Teacher-practitioner Inquiry in Professional Development A Case of Adaptation and Resistance to Genre-based Systemic Functional Linguistic as a New Writing Instruction
A Case of Adaptation and Resistance to Genre-based Systemic Functional Linguistic as a New Writing Instruction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7160/eriesj.2023.160107Keywords:
In-service teacher education, Practitioner inquiry, Professional development, Teaching reformsAbstract
Abstract
This qualitative study reports the results of sensemaking when teacher-practitioner inquiry in professional development (PD) is carried out for 120 Vietnamese K-12 and college teachers. The PD was designed to prepare teachers to teach with different newly-approved English language coursebooks using a genre-based systemic functional linguistic approach (SFL). During scaffolds in workshops, teaching staff guided teachers in cooperating and drafting lessons using genre-based SFL, examining the lessons’ impacts on students’ responses. Teachers also journaled to unravel the knitted instructional complexities and express their willingness to adapt to emerging teaching practices. Data were collected via the video recordings, teachers’ interviews, and content analysis of their inquiry products. Four themes representing the complexities in teachers’ sensemaking of scaffolded collaborative PD were: 1. Improved teacher agency in terms of planning and instruction; 2. Research-based experiential learning creating a venue for intrinsic motivation to innovate in instruction; 3. An overwhelming feeling of inequity between high and low-resourced instructional situations; 4. The mismatch between teachers’ advocacy for desired deep-learning approach and the traditional ideology of rote learning for exams.
References
Allen, C. D., and Penuel, W. R. (2015) ‘Studying teachers’ sensemaking to investigate teachers’ responses to professional development focused on new standards’, Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 66, No. 2, pp. 136–149. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487114560646
Avidov-Ungar, O. (2016) ‘A model of professional development: Teachers’ perceptions of their professional development’, Teachers and Teaching, Vol. 22, No. 6, pp. 653–669. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2016.1158955
Barron, B., and Darling-Hammond, L. (2008) Teaching for Meaningful Learning: A Review of Research on Inquiry-Based and Cooperative Learning. Book Excerpt, [Online], George Lucas Educational Foundation. Available at: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED539399.pdf [14 Feb 2023].
Bitchener, J., and Ferris, D. R. (2012) Written corrective feedback in second language acquisition and writing, New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203832400
Blair, E. (2015) ‘A reflexive exploration of two qualitative data coding techniques’, Journal of Methods and Measurement in the Social Sciences, Vol. 6, No. 1, 14–29. https://doi.org/10.2458/v6i1.18772
Byrnes, H. (2012) ‘Conceptualizing FL writing development in collegiate settings: A genre-based systemic functional linguistic approach’, L2 writing development: Multiple perspectives, Vol. 6, pp. 190–218. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781934078303
Canh, L. V. (2002) ‘Sustainable professional development of EFL teachers in Vietnam’, Teacher’s Edition, Vol. 10, pp. 32–37.
Canh, L. V. (2018) ‘A critical analysis of moral values in Vietnam-produced EFL textbooks for upper secondary schools’, in Widodo H. P., Perfecto, M. R., Canh, L. V. and Buripakdi, A. (eds.) Situating moral and cultural values in ELT materials, pp. 111–129, Cham: Springer.
Canh, L. V. (2020) ‘Remapping the teacher knowledge-base of language teacher education: A Vietnamese perspective’, Language Teaching Research, Vol. 24, No.1, pp. 71–81. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168818777525
Charteris, J., and Smardon, D. (2015) ‘Teacher agency and dialogic feedback: Using classroom data for practitioner inquiry’, Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 50, pp. 114–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2015.05.006
Corbin, J. M., and Strauss, A. (1990) ‘Grounded theory research: Procedures, canons, and evaluative criteria’, Qualitative sociology, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00988593
Dana, N. F., and Yendol-Hoppey, D. (2019) The reflective educator's guide to classroom research: Learning to teach and teaching to learn through practitioner inquiry, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Dang, T. C. T., and Seals, C. (2018) ‘An evaluation of primary English textbooks in Vietnam: A sociolinguistic perspective’, TESOL Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 93–113. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.309
Derewianka, B., and Jones, P. (2012) Teaching language in context, Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Dinh, H., (2022) ‘Synergic Concepts, Lexical Idiosyncrasies, and Lexical Complexities in Bilingual Students’ Translated Texts as Efforts to Resolve Conceptual Inequivalences’, Languages, Vol. 7, No. 2, 94. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7020094
Duffy, M. (1995) ‘Sensemaking: A collaborative inquiry approach to" doing" learning’, The Qualitative Report, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 1–6. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/1995.2066
Groundwater-Smith, S., and Dadds, M. (2004) ‘Critical practitioner inquiry: Towards responsible professional communities of practice’, in Day, C. and Sachs, J. (eds.) International handbook on the continuing professional development of teachers, pp. 238–263, Buckingham: Open University Press.
