VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRAN KIM TU TEAM-TEACHING AS A TOOL FOR PROFES- SIONAL DEVELOPMENT: INSIDERS’ VIEWS (Dạy cặp như một phương tiện phát triển nghề nghiệp: quan điểm của người tham gia) M. MINOR PROGRAM THESIS, Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 601410 Supervisor: Dao Thu Trang, M.A TIANOI-2010 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, IIANOL UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDLES TRAN KIM TU TEAM-TEACHING AS A TOOL FOR PROFES- SIONAL DEVELOPMENT: INSIDERS’ VIEWS (Dạy cặp như một phương tiện phát triển nghề nghiệp: quan điểm của người tham gia) M. MINOR PROGRAM THESIS, Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 601410 IIANOI-2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Aims of the siurly 3. Signifieanee of the stuủy. 4, Methods of the study. Scope of the study.
Design of the study. Chapter I: Review of Related Literature.1 Overview of Teachers’ Professional Developmet.1 Concepts of ‘Teachers’ Professional Development 1.2 Areas of Language Teachers’ Professional Development 1.2 Overview of TeameToaching 1.1 Definitions of Team-Teachmg. 1 2 Forms of Team-Teaching.3 Factors affecting Toam-Teaching sf 1.3 Why Team-Teaching as a valuable means for Professional Development?. Chapter II: Methodology.1 The setting of the study.2 The research questlODS.4 Dala collection instruments.1 In-depth interviews.2 Class room-observatiơn.5 Dala collection pracedurss.
Chapter IM: Findings, Discussion and Recommendations 19 3.1 EPL teachers’ professional development fostered through Team-Teaching 19 3.1 EFL teachers’ professional development fostered through Team ‘Teaching between English teachers and Vietnamese teachers.2 EEL teachers’ professional development fostered through Team- Teaching belweon Viclnamesc lcachers and Vicinamese teachers.2 Barriers to Team-Teaching 2.1 Barriers to 'l'eam-Teaching between English volunteer teachers and Vietnamese Leachers.2 Barriers to Team-Teaching between Vietnamese and Vietnamese ‘Teachers.1 Recommendations for the administrators.2 Recommendations for Learn-Leachers. Limitation and suggostion for furthsr siudy, REFERENCES. _ Appendix1 Appendix2 Appendix 3. hentai PART A : INTRODUCTION 1.
Rationale Wilh the development of regional integration ane global participation, the quality ofeduca- tion is becoming an urgent need to the Ministry of Education and Training as well as the government. Since the Vietnamese government sees the quality of teachers as the major factor in improving education, it is selling targets for (he general reform of cirriculumn and teaching methods in all educational establishments, There have been many anual educa- tion workshops, conferences, researches conducted in many universities in order to help teachers 8 stain high qualily performance in their izaching career and encourage them to pursue life-long Jearnmg which is vital to their professional development. To ensure this ongong profsssional growth, teachers-as professionals-should constantly develop them- selves. Teachers’ own growth is necessary in order to cope with the ever-expanding know- ledge base in subject matter and pedagogy, rapidly changing social contexts of schooling, and increasingly diversifying students’ needs.
EFL (English Foreign Language) teachers are nol exempt for this professional responsibility. In other words, teachers imve to be viewed as learners- “the teacher as life-long learner”- and they need to learn together. ‘Teachers today are experimenting with many approaches for professional development such as: sel evaluation, portfortio collections, classroom observation and performance as- sessment, P ai smoni, keeping a leaching jourmil, pocr coaching, msntoring, action research.Among these, team-teaching seems to be very efféetive in enhancing teachers” professional growth, though for many teachers, team-teaching remains unexplored territo- Ty. Although team-teaching is not new in some locations and used widely m many schools around the world, it is an experimental approach at my college because of some reasons below.
Firstly, in carly 2001, many teachers at my college were sont to a 12-wock-skill- based language teaching methodology course sponsored by the Vietnam-Australia Training (VALI) Project in Hanoi in which team-teaching was introduced as a new form to improve the qualily of EFI. leaching and loaning, Secondly, in raconl years, our college has ro ceived some British volunteer teachers fiom some organizations in order to help EFL teaching and learning. ‘Then our Department has tried this form of teaching in order to take the advantage of our siluation-thal is, working with some Brilish VSO (Voluntagr Service Gversea) volunteers with the hope of contributing to teacher and student development, Hence, team-teaching between a British volunteer teacher and a Vietnamese teacher or be- tween two Vietnamese teachers has become a common way of conducting EFL classes As a leacher, the researcher tas been leaching English for nearly 10 years. During tal time, ] have observed many team-teaching lessons and I have also team taught with some colleagues.
‘The issue raised is that: to what extent team-teaching can help to foster teach- ar’s professional growth. Thus, T decided to conduct. the sindy on: “Team-teaching as a tool for professional development, insiders’ views” to investigate and explore the point of views, feelings and attitudes of team-teachers towards to team-teaching as a means for teacher's growth. Aims of the study The study was conducted to explore the team-teachers’viewpoints and atutudes towards team-teaching in order to find out the benefits of team-teaching in terms of their profes- sional development as well as the barricrs to tceam-tcaching.
From the findings of the study, some recommendations were proposed for the administra- tors andl tear-leachers so as Lo use Lean-leaching as an effective means of professional đe- velopment. Significance of the study The study is expected ta offer an in-depth understanding about. the eam-teachers' paint of views and alliludes towards toart-tcaching as a lool for professional development in terms of: () Theoretically, it justifies team-teaching as a tool of professional development in an EFL cortex! (ii) Practically and pedagogically, the findings of the study contribute to the understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of team-teaching as a means of professional develop- ment. (ii) The recommendations for administrators and team-teachers can improve the benefits and reduce the drawbacks of team-teaching in order †o help team-teachers conduct a suc- cessful loam-teaching.Mcthod of the study This is a qualitative exploratory study because it was designed to deeply explore the team- toachers" poinl of vicws Togarding the effec! øf tearn-leaching on their professionat devel- opment.
