Professional development for EFL high-school teachers: a case study in the Mekong delta

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TEACHERS: A CASE STUDY IN THE MEKONG DELTA

Le Xuan Mai1
Nguyen Thi Minh Trang2
Abstract

Professional development is considered as an essential element in improving
teachers’ competencies which, in turns, enhance students’ learning outcomes.
In order to provide useful input for the design of more effective and productive
professional training programs, this small-scale study was conducted to investigate
EFL high school teachers’ expectations for and experiences of their professional
development. Sixty-seven EFL high-school teachers in Soc Trang province in the
Mekong Delta were recruited for this descriptive study; they provided information
via questionnaire and some of them participated in semi-structured interviews. The
study aimed to investigate EFL high-school teachers’ expectations and previous
training experiences on seven areas of knowledge for their professional development
including (1) teacher’s language proficiency, (2) language teaching methodology,
(3) lesson planning, (4) conducting a lesson, (5) assessment of language learning,
(6) resources, and (7) technology for language teaching. The findings from this
study assist to inform training program developers and administrators in designing
appropriate professional training programs and suggest related research areas in
the future.

Keywords: Professional development; professional training program(s); EFL 
teachers; the Mekong Delta

1. Introduction

Education systems around the world have changed in the new millennium, which
leads to many educational reforms from many societies. One of the key components in
most of these reforms is the teacher professional development (Villegas-Reimers, 2003).

Professional development (PD) includes career-building activities implemented by
in-service teachers once their period of teacher education is over (Shawer, 2010; Richards &
Ferrell, 2011). PD always takes an important role in language teaching if a teacher still finds
this career rewarding. Richards and Farrell (2005) stated that teachers need to have continual
opportunities for professional growth in order to keep their knowledge and skills updated.
It is the fact that language teaching profession encounters challenges of continuous changes

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in terms of educational paradigms, curriculum trends, national tests, assessment, student
needs or technology. Moreover, teachers’ knowledge about language teaching and learning
is not completely provided at pre-service level; that is, this kind of knowledge is in an
insufficient state and needs keeping current with the developments in the field. Therefore,
applying PD is the best way to bridge the gap between what teachers have already had
concerning professional knowledge and what they need to update.

Vietnam has recently been in deep involvement of the globalization and
internationalization since it became a member of trade organizations such as Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the
World Trade Organization (WTO) (Nguyen & Burns, 2017). To be successful in integrating
with outside world, it is essential for Vietnamese human sources to achieve English language
competence. Therefore, teaching English has been promoted in Vietnam for over the past
few years. English has been considered as a compulsory foreign language subject which has
been taught from primary to tertiary institutions in Vietnam (Decision 1400/QĐ-TTg, 2008).
Especially, English is one of the core subjects that students have to take in the National high
school graduation examination.

However, for many years, the results of English in the annual national graduation
examination have indicated low level of English proficiency from high school students
in Vietnam and particularly in Soc Trang, one of provinces in Mekong Delta. Specifically,
according to the statistics of Soc Trang Department of Education and Training, only 21.1%
and 18.77% of high school students in Soc Trang province got average scores in English

in the national graduation examination in the school years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017
respectively. It has been criticized that the ineffectiveness of foreign language teachers is
one of the factors causing students’ poor outcomes in English (Çelik, Bayraktar-Çepni &
İlyas, 2013).According to the statistics of Soc Trang Department of Education and Training,
until 2018, 33.33% of EFL high school teachers in Soc Trang are still under qualified. They
fail to achieve the required level for their teaching – level 5 (C1). Therefore, improving the
quality of English language teaching should be emphasized with the attention of providing
a wide range of opportunities for in-service teachers to participate in PD activities. The
implementation of PD is likely to be a beneficial way for teachers to maintain high quality of
teaching (Mahmoudi & Özkan, 2015).

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(Zein, 2016). Therefore, the researchers decided to conduct a study titled “Professional
Development for EFL High-school Teachers: A Case Study in the Mekong Delta”.Since
the research available on this topic is limited, the current study has been done in order to
make some significant contributions to planning effective PD programs.

This research aims at the followings. Firstly, the authors would like to investigate EFL
high school teachers’ expectations of PD. Secondly, the study aims to explore EFL high
school teachers’ experiences of PD. The current study attempted to seek the answers to the
following questions:

1. What are EFL high school teachers’ expectations of PD?

2. To what extent do the PD activities satisfy EFL high school teachers’ expectations?
The findings of the study are hoped to bring a great number of benefits for not only EFL
high school teachers but also related stakeholders. For example, the teachers participating in
the study have a chance to express their expectations for PD as well as evaluate PD activities
which they have experienced. In addition to the teachers’ benefits, school administrators and the
Department of Education and Training in Soc Trang will gain a profound understanding of EFL
high school teachers’ expectations of professional development to support the teaching staff in

joining professional growth activities. Last but not least, the management board of the National
Foreign Language 2020 Project can plan effective professional development programs which fit
high school EFL teachers’ expectations, particularly in a remote area like Soc Trang.

