Conceptualising the multifaceted impacts of a Global Englishes-oriented teacher development programme

Abstract

Despite the increasing amount of research on professional development focused on Global Englishes (GE), there has been little discussion on how the impact of GE-oriented teacher development can be conceptualised and evaluated. To fill this research gap, this case study inductively analyses different types of teacher change that South Korean teachers experienced while participating in a GE-oriented teacher development programme. The study involved a longitudinal professional development programme, consisting of 16 h of workshop sessions focused on issues relevant to GE, and a four-month-long application phase which supported pedagogic experimentation with GE perspectives in the teachers’ own classrooms. A qualitative content analysis of interviews and written reflections reveals three levels of teacher change associated with GE-oriented teacher development: cognitive, conative, and performative. While there were individual variations in the degree and direction of changes demonstrated by participants, this was influenced by the teachers’ varying levels of commitment, their interactions with educational stakeholders, and perceived contextual constraints. This paper concludes by proposing an evaluation framework for the impacts of a GE-oriented teacher development programme and with practical suggestions for improving the effectiveness of such programmes.