Things to consider when choosing CPD
“It is important to view Initial Teacher Education as only the first stage in a career-long process of professional development and enhancement of practice.”
- Dr Yvonne Foley (Foley, et al., 2018)
This post is adapted from an article published in EAL Journal [Issue 2 | Spring 2017 | CPD & Conference 24: Addressing diversity in EAL].
Ongoing professional development is essential for teachers and support staff. Initial Teacher Training or Education (ITT/ITE) merely marks the outset of teachers’ professional learning journey. Thinking specifically about EAL, research indicates that newly qualified teachers generally perceive themselves as inadequately prepared to address the needs of EAL learners.
“It is important to view Initial Teacher Education as only the first stage in a career-long process of professional development and enhancement of practice.”
- Dr Yvonne Foley (Foley, et al., 2018)
In this post, I am going to talk about my experience of contemplating and completing a Master’s degree after many years of teaching, and will share my advice about what to look for when choosing your own CPD. Although I’ll be looking through EAL-tinted glasses, much of what I’ll say will be applicable to other roles and subject areas.
A few years ago, I was a secondary science teacher and EAL Coordinator. I felt secure in my subject, but wanted to further my knowledge and understanding of EAL so that I could better support my students, their families and the staff who work with them. Given that the National Curriculum and Teachers’ Standards 2012 place responsibility for EAL learners with all teachers (DfE, 2013, DfE, 2013a, DfE, 2014), and that most teachers and support staff will work with EAL learners at some point in their careers, I was sure I could not be alone.
But what could I do?
As I investigated my options, I quickly realised that EAL-specific CPD is somewhat fragmented in terms of content, availability and quality. Perhaps this is due to the vagueness of EAL’s mention in Teachers’ Standards 2012 or maybe it is because the diversity of training providers has increased substantially in recent years, with little review or quality assurance (Davies, 2015).
The most common model for EAL in-service education is half- or full-day courses covering specific issues which affect cohorts of students (such as Special Educational Needs (SEND), Advanced EAL learners, New International Arrivals) or which are relevant across the curriculum (such as grammar). Demand for courses also tends to follow patterns, reflecting the changing concerns at local and national level. The most popular, albeit only partially met, area of demand is EAL issues in teachers’ own contexts (Davies, 2015).
When choosing the path of your professional development journey, there are many factors at play. In the rest of this post, I discuss the questions I found relevant as I planned my own.
What is the purpose of your course?
A lot depends on what you hope to achieve.
Are you aiming to enhance your professional knowledge and practices or student outcomes in a particular context? Is an ‘attendance certificate’ course sufficient or do you want to gain an accredited qualification, such as a Postgraduate Certificate, Master’s, PhD or EdD, either out of interest or for career progression?
What is out there?
A mainstream teacher or Teaching Assistant who wants to improve their work with EAL learners might consider a short general or subject-specific session about EAL, often run by an education consultant, LA team, or training provider. As a mainstream teacher, I have found locally run courses about ‘Science and EAL’ to be particularly useful, as well as EAL sessions at meetings with other schools.
EAL specialists, leaders and governors may also be interested in courses which explore wider cross-curricular or cross-phase issues, as well as those particular to their roles. There is also NALDIC’s video and workbook (Leung, Monaghan & Pieris, 2016) which, although originally designed for inspectors, would be useful for a variety of stakeholders.
There is also a wide range of accredited courses related to EAL, usually at universities and linked to post-graduate courses in areas such as ‘Bilingualism in Education’, ‘Language, Ethnicity and Education’, ‘ELT and Applied Linguistics’ and ‘Multilingualism’.
Theory, practice or research-based?
All courses will combine theory and practice to some extent, so it is helpful to think about how you want to learn.
Are you interested in learning from an established literature or from the experiences of colleagues? Would you like to learn about carrying out your own research, in your classroom or beyond, or expand your repertoire of practical techniques? Which do you want now, and which can come later?
My own professional development has incorporated different combinations of theory and practice over the years, influenced largely by my professional situation, goals and interests at the time.
The practicalities
Your personal and professional commitments will be an important factor in your CPD plan, and may help narrow the choices for you. I have experience of both full-time and part-time studies.
My preference?
It depends: I have found both useful at different times.
I was teaching full-time when I took my first in-depth CPD: a part-time, blended learning Certificate in English Language Teaching for Adults (CELTA). It took considerably longer than an intensive full-time course, but afforded me the opportunity to combine face-to-face observed teaching with online theoretical learning and collaboration, at times which fit with full-time teaching.
In contrast, I was able to take a year out to study for a full-time master’s degree. This allowed me to immerse myself fully in my studies and I benefited greatly from being part of an academic community. I must admit that I also fully embraced student life once again, making many lifelong friends and memories along the way.
Of course, this route may not be for you. I have friends and colleagues who chose part-time or distance Master’s or Doctoral study. Sometimes this was because of personal commitments or because they could not take a full year’s leave from work, but it also allowed them to relate their studies directly to their teaching context. Many experienced the challenge of balancing competing priorities: assignment deadlines coincided with busy periods at school, or face-to-face lessons clashed with their teaching timetable. The extended length of part-time courses, as well as a possible lack of immersion in the academic environment may impact long-term motivation towards your course.
These are often problems which can be overcome, so it is worth discussing with your course leaders and your employers. Some universities are better prepared to support the needs of part-time postgraduate students than others, so it is important to investigate your chosen institutions and courses thoroughly. Your experience may differ greatly, depending upon the type of course and the institution you are attending.
A word on Networks
Networking is a useful way for teachers to stay informed, connected, and motivated in our profession. By actively participating in professional networks, we can continuously improve our practice and understanding, supporting colleagues and contributing to the broader educational community.
Thinking about EAL, I would go even further and say that networking is essential. Unlike other subject areas or aspects of education in the UK, there is a distinct lack of government leadership, guidance, or established curricula pertaining to EAL. This underscores the importance of engaging with the opportunities for professional discourse and collaboration afforded by professional networks such as those run by Local Authorities, groups of schools and other organisations, like NALDIC, who run regular Regional and Special Interest Group meeting (RIGs and SIGs).
A word of caution: whilst there are many amazing networks out there, some demand a discerning ear when heeding colleagues' advice. These tend to be groups which are not organised by or actively moderated by people or organisations with sound knowledge and understanding of EAL. Worryingly, I have seen posts online where colleagues have confidently ‘informed’ less experienced EAL leaders about inaccurate access arrangements and exam practice.
Finally …
In a future post, I will be discussing some sources of free online EAL CPD; webinars, blogs, accounts to follow on social media and more.
Whatever kind of CPD you are thinking about, I hope you have found this discussion useful and wish you the best with your professional journey.
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References
Davies, N. (2015) 'Audit of EAL CPD and Vocational Training', NALDIC Quarterly, 15(1).
DfE., 2013. The National Curriculum In England Framework Document: For Teaching 1 September 2014 To 31 August 2015. Department for Education.
DfE., 2013a. Teachers' Standards 2012. DfE.
DfE., 2014. Teachers' Standards Guidance for Use. DfE.
Foley, Y., Anderson, C., Conteh J., & Hancock, J. (2018). Initial Teacher Education and English as an Additional Language. University of Edinburgh
Leung, C., Monaghan, F., & Pieris, N. (2017). English as an Additional Language: A Guide (Video & Workbook). United Kingdom: NALDIC.
In the 2nd EAL Bites | Speedy Tip of this series, I’m going to briefly talk about Making Input Comprehensible with Paralinguistic Features: what they are, whether they’re universal, and whether you should use them when you’re speaking to EAL learners.