2. Literature review

2.1. Professional Development (PD): Definitions and Types

A number of definitions have been proposed with regard to the term of professional
development (PD) such as Birman and colleagues (2000), Shawer (2010), Johnson and
Golombek (2011), and Richards and Ferrell (2011) and many others. In general, PD is
understood as a life-long learning process including activities through which in-service
teachers can improve professional skills and knowledge during their career to raise the
quality of students’ learning.

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2.2. Vietnam’s English Teacher Competency Framework

Vietnam’s English Teacher Competency Framework (ETCF), approved in December
2012 by the Ministry of Education and Training, is a standardized tool for teacher
development which helps to raise the quality of English teaching and learning in Vietnam.
The ETCF provides a detail of the competencies, knowledge, skills, values and processes to
make well-equipped teachers for English teaching in Vietnam in the early 21st century. It is 
not only a guide for teachers to self-study for continuous PD during their career, but also a
tool for teacher trainers to evaluate teachers’ needs and identify specific areas for the content
of training programs and teacher development (Ministry of Education and Training, 2013).

ETCF is based on five domains including knowledge of subject, knowledge of teaching,

knowledge of learners, professional attitudes and values, and practice and context of language teaching.

In each domain, there are different competencies. Among numerous competencies in the
ETCF, the current study mainly focuses on specific competencies involving teacher’s language

proficiency and pedagogical content knowledge including language teaching methodology,

lesson planning, conducting a lesson, assessment of language learning, using resources, and
applying technology in language instruction when investigating EFL teachers’ expectations
and experiences of PD activities.

3. Research Methodology

The research was designed as a descriptive qualitative and quantitative study in which
the data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. The combination of these
methods was employed to validate the data and provide more detail information about EFL
high school teachers’ expectations and experiences of PD activities.

The total number of participants in the study included 67 teachers of English at
some high schools in Soc Trang, a remote province in the Mekong Delta. The details of the
participants based on gender, degree and age are presented in Table 1 below.

Table 1: The number of teacher participants based on gender, degree and age

Number Gender Degree Age

Male Female BA MA 20-29 30-39 40-49 >50

67 16 51 65 2 12 30 23 2

The information about the teacher participants based on their teaching areas and years
of teaching experience is presented in Table 2 below.

Table 2: The number of teacher participants based on teaching areas and years of teaching experience

Number Teaching areas Years of teaching experience
City Town Rural areas <5years 5-10years >10years

67 26 20 21 13 18 36

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chosen to attend the interview that investigated their explanations and interpretations to
confirm and get more insightful information from the questionnaire about their expectations
and experiences of PD.

In this study, a questionnaire was designed with forty items adapted from Competency

Framework for English Language Teachers: User’s Guide, some of which have been rephrased

and simplified for easy comprehension and to be fit to the current research; at the same time,
some new items were also added to achieve the purposes of the study. The questionnaire
consists of three main sections: (1) participants’ background information, (2) 20 five-point
Likert scale items on EFL high school teachers’ expectations of PD, and (3) another 20
five-point Likert scale items on EFL high school teachers’ experiences of PD, particularly the
extent of satisfaction of PD activities. The results of the scale test show that the reliability
coefficient of the questionnaire satisfied the statistical reliability (α=.935). Therefore, the
questionnaire is reliable for data analyses.

For the interview, it included three main questions related to teachers’ expectations
of PD activities; their experiences of PD activities, and their suggestions to PD activities.
To assure the validity of the collected data, the interview questions were translated into
Vietnamese so that the participants could understand deeply and hence express their
ideas easily. However, to assure the reliability, English responses were confirmed by the

interviewees to check whether they had the same meaning as their Vietnamese answers.

The quantitative data collected from the questionnaire were analyzed by SPSS software
version 20.0. For qualitative analysis, basing on the transcripts and the notes of each
interview session, the researchers made a protocol to familiarize and code the data from all
respondents’ answers in specific themes.

