A Proposed Flipped Learning Approach-Based Training Program to Develop the In-service Teachers’ EFL Teaching Skills

Abstract

Being an effective teacher is not an easy task. Effective teachers need to have good professional teaching skills. Content knowledge, good planning, good classroom management, organization and awareness of assessment and evaluation of the learning process are essential variables to be effective teachers. Besides, they need to feel responsible for the students' learning process, regardless their aptitude to learn. Teachers, as well as having effective professional skills, serve as examples of lifelong learners and are responsible for their own education. They need to be able to survive the demands and challenges within the diverse circumstances of teaching. They needs to be persistent, flexible and innovative on new teaching approaches and be prepared in case of any challenges. Killen (2006) stated that effective teachers have clear objectives and own goals of teaching. They manage and organize the classroom according to the students’ needs and preferences to enhance the learning process and create an attractive and warm learning environment for their students. In addition, they also master lesson planning skills, lesson presentation skills and assessment and evaluation skills. Moreover, many teachers, college and university professors desire to change their instructional style from traditional lecture to a more active student-centered style through group work, discovery activities, experiments, and class presentations (Baker, 2000). Thus, they should highlight classroom activities on helping students transfer their learning to new situations, offer something in the classroom that students cannot get elsewhere in addition to creating a dynamic learning environment.