Hence, team-teaching between a British volunteer teacher and a Vietnamese teacher or be- tween two Vietnamese teachers has become a common way of conducting EFL classes As a leacher, the researcher tas been leaching English for nearly 10 years. During tal time, ] have observed many team-teaching lessons and I have also team taught with some colleagues. ‘The issue raised is that: to what extent team-teaching can help to foster teach- ar’s professional growth. Thus, T decided to conduct.
the sindy on: “Team-teaching as a tool for professional development, insiders’ views” to investigate and explore the point of views, feelings and attitudes of team-teachers towards to team-teaching as a means for teacher's growth. Aims of the study The study was conducted to explore the team-teachers’viewpoints and atutudes towards team-teaching in order to find out the benefits of team-teaching in terms of their profes- sional development as well as the barricrs to tceam-tcaching. From the findings of the study, some recommendations were proposed for the administra- tors andl tear-leachers so as Lo use Lean-leaching as an effective means of professional đe- velopment. Significance of the study The study is expected ta offer an in-depth understanding about.
the eam-teachers' paint of views and alliludes towards toart-tcaching as a lool for professional development in terms of: () Theoretically, it justifies team-teaching as a tool of professional development in an EFL cortex! (ii) Practically and pedagogically, the findings of the study contribute to the understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of team-teaching as a means of professional develop- ment. (ii) The recommendations for administrators and team-teachers can improve the benefits and reduce the drawbacks of team-teaching in order †o help team-teachers conduct a suc- cessful loam-teaching.Mcthod of the study This is a qualitative exploratory study because it was designed to deeply explore the team- toachers" poinl of vicws Togarding the effec! øf tearn-leaching on their professionat devel- opment. 12 which teachers attain higher professional competence and expand their understanding of self, role, context and career. It is any experience that teachers engaged in to widen their knowledge, appreciation, skills, and understanding of their work inline with goals, values, of the school and their interests and needs of teachers.
(Duke and Stiggins, 1990; Beerens, D. Professional developmen! is, therefore, seen as “an ongo- ing process and an integral characteristic of a fully professional teacher” (Mc Donough, 1997, p.2 Areas of Language Teachers’ Professional Development Educational reform, a rapidly changing sludent cliettels, technological development, and new views on assessment are just a few of'the pressures that today’s foreign language teach- ers are encountering. Foreign language teachers must maintain proficiency in the target lan- guage and slay up lo dale on eurenl issucs related Lo the larget culture. Regardless af the skills and knowledge that foreign language teachers possess when they commence teaching, mainienance and improvement must be an ongoing process.
In most states, teachers must continuc fo accumulate academic credits, while teaching, in order to keop their teaching 1i- cense current. This can be done through evening cources, summer semumnars, lectures, or workshops. offered by professional associations or universities, so that teachers can improve Tanguage proficicrey and cultural knowledge, leaching methods Met (1989) states that foreign language teachers need: “competencies in the general areas of education, interpersonal skills and professional education” (p. In addition to demon- straling Mel “ion, in his stndy, presented in 1997, poimls ont some skills and knowledge that foreign language teachers need, According to him, good foreign language teachers need the following: + A high level of language proficiency in all of ths modalities of the target langnage- speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
* The ability to use the language in real-life contexts, for both social and professional pur- poses + The ability to comprehend contemporary media in the foreign language, both oral and writ- ten, and interact successfully with native speakers in the L'nited States and abroad (Phillips, 1991). + A strong background in the liberal arts and the content areas, * Understanding of the social, political, historical. and economic realities of the regions where the language they teach is spoken. Rationale Wilh the development of regional integration ane global participation, the quality ofeduca- tion is becoming an urgent need to the Ministry of Education and Training as well as the government.
Since the Vietnamese government sees the quality of teachers as the major factor in improving education, it is selling targets for (he general reform of cirriculumn and teaching methods in all educational establishments, There have been many anual educa- tion workshops, conferences, researches conducted in many universities in order to help teachers 8 stain high qualily performance in their izaching career and encourage them to pursue life-long Jearnmg which is vital to their professional development. To ensure this ongong profsssional growth, teachers-as professionals-should constantly develop them- selves. Teachers’ own growth is necessary in order to cope with the ever-expanding know- ledge base in subject matter and pedagogy, rapidly changing social contexts of schooling, and increasingly diversifying students’ needs. EFL (English Foreign Language) teachers are nol exempt for this professional responsibility.
In other words, teachers imve to be viewed as learners- “the teacher as life-long learner”- and they need to learn together. ‘Teachers today are experimenting with many approaches for professional development such as: sel evaluation, portfortio collections, classroom observation and performance as- sessment, P ai smoni, keeping a leaching jourmil, pocr coaching, msntoring, action research.Among these, team-teaching seems to be very efféetive in enhancing teachers” professional growth, though for many teachers, team-teaching remains unexplored territo- Ty. Although team-teaching is not new in some locations and used widely m many schools around the world, it is an experimental approach at my college because of some reasons below. Firstly, in carly 2001, many teachers at my college were sont to a 12-wock-skill- based language teaching methodology course sponsored by the Vietnam-Australia Training (VALI) Project in Hanoi in which team-teaching was introduced as a new form to improve the qualily of EFI.
