Taking action on professional development
This paper outlines some of the activities which have been developed by members of the English Language Institute (ELI) at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) as part of a Professional Development (PD) Committee. The committee is comprised of numerous sub-committees which include: a writing circle that provides feedback on staff members’ academic papers; a reading discussion group in which staff come together to discuss academic papers; a teaching discussion group in which various practical issues are discussed; peer workshops: presentations which harness the expertise of colleagues; peer observations: a structured process for observing lessons, being observed, and exchanging feedback; and social events including marathons and family activities. This collaborative work outlines how each of the sub-committees operates, discusses the professional benefits to be gained from such activities, and provides practical advice on how similar PD opportunities could be made available at other institutions.
Critical Friends Group for EFL teacher professional development
For the best student outcomes, teachers need to engage in continuous professional development. As a result, models of teacher professional development have been developed,among which is the Critical Friends Group (CFG) technique.However,whether it works well with EFL teachers in an Asian context like Vietnam, where EFL teachers in particular do not seemto have the habit of working together, is as yet undiscovered. This study aimed to explore the experiences of a small group of Vietnamese EFL teachers during their participation in a CFG over one semester in a specific context in Vietnam. Through observations and interviews, this study offers insights into the participants’ experiences as well as the application of CFG as a model of EFL teacher professional development in Vietnam.
Critical friends: a tool for quality improvement in universities
Quality programmes in higher education in Spain consist of a review to be conducted by a panel composed of external and internal members. These activities may contribute towards an improvement in teaching. However, we can use a number of complementary methods in order to evaluate teachers. The aim of this paper is to discuss the aspects that must be considered in order to succeed in the implementation of the critical friends technique to improve teaching, based on the experience of a group of six lecturers in a Spanish university.