EFL teachers' professional development within the educational ELT context at UNAN-León, Nicaragua

Abstract

This study explored the professional development process of 15 English teachers at the INSET level of the Teacher Education Program at UNAN-León. The major aim was to document the evolution of teacher thinking and performance as a result of exposure to relevant knowledge, based on their training needs. The study was longitudinal in nature and used an Action Research approach to plan, implement and evaluate the research actions along four major stages. The investigation attributed great importance to the context in which the instructional process took place as a major influence on teacher thinking and performance. Consequently, context was an integral part of the analysis. The research instruments were mostly qualitative and included journeys, interviews, and classroom observations. Pedagogical documents such as academic essays, lesson plans and evaluations were also important sources of information. Action Research in the classroom was used as a means for teacher structured reflection. The situational context made it necessary to use two scaffolding structures, introspection and collaboration, to assist the teachers’ reflective process. Within this approach, the teachers were immersed in a process of self-exploration and self-awareness accompanied by relevant knowledge during the development of the study. As a consequence, they were able to reflect on their teaching beliefs in light of their real practice and realize the inconsistencies hindering their professional growth, which fostered teacher change. The results of the project shed significant light on the processes of teacher professionalization and on important current research concerns, such as teacher beliefs, teacher knowledge and teacher reflection.