mehrez aounallah elt inspector ben arous tunisia tesol 2013
TRANSCRIPT
EXTENT OF CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN TUNISIA
Preparatory & secondary cycles
Primary cycle joining recently, but…
Vocational training?
No CPD for the tertiary cycle!!!
THE CONVENTIONAL WAY
Trainer-centered Teachers follow the expert’s instructions Teaching the textbook Mainly based in training centers
(CREFOCs) Not usually based on analysis of
teachers’ needs/ school needs. Little or no concern about the context
DETAILS
Basic training for novice teachers Training day (journée pédagogique) Demonstration lessons Workshops Seminars (international experts) Magazines (Forum, Crossroads)
WINDS OF CHANGE?
Changing practices/ Hands-on (workshops/ micro-teaching)
More teacher-centered Innovation & initiative By teachers Civil society / Teacher associations Internet (FB groups, blogs, journals,
websites, etc.)
Reflective practice (done more systematically)
Peer observation?
Teacher portfolio?
Peer teaching?
Action researches
STAGE ONE: OBSERVATION
Plagiarism Little or no follow-up by teachers Lack of training on the topic Little or no learning: (evidenced by a
field research conducted in different areas in Tunisia)
STAGE 2: FORMAL TRAINING
Theoretical background
Groups of teachers (same school) decide on a topic: relevant to them and their students.
Each group plan to implement their research/ inquiry according to a negotiated schedule
STAGE 3: FIELD WORK
Field work: task division, data collection tools, collecting data, etc.
Workshops: data analysis, drawing conclusions [work supervised/ checked by « inspector »]
Exchange/ questionnaires, interviews, etc.
STAGE 4: PRESENTATION & DISSEMINATION
Setting up an evaluation panel: evaluation grid
Group presentations All teachers’ efforts valued Friendly gathering Evaluation of all the stages
« When is our next project? »
REFLECTING ON THE EXPERIENCE Strengths:
Motivation is contagious
We have potential!
More computer-literate teachers
Easy access to information and knowledge
Team work/ collaboration valued
Collaborative work: Such a challenge!
Experience what the students experience
Better handling of PW with their students
Weaknesses: future focus areas
Data collection tools: interviews and questionnaires:
Data analysis : Academics, please help!
Lack of presentation skills: It’s NOT like teaching!
Opportunities:
Teachers as researchers
Publishing researches?
There’s much more to internet than FB!
Teacher autonomy?
Threats:
Deficient teachers’ background knowledge
Risk of resistance
Inspectors may become a thing of the past
…
CPD SHOULD BE
Evolving Hands-on Relevant to teachers’ needs Field work/ in schools Done by teachers Fosters reflective practice &teacher
autonomy
STILL, TEACHERS NEED-
A solid knowledge basis Basic formal training, yet hands-on Openness to new trends Creativeness Adaptability Professionalism Teacher community The love of the profession
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)
REFERENCES: Professional Development: Rewards and
Challenges, Hammamet, 14-16 February 2013: Professor Simon Borg, University of Leeds/ [email protected]
L’apport de la pédagogie de projet dans l’apprentissage de l’anglais au cycle secondaire (Fatma Guerfel, Mehrez Aounallah and Naima Charfi, CENAFFE 2010)