4. Findings and discussion

4.1. EFL high school teachers’ expectations of PD

The results revealed that all teachers highly expected to improve technology for
teaching (M = 4.29), lesson planning (M = 4.28), resource adaptation and selection (M = 4.28), 
language teaching methodology (M = 4.23), conducting a lesson (M = 4.18), English language 
proficiency (M = 4.10), and assessment of language learning (M = 4.04). The results from 
the questionnaire also revealed that teachers working from 5 to 10 years had a significantly
higher level of expectations of PD than teachers working for more than 10 years. In addition,
teachers working in the countryside had much more expectations of PD than teachers
working in city.

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expectations relating to technology were presented by individual teachers. Some teachers
hoped to be trained in planning electronic lessons, while some other teachers desired to
know how to design online courses to teach English. Besides, another teacher focused on
strengthening knowledge of using smart boards effectively in teaching English.

Additionally, teachers ranked lesson planning, and resource adaptation and selection as the 
second needed areas for PD. In terms of lesson planning, all teachers in the interview found it 
essential to get more knowledge of planning lessons blending different contents in English
and integrating various English skills. With regard to resource adaptation and selection, the 
results from the interview demonstrated that all of the teachers frequently adjusted and

simplified tasks and activities which did not fit students’ level. Teachers had different ideas
relating to their expectations including a need for being trained in adapting new textbook, a
desire for learning to adapt tasks in textbook followed with a clear teaching demonstration,
and a demand for knowing more materials and resources with valuable exercises for student
in grade twelve to practice for the national graduation examination.

Moreover, language teaching methodology was teachers’ third expected aspect for PD. 
The interview showed that most of the teachers hoped to master various kinds of methods
for teaching English skills. Especially, they wanted to know more methods to boost students’
ability to communicate in English. Some teachers desired to know new methods for teaching
new textbooks. In fact, each teacher followed a particular method in their teaching practice.
Some teachers applied PPP in teaching English, while some other teachers did not know
the name of the methods they were applying in their current teaching. Instead, they just
explained the ways they conducted the lessons in the classroom.

Furthermore, conducting a lesson ranked fourth in the degree of teachers’ expectation 
for PD. The results from the interview indicated that some teachers expected to be trained
in conducting a lesson, while other teachers showed their refusal. Especially, one teacher
wanted to learn how to conduct effective warm-up activities with more interesting games
for each lesson in the new textbook. In contrast, other teachers found it unnecessary to
participate in training courses about conducting a lesson because they were confident in
organizing all teaching steps, and they could learn from observing their colleagues’ teaching.

In addition, English language proficiency was the fifth aspect that teachers expected to 
improve. Basically, most teachers in the interview found it important to upgrade English
competency regularly. Particularly, whether they had achieved level C1 or not, most teachers
desired to improve English skills proficiency.

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trained in using two tools of assessment although they had never heard about the terms
of formative assessment and summative assessment.Probably, high school teachers had no

expectation of enhancing assessment in language learning because they were familiar with
and had no difficulty in using some kinds of formal tests to evaluate student’s learning.

In brief, in terms of teachers’ expectations of PD, quantitative results showed that EFL
high school teachers had a high level of expectations of PD, particularly teachers expected to
develop technology for teaching most and assessment of language learning least. Generally,
the current study is different from previous studies regarding the most important area of
knowledge that teachers expect to strengthen. For example, the present study indicated
that teachers expected to improve technology for teaching most. However, in Igawa’s (2008)
study, the most important aspect that the teachers expected for PD was teaching methods,
which was in line with the finding of Özdemir (2013) as well.

4.2. The extent of the PD activities satisfy EFL high school teachers’ expectations

The results from the questionnaire indicated that PD activities had highly satisfied
EFL high school teachers’ expectations. Out of seven aspects of knowledge for PD, teachers
felt more satisfied with technology for language teaching (M = 3.91) than with other areas 
including resources (M = 3.79), language teaching methodology (M = 3.77), lesson planning 
(M = 3.72), teacher’s language proficiency (M = 3.72), assessment of language learning (M 
= 3.72), and conducting a lesson (M = 3.64). In addition, the results also revealed that PD 
activities had not actually satisfied EFL high school teachers’ expectations of knowing how
to create a supportive, meaningful learning environment.

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On the other hand, the results from the interviews revealed teachers’ dissatisfaction
of PD activities which they had ever taken part in. Firstly, some teachers complained that
the training programs focused much on theory rather than practice. Therefore, after joining
workshops or training courses, they were confused with lots of content and could not apply
them into teaching practices.Secondly, some other teachers expressed their discontentment
with the fact that workshops were organized at the time of school year, when they had to take
many charges relating to teaching work. Thirdly, another teacher criticized that workshops

and training courses were not opened frequently to teachers. Additionally, workshops
usually happened for a short period of time, just about one day, which prevented teachers
from acquiring all the contents of the training programs. Finally, one teacher revealed her
dissatisfaction with large number of participants in a workshop, which made teachers have
difficulty in sharing their ideas and teaching experiences together.