Gutierez, S. B. (2019) ‘Teacher-practitioner research inquiry and sense making of their reflections on scaffolded collaborative lesson planning experience’, Asia-Pacific Science Education, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41029-019-0043-x
Hashimoto, K. (2018) ‘The professional development of English language teachers in Asia: Lessons from Japan and Vietnam’, in Hashimoto, K. and Nguyen, V-.T. (eds.) Professional Development of English Language Teachers in Asia, pp. 1–10. New York: Routledge.
Hang, N. T. T. (2021) ‘Vietnamese upper-high school teachers’ views, practices, difficulties, and expectations on teaching EFL writing’, Journal on English as a Foreign Language, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 1–20. https://doi.org/10.23971/jefl.v11i1.2228
Hoang, V. V. (2016) ‘Renovation in curriculum design and textbook development: An effective solution to improving the quality of English teaching in Vietnamese schools in the context of integration and globalization’, VNU Journal of Science: Education Research, Vol 32, No.4, pp. 4–15. https://doi.org/10.25073/2588-1159/vnuer.3845
Hoang, V. V. (2016) Đổi mới chương trình và sách giáo khoa tiếng Anh ở trường phổ thông Việt Nam: Một giải pháp nâng cao chất lượng dạy và học môn học [Tranformative curriculum design and materials development in Vietnamese K-12 system: a solution to enhance the quality of teaching and learning the subject matter], Hanoi National University of Education (HNUE), [Online] Available at: http://repository.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/handle/ULIS_123456789/967 [14 Feb 2023].
Le, M. D., Nguyen, H. T. M., and Burns, A. (2021) ‘English primary teacher agency in implementing teaching methods in response to language policy reform: A Vietnamese case study’, Current Issues in Language Planning, Vol.22, No. 1–2, pp. 199–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2020.1741209
Lieberman, A., and Miller, L. (2014) ‘Teachers as professionals: evolving definitions of staff development’, in Martin, L. E., Kragler, S., Quatroche, D. J. and Bauserman, K. J. (eds.), Handbook of professional development in education, pp. 67–71. New York: Guilford Press.
Jacobs, J., Yendol-Hoppey, D., and Dana, N. F. (2015) ‘Preparing the next generation of teacher educators: The role of practitioner inquiry’, Action in Teacher Education, Vol. 37, No. 4, pp. 373–396. https://doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2015.1078758
Martin, J. R., and Rose, D. (2007) ‘Interacting with text: The role of dialogue in learning to read and write’, Foreign Languages in China, Vol. 4, No. 5, pp. 66–80.
McArdle, K., and Coutts, N. (2010) ‘Taking teachers' continuous professional development (CPD) beyond reflection: Adding shared sense-making and collaborative engagement for professional renewal’, Studies in continuing education, Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 201–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2010.517994
McCabe, A. (2017) ‘Systemic functional linguistics and language teaching’, in Bartlett, T. and O’Grady, G. (eds.) The Routledge handbook of systemic functional linguistics, pp. 615–628, New York: Routledge.
McChesney, K., and Aldridge, J. M. (2019) ‘A review of practitioner-led evaluation of teacher professional development’, Professional Development in Education, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 307–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2018.1452782
Miles, M. B., and Huberman, A. M. (1994) Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Milton, E., Daly, C., Langdon, F., Palmer, M., Jones, K., and Davies, A. J. (2022) ‘Can schools really provide the learning environment that new teachers need? Complexities and implications for professional learning in Wales’, Professional development in education, Vol. 48, No. 5, pp. 878–891. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2020.1767177
Murray, J. (2013) ‘Academic induction for new teacher educators: Forging authentic research identities through practitioner inquiry’, in Campbell, A. and Groundwater-Smith, S. (eds.) Connecting inquiry and professional learning in education, pp. 110–122. London: Routledge.
