Empowering EFL Teachers to Implement

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Empowering EFL Teachers to Implement Expansive
Learning
TBLT 2007

• Hiroko Suzuki, Peter J. Collins
• Research Institute of Educational Development
• Tokai University
• September 21, 2007

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Session Overview

• Background
• 1.1 Ministry Guidelines 2002 Action Plan
• 1.2 Traditional perspectives
• 1.3 Practices and challenges
• 1.4 RIEDs educational model
• 2007 TDE Program
• 2.1 Teaching concepts
• 2.2 Objective and goals
• 2.3 Contents and organization
• 2.4 Sample task-based lesson
• 3. Outcomes
• 3.1 Perspective shifts
• 3.2 Participant Reflections

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1. Background
1.1 Ministry Guidelines

• A New Course of Study 2002
• Goals for students to
• 1) develop practical communication
• abilities.
• 2) deepen their understanding of
• language and culture.
• 3) foster a positive attitude toward
• communication.

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1. Background
1.1 Ministry Guidelines

• Action Plan to Cultivate
• Japanese with English Abilities
• (implemented March 2003, goals to be met
  2008)

English Abilities The ability to communicate
efficiently with others in todays global
society Through upgrading ? teachers English
ability. ? the teaching system itself. ?
collaborative teaching with NETs and people in
the local community.
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1. Background
1.1 Ministry Guidelines

• Action Plan to Cultivate
• Japanese with English Abilities
• (implemented March 2003, goals to be met
  2008)

RIED sees that teachers must be able to

• communicate and negotiate with others in
• English JTE and NET colleagues,
  administrative
• levels, parents, people in the community
• collaborate and share ideas with other English
• teachers

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1. Background
1.2 Traditional perspectives

• Grammar-translation
• Individual teaching ideas, methods
• Teacher-fronted correct answers
• predetermined by teachers

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1. Background
1.2 Traditional perspectives, practices

• Characteristics
• high-structured
• textbook-bound
• exam-oriented
• model mimic check
• Japanese language of instruction
• lack of intellectual tension
• little real-world application
• student indifference, low motivation

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1. Background
1.3 Practices and challenges
2003 Questionnaire 5 schools responded
Dai-yon
14 Tokai-attached Schools
Yamagata
Dai-san
Gyosei
Kofu
Dai-go
Boyo
Dai-ni
Urayasu
Bosei
Takanawadai
Sugao
Shoyo
Sagami
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1. Background
1.3 Practices and challenges
Respondents to 2003 Questionnaire 5 / 14 schools

• Meetings about pedagogy and materials
  development none
• Sharing plans and/or materials in their English
  department none
• TDE participants explaining to their colleagues
• what they are doing in the TDE program few
• how they practice the outcome in their classes
  few
• teachers conducting classes more than 50 in
  English
• less than 10 / 50, at five schools

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1. Background
1.3 Practices and challenges
English as the language of instruction Percentage
(general course of study at 3,800 public senior
high schools)
Almost none Less than 50 Around or more than 50 Almost 100
OC? 3.1 40.5 31.3 25.1
OC? 4.6 36.9 30.9 27.7
English? 14.9 76.3 7.7 1.1
English? 17.1 76.0 6.2 0.8
Reading 24.8 65.6 5.0 0.7
Writing 28.5 64.4 4.7 1.2
(MEXT 2005 survey)
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1. Background
1.3 Practices and challenges

• No activities in English? Students will
• have no chances to communicate with
• others in English.
• only focus on understanding and
• memorizing linguistic knowledge and rules.

• Activities all in English?
• Students will
• be exposed to much more English.
• advance their communication abilities.
• Students will
• have a feeling of accomplishment.
• have higher motivation for future learning.

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1. Background
1.4 Educational model
We can learn to communicate only by
communicating.

