From a Ieamer's position, TBL advantages the Ieamer in a number of ways:
• It gives learners confidence to try whatever language they know,
through a pair or group activity.
• It provides learners with experience of spontaneous interaction.
It provides learners opportunities to practice negotiating turns to communicate and interact to others.
It engages learners i n using language purposefully and co-operatively in meaningful learning activities.
• It encourages learners to gain confidence to use the target language i n order t o achieve the goals o f the tasks.
In a classroom, students will spend most of their time doing activities in pairs, groups or whole class. In such a situation, the students will be allowed to have more involvement in a learning process.
5. The role of instmctional materials
Independent learning can be assisted by the use of instructional materials appropriate to CLT in supporting student learning. Instructional materials can be used to encourage the development of independent learning. Materials used for supporting student learning in the CLT have been described by Richards and Rogers (1986) as fall ing into three categories. These are text based materials, task-based materials and those materials taken from real life known as realia. Text-based materials consist of textbooks and other
published resources designed specifically to direct and support CL T. Richards and Rogers give as examples Morrow and Johnson' s Communicative
Activities (1979), Watcyn-Jones' Pair Work (1981), and the Malaysian English Language S yllabus support materials ( 19 75). Task-based materials
are those materials which include games, role plays, simulations and task based communication activities. S uch materials engage students in
participation through communication. Realia consists of the use of what can be called ' authentic' materials in the classroom. Examples of realia include written texts such as English-language newspapers and magazines, as well as spoken and visual texts including advertisements and current affairs
programmes recorded from television.
It is emphasised by Nunan that the role of CL T support materials must enable learners to make the links between what they learn in the classroom and their lives beyond the classroom. Such resources will only be of value if they foster the elements of changing the learners so they become independent. An
additional element is that the resources need to contribute to the development of independent learning by increasing the learners' interest and engagement and enhancing their understanding of the learning process. It is important that the materials are authentic and that they consist of a variety of materials which can be used in many different ways and at different proficiency levels. Such authentic materials are often superior to the published curriculum packages which are sometimes made available to support curriculum initiatives. These packages are often limited in that they only look at learning in one way (Nunan, 1988: 99).
Implication for PDP
TBL encourages teachers to use a variety of materials which support students to do their tasks. In their planning, teachers need to ensure that they use a variety of sources of instructional materials. These materials should respond to the basic principles that they are meaningful, authentic and that their primary purpose is to support the students' learning rather than the teacher's teaching. In selecting instructional materials it is important that the teachers
do not rely too heavily on textbooks as the main source of instructional materials.
6 . Role o f assessment
In keeping with the principles of student centred learning promoted by CL T, it is important to reinforce the view that the role of assessment in CLT is to foster engagement of the students in their own learning. Assessment should be seen as being more than just a measure of achievement. In CL T, the focus is on language proficiency broadly, rather than just on accuracy in grammar or number of vocabulary items correctly memorised. This raises the question about what constitutes 'proficiency' . Nunan provides a definition which refers to student's capacity to perform an increasing range of communicative tasks with a developing confidence. Such confidence is determined by mastery of a complex set of enabling language skills which include syntax, morphology, fluency, socio-cultural knowledge, phonology, and discourse (Nunan, 1988:
127).
Self-assessment and peer assessment provide an important supplement to the assessments conducted by the teacher. Assessment such as self and peer assessment adds to the authenticity of the assessment. Self -assessment
provides a very effective means of developing both critical self-awareness of what it is to be a learner, and skills in learning how to learn (Nunan, 1988:
1 16).
Implication for PDP
The authentic assessment processes discussed here have as their basis a focus on students' development rather than on student achievement. It is therefore important that teachers receive training in authentic assessment methods. This could involve a range of professional development activities which emphasise authentic assessment.
in the assessment process and also the use of a variety of approaches to assessment such as the exhibition, conferencing and the use of ICTs in presentations.
Section II: The design o f the PDP
Many scholars, including Pullan (1992) and Simons, Linden and Duffy (2000), have emphasised that successful change will come about where there are high quality in-service training programmes. The change process has three major stages - initiation, implementation, and continuation. The last two of these stages are identified by Pullan as those where practical support is most essential.
There are many challenges posed by moving to CL T methods and moving away from traditional approaches in EPL Bringing about these changes can be very difficult to achieve, but this is not a reason for not setting out to implement such changes. Several studies have indicated that attempting to do this in many Asian countries has proved difficult (Sana et. al ., 1984 ; Li, 1998; Burnaby & Sun, 1 989; Ellis, 1 994; Shamin, 1996). These studies highlight
many of the major problems faced when introducing a curriculum innovation such as CL T. Such problems include, for example, large classes, teachers' lack of proficiency in the target language, and difficulty in accessing suitable materials and equipment. Even when systems, schools and teachers are committed to this language teaching method, making the transition to CL T methods remains a challenge. The challenge centres on the difficulty of making major changes in practice, and also moving the paradigm from traditionally accepted educational practices to new ways of educational thinking (Smith, 2001).
