Self and Group Initiated Professional Development Pursuits of EFL Teachers

Abstract

Teachers’ quality plays a paramount role in the improvement of education quality. One of the ways to ensure high quality teachers is through effective continuous professional development for teachers. This present study is aimed to explore how EFL teachers develop their professionalism, particularly in terms of pedagogical and professional competencies. This research involved seven outstanding English teachers teaching at junior and senior high schools from two different areas covering one municipality and a district in Cirebon. The result showed that there are two main themes of professional development pursuits of the outstanding teachers comprising of self-initiated or individual and group professional development activities. ABSTRAK Kualitas guru berperan penting dalam menjaga kualitas pendidikan. Salah satu cara memastikan guru untuk tetap berkualitas adalah melalui aktivitas pengembangan profesionalisme yang efektif bagi guru. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi bagaimana aktivitas guru bahasa Inggris mengembangkan profesionalisme mereka terutama dalam hal kompetensi pedagogis dan profesional. Penelitian ini melibatkan tujuh guru bahasa Inggris luar biasa yang mengajar di tingkat SMP dan SMA dari dua wilayah yang berbeda yang mencakup satu kotamadya dan sebuah kabupaten di Cirebon. Hasil penelitiannya menunjukkan bahwa ada dua pola utama aktivitas pengembangan profesional dari guru bahasa Inggris yang terdiri dari kelompok sendiri / individu, dan kelompok. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa guru bahasa Inggris dapat melakukan kegiatan profesinya yang diinisiasi sendiri dan kelompok untuk mempertahankan profesionalisme mereka sebagai guru. How to Cite: Priajana, N. (2017). Self and Group Initiated Professional Development Pursuits of EFL Teachers. IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 4(1), 31-48 doi:10.15408/ijee.v4i1.6597.

Professional Development Activities of IELTS Trainers from Non-English Major

“…By doing those kinds of activities, the trainers believe that they can apply appropriate and suitable teaching practices for their IELTS students and provide some support to help them achieve their goals. Concerning the importance of professional development activity, some experts supported this topic with their findings (Anugerahwati & Saukah, 2010;Irmawati et al, 2017;Priajana, 2017). They argue that various types of professional activities which teachers undergo help them improve their teaching skills.…”

“…In terms of the professional aspect, they think that using the internet gives them a source of knowledge that helps them improve their understanding of IELTS material. Priajana (2017) reported that online activity supports the teachers to be active contributors and participants who direct and construct the learning events for the group and create regular opportunities for enhancing the learning-teaching context.…”

“…Concerning this, it shows that the research subjects tend to read the appropriate sources to their need and interest (Simegn, 2014). To summarize, conducting reading activities keeps the trainers up-to-date with novel ideas and themes (Priajana, 2017).…”

“…Several studies dealing with professional development activities done by the teachers have been conducted. Priajana (2017) showed that the teachers conducted three main professional development themes, namely self-initiated professional development, institutional, professional development, and non-institutional professional development activities. Another study was conducted by Irmawati et al (2017) shows that reform types of activities are dominant for structural features of professional development in which the activities were conducted as needed; thus, the duration could not be counted precisely.…”

“…Compared to the previous findings from other researchers, the point that makes the present study different focuses on investigating the professional development activities of IELTS trainers from non-English majors who teach IELTS preparation classes. Thus, it has filled the gap of the previous studies that focus on English teachers' professional development activities from English majors, and they teach in formal educational institutions (Anugerahwati & Saukah, 2010;Irmawati et al, 2017;Priajana, 2017;Vo & Nguyen, 2020). Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the professional development activities of IELTS trainers from non-English majors.…”