Teacher trainers and master students’ in service teachers’ perspectives of the needed competencies for english language teachers a survey at the university of languages

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES
-----------------------

TRẦN MINH HẰNG

TEACHER TRAINERS AND MASTER STUDENTS’/IN-SERVICE
TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES OF THE NEEDED COMPETENCIES FOR
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS: A SURVEY AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES,
VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Khảo sát quan điểm của các giảng viên sư phạm và học viên Cao học/những
giáo viên đang giảng dạy tại trường Đại học Ngoại Ngữ, Đại học Quốc Gia Hà
Nội về những năng lực sư phạm cần thiết của giáo viên tiếng Anh

M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60140111

HANOI – 2016


VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES
-----------------------

TRẦN MINH HẰNG

TEACHER TRAINERS AND MASTER STUDENTS’/IN-SERVICE
TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES OF THE NEEDED COMPETENCIES FOR
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS: A SURVEY AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES,
VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Khảo sát quan điểm của các giảng viên sư phạm và học viên Cao học/những
giáo viên đang giảng dạy tại trường Đại học Ngoại Ngữ, Đại học Quốc Gia Hà
Nội về những năng lực sư phạm cần thiết của giáo viên tiếng Anh

M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS
Field

: English Teaching Methodology

Code

: 60140111

Supervisor : Dr. Dương Thu Mai

HANOI – 2016


DECLARATIONS
I, Tran Minh Hang, certify that this thesis is the result of my own research and
the substance of the research has not been submitted for degree to any other
university or institution.
Hanoi, 2016

Trầ n Minh Hằ ng

i


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For the completion of this thesis, I have received great assistance and support
from many people without whom the work could not have been fulfilled.
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude and my
profound appreciation to my supervisor, Dr. Duong Thu Mai, from Vietnam
National University, Hanoi – University of Languages and International Studies for
her guidance, precious suggestions, valuable critical feedback and encouragement
in the process of completing this thesis.
I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Huynh Anh Tuan, the Head
of Faculty of Post Graduate Studies and all his staff members who have been of
great help. My great thanks go to all the lecturers of Faculty of Post Graduate
Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National
University, Hanoi for their interesting lectures and suggestions for the topic of my
study.
Thanks are also due to my teacher trainers and my MA classmates K22 at the
University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University
and Hanoi Metropolitan University for their assistance and cooperation in
completing the interviews and questionnaires.
Last but not least, I would like to give my deepest gratitude to my parents, my
older brother, and my friends for their moral support and encouragement throughout
my training course.
The

study

still

has

limitations,

therefore

recommendations would be warmly welcomed.

ii

all

the

suggestions

and


ABSTRACT
English language teachers who hold an essential role in education system are
expected to be highly competent in order to enhance the student learning outcomes.
Hence, improving teachers‘ competence has been considered one of the key factors
of educational reforms in many countries, including Vietnam. To address this issue,
the initial task is to identify the training needs as well as the strengths and
weaknesses of the English language teachers. This study aims to investigate
professional competence and training needs of the in-service English language
teachers – MA students at ULIS, VNU. The data were collected from interviews
with three teacher trainers, and survey questionnaires with 65 English language

teachers. The results showed that the majority of the English teachers had high
training needs in most competencies. Furthermore, beside the positive perceptions
of their own competence, the targeted teachers had some challenges in reaching
professionalism. It is of great importance for the teachers in this study to be aware
of the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge. On this basis,
the study recommends a number of directions for the targeted teachers to help them
be more qualified. It is hoped that the findings can be used as a good source of
professional development materials not only for the targeted teachers but also for
the language policy makers in education.

iii


TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATIONS..................................................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................ iv
LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................ vi
INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................1
1.

Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1

2.

Rationale ................................................................................................................ 1

3.

Aims of the study ................................................................................................... 3

4.

Research questions ................................................................................................ 3

5.

Scope of the study .................................................................................................. 3

6.

Significance of the study ....................................................................................... 4

7.

Method of the study .............................................................................................. 4

8.

Design of the study ................................................................................................ 4

9.

Summary ................................................................................................................ 5

DEVELOPMENT .....................................................................................................6
CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................6
1.1.

Introduction ........................................................................................................... 6

1.2.

Teacher competence and competencies ............................................................... 6

1.2.1.

