Examining changes in beliefs and practices: English language teachers’ participation in the School-based Support Program

Abstract

This article examines changes in teachers’ beliefs and practices over the course of a professional development (PD) program concerned with the implementation of a constructivist-oriented pedagogy in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Grounded in situative theories of learning and development, the School-based Support Program places instructional coaches in schools to work directly with teachers for extended periods of time. The study sought to determine the influence of the PD program on 17 EFL teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and their abilities to enact student-centered practices in their classrooms. Findings from pre/post surveys, observational data and interviews suggest that the majority of teachers experienced significant changes to their pedagogical beliefs, increased their English pedagogical content knowledge, implemented student-centered practices in their classrooms and perceived that their students were more engaged and motivated to learn than before the program. Results supported the conclusion that situated PD can lead to improvements in several aspects of teaching quality. While the majority of teachers were applying the knowledge and skills acquired through the program, others encountered obstacles in implementing the PD activities. To alleviate these barriers and maximize the effectiveness of the situated PD model, several recommendations are discussed.