English language teachers’ professional development: a survey study of needs and expectations

Anna Mędrzecka




Abstract

Professional development should be an inseparable part of a teacher’s professional career. Although it is the teacher’s sole responsibility, the action he/she undertakes greatly influences learners’ success. The goal of the paper is to investigate in-service English language teachers’ professional development practices, as well as delve into their needs and expectations in this area. The data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. The results show that teachers are aware of the lifelong nature of professional development and undertake various activities to improve the quality of teaching, such as workshops or reading didactic literature. However, their attitudes, practices and needs differ and are contingent on their education level, experience and workplace.

Keywords:

professional development, English language teaching, needs and expectations analysis

AL-Qahtani H.M., Teachers’ voice: a needs analysis of teachers’ needs for professional development with the emergence of the current English textbooks, “English Language Teaching” 2015, 8(8), pp. 128–141.

Bartlett L., Teacher development through reflective teaching, [in:] Second Language Teacher Education, J.C. Richards, D. Nunan (eds.), Cambridge 1990, pp. 202–214.

Benson P., Autonomy as Learners’ and Teachers’ Right, [in:] Learner Autonomy, Teacher Autonomy: Future Directions, B. Sinclair, I. McGrath (eds.), Edinburgh 2000, pp. 111–117.

Burns A., Action research, [in:] Qualitative in Applied Linguistics. A Practical Introduction, J. Heigham, R.A. Croker (eds.), New York 2009, pp. 112–134.

Czykwin E., Samoświadomość nauczyciela, Białystok 1995.

Darling-Hammond D., Hyler M.E., Gardner M., Effective teacher professional development, “Learning Policy Institute – Research Brief” 2017, [online], https:// learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/teacher-prof-dev, [access: 08.06.2019].

Ellis M., Introducing reflective practice: an experimental project in Silesia, Poland, [in:] Teachers Develop, Teachers Research: Papers on Classroom Research and Teacher Development, J. Edge, K. Richards (eds.), Oxford 1993, pp. 102–112.

Farrell T.S.C., Reflective Practice in the Professional Development of Teachers of Adult English Language Learners, Washington, DC 2008.

Farrell T.S.C., Teacher Development through journal writing, “RELC Journal” 1998, 29(1), pp. 92–109.

Hager K.D., Teachers’ use of video self-monitoring to improve delivery of effective teaching practices, “Teaching Exceptional Children” 2018, 50(5), pp. 283–290.

Harmer J., The Practice of English Language Teaching, Harlow 2001.

Komorowska H., Metodyka nauczania języków obcych, Warszawa 2003.

Paris S.G., Ayres L.R., Stawanie się refleksyjnym uczniem i nauczycielem, M. Janowski, M. Micińska (transl.), Warszawa 1997.

Richards J.C., Farrell T.S.C., Professional Development for Language Teachers, Strategies for Teaching Learning, New York 2005.

Richards J.C., Lockhart Ch., Reflective Teaching in Teacher Education, Cambridge 1996.

Šaric M., Šteh B., Critical reflection in the professional development of teachers: challenges and possibilities, “Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal” 2017, 7(3), pp. 67–85.

Shulman L., Toward a pedagogy of cases, [in:] Case Methods in Teacher Education, J. Shulman (ed.), New York 1992, pp. 1–30.

Skinner B.F., Science and human behaviour, New York 1953.

Smith R.C., Teacher Education for Teacher-learner Autonomy, Edinburgh 2003.

WallaceM.J. Training Foreign Language Teachers: A Reflective Approach, Cambridge 1991.

Wysocka M., Profesjonalizm w nauczaniu języków obcych, Katowice 2003.

Zawadzka E., Nauczyciele języków obcych w dobie przemian, Kraków 2004.

Download

Published
2021-12-01


Mędrzecka, A. (2021) “English language teachers’ professional development: a survey study of needs and expectations”, Linguodidactica, 25, pp. 113–127. doi: 10.15290/lingdid.2021.25.09.

Anna Mędrzecka