Ngo, X. M. (2021) ‘Vietnam's trillion-trillion-dong attempt to reform English education: A laudable reform or a costly failure?’, English today, Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 115–119. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0266078419000440
Nagao, A. (2019) ‘The SFL genre-based approach to writing in EFL contexts’, Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, Vol 4, No. 1, pp. 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-019-0069-3
Nghia, T. L. H. (2015) ‘Vietnamese students’ perception of English teacher qualities: Implications for teacher professional development’, International Journal of Academic Research in Education and Review, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 7–19. https://doi.org/10.14662/IJARER2014.058
Nghia, T. L. H. (2017) ‘What hinders teachers from translating their beliefs into teaching behaviors: The case of teaching generic skills in Vietnamese universities’, Teaching and teacher education, Vol. 64, pp. 105–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.02.003
Nghia, T. L. H., Phuong, P. T. N., and Huong, T. L. K. (2020) ‘Implementing the student-centred teaching approach in Vietnamese universities: the influence of leadership and management practices on teacher engagement’, Educational Studies, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 188–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2018.1555453
Ngo, N. H. H., Cherrington, S., and Crabbe, D. (2022) ‘An Integrated Framework of Professional Development for Vietnamese Lecturers of English as a Foreign Language’, RELC Journal, 00336882221085783. https://doi.org/10.1177/003368822210857
Nguyen, T. N. (2017) ‘Đề án ngoại ngữ quốc gia 2020 có thể học được gì từ kinh nghiêm châu Á?’, VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, Vol. 33, No. 4. https://doi.org/10.25073/2525-2445/vnufs.4166
Nguyen, N. T. H. (2018) ‘Vietnamese teachers’ views on a large-scale professional development course on using computer-assisted language learning’, in Hashimoto, K. and Nguyen, V-.T. (eds.) Professional Development of English Language Teachers in Asia, pp. 130–148. New York: Routledge.
Nguyen, H. T. M., and Burns, A. (2017) ‘Teacher language proficiency and reform of English language education in Vietnam, 2008-2020’, Phnom Penh, Vol. 19.
Nguyen, T. T. M., Marlina, R., and Cao, T. H. P. (2021) ‘How well do ELT textbooks prepare students to use English in global contexts? An evaluation of the Vietnamese English textbooks from an English as an international language (EIL) perspective’, Asian Englishes, Vol 23, No. 2, pp. 184–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/13488678.2020.1717794
Nguyen, L. T., and Newton, J. (2021) ‘Enhancing EFL teachers’ pronunciation pedagogy through professional learning: a Vietnamese case study’, RELC Journal, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 77–93. https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882209524
Orland‐Barak, L. (2009) ‘Unpacking variety in practitioner inquiry on teaching and teacher education’, Educational Action Research, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 111–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/09650790802667485
Phan, N.T. T. (2020) ‘Can I teach these students? A case study of Vietnamese teachers’ self-efficacy in relation to teaching English as a foreign language’, Arab World English Journal, [Online], Available at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3582383 [14 Feb 2023].
Peeraer, J., and Van Petegem, P. (2012) ‘The limits of programmed professional development on integration of information and communication technology in education’, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 28, No. 6. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.809
Potter, H. M. (2017) Principal Sensemaking in Implementation: How Perspectives Influence Outcomes, [dissertation thesis], East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University.
Pringle, R. M. (2020) Researching Practitioner Inquiry as Professional Development, Cham: Springer.
Robbins, J. (2020) ‘Practitioner inquiry’, in Conway C. M. (ed.) An Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research in American Music Education, pp. C11.S1-C11.S18. Oxford: Oxford university press
Rodgers, C. (2002) ‘Defining reflection: Another look at John Dewey and reflective thinking’, Teachers college record, Vol. 104, No. 4, pp. 842–866. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9620.00181
Rose, D., and Martin, J. R. (2012) Learning to write, reading to learn: Genre, knowledge and pedagogy in the Sydney School, London: Equinox.
