Promoting Teacher Development through an Interactive Approach to Curriculum Development

Abstract

This study reports on how the instructor/researcher developed and implemented four courses in close collaboration with undergraduate English majors at the University of Tabriz, Iran. The participants of this study consisted of English language majors (n=251) and language instructors (n=5). The data were collected during one year through semi-structured interviews, discussions with students and instructors, field notes, journals, and diaries. Since no syllabuses were found, the researcher had to develop the curriculum and design the courses based on theory and practice. Therefore, the goals of the courses were agreed upon by the students, their correlations and structures in relation to other courses were established and general classroom and institutional policies were determined. The established syllabus was mediated between students and the researcher. All the measures were taken to render a cohesive syllabus to appeal to the students and lead to an effective learning. It was tried to go beyond content and practice materials in a way to provide opportunities for students’ participation and risk-taking. The content was selected carefully, divided up into manageable units, and sequenced based on students’ needs, objectives, wants, and proficiency level. The results of the study imply that syllabus design is provisional, sketchy, interactive and dynamic rather than pre-specified, systematic, and precise. This study may help language teachers to gain a firsthand experience by designing and implementing their own syllabuses.