Definitions of teacher competence and competencies ..........................................................................6

1.2.2.

Frameworks of Teacher Competence ....................................................................................................8

1.3.

English language teachers’ competencies ......................................................... 10

1.3.1.

Frameworks of English teachers’ competencies. ................................................................................10

1.3.2.

Previous studies on English language teachers’ competence .............................................................12

1.3.3.

English language teachers’ competence in Vietnam ..........................................................................13

1.4.

English language teachers’ training needs........................................................ 16

1.4.1.

English language teachers’ training needs ..........................................................................................16

1.4.2.

Previous studies on English language teachers’ training needs ........................................................16

1.5.

Teachers’ self-assessment ................................................................................... 17

1.6.

Summary .............................................................................................................. 18

iv


2.1.

The setting of the study ....................................................................................... 19

2.2.

Participants .......................................................................................................... 19

2.2.1.

Teacher trainers ....................................................................................................................................19

2.2.2.

Student teachers ....................................................................................................................................20

2.3.

The data collection instruments ......................................................................... 20

2.3.1.

Teacher trainers’ interview ..................................................................................................................20

2.3.2.

Teacher’s survey questionnaires. .........................................................................................................21

2.4.

Data collection and data analysis procedure .................................................... 21

2.4.1.

Teacher Trainers Interview .................................................................................................................21

2.4.2.

Teachers Questionnaire Data ...............................................................................................................22

2.5.

Summary .............................................................................................................. 22

CHAPTER III: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ................................................23
3.1.

Findings of the study ........................................................................................... 23

3.1.1.

The needed competencies for the targeted MA students from teacher trainers’ perspectives. ......23

3.1.2.

The needed competencies for the targeted MA students from their own perspectives. ..................26

3.1.3.

The targeted teachers’ self-assessment of their own competence after finishing the Master course.
................................................................................................................................................................33

3.2.

Discussion of the research questions ................................................................. 41

3.2.1.

The needed competencies for the targeted MA students from their own perspectives ...................41

3.2.2.

The targeted teachers’ self-assessment of their own competence after finishing the Master course
................................................................................................................................................................44

CONCLUSIONS .....................................................................................................48
1.

Recapitulation ...................................................................................................... 48

2.

Limitations of the study ...................................................................................... 49

3.

Recommendations ............................................................................................... 49

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................51
APPENDICES ........................................................................................................... I
APPENDIX 1 ............................................................................................................. I
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND TRAINING NEEDS .......................... I
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRES ..................................................................... I
APPENDIX 2 ............................................................................................................ X

v

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 : Student teachers‘ perspectives in knowledge of language & language
learning ....................................................................................................26
Figure 1.2 : Student teachers‘ perspectives in language content & curriculum........27
Figure 2.1 : Student teachers‘ perspectives in language teaching methodology,
lesson planning & conducting a lesson....................................................28
Figure 2.2 : Student teachers‘ perspectives in assessment of language learning,
resources and technology for language teaching .....................................29
Figure 3

: Student teachers‘ perspectives in knowledge of learners ......................30

Figure 4

: Student teachers‘ perspectives in professional attitudes & values in
language teaching ....................................................................................31

Figure 5

: Student teachers‘ perspectives in practice & context of language
teaching ....................................................................................................32

Figure 6.1 : Student teachers‘ self-assessment of their knowledge of language,
language learning .....................................................................................34
Figure 6.2 : Student teachers‘ self-assessment of their knowledge of language
content and curriculum ............................................................................35
Figure 7.1 : Student teachers‘ self-assessment of their knowledge of language
teaching methodology, lesson planning & conducting a lesson ..............36

Figure 7.2 : Student teachers‘ self-assessment of their knowledge of assessment of
language learning, resources and technology for language teaching ......37
Figure 8

: Student teachers‘ self-assessment of their knowledge of language
learners .....................................................................................................38

Figure 9

: Student teachers‘ self-assessment of their professional attitudes &
values in language teaching .....................................................................39