• Communicate and negotiate with other people in
• English NET, colleagues, management levels,
• parents and people in the community
• Collaborate and share ideas with other English
• teachers

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students role in the classroom activity
1. Background
1.4 Educational model
Instruments
English expressions in the textbook, Japanese /
Tests
Learning Goal Text
comprehension in the textbook
Acquiring linguistic knowledge
Activity ? Outcome
Subject
students
Better university, better job
Good test scores
Competing with others
Rules
Division of labor
Community
Strategies for better scores, No relations with
others
classroom
(Engestrom, 1987) (???2004)
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1. Background
1.4 Educational model
Instruments
English expression in the textbook, Japanese /
Tests
Learning Goal Text
comprehension in the textbook
Acquiring linguistic knowledge
students role in the classroom activity
Activity ? Outcome
Subject
Students
Acquiring accuracy of linguistic knowledge
Applicable activities
Rules
Division of labor
Community
Trials or rehearsal for authentic activities
classroom
Participants in classroom communication activity
peer learning
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1. Background
students role in the social activities
1.4 Educational model
Instruments
English, background knowledge
Communication activities
Learning goals Task LPP social activity
Feeling of accomplishment Feedback from the
community Learning motivation
Activity ? Outcome
Subject
Students Teacher people
in the social community
Problem-solving Carry out the task
Rules
Division of labor
Community
Appropriate behaviors based on their role
Role assigned in the task
The task situation
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2. TDE Program
2.1 Objective and Goals
Dai-yon
Yamagata
Dai-san
Gyosei
Kofu
Dai-go
Boyo
Dai-ni
Urayasu
Bosei
Takanawadai
Sugao
Shoyo
Sagami
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2. TDE Program
2.1 Teaching concepts Teachers role
High Mid Low
real learning
Instructor
Supporter
Teacher Instruction
/ Supporter
Instructor
Activities Materials Interaction ICT
Student Autonomy
Instructor
Supporter
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2. TDE Program
2.1 Teaching concepts Interaction
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2. TDE Program
2.1 Teaching concepts Task Sequencing
Extended Activities
Textbook
Topic
Goal
Community Exposure, Response
Vocabulary
Supplementary materials
Grammar
Comm. Skills
Situation
Comm. Activities
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2. TDE Program
Teachers must be able to

• Communicate, negotiate in English with
• others
• JTE and NET colleagues, administrative levels,
  parents, people in the community
• Collaborate and share ideas with other
• English teachers

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2. TDE Program
2.2 Objective and Goals

• Objective
• Participants will experience learning through a
  variety of interactive situations. These include
  collaboration within their department,
  team-teaching with NETs, other JTEs, and
  increasing the efficiency of student learning
  through cross-content awareness. Through these
  experiences, participants will be empowered to
  apply new definitions of learning and
  communication in their own teaching.

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2. TDE Program
2.2 Objective and Goals

• Goal 1
• Participants will be able apply ideas from
  discussions on educational and teaching issues,
  including
• the learning process.
• their roles in a variety of communities,
  including
• - a learner in the TDE program.
• - a collaborator with the colleagues in their
  English divisions.
• problem-solving strategies.

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2. TDE Program
2.2 Objective and Goals

• Goal 2
• Participants will improve their grasp of key
  ideas and concepts, including
• task sequencing and project-based learning.
• the learning process, in terms of linguistic and
  background knowledge and communication skills and
  activities.
• how the role of the classroom teacher rotates
  between that of instructor, facilitator and
  participant.
• interaction with students, collaborative work.

