Insights into the European portfolio for student teachers of languages (EPOSTL)
2007 saw the publication of the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL) by the Council of Europe, the result of a project carried out under the auspices of the European Centre for Modern Languages. The central aim of this project was to produce a document which would contribute to the harmonisation of teacher education in Europe. The EPOSTL is a portfolio intended for students undergoing their initial teacher education which encourages them to reflect on the didactic knowledge and skills necessary to teach languages, helps them to self-assess their own didactic competences and enables them to monitor their progress and to record their experiences of teaching during the course of their teacher education. At its heart are 195 "I can" descriptors of didactic competences, which teachers strive to attain. The EPOSTL has since been translated into 13 languages and is used widely across Europe and beyond. The main aim of Insights into the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL) is to explore important theoretical issues, an understanding of which is necessary to support the use of the EPOSTL in teacher education programmes. The first part of the book provides discussions of relevant theoretical areas: the role of reflection, learner autonomy and intercultural awareness. In the second part, the focus is on the relationship between the EPOSTL and other European publications, such as the Common European Framework of Reference and the European Profile for Language Teacher Education. Suggestions are made as to how they can be used together in teacher education. The final section provides case studies on the use of the EPOSTL in three European countries. Whether users of the EPOSTL or not, both teacher educators and their students will find that the discussions of this book provide important insights into key aspects of teacher education.
Insights from the Common European Framework
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND Background to the CEF Keith Morrow Why the CEF is important Frank Heyworth HELPING LEARNERS TO LEARN: PORTFOLIOS, SELF-ASSESSMENT, AND STRATEGY INSTRUCTION The European Language Portfolio Peter Lenz Learning to learn with the CEF Luciano Mariani THE CEF IN COURSE DESIGN AND IN TEACHER EDUCATION The CEF and secondary school syllabus Julia Keddle The CEF in pre- and in-service teacher education Hanna Komorowska FINDING OUT WHAT LEARNERS CAN DO Using the CEF to promote language learning through diagnostic testing Ari Huhta and Neus Figueras Relating assessments, examinations, and courses to the CEF Brian North DESIGNING SYLLABUS AND MATERIALS Case study 1: Using the CEF to develop an ESL curriculum for newcomer pupils in Irish primary schools David Little and Barbara Lazenby Simpson Case study 2: Using the CEF to develop English courses for teenagers at the British Council Milan Andrew Manasseh Case study 3: Using the CEF to develop English courses for adults at the University of Gloucestershire Piers Wall REFERENCE DOCUMENTS: EXTRACTS FROM THE CEF
Emotional and social intelligence assessment model for student character reinforcement
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to help teachers resolve the difficulties in assessing the students' characters through the development of valid, reliable, goodness-of-fit statistic instrument of emotional and social intelligence assessment for elementary school students.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a research and development model from Plomp with five phases, such as investigation, design, realization, testing and implementation. The research subjects were 345 students of class IV amongst 20 elementary schools in Yogyakarta. Data collection used questionnaires, documentation, interviews, Forum Group Discussion and an observation. Data analysis used descriptive analysis, Aiken's V, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis formulae.FindingsThe research study helps solve the difficulties of teachers in assessing emotional and social intelligence, which have previously been in only one area of psychomotor. The design of emotional and social intelligence assessment instruments is made from three domains of character, namely, cognitive, affective and psychomotor. The form of the instrument is non-test in three variations. The construct of social and emotional intelligence assessment for a character reinforcement has met the validity, reliability and goodness-of-fit statistic.Research limitations/implicationsThis study explains that the Emotional and Social Intelligence (ESI) model is applied for measuring cognitive, affective and psychomotor in children. This study proves that the ESI model is a comprehensive assessment model for evaluating the children's soft skills, includes (1) personal abilities: the ability to make rational decisions, the ability to design the future and (2) social skills: the ability to work together and the ability to understand other people.Practical implicationsTeachers can measure and determine the condition of children's soft skills by operating the ESI model. Based on the knowledge of the correct soft skill conditions, the teacher can adjust the teaching materials and teaching methods that would improve the child's soft skills regarding to their respective conditions. Mastering these soft skills will affect the children's capability in facing the challenge in the upcoming society's life.Originality/valueThe novelty of this study is the design model of the emotional and social intelligence assessment instrument developed comprehensively and practically as it is created from three domains of character and three forms of non-test questions, so that the assessment is not mechanical, and easily practiced by users.