DELIVERING INNOVATIVE, ONLINE TEFL COURSES TO FOSTER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND POSITIVELY IMPACT ENGLISH EARNERS

Abstract

"This paper reports on findings from a U.S. federally-funded research project involving American universities that created online courses to develop Jordanian K-12 English teachers’ instructional strategies and communication skills who are employed in disadvantaged or vulnerable rural and urban schools. The four innovative, online courses address Jordanian English teachers’ desire to motivate learners (Al-efeshat & Baniabdelrahman, 2020), develop students’ critical reading skills (Bataineh & Al-Shbatat, 2018), reduce students’ reading anxiety (Al-Shboul et at., 2013), and foster metacognitive reading strategies (Alsarayreh, 2020) among other challenges. Studies have found that increasing mobile technologies to students and teachers and integrating basic technology in public and refugee schools would profoundly impact the scope of learning and instruction (UNESCO, 2018; UNHRC, 2018). Further, research on teacher quality shows that weaknesses in teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and classroom practice undermine effective student learning and achievement (Phetla & Newman, 2020; Pontefract and Hardman 2005). Continuing professional development and PCK positively impact schools and embodies the ability to evaluate students thinking, plan appropriate learning opportunities, and modify, combine, and use instructional materials to develop conceptual understanding (Darling-Hammond et al., 1999). Teachers’ professional development through teachers’ collaboration has been reported to be effective for the improvement of schools’ performance and students’ learning outcomes in all curriculum subjects. Research repeatedly demonstrates that continuing professional development makes a difference to teachers’ pedagogic knowledge and skill which is reflected in enhanced student learning outcomes (AL-Wreikat & Bin Abdullah, 2010; Mahmoud, 2015). This project seeks to narrow these gaps and positively impact learning outcomes and student competencies through the innovative online and in-person PDP with Jordanian teachers of English. Using gathered qualitative and quantitative data, we identify the program’s impact on TEFL teachers’ integrated service learning projects and culturally relevant pedagogies to positively affected students’ learning, advanced teachers’ knowledge of research-based instructional strategies, and addressed other challenges identified by the teachers. We will also share the process for selecting teachers to participate in the program and collaborations we developed with international stakeholders."