Innovation in Foreign Language teaching: A professional development support structure for in-service CLIL teachers

1. Innovation in Foreign Language teaching: A professional development support structure for in-service CLIL teachers Or… “Complexity Theory Strikes Again” Sandra Lucietto University of Bolzano Teacher Training and Development Centre, Rovereto sandra.lucietto@vodafone.it ATEE Conference 2010, Budapest

2. 2005-06 – CLIL Programme (30% of the curriculum in a FL) launched in 2 primary schools in Trento, the capital city 2008-09 - 15 schools scattered all over the province (17 in 2009-10) Trentino, an Autonomous Province in the heart of the Alps

4. A PhD evaluative study on CLIL (2007-2010) Levels of the investigation: MACRO – Governance: management structure – Support to CLIL Ts and CLIL schools MICRO – CLIL Teaching practice

5. Research Paradigm from… …to The emerging paradigm of Complexity Theory Key concepts: interconnectedness, emergence, eco-system (self-organisation of interconnected networks, relationships of the internal and external environments, survival and development through adaptation and change) Approach: Looking at the world in ways which break with simple cause-and-effect models, linear predictability and a dissection approach to understanding phenomena, replacing them with organic, non-linear and holistic approaches Assumptions No longer can one be certain that a simple cause brings a simple or single effect, or that a single effect is the result of a single cause, or that the location of causes will be in single fields only, or that the location of effects will be in a limited number of fields Research methodology A set of methodologies: Case studies, action research, participatory , collaborative and multi-perspectival approaches to educational research (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2007:33-34)

6. Research Qs

7. Research Design An evaluative project based on collaborative naturalistic enquiry and on a documentary study • Research methods • Case study • Ethnographic approach Initial Research tools: Documentary study Classroon observation CLIL teachers Q HT Q Interviews (LEA managers) Focus group

8. Revised Research tools

9. Tab. 1 – Total number of CLIL pupils learning through DE/EN in 14 /15 schools, school-year 2008-09

10. Tab. 2 – School subjects learnt through the foreign language in 14 /15 schools, school-year 2008-09.

11. Tab. 3 – CLIL teachers in 14/15 schools, school-year 2008-09

13. Pedagogical principles most frequently mentioned in CLIL Literature Cooperative Learning Learner-centred approach Scaffolding (language learning) Task-based learning (TBL) Scaffolding (cognition) Visual + auditory + other paralinguistic support Language-sensitive methods Metacognition Explicit attention to learning strategies

14. Research study findings: CLIL, oder? Unclear language in the official documents (Delibere GP) Traditional teacher-centred approach (in most classes) “Mund zu, Hören auf, Augen zum Lehrerin”

15. From the beginning, classroom observation showed: • No Cooperative Learning • Very little Groupwork • Very little TBL / “hands-on” approaches • A lot of listening in the first half of the lesson • A lot of indiv. W (drawing + colouring) in the second half of the lesson • Little language mediation other than via spoken language • Very little assessment for/of learning (apparently) • No S-S interaction allowed (in most classes) • Very little individual help + support

16. What happened to the Trojan Horse??

17. Traditional approach = Traditional results Quick learners get bored….. and (often) become a nuisance Slow learners / SENlearners get lost…. and (very often) become a nuisance too Socially adapted learners (more often Fs) go along with T’s modes of teaching…. Do what they’re told… and seem to learn % ???

18. Why such a traditional approach, so remote from quality CLIL??

19. Provincial support structure for teachers (In-service training) – 2008-09 Language development - 12 h/y CLIL training (peer talk only?) – 22 h/y Yearly planning – 7.5 h/y No Teacher Education on: - the complexities of working in a T-Team - materials development in CLIL No continuous professional development: - reflection in/on action - classroom observation Trainers = 3 CLIL (native speaker) teachers of Y1 NO training as trainers

20. “Do what you’ve always done, only change the language”

21. the gattopardo principle (Tomasi di Lampedusa) “Il faut que tout change, au fin que rien ne change”

22. “We have been left alone…”

23. Researcher’s decision: Continuous professional development feedback sessions to take care of Teachers’ (T-Teams) expicit/unexpressed needs Justification: Evaluation for School Development (Hopkins, 1989)

25. Classroom observation (from Wragg, 1994:15)

26. The story goes on….

27. 9 October 2009 a NEW Provincial Centre for Teacher Training and CPD is established in Rovereto 4 January 2010 The researcher, now a Doctor, is appointed by the Head of the provincial Department of Education (technical responsibility) to the new Centre in Rovereto, to take care of the FL sector

28. www.formazionescuolatrentina.it

29. 8 Actions for FL and CLIL teachers (whole ed. system)

30. 2 April 2010 The Head of Education praises the work of the researcher, and agrees (verbally) that she will remain at the Centre until the LIDI Project is finished (June 2012) April /July 2010 The researcher multiplies her energies and efforts to maximize quality and results of proposed Actions

31. Progetto LIDI (2010-2012) September 2010 – May 2011 September 2011 – May 2012 Action 6 - “CLIL Labs” In 5 valleys of Trentino Bimonthly meetings Free entry + participation T-teams (1 FL T + 1 subject T) – 150 Teams expressed interest in writing (pre-enrolment form – May 2010) CLIL tutors/mentors = a Team (a well known international expert + the researcher) Action research-based Hands-on – Task-based approach Developing CLIL modules Developing materials Implementing and evaluating the modules Reflective approach Classroom observation and feedback (researcher’s methodology)

32. Complexity Theory strikes again… 29 July 2010 The Chair of Education (political responsibility) phones the researcher (in London for a CLIL planning week with the CLIL expert) to inform her that she - who is also a qualified headteacher - has to go and run a school from 1 September 2010

33. Motivation “HTs are not really HTs until they take care of a school” (principle)

35. Knock-on effects so far(1 month) 1.The CLIL international expert has withdrawn 2.The CLIL Pedagogical Day (18 September 2010) which should have formally opened the CLIL Labs has been cancelled 3. The CLIL Labs have been cancelled 4.The goal of having a CLIL MA established at the Centre is now almost impossible to achieve 5.The IT external expert who was to take care of two Actions of LIDI(1.Teacher Dev. Programme on the NEW competence-based curriculum; 2. Teacher Dev. Programme on Ts’ individual action-research FL projects) has withdrawn 6.The teacher seconded to the Centre on LIDI from 1 September 2010 is thinking of asking to go back to school immediately 7.The researcher has withdrawn from the committee who was developing the new competence-based secondary curriculum 8.The researcher has withdrawn from any other work with the Centre / provincial Department of Education 9.A very able local FL T trainer, who should have led groups of Ts (point 5) during 2010-11, has withdrawn

36. Thank you