The programme proposed here is related to successful models of curriculum change elsewhere in the world, although in this case it has been applied to the unique circumstances ofEPL in Thailand. The recommended PDP plan is expressed in a way that will generate confidence among participants in terms
of their role in the PDP. The programme remains flexible at the classroom level in order to enable teachers and supervisors to participate in making decisions concerning their own situations. In order to bring about a major change in pedagogical practices in an education system and to ensure the success of any paradigm shift in pedagogical theory and practice, much more is required of its instigators than a mental map of the new terri tory.
Such a change requires an effective process of implementation, with assistance for teachers as they find their way into unfamiliar and at times hazardous terrain. A coaching approach has been proven to be valuable in supporting teachers through the challenge of innovation (Joyce & Showers, 1980; Galton & Williamson, 1 992). Coaching can be effective for developing implementation skills in teachers by providing clear guidance on what to do and how to do it. It has also been shown to have the flexibility to assist individual teachers in dealing with the specific difficulties they encounter, to assist them gain the management skills to cope with the complexities of change, and to provide this support directly when it is most needed (Galton & Williamson, 1 992).
Bearing in mind the lack of success of the traditional Thai programmes and responding to these recommendations, the PDP for this study included the following components:
• The use of the coaching approach
The coaching used in the PDP allowed the supervisors and the teachers participating in the PDP to discuss the development of the teachers' performance. The discussion was conducted in a private room (free from distraction) immediately after the lesson. The supervisor initiated the discussion with the teacher by giving feedback from the classroom
observation checklist which focused on positive teaching performance. The supervisor initially, points out the development of the teacher in areas of constructive change since the last/previous visit. At the meeting, the teacher raised issues and difficulties she had encountered both in the observed lesson
and previous lessons she recorded in her diary. The researcher took the role of observer, taking notes, tape-recording the conversation and mentoring for both the supervisor and the teacher on technical issues such as TBL, CL T.
• Giving a monitoring and support role to supervisors
A supervisor is regarded highly as the person with a key role in supporting curriculum implementation. A support role to supervisors in the PDP started from a process of selecting teachers to participate the PDP. The supervisors carefully selected the teachers whom they expected to become key teachers to assist colleagues in schools with curriculum implementation. By considering the teachers' capacities, attitudes and motivation, the supervisors expected these teachers to develop their capacity as teaching professionals which was a direct benefit from participation in the PDP.
In terms of a monitoring role in the PDP, the supervisor took this role from the beginning, when watching the teachers' lesson videotapes and gave advice and set goals for teachers to achieve. The monitoring role to the supervisors occurred during regular classroom visits to provide comments drawn from the classroom observation checklist used in the post-lesson discussion.
• Consideration of the specific needs and expectations of the teachers involved
A consideration of the specific needs and expectations of the teachers involved in the PDP began when the supervisors and teachers viewed the videotapes of individual lessons together during the intensive teacher training workshop. The viewing of the lesson videotapes allowed the supervisors and teachers to identify for each teacher the strengths and weaknesses of their teaching performance. The teachers themselves identified their need to develop their teaching towards CL T. Teachers' expectations varied from a consideration of their teaching skill, knowledge and experience. For example, Teacher 2 was far more likely to develop teaching skills towards CL T from the beginning stage, while Teacher 4 needed to develop more collaborative and open-feedback on her teaching skills.
technician for videotaping teachers' lessons both before and after the PDP.
• Encouraging openness in group appraisal and reflection
The PDP encouraged openness in group appraisal and reflection through different kinds of activities such as:
• At the: workshop, teachers were asked to self-evaluate their teaching performance from their lesson videotapes taken.
During discussion after the lesson, teachers opened up with the supervisors and the researcher to raise their issues concerning both positive and negative experiences about the new teaching method.
• A monthly meeting, sharing experiences about the use of the new
teachJ ng method, both negative and positive among supervisors and teachers.
This openness came because of the PDP focus on each of teachers' development and pointed out their benefit from the PDP
• Establishing a climate of experimentation and enquiry rather than judgment or blame
A challenge of the PDP was to establish a climate of experimentation by encouraging tteachers to change their teaching behaviours. These included:
•
• being iindependent from using only textbooks as the main
teaching/learning resources, •
•
•
ex peri mentation of a new role of teacher as a learning facilitator, ex peri mentation with a new way of assessment which focus on the development of students' learning, rather than achievement, and experimentation with students' involvement in a learning process .