In brief, with respect to teachers’ experiences of PD activities, statistics results showed
that EFL high school teachers’ level of satisfaction of PD activities is high. Specifically, out of
seven aspects of knowledge for PD, teachers felt more satisfied with technology for language
teaching than with other areas including resources, language teaching methodology, lesson
planning, teacher’s language proficiency, assessment of language learning, and conducting
a lesson. In other words, PD activities had satisfied EFL high school teachers in terms of
technology for teaching most and conducting a lesson least. With regard to the area of
conducting a lesson, PD activities had not really helped teachers know how to create a
supportive, meaningful learning environment.

Remarkably, the result of the present study was consistent with that of Roux and
Valladares (2014), and Agbayahoun (2016) which revealed that training courses and teacher
development workshops had a high impact on teachers’ teaching. Similarly, the result was
also harmony with the findings from Mahmoudi and Özkan (2015), which indicated that
teachers benefited from PD activities in improving their teaching. The findings were also
supportive to the findings of Al Asmari (2016) which revealed that after attending continuing
PD, the teachers found beneficial in changing their knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs.

In contrast, the findings of the current study were different from those of Çelik,
Bayraktar-Çepni and İlyas (2013) which indicated that the teachers found no considerable
impact on their practice from PD activities in which they had experienced. Additionally,
the study was inconsistent with Agbayahoun’s (2016) study which found that workshops
commonly held in schools neither changed teacher practices nor increased student learning.
Besides, the findings were not parallel with those of Alshumaimeri and Almohaisen (2017),

which stated that teachers were not satisfied with the current PD activities since they did not
help the teachers stay updated with the modern teaching techniques.

5. Conclusion

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language teaching methodology, conducting a lesson, English language proficiency, and
assessment of language learning, which rank respectively from the highest to the lowest
level of expectation. Additionally, PD activities which EFL high school teachers have ever
participated in highly satisfy their expectations in terms of improvement of technology for
language teaching, resources adaptation and selection, language teaching methodology,
lesson planning, language proficiency, assessment of language learning, and conducting
a lesson. Particularly, they are satisfied with technology for language teaching most, and
conducting a lesson least.

Based on the results of the study, the following recommendations are drawn to help
school administrators, the Department of Education and Training in Soc Trang, as well as
the management board of the National Foreign Language 2020 Project plan effective PD
programs for EFL high school teachers in Soc Trang province. Firstly, PD programs should
help EFL high school teachers improve numerous areas of knowledge including technology
for teaching, lesson planning, resource adaptation and selection, language teaching
methodology, conducting a lesson, English language proficiency, and assessment of language
learning. Notably, training courses or workshops should lay an emphasis on helping
teachers develop the area of technology for teaching.Specifically, teachers should be trained 
in designing electronic lessons, online courses, and how to use smartboards effectively. In
terms of lesson planning, training courses should help teachers know how to plan lessons 
integrating different skills and various contents in English. In addition, teachers should be
raised awareness of selecting various teaching materials rather than using only textbook
in teaching English. Besides, teachers should be trained in adapting textbook, especially
new English textbook to facilitate their upcoming teaching. With regard to language teaching

methodology, training courses and workshops should provide teachers with knowledge of

various kinds of methods to boost students’ ability to communicate in English. In reality, most
high school teachers’ knowledge of language instruction approach is limited, so they should
be introduced both theories and practice related to numerous teaching methodologies.
Regarding conducting a lesson, teachers should be trained in conducting warm-up activities 
with a variety of interesting games. Significantly, PD programs should help high school
teachers know how to create a supportive and meaningful learning environment.
Concerning English proficiency, training courses should provide opportunities for teachers to 
improve four English skills. With respect to assessment of language, PD programs should help 
teachers understand clearly two kinds of assessment tools including formative assessment
and summative assessment. Especially, high school teachers should have chance to increase
knowledge of formative assessment tool.

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Moreover, training courses and workshops should be held every summer. Every time
in the school year is not appropriate with teachers because they are busy with many kinds
of schooling duties. Besides, the organization of PD programs should be around Soc Trang
province to help teachers save time and money for transportation. Additionally, skillful
lecturers from well-known universities should be invited to be trainers in training courses
and workshops. Experienced teachers of English from high schools can also become trainers
in PD programs.

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Professional development for EFL high-school teachers: a case study in the Mekong delta

<b>TEACHERS: A CASE STUDY IN THE MEKONG DELTA</b>

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