Figure 10 : Student teachers‘ self-assessment of their practice & context of
language teaching ....................................................................................40

vi


INTRODUCTION
1. Introduction
In this part, the rationale for carrying out this study is presented followed by a
brief presentation of the aims and objectives, the research questions, the methods,
the scope and the significance of the study. Finally, the thesis structure is
introduced.
2. Rationale
As English becomes vital to most countries all over the world, it is taught from
pre-school to higher education. English language teachers who are considered to
have substantial impacts on their students‘ achievement therefore are among the
most important elements of the education system, as Rockoff (2004) indicated:
―teachers also have a fundamental role in their learners‘ academic achievement and

their quality can highly influence student outcomes‖. In order to encourage students
to learn effectively and efficiently, a teacher has to perform a large number of
activities both inside and outside of the classroom. Each teacher is expected to
possess a certain amount of knowledge, skills, as well as attitudes, which together is
known as teacher competence. Teacher competence is crucial that can lead to
positive individual student development and even lessen the aggressive behavior in
the classroom (Çubukçu, 2010).
In reality, as entering the 21st century, the real situation of teaching and learning
English is a major topic of discussion in the education domain. More particularly,
the status of language teaching has changed over time; for example, many new
developmental policies in knowledge, teaching methods, or programs have been
updated in order to achieve the targets and to skill the force of the education system,
the English language teachers. Consequently, teachers must keep up with these
changes to move towards professional competence which includes subject matter
knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, knowledge of teaching and learning,
curricular knowledge, teaching experience, and certification status (Shulman, 1986,
Grossman, 1995).

1


It has become a major issue for teaching staff to innovate and upgrade their
competence through training programs, which is to cope with the new advancement.
In fact, ―teachers who need to be well-trained at the beginning of their careers and
provided with high quality in subsequent years in their profession (Hargreaves,
1998, p.38) are the key assets of schools‖. Teachers, such as, non-native speakers of
English as in this study, should recognize the need of professional competence and
training in order to address the demands of society.
Vietnam is not the exceptional country in the world that considers professional
competence and training needs as essential factors for any English language

teachers. Since Vietnam has implemented Doi Moi policies, one of the issues on
this landscape of change is the development of new English language teacher
generations. Accordingly, the Vietnam government has decided to carry out an
important project entitled ―Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the
National Education System, Period 2008-2020‖ (dated 30 September, 2008 of the
Prime Minister on the country). The project offers many opportunities for Vietnam
because it can help a massive group of teachers be aware of the importance of
English teaching standards and encourage them in gaining higher professional
competence in their career.
The project is an attempt of the government to promote teachers‘ motivation to
become skilled language instructors. By highly appreciating the great influences of
professional competence and training programs on education system, English
language teachers are active to learn and develop themselves continuously during
their teaching career.
However, up till now, research findings on English language teachers‘
professional competence and their training needs in Vietnam are rare. Specifically,
there has not been any investigation of the English language teachers – TESOL
Master students at ULIS, VNU, a leading institution in English language teacher
training nationwide. They are young, energetic in-service English teachers coming
from various kinds of educational institutions in English language teaching. They

2


are also the typical human resources who keep a decisive role in transforming the
educational goals into a reality. Moreover, with the participations in MA course,
most of these long-term teaching staff perceive that improving their competence
with the master's degree is a vital stimulant for their teaching practice, especially for
the young teachers whose experience and practical teaching knowledge are not still
sufficient. A study into these teachers‘ competence and training needs should be

able to yield interesting results. In addition, the findings may hold crucial
importance to the design of training courses for the teachers, including both formal
courses such as MA and seasonal trainings at institutional, local or ministerial scale.
Hopefully, the findings of the study may also be a source of reference for language
policy makers towards more effective English language teaching and learning in
similar contexts in Viet Nam.
3. Aims of the study
The study aims are to find out:
a. what teacher trainers and in-service English language teachers – MA
students at ULIS, VNU consider as needed competencies for in-service
teachers, and
b. how in-service English language teachers – MA students at ULIS, VNU
assess their own professional competence.
4. Research questions
In order to achieve the above-mentioned aims, the following research questions are
raised in the study:
1. What are the needed competencies for the targeted teachers from teacher
trainers‘ perspectives?
2. What are the needed competencies for the targeted MA students from their
own perspectives?
3. What are the targeted teachers‘ self-assessment of their own competence
after finishing the Master course?
5. Scope of the study