Responding to the �onstraints of specific contexts, especially those
arising from the radical nature ofthe CLT in traditional classrooms
• Drawing on the professional skills of teachers as input to the
programme
The PDP respected teachers' knowledge and their teaching experience in relation to classroom organisation, students' learning style and assessment. The teachers were encouraged to explore their own situation, e.g., students' need and ability, and left it open for them to design their own lesson which suited their own teaching style. The PDP respected the teachers' role as skilful practitioners of a complex art and encouraged them to become more independent as classroom curriculum developers.
• Building collaboration and mutual support between teachers, and between
teachers and supervisors
The PDP encouraged collaboration and mutual support between teachers, and teachers and supervisors, through a variety of activities such as a regular school visit (fortnightly) for each teacher, a monthly meeting among teachers and supervisors to share experiences in their using the new teaching method, both positive and negative, as well as sharing materials and lesson plans. In fact, the teachers' and supervisors' collaboration began from the beginning of the programme when the supervisors selected teachers who they expected to be key teachers to work in their schools.
• Liaising closely with personnel at different levels - including
superintendent, supervisor, principal and teacher - in order to develop a network of stakeholders
The PDP worked closely with local educational authorities at different levels in order to develop a network of stakeholders. The liaising activities involved a process of selection schools /sites, supervisors and teachers for the PDP which was decided by superintendents. The superintendents also nominated supervisors to work in the programme as they considered those supervisors to be well qualified and experienced enough to take this role. The
superintendent, principals and the supervisors together, then, nominated the teachers to participate in the PDP. The superintendents also provided a meeting room for the seminar and intensive training workshop, and a
technician for videotaping teachers' lessons both before and after the PDP.
• Encouraging openness in group appraisal and reflection
The PDP encouraged openness in group appraisal and reflection through different kinds of activities such as:
• At the workshop, teachers were asked to self-evaluate their teaching performance from their lesson videotapes taken.
•
During discussion after the lesson, teachers opened up with the supervisors and the researcher to raise their issues concerning both positive and negative experiences about the new teaching method. A monthly meeting, sharing experiences about the use of the new teaching method, both negative and positive among supervisors and teachers.
This openness came because of the PDP focus on each of teachers' development and pointed out their benefit from the PDP
• Establishing a climate of experimentation and enquiry rather than judgment
or blame
A challenge of the PDP was to establish a climate of experimentation by encouraging teachers to change their teaching behaviours. These included:
•
•
•
•
•
being independent from using only textbooks as the main teaching/learning resources,
experimentation of a new role of teacher as a learning facilitator, experimentation with a new way of assessment which focus on the development of students' learning, rather than achievement, and experimentation with students' involvement in a learning process .
Responding to the constraints of specific contexts, especially those
arising from the radical nature of the CLT in traditional classrooms
The adoption of CL T was challenging teachers when they applied this teaching method in their classrooms. The PDP concerned and responded to
the constraints of using the CLT in traditional classrooms, especially those arising in specific contexts. For example, one teacher found difficulty in using a whole class activity in a large class because of a noise problem affecting other classes. To avoid this problem, it was suggested that pair or small group activities be used instead. In contrast, a teacher from a small class had a problem that activities finished too quickly because of the small number of students. It was recommended in this case that whole class activities would be more appropriate.
The particular aspects of this professional development programme emanate from these components. The components give this programme its specific character, locating it in the context of change in the Thai education system. For these reasons, the researcher saw a coaching approach as an important element in enabling the content of a professional development programme to be delivered and absorbed, and then to be adapted for use in the teachers' own classroom practice.
The combination of TBL with a coaching approach held out to the researcher the hope of finding a possible means to tackle a problem in the devising of TEFL professional development, one that had been shown in the experience of many education systems in Asia and elsewhere as being most intractable (Ballinger, 2000). One of the significant factors involved in the failure of efforts to implement major curriculum change would appear to be the lack of continuing support for teachers at a practical school level, leaving them feeling insecure and lacking the confidence to implement the innovation individually in their schools. It was essential to the framing of this present study that educational change and its implementation be recognised as a complex process and that teachers require continuing support during it. Table 3 . 1 below indicates the relationships between the theoretical
background to the development and the design of the PDP as described in this chapter .The left hand side of the table links the theory with the right hand
side which contains the practical suggestions for the PDP developed in this chapter.
Table 3.1: The relationships between the theoretical background to the development of the PDP and the design of the PDP
The theoretical background to
the of the PDP