Puangsuk, Oranuch (2013) Professional development : experiences of English teachers at Primary level in Thailand. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This aim of this qualitative research study was to suggest an initiative
for promoting professionalism in English language teaching of
primary teachers, who work in rural small schools in Thailand. This
study was conducted in two phases; Phase I and Phase II. By
adopting convenience or opportunity sampling, ten primary teachers
in one educational service area office volunteered to take part in this
study. Grounded theory (Corbin & Strauss, 1998; Newby, 2010) was
adopted for data analysis.
In Phase I, data were collected from semi-structured interviews and
from supplementary data sources (i.e. research journals and
classroom observations). The results suggested that (1) teachers’
inadequate knowledge of English, (2) their difficulty in using the
English textbooks available, (3) a problem with materials and
equipment, (4) students’ knowledge of English, (5) teachers’ heavy
workloads, and (6) the impact of national examinations on regular
classroom learning were factors contributing to their difficulty in
teaching. Moreover, the results suggested that INSET programmes
failed to promote their professionalism in English language teaching,
and the teachers’ comments on those programmes also provided
valuable implications for the design of the professional development
programme in Phase II.Exploratory Practice (EP) (Allwright & Lenzuen, 1997) was adopted
as a theoretical framework for the proposed programme in Phase II.
For qualitative case study research, two cases of teachers in doing
EP projects were selected for in-depth investigation. Data were
collected from focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews
and from supplementary data sources (i.e. research journals,
classroom observations, teacher diaries, recorded discussions, and
documents). The results suggested that these teachers gained
similar benefits from their experience in Exploratory Practice. First,
Exploratory Practice helped them to gain a better understanding of
their classroom context. Second, it helped them to design more
appropriate lesson plans, materials, and activities for teaching their
students more effectively. Third, it increased their confidence in their
ability to teach. Fourth, it influenced them to increase their
confidence in speaking. The teachers also had positive attitudes
towards English, and higher motivation to improve themselves and
sustain their professional development in English language teaching.
The results also suggested that group discussions supported the
teachers in preparing their project plans.
These findings suggest that Exploratory Practice was useful for
promoting the professional development in English language
teaching of two primary teachers and it is possible that Exploratory
Practice could have benefits similarly for others in this context and similar contexts where teachers work under similarly difficult
circumstances.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Career development, English language -- Study and teaching -- Thailand, Language teachers -- In-service training -- Thailand, English teachers -- Training of -- Thailand, Qualitative research
Official Date:	June 2013
Dates:	Date Event June 2013 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Centre for Applied Linguistics
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Pinter, Annamaria; Richards, Keith, 1952-
Sponsors:	Thailand. Samnakngān Khana Kammakān Kānʻudommasưksā [Office of the Higher Education Commission]
Extent:	xvii, 373 leaves.
Language:	eng

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