3


Professional competence and training needs are such broad topics that they
cannot be wholly discussed within the framework of this paper. For this small-scale
thesis, the study attempts to investigate the needed competencies from English

language teachers‘ perspectives, accordingly to explore the strengths and
weaknesses of the targeted teachers based on an in-service version of English
Teacher Competency Framework (ETCF). The subjects of the thesis are three
teacher trainers and sixty-five in-service English teachers - MA students at ULIS,
VNU. The study results should not be generalized to English teachers in Vietnam,
but only to those in similar contexts.
6. Significance of the study
Teacher‘s competence has a strong impact on the students‘ acquisition in
language learning. First, when completed, the research results may be used as an
evidence to provide teacher educators and administrators with useful information
about the needed competencies of in-service English teachers – MA students after
finishing MA course according to their self-assessment. The training programs then
may be formed to support and motivate the in-service English language teachers
better so that the quality of English language teaching can be enhanced in the
similar contexts.
7. Method of the study
This study employs qualitative and quantitative research methods in order to
obtain a more detailed and comprehensive picture about what are investigated.
Two survey questionnaires were conducted with 65 in-service English language
teachers – MA students after finishing the Master course to investigate their training
needs and self-assessment of their own competence.
The qualitative research approach was involved to find out the targeted teachers‘
training needs from the teacher trainers‘ perspectives. Three teacher trainers were
invited to bring out their opinions based on the given questionnaire.
8. Design of the study
The research study is organized into three parts:

4

Introduction provides basic information including the rationale, aims, research
questions, scope, methods, significance and the design of the study.
Development is organized around three chapters as follows.
Chapter 1 - Reviews the related literature on theories of teacher‘s competence,
teacher‘s competencies, training needs and self-assessment.
Chapter 2 - Presents the information about the setting of the study, detailed
methodology used in this study including participants, data collection instruments,
and data collection & data analysis procedure.
Chapter 3 - Consists of a comprehensive analysis of the data and discussion on the
findings of the study.
Conclusions offer a summary of major findings of the study, limitations,
recommendations for further study.
9. Summary
In this part, the rationale as well as how to conduct the study was presented. In
the next part - Development, the literature review of the study will be presented.

5


DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. Introduction
This chapter presents some theoretical backgrounds necessary for the realization
of this research and providing related literature for the study. First, it would be
better to review the notions of teachers‘ competence, teachers‘ competencies, and
the frameworks that some researchers conducted in their studies. Second, the
chapter presents some theories related to teachers‘ training needs and selfassessment, and the studies conducted by some scholars in the world, as well as in
Vietnam contexts.
1.2. Teacher competence and competencies
1.2.1. Definitions of teacher competence and competencies

1.2.1.1. Teacher competence
To some extent, quality in teaching and education is evaluated by competence of
teachers. Jamani (2007) pointed out: ―the quality and the level of excellence in
education depend upon the quality and competence of teachers‖.
The term ‗competence‘ is used to characterize people of any profession,
including teachers. It is best described as ―a complex combination of knowledge,
skills, understanding, values, attitudes and desire which lead to effective, embodied
human action in the world, in a particular domain‖ (Crick, 2008). In pedagogy, the
concept of ‗competence‘ defines the individual capabilities acquired through
learning and teaching. Teacher competence, particularly, is ―a knowledge, skill,
ability, personal quality, experience or other characteristic that contributes to a
teacher‘s capacity to teach effectively.‖ (Kelly, Grenfel, Allan & McEvoy, 2004,
p.117).
Reaching to professionalism in their career is one of the main goals that any
teacher desires to possess. ‗Professional competence‘ of the teachers is the term that
describes a highly qualified teacher. The term implies the ability of professional
work in accordance with standards sets for individual professional actions. Krneta

6


and Milošević (2010, p.203) indicated: ―professional competence as the system of
knowledge, skills, abilities and motivational disposition which provide the effective
realization of the professional teaching activities‖. The notion ‗professional
competence‘ is considered as an overall, generic and integrated image of a
competent teacher in an education system. Teachers are expected to achieve their
targets at high levels through constantly accumulating knowledge, experience,
moral values as well as other expertise.
Though both ‗teacher competence‘ and ‗professional competence‘ have been
taken into consideration, the term ‗professional competence‘ is more generic,

