Teacher Professional Development in Language Teaching: A Shift of Paradigm

Sajidin State Islamic University (UIN), Bandung Abstract: Teacher professional development is very central to the improvement of quality education. In Indonesia, it has been practiced regularly. However, a significant result is almost hard to find. Teachers are reluctant to practice what they have got from their training or up-grading carried out by the government. To function effectively, a paradigm shift is required. Teachers should be involved in deciding what materials they perceive important and crucial for developing their competence. By so doing, more commitment will emerge on the part of teachers to practice their knowledge and skills. Key Words: teacher professional development, language teaching, paradigm shift, bottom-up approach

PRELIMINARY REMARKS
Knowledge develops over time, innovations are continuously made, and new technologies are invented. People are aware that there are always changes to make life better, and to work more efficiently. Teacher professional development in Indonesia is a necessity. A survey carried out by Board of Education National Standard, Ministry of National Education 2007, reveals that almost 35% of teachers in Indonesia are not qualified (in Suwandi & Bharati, 2007). Letting them develop seems to be a utopia. They should be given a special training, and a treatment to develop. To date, teacher professional development tends to be centralized; teachers are gathered in a particular place and programs are developed and managed by the central government. In this case, teachers are not given any role in decision making. This centralized and predetermined policy (or programs, or projects initiated and funded by the government) might bring about a further implication on the part of teachers. They are less appreciative, and less cooperative to implement the program. They might also be less participative to fully carry out the program. They only do when monitoring and supervision take place. This phenomenon is evident in our society; when the program ends they also return to their previous way of 'life'. Such slogans as: KTSP, CBSA, CTL, and so on are only the slogans which might be eventually forgotten. This strongly encourages us to find a new approach to developing teacher professionalism. In other words, a shift of paradigm is required to minimize the drawback of the existing approach. This paper offers an alternative approach to developing teacher professionalism in language teaching.

CENTRALIZATION VS DECENTRALIZATION
Decentralization is providing a chance and an opportunity from the central government to develop their regional potency. It is a spirit of autonomy. Autonomy in education in Indonesia has been implemented in a number of policies. The most evident one is in developing national curriculum. The government no longer determines the content of curriculum for all schools in the country but rather, it is the teachers who decide on goals to achieve, materials to teach, and strategy to employ. They became autonomous. Given Ragam Jurnal Pengembangan Humaniora, Vol. 10 No. 2, Agustus 2010 69

this policy, a number of teachers' creativities come to emerge. Over the years, there are always new creative teachers in the country. Autonomy also seems to be relevant in developing teacher professionalism. The teachers are involved in decision making. Government (i.e. Lembaga Penjamin Mutu Pendidikan, Pusat Kurikulum, and other Indonesian government agencies responsible for quality education) analyzes teachers' need and expectation. In general, they can be asked (directly or indirectly) to decide on all relevant issues in their professional development. The possible benefits might be gained by employing this approach. First, teachers will strongly support the program. This results from their involvement in decision making. The program is a reflection from their need and expectation. Second, they will be committed to follow the program because it is based on what they have decided. Third, as a consequence of the second, they will practice what they have got from the program. In other words, they will be responsible to carry out the program. Finally, they will be challenged to practice what they are supposed to practice. Philosophically, decentralization in developing teacher professionalism has a relatively strong base. Commonly, teachers have developed their competence, strategies, and repertoires in line with the real situation encountered during their life span. Articles written by teachers (see Celce-Murcia, 2001; Sumardi et al., 2007), for example, provide us with a genuine practice of English language teaching, which are valuable to socialize and to implement. Besides, they have been fully engaged with their students in their unique situation. Therefore, they have a better understanding of their target. Teachers, to some extent, have become researchers for their own. Their findings during their teaching are worth appreciating and sharing.

HOW TO EMPLOY THE APPROACH?

Centralization stipulates a bottom-up processing. The data are taken from the bottom, that is, teachers as resources. Then, the decision is made by the center based on the collected data. In this case, the center sets goal(s), selects strategies, and materials in the forms of modules, books, hand outs, or other training materials. Implementation of program is carried out on the basis of the input from the teachers. To know the effectiveness of the program, evaluation is carried out regularly. In addition, feedback is provided to reinforce the strengths of the program, and to remedy the weaknesses. The process can be presented in the chart below. Analyzing Needs

Selecting methods and materials

Evaluation

Implementing program

In a bottom-up approach to developing teacher professionalism, the role of government is facilitator: they accommodate the teachers need and expectation to be facilitated. In 70 Teacher Professional Development in Language Teaching: A Shift of Paradigm (Sajidin)

Feedback

Setting goal(s)

addition, experts or researchers can serve as guide in implementing the program. In this case, experts and researchers work together to find out a better practice of teaching and learning rooted from the teachers-based knowledge and experience. It does not imply that experts are not given space and room to present materials. They can be played as speakers, or presenters, when perceived important.

TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: SCOPES, STRATEGIES AND SKILLS

In language teaching, professional development might cover many things, among others: curriculum and material development, teaching practicalities, approaches, pedagogical skills, that is, to plan the lesson, to execute, and to assess the instruction (Moore, 2007). Parallel to this, Richards (2001) develops six essential skills (knowledge) in language teacher professional development: (1) Practical knowledge; (2) Content knowledge; (3) Contextual knowledge; (4) Pedagogical knowledge; (5) Personal knowledge, and (6) Reflective knowledge. Practical knowledge deals with the knowledge of classroom techniques and strategies. While, content knowledge refers to the understanding of the subjects of TESOL, e.g. pedagogical grammar, phonology, teaching theories, second language acquisition, as well as the specialized discourse and terminology of language teaching. Following content knowledge is contextual knowledge. It deals with knowledge of learners (including cultural and other relevant information), familiarity with the school and institutional context, and school norms. Completing the explanation of the three skills above, in the following is presented a brief account of three other skills that teacher should acquire: Pedagogical knowledge is the ability to plan, to adapt, to improvise, and restructure content knowledge for teaching purposes. Personal knowledge is personal beliefs and principles and individual approach to teaching. Reflective knowledge is capacity to reflect on and assess teaching practice. Using frame work from national regulation (Peraturan Pemerintah) No. 19, 2005 on National Standard of Education, the skills may cover the following: (1) pedagogical competence; (2) personal competence; (3) professional competence, and; (4) social competence. The strategies and activities can be offered to the teachers. They are given option to choose the kind of activities they want to do. Alternatively, they are offered to express their own needs. The following strategies are common in teacher professional development (see Richard, 2001; Wallace in Freeman, 1996; Gilpin in Trappers-Lomax, 2001). 1. Reflecting teaching. Teachers write or report their teaching experience, the obstacles they encounter, their strengths and weakness upon completing the end of teaching sessions, or the ends of teaching program (one lesson, one unit, or one semester). This can be shared in a teacher forum, like MGMP. 2. Writing journal. Teachers are provided time and facilities to write their teaching practices. Like reflecting teaching, the teachers express their ideas, innovations to share among teachers. 3. Peer teaching. With a guidance of an expert, teacher carries out a teaching practice in a real classroom or a micro teaching laboratory. Other teachers are provided notes/feedback sheet to evaluate his/her performance during teaching process.

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4. Group discussion. Teachers are invited to present a paper to discuss. The paper presented might be taken from their experiences or articles written by an expert/a researcher. 5. Workshop. Teachers are guided to make a product, such as: lesson plans, assessment instrument, KTSP, syllabi, and teaching aids, for a better and more effective practice of teaching. The product, after being corrected, is used for their teaching. 6. Team teaching. A group of teachers work to teach students collaboratively. Then, they share their experience and find out a better teaching. 7. Lesson Study. Teachers are invited to observe the teaching learning process in a real classroom setting, conducted by a teacher. They learn how to carry out teaching learning. An expert provides feed back in the form of comments, suggestions, and solution to the problems. 8. School visits. Teachers are invited to observe the implementation of teaching learning process, to interview target teachers in selected schools in the country or abroad. They also try to explore the strengths and the weaknesses of the schools. The discussions are carried out upon completing the observation.

CLOSING REMARKS
Not all centralization is bad; likewise, not all decentralization is good. Centralization and decentralization might be good in one condition and bad in other conditions. Employing the only approach to developing teacher professionalism brings about any implication as previously mentioned. Therefore, combining two approaches is more relevant to meet teachers' expectation and needs. By so doing, developing teacher professionalism will be more effective and promising.

REFERENCE:
Celce-Murcia, Marianna (ed.). Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Singapore: Heinlene & Heinlene Thomson Learning. Departemen Pendidikan Nasional. 2005. Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 19 tahun 2005 tentang Standar Nasinal Pendidikan. Jakarta: Depdiknas. Gilpin, Arlene. 1999. Theory in Language Teacher Education (Editors: Hugh Trappes-Lomax & Ian McGrath). Malaysia: Pearson Education Limited. Moore, Kenneth D. 2007. Classroom Teaching Skills. Singapore: McGraw Hill. Richards, Jack C. 2001. Curriculum Development in Language Teaching. Australia: Cambridge University Press. Suwandi & Bharati, Dwi Anggani Linggar. 2007. An Insight of the Teacher's Readiness in the KTSP in implementation: an Overview of the Teacher Trainer. "Human Resources Development in English Language Teaching: conference proceedings". Jakarta: UIN Syarif Hidayatullah. Wallace, Michael. 1996. Teacher Learning in Language Teaching (editors: Donald Freeman and Jack C. Richard). Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press.

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Teacher Professional Development in Language Teaching: A Shift of Paradigm (Sajidin)