School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

The ‘Good’ Language Teacher: Implications for Policy in Language

Teacher Education

Professor Simon Borg

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

… with the right opportunity and support, we have seen that our students can learn to be more creative and innovative. But it

takes good teachers … (21st Century Skills, p. xxvi)

The Good Teacher

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

… there seems to be a consensus, at least intellectually, about what a good

teacher is …

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

LTE Policy Suggestion #1

LTE policy needs to be based on an explicit statement of the

attributes of a ‘good’ teacher. This defines the goals which will inform subsequent decisions about LTE.

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

The ‘Good’ English Teacher

• Knowledgeable• Reflective• Research-engaged• Motivated

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

Teacher Knowledge

Linguistic/LiteraryDiscrete

TheoreticalExternalUniversal

Implementation

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

Teacher KnowledgeKnowledge for teaching

IntegratedPracticalPersonalSituated

Experiential Interpretation/Creation

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

LTE Policy Suggestions#2. Design LTE curricula to develop a

multidimensional knowledge base.#3. Structure the LTE curriculum to

develop an integrated knowledge base.#4. Make experiential learning central to

LTE pedagogy and assessment.

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

conscious recall and examination of [an] experience as a basis for evaluation and

decision-making and as a source for planning and action.

(Richards 1991: 4)

Reflection

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

Most teacher educators would argue that reflection is an

essential tool in professional development. (Burton, 2009: 300)

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

Reflective Practice

AwarenessUnderstandingDecision-makingTeacher autonomyTeacher responsibility

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

LTE Policy Suggestions#5. Integrate reflection into pedagogy and

assessment in LTE.#6. Articulate & communicate a coherent

rationale for reflective practice.#7. Provide teachers with modelling and

training in reflective practice.

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

Research Engagement

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

LTE Policy Suggestions

#8. Promote research-informed LTE.#9. Require all teachers to complete a

research project.#10. Ensure that research engagement

has pedagogical relevance.#11. Create conditions conducive to

research engagement.

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

Teacher Motivation

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

Teacher Motivation

(Teacher Motivation in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, DFID, 2007)

Teacher motivation is affected by:Accountability Security

The demands of policyPay and career progressionStatus and vocational commitmentTeacher competenceWorking and living conditionsTeacher management & professional support

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

LTE Policy Suggestions#12. Provide induction for new teachers.#13. Increase opportunities for PD.#14. Define clear routes for career

progression.#15. Create competitive working conditions.

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

Other Policy Considerations

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

To Sum Up

School of EducationFaculty of Education, Social Sciences & Law

The ‘Good’ Language Teacher: Implications for Policy in Language

Teacher Education

Professor Simon Borg