comprehensive than ‗teacher competence‘. In this study, ‗teacher competence‘ is
focused as the key research term. This is because of the aims of the study which
provides all-sided trait of a professional teacher.
1.2.1.2. Teacher competencies
According to Mulder (2014, p.3), ―competence consists of different
competencies. A competency is a part of generic competence; it is a set of
knowledge, skills and attitudes which can be performed in the real contexts.‖
Competency, according to Longman dictionary, is defined simply as ―the ability
to do something well‖. Particularly, ‗competencies‘ is a description of one‘s ability,
a measure of one‘s performance and a common language for talking about teaching
& learning (Harris & Carr, 1996). Teachers having various competencies are always
expected to teach students at all levels effectively in diverse contexts. In addition,
the concept of ‗teacher competencies‘ is emphasized by Rice (2003) as ―the
knowledge, skills and attitudes that satisfactorily meet the social and professional
requirements of teaching roles and bring about good learning‖.
In brief, the term ‗competency‘ accounts for the particular ability which can
measure teacher performance. In each country, based on different factors, a variety
of competencies are formed into a national framework which is considered
professional standards for every teacher.

7


In this study, to make a distinction between ‗competence‘ and ‗competency‘
(competencies), the term ‗competence‘ is used more general than ‗competency‘.
According to Pantić and Wubbels (2010), ‗competence‘ is broad capacities,
implying a broadly conceived notion of everything a teacher needs as part of his/her
expertise, whereas ‗competency‘ (competencies), whose sense refers to activities, is
used to describe particular instances of that broader expertise.
1.2.2. Frameworks of Teacher Competence

Beside theoretical frameworks, many practical ones have been developed by
researchers. Competence frameworks contain the professional standards for
teaching and provide the means to identify how a competent teacher is. The
competence framework comprises a set of competencies for the teachers to follow
and perform according to designated ways in real situations.
According to Shulman (1986b), content knowledge framework for professional
competent teachers was introduced into three categories: (a) subject matter
content knowledge, (b) pedagogical content knowledge, and (c) curricular
knowledge. Firstly, subject-matter knowledge refers to the amount and
organization of knowledge in the mind of the teacher. Understanding the structures
of the subject matter is compulsory in teaching. As he indicated: ―the teacher needs
to understand that something is so; the teacher must further understand why it is so,
on what grounds its warrant can be asserted, and under what circumstances our
belief in its justification can be weakened and even denied‖. Secondly, pedagogical
content knowledge also ―includes an understanding of what makes the learning of
specific topics easy or difficult, the conceptions and preconceptions that students of
different ages and backgrounds bring with them to the learning of those most
frequently taught topics and lessons‖. Thirdly, curricular knowledge is
―represented by the full range of programs designed for the teaching of particular
subjects and topics at a given level, the variety of instructional materials available in
relation to those programs, and the set of characteristics that use for particular

8


curriculum or program materials in particular circumstances.‖ (Shulman, 1986b,
p.7-10)
According to Caena (2011, p.3-4), based on the ―Common European Principles
for Teacher Competences & Qualifications (2005)‖, three broad areas of
competence were defined:

• Working with others.
• Working with knowledge, technology and information.
• Working in and with society.
The first of these was based on the values of social inclusion when working in
profession. Teachers need to have enough knowledge in psychology, pedagogy to
develop students‘ potential. Moreover, they also need to be able to co-operate and
collaborate with colleagues to enhance their own learning and teaching. The second
is working with a variety of types of knowledge such as their abilities in accessing,
analyzing, validating or making effective use of technology, involving ICT which
equip them to be more effective in teaching and learning, together with good subject
knowledge and pedagogical skills, their teaching skills in both theoretical and
practical knowledge. The third required the teachers to work with local community
and education stakeholders such as parents, teacher education institutions,
representative groups, cultural organizations, businesses, etc... in order to contribute
to the quality of educational systems. It also requires the teachers to prepare learners
to be globally responsible citizens.
To sum up, teacher competence frameworks are seen as professional standards
in the context they are constructed. While Shulman (1986b) mentioned mainly
content knowledge in a undeniably key frameworks for teacher education
theoretically which highlights (a) subject matter content knowledge, (b) pedagogical
content knowledge, and (c) curricular knowledge, the European Commission (2005)
emphasized the active roles of teachers in three competencies as (1) working with
others, (2) working with knowledge, technology and information and (3) working in
and with society certain contexts. The latter framework seems to reinforce further

