….Having sort of a list of
techniques to teach, some teachers might be using
them already, and some might be completely new…
So very prescriptive program would not be effective.
(Program instructor D , Interview: Aug., 2016)
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18. Voice of the host
Roles of the
program/lessons
18

19. Roles of the program
It’s short-term, so much can’t be achieved,
but we really hope to activate their
awareness and their reflection around their
teaching, and that is something you can do
in the short-term. And that’s beneficial if you
can just activate that questioning and
activate that self-reflection. If that can
continue, then you can continue to get
benefits.
(Program coordinator B, Interview: 8/5/2016) 19

20. Roles of the program
I'd say coming for a three week program and then returning
isn't the end of professional development. We talk about
continuing professional development (in class). So really
for that, the idea here is to take root and to really grow.
They need to be attended to and developed by the
teachers. ….Peer teaching is a very practical opportunity to
apply the techniques and get some feedback. And going
forward, sort of that needs to continue when the teachers
return home. (Program instructor D , Interview: Aug., 2016)
20

21. stepping stone
People were teaching before the course, and they'll be
teaching after the course. So this is a moment to, perhaps,
stop out of your busy classroom routine that everybody
normally has and perhaps think about what people have
been doing and what they'd like to do and explore new
areas. And then, when they go back there, perhaps, new
directions to go into and to grow it. And I think that's sort of
a stepping stone and maybe there are things people have
come across before. It's a revision. And for other people it's
new. And for me that's all part of the program, revising,
revisiting, taking stock of where the teacher is in their
career, and hopefully giving them new directions when they
return. (Program instructor D , Interview: Aug., 2016)
21

22. Delivering contents through
demonstration
A lot of the classroom has a very practical focus. So that
involves the participants actually doing things, developing
confidence, trying out different techniques. Practical focus
means that the instructor often demonstrates the
techniques that they're talking about…..Hopefully in that
session, the instructors’ instructions were very clear and
the techniques that we looked at were demonstrated by the
instructor… and they've used gestures and they've
checked them and provided a good model for everyone to
see. So in that sense, here what's being taught is being
taught in a way that is a good example and a good model.
(Program instructor D , Interview: Aug., 2016)
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23. Voice of the host
Hope / expectations
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24. I think during the program, just participation, to be
active in their participation, not to sit back and
watch, but to actually go to everything. What can I
get out from this? …. whether it's related to
teaching or whether it's just related to personal
benefit. And after the program, I think that people
take away ideas and in some way put the ideas
that we've talked to into practice. Whether it's done
in a big way or a small way or whether it happens
next month or in six months time, I think that would
be ideal. But I do realize it's not always possible or
always practical.
(Program instructor C , Interview: Aug., 2016)
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25. During the program, that is meeting my expectations in terms
of participation and enthusiasm. After the program, I'd hope
that once they return to their own schools and classrooms and
lives, I think it's unrealistic that a program like this to expect
people to attend three weeks and then completely change.
They'll still be working in a context with both opportunities and
constraints which they need to work within. But I would hope
that perhaps when they go back they've got some different
ideas…So hopefully there's a range of different ideas and
techniques they can take with them back to their classrooms
which they can draw on sort of not immediately and not
change everything but sort of going forward where they can
gradually introduce them and find out what works for them and
what works for learners.
(Program instructor D , Interview: Aug., 2016)
25

26. Hope for the sponsors
They’ve got to be thinking pre, during, and post with
short-term programs. [Then] they can be a benefit.
However, they’re going to have less benefit unless
they think about what’s going to be happening [to
teachers] afterwards. What are they [teachers] going
through? How are they going to support [teachers]
afterwards? Where is it going to go? There’s gonna
be two-three years they’ve got to think about these
people. What journey do they want [teachers] to go on
[afterwards]? (Program coordinator A, Interview:
8/2/2016) 26

27. Hope for the sponsors
It’s still got to be just part of the journey and it
can’t be a one hit and you’re done. And that’s
really the danger. I think, for education
departments and people funding these types of
things that go, “there’s a box of knowledge that’s
going to give and we’ll put that in their heads
and then everything will be okay.” It can’t be
that. It’s got to be part of a longer plan.
(Program coordinator A, Interview: 8/2/2016)

28. Summary
At least I suppose we can start to knock at
the door and people can start to reflect on
those ideas because some of them are
quite deep seated and difficult to find.
(Program coordinator A, Interview: 7/29/2016)
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29. 29
Implications for teacher education:
For effective training from the host’s perspectives
 Providing teachers with ongoing learning opportunities
(e.g., follow-up training after the program, longer-term
treatment)
 The goals of various social settings need to be openly
shared across each configuration.