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2. TDE Program
2.3 2007 Contents and Organization
Theme
1 Critical thinking, communication skills
2 Interaction (participants as teachers)
3 Participation (participants as teachers)
4 Performance / empathy (participants as learners)
High - Structured
Mid - Structured
Low - Structured
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2. TDE Program
2.3 2007 Contents and Organization
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2. TDE Program
2.3 2007 Contents and Organization
Group discussion
Formal debate
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2. TDE Program
2.3 2007 Contents and Organization
Dramatic Scenes
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2. TDE Program
2.4 2007 Contents and Organization
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2. TDE Program
2.4 Sample task-based lesson
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2. TDE Program
2.4 Sample task-based lesson
Biology Social Studies English
1) What isgene? 2) episodes about inheritance
1) Do good while you live 2) religion/ art/motivation in life
1) Do good while you live 2) religion/ art/motivation in life
3) genetic engineering 1) genetic engineering
3) Technological development and ethics
4) cloning mechanism (pp presentation) 2) cloning mechanism (pp presentation)
3) Search Internet to report about gene engineering and cloning in overseas
4) Debate about gene engineering and human cloning
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2. TDE Program
2.4 Sample task-based lesson
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2. TDE Program
2.4 Sample task-based lesson
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2. TDE Program
2.4 Sample task-based lesson
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2. TDE Program
2.4 Sample task-based lesson
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2. TDE Program
2.4 Sample task-based lesson
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3. Outcomes
3.1 2007 Lake Yamanaka Sessions
satisfied
unsatisfied
Discussion
Internet Search 2 9 0 0
English reading and discussion 4 7 0 0
Material Development 1 7 1 0
Comments from participants

• I thought it was a valuable way in creating
  materials.
• I hope I would like this type of discussion in
  my department for
• material development. This session was
  worthwhile.
• I think it ideal, but I wonder if my department
  can spare the time for
• this kind of meetings.

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3. Outcomes
3.1 2007 Lake Yamanaka Sessions
understand
not understand
Interactive Workshop
Necessity of interaction with students 5 5 0 0
Importance of seeing materials through students eyes 7 4 0 0
Understandability of my own materials for students 0 5 0 2
Participants comments

• I understand how difficult but important for
  teachers to create
• materials clearly understandable for students.
• I need to create more effective materials for
  students and evaluate
• them through students eyes.
• I could experience of seeing materials through
  students eyes.

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3. Outcomes
3.1 2007 Lake Yamanaka Sessions
satisfied
unsatisfied
Debate
Preparation 2 6 2 0
Logical and critical thinking about the proposition 7 4 0 0
Applicability for my classes 2 6 1 0
Performance 5 6 0 0
Participant comments

• I experienced a feeling of accomplishment by
  acting with other
• participants.
• I understand significance and pleasure in
  working collaboratively with
• others.

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3. Outcomes
3.1 2007 Lake Yamanaka Sessions
learned
not learned
Drama
New perspective of seeing other people 6 5 0 0
Flexibility 8 4 0 0
Skills as a good teacher 6 4 0 0
Collaboration with costars 8 3 0 0
Participant comments

• I thought it was a valuable way in creating
  materials.
• I hope I would like this type of discussion in
  my department for
• material development. This session was
  worthwhile.
• I think it ideal, but I wonder if my department
  can spare the time for this kind of meetings.

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3. Outcomes
3.2 Participant Reflection
Comments on task sequencing
I understand how to do action research to
improve our classes... I realize that the school
administration needs to understand the importance
of cross-content lesson. They urgently need to
reconstruct the school system and the teacher
organization.
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3. Outcomes
3.2 Participant Reflection
Comments on collaboration
I know it is important to share worksheets and
collaboratively create materials in our
department. This year I was lucky I could do
it, since it was the TDE assignment. But I see
some difficulty to get help or cooperation from
my colleagues next year. This is one of the
challenges of our school in reforming our
educational system.
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3. Outcomes
3.2 Participant Reflection
Comments on the future
We should continue "collaborative relations"
with our colleagues in the English department.
In the TDE Program, I learned how to design and
practice "team teaching" and "cross-content
lesson." My challenge is to continue practicing
these ideas from next year on.
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RIED URL http//www.ried.tokai.ac.jp/ or
contact hsuzuki_at_ried.tokai.ac.jp
pcollins_at_ried.tokai.ac.jp