9


on the practical control the modern teachers should demonstrate towards different
subjects relevant to their career, be it the subject matter knowledge or other relevant

knowledge, their context or a different context. Both frameworks and other
important ones should be considered in constructing and evaluating localized
systems of tasks for teachers in their teaching job.
1.3. English language teachers’ competencies
1.3.1. Frameworks of English teachers’ competencies.
A framework of teacher competence is one of the instruments that can be used to
support teachers, and to promote quality in education. English Teacher
Competencies Framework is based upon general teacher education research which
indicates three major knowledge domains (Domains 1-3) to address the question,
―What do teachers need to know and be able to do?‖ The three domains are
embedded with a number of professional values and attitudes (Domain 4) and
located within a larger sphere (Domain 5) that reflects a ―situative‖ (local)
perspective of effective teacher learning that takes place within the contexts and
practice of teaching (Ball & Cohen, 1999; Bransford, Darling-Hammond et al.,
2005).
According to Ball and Cohen (1999, p.5), three basic questions matter. Firstly,
what would teachers have to know, and know how to do, in order to offer
instruction that would support much deeper and more complex learning for their
students? Secondly, what sort of professional education would be most likely to
help teachers to learn those things? Thirdly, what do these ideas imply for the
content, method, and structure of professional development?
Firstly, subject matter is one of the most important factors that teachers would
need to know. They also would need to understand the contexts, select and use
applications appropriately. In order to know the materials in teaching, teachers
would need to have a good understanding of pedagogy and the learners coming
from different backgrounds so that they could connect students with contents in
effective ways.

10

Secondly, even if teachers knew all these things, they would not know nearly
enough to teach in the ways that researchers and educators think they should, for the
situations could be more complex, unpredictable, and difficult to monitor and
manage that we call classrooms. They would need to learn before teaching and
while teaching, how to learn in and from practice.
Thirdly, towards curriculum and pedagogy for professional education, such
professional education would depend mainly on finding ways to center professional
learning in practice. One way to do this lies within the course of teachers‘ everyday
work—in the regular tasks of planning, selection, enactment, reflection, and
assessment. Another way to make inquiry into practice more available to teachers is
to document and collect artifacts of practice and make them available for teachers‘
examination and inquiry.
According to Bransford and Darling-Hammond (2005), the major goal of the
research was to provide a common framework for curriculum content and
pedagogies in teacher education – the framework that is useful for preparing
teachers with the knowledge, skills, commitments that will able to help all students
succeed with emphasis on ―teaching as profession‖. They share knowledge of
learners & their development in social context, knowledge of teaching, knowledge
of subject matter & curriculum goals. It is important for teachers to be aware of
their roles and responsibilities in order to confront with complex decisions in
teaching that reply on different kinds of knowledge and judgment.
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (2002) defined
eight standards for ESL teachers: planning, instructing, assessing, identity and
context,

language

proficiency,

learning,

content

and

commitment,

and

professionalism. By means of these competencies, TESOL clarified that a teacher
should be competent in teaching not only in and out of class but in a broader sense,
in relations with colleagues and communities as well.
To sum up, frameworks of teacher competencies are seen as instrumental
systems which consist of specific abilities to measure their performance in their

11


professional career. Based on certain conditions, a comprehensive framework for
teachers will be formed as a route to the professions.
1.3.2. Previous studies on English language teachers’ competence
Up to now, a wide range of studies have been conducted on English language
teachers‘ competence. For example, Korkmaz and Yavuz (2011) aimed to find out
which competencies were necessary to be an effective language teacher and
collected data from the fourth year English language student teachers at Uludag
University in Turkey with an open-ended question, a structured questionnaire and a
semi-structured interview. Teachers indicated many competencies such as
monitoring and evaluation of learning and development, knowledge of students,
knowledge of curriculum, personal and professional development, and schoolfamily and society relationships.

