Preferred professional learning activities of Cambodian EFL teachers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/slte.20704Keywords:
Teachers’ professional learning, professional learning activities, preference, reflection on experiences, experimentation, learning from others without interaction, learning from others in interactionAbstract
Teachers’ professional learning is increasingly receiving attention among key stakeholders of educational institutions, including school principals, teacher educators and teachers themselves. As classroom practitioners continue to improve their performance, they are highly likely to engage in various types of techniques for their professional learning. This preliminary study adopted a mixed method approach to investigate preferred professional learning activities by Cambodian teachers who teach English as a foreign language (EFL) either at a private language school and or a public institution. Data collection involved a questionnaire to collect quantitative data, together with semi-structured interviews with six teachers who had responded to the survey, to explore perceptions of each preferred professional learning activity. The results indicated that while ‘reflection on experiences’ was the most frequently occurring way of professional learning, participants who were interviewed also appreciated the benefits and convenience of ‘learning from others in interaction’. The study, however, was unable to identify any evidence of systematic reflective practices and collaborative reflection in the collected data. The research findings have led to some implications for institutions to consider.
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