Rutten, L. (2021) ‘Toward a theory of action for practitioner inquiry as professional development in preservice teacher education’, Teaching and teacher education, Vol. 97, 103194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103194
Spillane, J. P., Diamond, J. B., Burch, P., Hallett, T., Jita, L., and Zoltners, J. (2002) ‘Managing in the middle: School leaders and the enactment of accountability policy’, Educational Policy, Vol 16, No. 5, pp. 731–762. https://doi.org/10.1177/089590402237311
Thao, L. T., and Mai, L. X. (2022) ‘English language teaching reforms in Vietnam: EFL teachers’ perceptions of their responses and the influential factors’ Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 29–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2020.1846041
Ton Nu, A. T., and Murray, J. (2020) ‘Pragmatic Content in EFL Textbooks: An Investigation into Vietnamese National Teaching Materials’, TESL-EJ, Vol. 24, No. 3.
Tran, T. T. (2014) ‘Governance in higher education in Vietnam–a move towards decentralization and its practical problems’, Journal of Asian Public Policy, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 71–82. https://doi.org/10.1080/17516234.2013.873341
Tran, N. G., Ha, X. V., and Tran, N. H. (2021) ‘EFL reformed curriculum in Vietnam: An understanding of teachers’ cognitions and classroom practices’, RELC Journal, https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688221104367
Tran, H. N., Ha, X. V., Le, V. A., and Nguyen, A. N. (2021) ‘Principal Leadership and Teacher Professional Development in a Vietnamese High School for Gifted Students: Perspectives into Practice’, European Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 1839–1851. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.10.4.1839
Tuan, D. M. (2021) ‘Vietnamese EFL Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Reflective Teaching as a Tool for Professional Development’, REiLA: Journal of Research and Innovation in Language, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 170–180. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.10.4.1839
Uştuk, Ö., and Çomoğlu, İ. (2021) ‘Reflexive professional development in reflective practice: what lesson study can offer’, International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 260–273. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijlls-12-2020-0092
Uştuk, Ö., and De Costa, P. I. (2021) ‘Reflection as meta‐action: Lesson study and EFL teacher professional development’, TESOL Journal, Vol. 12, No. 1, e00531. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.531
Van Ha, X., and Murray, J. C. (2021) ‘The impact of a professional development program on EFL teachers’ beliefs about corrective feedback’, System, Vol. 96, 102405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102405
Von Gnechten, M. P. (2011) Collaborative practitioner inquiry: Providing leadership and action research for teacher professional development, [dissertation thesis], Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University.
Weick, K. E. (1995) Sensemaking in organizations, (Vol. 3). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Wenger, E. (1999) Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity, Cambridge: Cambridge university press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511803932
Wolkenhauer, R., and Hooser, A. (2017) ‘“Inquiry is confidence”: How practitioner inquiry can support new teachers’, Journal of Practitioner Research, Vol. 2, No. 1, 5. https://doi.org/10.5038/2379-9951.2.1.1028
Yasuda, S. (2012) The implementation of genre-based tasks in foreign language writing instruction: A longitudinal study of writers' rhetorical awareness, writing quality, and lexicogrammatical choices, [dissertation dissertation], Honolulu: University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Hanh Dinh, Lan Nguyen Thi Huong
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors declare with this manuscript intended for publication to ERIES Journal that:
- all co-authors agree with the publication of the manuscript even after amendments arising from peer review;
- all co-authors agree with the posting of the full text of this work on the web page of ERIES Journal and to the inclusion of references in databases accessible on the internet;
- no results of other researchers were used in the submitted manuscript without their consent, proper citation, or acknowledgement of their cooperation or material provided;
- the results (or any part of them) used in the manuscript have not been sent for publication to any other journal nor have they already been published (or if so, that the relevant works are cited in this manuscript);
- submission of the manuscript for publication was completed in accordance with the publishing regulations pertaining to place of work;
- experiments performed comply with current laws and written consent of the Scientific Ethics Committee / National Animal Care Authority (as is mentioned in the manuscript submitted);
- grant holders confirm that they have been informed of the submitted manuscript and they agree to its publication.
Authors retain copyright and grant ERIES Journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the published work with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in ERIES Journal. Moreover, authors are able to post the published work in an institutional repository with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in ERIES Journal. In addition, authors are permitted and encouraged to post the published work online (e.g. institutional repositories or on their website) as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.