According to Anugerahwati and Saukah (2010), the study was conducted to find
out the profile of exemplary English teachers at secondary schools in Indonesia.
Data were collected through observations, interviews, and questionnaires. The study
was conducted in four towns, including exemplary teachers in one senior high
school and three junior high schools. This study was done mainly to find out (1) the
professional competences of the exemplary teachers in each town and (2) how they
achieve the competences. The collected data were analyzed qualitatively by the
usual process of sorting, coding, and analyzing. The findings reveal that the subjects
in three of the four towns have all the four competences (subject matter,
pedagogical, social and personal competences), with the personal competence being
the most influential in shaping them as professional and exemplary teachers. From
the findings, a profile of the professional competences of the exemplary English
teachers at secondary schools is developed.
Kızılaslan (2011) also conducted a qualitative study on 21 senior ELT student
teachers‘ competence of teaching language skills in Turkey. Field notes, interviews
and follow-up focus group interviews comprised the data sources for the study.
The study showed that student teachers were not fully competent in areas defined by

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MONE and failed to integrate four skills. They somehow had difficulty in
integrating listening and speaking, and also reading and writing. It was also noted
that student teachers should be informed about competencies defined by MONE
since they were open to improve themselves.
To summarize the results of aforementioned studies on English language teacher
competence, it was found that the English language teachers would have different
strengths and weaknesses in their job. From the findings, the teachers‘ training
needs also would be identified in order to improve the quality of teaching and
learning.

1.3.3. English language teachers’ competence in Vietnam
1.3.3.1.

English Teacher Competencies Framework (ETCF)

According to ETCF User‘s Guide (section 1), English Teacher Competencies
Framework (ETCF) is usually based upon general teacher education research (Ball
& Cohen, 1999; Bransford, Darling-Hammond et al., 2005). ETCF in Vietnam is
also developed from several international standards documents for foreign language
teachers including the Common European Framework Reference (CEFR), the
ACTFL Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers
(2002), TESOL/NCATE Teacher Education Standards (2010), the European
Portfolio of Student Teachers of Languages (Newby, Allan et al, 2007), and a
Vietnamese project, the Hue University EFL Teacher Education Standards (2010).
Vietnam‘s English Teacher Competencies Framework is classified into five
domains:
Domain 1 is knowledge of subject matter and curriculum. It represents subject
matter knowledge for English teaching. This domain includes teachers‘ language
proficiency, knowledge of the language system, understanding of how languages
are learned, content and curriculum. Curricular content knowledge includes cultures
of English-speaking countries, basic academic content in English, and knowledge of
locally used English curriculum.

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Domain 2 is knowledge of teaching. It deals primarily with pedagogical content
knowledge. This knowledge includes teaching the four skills, planning effective
lessons, conducting effective lessons, creating supportive learning environments,
assessing students‘ progress and proficiency, and using resources and technology

effectively to support student learning.
Domain 3 is knowledge of learners. It relates to the knowledge of language
learners. Teachers‘ understanding of students‘ development, stages of learner
language, and prior learning experiences contribute to successful student learning.
Understanding their students is also necessary as teachers help to develop students‘
creativity and critical thinking - essential 21st Century skills.
Domain 4 is professional attitudes and values embedded across knowledge
domains. Professional attitudes and values are embedded throughout the other
knowledge domains, as indicated by Domain 4. These attitudes and values include
promoting and modeling language learning; practicing cooperation, collaboration
and teamwork; demonstrating life-long learning and participating in professional
development activities.
Domain 5 is learning in and from practice and informed by context.
It represents teachers‘ understanding of the context in which English is being
taught, and connecting language learning to real uses of English in Vietnam. This
understanding involves connections to other subjects, relevant contextual issues,
and other English users. It also involves teachers‘ reflection on their practice.
In short, Vietnam‘s ETCF is a standardized, flexible roadmap for teachers to
follow in reaching professionalism. Through Vietnam‘s ETCF, teachers can identify
the specific areas which they need for training and self-study throughout their
career. Compared with the frameworks of teacher competence, the Vietnam‘s
ETCF, the first set of subject-specific teacher standards in Vietnam, was created
more comprehensively for the English language teachers need to know and be able
to do. In the study, Vietnam‘s ETCF was used in the questionnaires so as to achieve
the objectives of the study.

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1.3.3.2.

