Transforming Traditional Teaching: A Professional Development Program for the College EFL Teachers

Abstract

Researchers have demonstrated the value of teacher professional development programs (PDPs) as an effective strategy to improve teaching. The purpose of our study was to design and test an intervention that could be used as part of a PDP with three English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers at a Chinese university. The primary aim of our intervention was to help the teachers implement teaching strategies that would motivate students to engage in learning, with the ultimate goal of improving student motivation and achievement. The strategies implemented in the classroom intervention included group presentation activities and a grading rubric. Through the use of both quantitative and qualitative research methods, we documented that the intervention had a positive effect on students’ motivation and achievement, and changed teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about how group activities could affect students’ motivation and achievement.