Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
28/11/2014
Natalia Gonzlez Aburto
Introduction
In the following report I will analyse a teachers opinion about professional
development. I will focus on the work of Brown and Richards & Renandya
by presenting each answer with a theory that support the teachers thought.
First, the theoretical framework will provide you with the most important
aspect that I took under consideration to do this report and how each
authors idea helps to the understanding of the process of teaching and
learning English and how it results as a major priority the professional
development of the teachers in order to keep up to date. I will also show
how teachers have to look for ongoing and regular opportunities to learn
from each other as ongoing professional development keeps teachers up-todate on new research on how students learn, emerging technology tools for
the classroom, new curriculum resources, and more.
Theoretical Framework
To begin with, we need to state the meaning of what to be a professional actually
means. Ur (2002), says that a professional is, broadly speaking someone whose
work involves performing a certain function with some degree of expertise. But a
narrower definition limits the term to apply to people such as doctors, teachers, and
lawyers, whose expertise involves not only skill and knowledge but also the
exercise of highly sophisticated judgment, and whose accreditation necessitates
extensive study, often university-based, as well as practical experience.
Moreover, according to Brown (2007), one of the most invigorating things about
teaching is that you never stop learning and the discoveries among the field of
teaching go and on for a lifetime.
In the aspect of classroom research, Taylor (2002), found that teachers can
develop their professionalism through conducting research in their classroom and
that the knowledge gained from this type of research can be very rewarding, as
teachers can develop a deeper understanding of what goes on in their classroom
which in turn can become the basis for improving their instructional practices.
Likewise, Brown (2007), noted that leaving the classroom research in the hands of
researchers is an upside-down policy. According to Anne Meek (1991), this means
that teachers are the ones who do it (teach), teherefore, they are the ones who
know about it ( teaching) and should research about it. It is worth getting teachers
to build on what they know, to build on what questions they have, because that is
what matters. And so anybody who wants to be a helpful researcher should value
what the reachers know and help them develop that.
So, as stated by Brown (2007), this kind of action research, also known as
classroom research, is carried out not so much to fulfill a thesis requirement or to
publish a journal article as to improve you own understanding of the teachinglearning process in the classroom. The payoff for treating you teaching-learning
questions seriously is, ultimately, you becoming a better teacher.
Interview Description
Roxanna Correa Prez is a teacher at UCSC. She is an English teacher, and she
has a Masters degree in higher education.
The following questions and preceding analysis were made based on the chapters
of Professional Development of the text Methodology in Language Teaching: An
Anthology of Current Practice by Richards & Renandya and Continuing Your
Teacher Education of the text Teaching by Principles by Brown.
Interview Transcription
3) Have you ever conducted a research in teaching? If you have, was it useful
for your teaching practice and your professional development? Why?
Interviewee: Yes, I have conducted many researches in teaching; I have
conducted one in how to use strategies to teach English, then I conducted
one on how to use wiki to teach writing in English and then I am
conducting one now that is how does feedback helps students to write. It
has helped me a lot because it gives me an insight on the students mind
and how the process of teaching and learning really works and then I can
apply that into practice to help my students or my future students.
4) Have you ever analysed in deep any aspect of your lesson in real context? If
you have, was it beneficial for your teaching practice?
Interviewee: Yes, I have. At the university because as I teach methodology I
have to model my students, for example I always fight with the use of the
board, because my board is always a mess, so I always contextualized that,
I talk to the students and also I have tried to teach the same class with lots
of resources and then with minimal resources, so I have tested the role of
resources in a classroom.
5) As a teacher what do you think about the following statement? The perfect
teacher must know more about her discipline than pedagogical knowledge.
Interviewee: I sort of agree. I am one of the many people that thinks that the
discipline is more important than pedagogy. Even though I think that
pedagogy is important but you can teach pedagogy to someone who is very
good as his discipline, but you can have someone very good at pedagogy
but doesnt know a thing about the discipline in one work and the other way
around.
Question N1
Interviewee: I took a diploma and then I took a master degree in education.
And then I took a CELTA course in England and some other courses.
knowledge).
(Teachers must
upgrade
their
Question N2
Interviewee: I think you never stop learning
Question N3
Interviewee: It has helped me a lot because it gives me an insight on the
students mind and how the process of teaching and learning really works
and then I can apply that into practice to help my students or my future
students
Question N4
Interviewee: as I teach methodology I have to model my studentsI have
tried to teach the same class with lots of resources and then with minimal
resources, so I have tested the role of resources in a classroom
Brown, D (2007)
*Action research or classroom-based research.
*Set realistic goals: know the limitations and strengths.
*Set priorities: organised performance in order to not waste time.
*Take risks: new challenges, learn from your mistakes
Question N5
Interviewee: I am one of the many people that thinks that the discipline is
more important than pedagogy. Even though I think that pedagogy is
important but you can teach pedagogy to someone who is very good as his
discipline, but you can have someone very good at pedagogy but doesnt
know a thing about the discipline
According to what has been analysed from the interview, we can say that
the interviewee fulfills the characteristics of a reflective teacher, for the
following reasons:
According to Zeichner and Liston (1996, 11), a reflective teacher:
3- Review: reflection that occurs before or after our teaching (is often
interpersonal)
4- Research: teachers thinking and observations become more systematic
and sharply focused around particular issues.
5- Retheorizing and reformulating: "while teachers critically examine their
practical theories, they also consider these theories in light of public
academic theories"
References