A Specifically Tailored Training Course for Supporting Teachers of Medical English at a Saudi University: Tracing Pedagogical Change

Abstract

This study focuses on designing and implementing a training initiative for teachers of Medical Terminology (MT) from the English Language Skills Department at a Saudi university. The training sought to introduce teachers to a context-based approach in vocabulary teaching based on cognitive constructivist ideas and multimedia cognitive learning theories. The researchers drew on Kirkpatrick’s Learning and Training Evaluation Theory in order to analyse data and find evidence for change, if at all, in the participants’ pedagogical practices. The results evidenced that teachers not only adopted the suggested procedures but also reported increased student motivation and engagement.