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Evolving CPD in the Tunisian Context. Mehrez Aounallah ELT Inspector Ben Arous Tunisia TESOL 2013. Extent of Continuing Professional development in Tunisia. Preparatory & secondary cycles Primary cycle joining recently , but… Vocational training?
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Evolving CPD in the TunisianContext MehrezAounallah ELT Inspector Ben Arous Tunisia TESOL 2013
Extent of Continuing Professional development in Tunisia • Preparatory & secondary cycles • Primary cycle joiningrecently, but… • Vocational training? • No CPD for the tertiary cycle!!!
The conventionalWay • Trainer-centered • Teachersfollow the expert’s instructions • Teaching the textbook • Mainlybased in training centers (CREFOCs) • Not usuallybased on analysis of teachers’ needs/ schoolneeds. • Little or no concern about the context
Details • Basic training for novice teachers • Training day (journée pédagogique) • Demonstrationlessons • 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
A specificexample: Project Work: a strategy to develop the spirit of inquirywithinschools
Stage one: observation • Plagiarism • Little or no follow-up by teachers • Lack of training on the topic • Little or no learning: (evidenced by a fieldresearchconducted in different areas in Tunisia)
Stage 2: Formal training • Theoretical background • Groups of teachers (sameschool) decide on a topic: relevant to themand theirstudents. • Each group plan to implementtheirresearch/ inquiryaccording to a negotiatedschedule
Stage 3: Field work • Field work: task division, data collection tools, collecting data, etc. • Workshops: data analysis, drawing conclusions [worksupervised/ checked by « inspector »] • Exchange/ questionnaires, interviews, etc.
Stage 4: Presentation & dissemination • Setting up an evaluation panel: evaluationgrid • Group presentations • All teachers’ efforts valued • Friendlygathering • Evaluation of all the stages • « Whenisournextproject? »
Reflecting on the experience • Strengths: • Motivation iscontagious • We have potential! • More computer-literateteachers • Easyaccess to information and knowledge
Team work/ collaboration valued • Collaborative work: Such a challenge! • Experiencewhat the studentsexperience • Better handling of PW withtheirstudents
Weaknesses: future focus areas • Data collection tools: interviews and questionnaires: • Data analysis : Academics, please help! • Lack of presentationskills: It’s NOT liketeaching!
Opportunities: • Teachers as researchers • Publishingresearches? • There’smuch more to internet than FB! • Teacherautonomy?
Threats: • Deficientteachers’ background knowledge • Risk of resistance • Inspectorsmaybecome a thing of the past • …
CPD shouldbe • Evolving • Hands-on • Relevant to teachers’ needs • Field work/ in schools • Done by teachers • Fostersreflective practice &teacherautonomy
Still, teachersneed- • A solidknowledge basis • Basic formal training, yet hands-on • Openness to new trends • Creativeness • Adaptability • Professionalism • Teachercommunity • The love of the profession
Teacherscannotbedeveloped(passively). They develop (actively). It is vital, therefore, that they are centrallyinvolved in decisionsconcerningthe 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/ s.borg@education.leeds.ac.uk • L’apport de la pédagogie de projetdansl’apprentissage de l’anglais au cycle secondaire (FatmaGuerfel, MehrezAounallah and NaimaCharfi, CENAFFE 2010)