Previous studies in Vietnam

In Vietnam, some studies were conducted to find out the teachers‘ competence
in different contexts. For instance:
Vu Thi Phuong Anh (2006) carried out a research to evaluate teachers‘
competence and to find out problems and solutions for the teaching staff in An
Giang high schools. The aims of the research was to understand the relationship
between the status of teacher competence and the limited factors in their career.
Then, the suitable solutions would be built up to enhance the quality of teachers in
the province. The techniques for assessing competence of the participants were
class observation, and questionnaires. Overall, the competence of the teachers in
pedagogy was relatively high. The results indicated that high school teachers in the
province had sufficient competence in their job. However, among three aspects of
pedagogical competence structure were examined, classroom management skills
and pedagogical manners & behaviors were evaluated better than teaching methods
which was still at lower level and should be noticeably improved.
Nguyen Kim Dung and Le Thi Thu Lieu (2013) conducted the study
―Evaluating the competence in English language teaching of high-school English
teachers in Ho Chi Minh City, who graduated from Ho Chi Minh City University of
Education (HCMUE) in the last 5 years (from 2007 to 2011)‖. The study focused on
introducing some reasoning viewpoints of the importance of the topic, the findings
of the study, and some recommendations for the Department of English in the
HCMUE. The study showed the majority of teachers in English (graduate English
department, HCMC University of Education from years 2007-2011) were relatively
competent in subject matter; pedagogical skills, and good manners. However, the
teachers still had some difficulties such as teaching methods, curriculum, or lesson
planning.
In brief, investigating teachers‘ competence has been carried out in Vietnam.
The findings of the studies indicate that in different contexts, teachers would have

different levels of competence. Through evaluating teacher competence, their

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strengths and weaknesses could be found out; accordingly, prompt solutions would
be formed.
1.4.English language teachers’ training needs
1.4.1. English language teachers’ training needs
The quality of education is a centered-theme in education system. Thus, the role
of teachers is crucial for its improvement as Siddiqui (2004, p.139) stated: ―teacher
is the only essential element who can bring the educational changes‖. Therefore, the
needs in training among teachers have been increasing in order to meet the demands
of the society. Through training programs, teachers will be provided many
opportunities to develop and update what they still perceive less competent.
Training is also considered a valuable resource for teachers to share their experience
in teaching career. Therefore, it is unquestionable to confirm the essence of training
programs. To have more high qualified English language teachers, there should be
good teacher training courses and educational policies.
In the study, the training needs of the targeted teachers would be identified from
the teacher trainers and from their own perspectives. Possibly, the results will be the
sources for educators to implement suitable training programs for in-service English
language teachers in similar contexts in Vietnam.
1.4.2. Previous studies on English language teachers’ training needs
The importance of training needs is emphasized by the following studies:
Ozen (1997) investigated the perceived needs and expectations of the staff in
Freshman Unit at Bilkent University. The results showed that the teachers needed to
improve themselves in the areas of material preparation and assessment, skills,
testing, curriculum design and development, classroom management, methodology,
and giving feedback.

In India, Nehal & Khan (2012) investigated the training needs of hundred
secondary school English teachers from nine blocks of Aligarh District based on
workshop methodology. A detailed questionnaire was conducted, followed by

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unstructured interviews to elicit their perspectives towards their training needs. The
areas in which teachers demand training are listed below:
· Material adaptation
· Classroom communication skills
· New methods of language teaching
· Effective content delivery based on a lesson plan.
· Making teaching materials easy and interesting for the students
· Generating interest for reading and writing among students
· Enabling students to speak, read, write and understand texts in English
· Improving the motivation level of students to use texts
· Use of technology/ multi-media in making texts effective
· Team building and networking skills.
In Vietnam, at the beginning of the year 2012, English language teachers‘
competence in Vietnam National University was investigated in order to find out
English teachers‘ training needs. Through the teachers‘ perspectives, more effective
training programs would be adjusted. Fifty-four English teachers coming from
primary schools to universities participated in the survey. The results showed that
the surveyed teachers not only need a good understanding of the subject matter,
theoretical knowledge but also need further training in the context of language
teaching.
In general, the role of training needs is to build up competent teachers. The
needs can be subjective perceptions, their needs as their desires to do their job
better. It can be objective ones which are seen as the professional requirements for

the teachers to meet certain standards. Training needs among teachers are diversity.
Therefore, intensive regular training programs will be organized and widened in
order to provide more and more professional teaching generations.
1.5. Teachers’ self-assessment
Self-assessment (self-evaluation) is a tool for reflecting on teachers‘ experience,
performance and progress in their professional growth. A simple definition of self-

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