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

English language teachers who hold an essential role in education system areexpected to be highly competent in order to enhance the student learning outcomes.Hence, improving teachers‘ c

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST

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

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 Code Supervisor

: English Teaching Methodology

: 60140111 : Dr Dương Thu Mai

I, Tran Minh Hang, certify that this thesis is the result of my own research andthe substance of the research has not been submitted for degree to any otheruniversity or institution

Hanoi, 2016

Trần Minh Hằng

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 ofgreat help My great thanks go to all the lecturers of Faculty of Post GraduateStudies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam NationalUniversity, Hanoi for their interesting lectures and suggestions for the topic of mystudy

Thanks are also due to my teacher trainers and my MA classmates K22 at theUniversity of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National Universityand Hanoi Metropolitan University for their assistance and cooperation incompleting the interviews and questionnaires

Last but not least, I would like to give my deepest gratitude to my parents, myolder brother, and my friends for their moral support and encouragement throughout

my training course

The study still has limitations, therefore all the suggestions andrecommendations would be warmly welcomed

English language teachers who hold an essential role in education system areexpected 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 andweaknesses of the English language teachers This study aims to investigateprofessional competence and training needs of the in-service English languageteachers – MA students at ULIS, VNU The data were collected from interviewswith three teacher trainers, and survey questionnaires with 65 English languageteachers The results showed that the majority of the English teachers had hightraining needs in most competencies Furthermore, beside the positive perceptions

of their own competence, the targeted teachers had some challenges in reachingprofessionalism 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 ofprofessional development materials not only for the targeted teachers but also forthe language policy makers in education

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

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

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

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

1 Introduction

In this part, the rationale for carrying out this study is presented followed by abrief presentation of the aims and objectives, the research questions, the methods,the scope and the significance of the study Finally, the thesis structure isintroduced

As English becomes vital to most countries all over the world, it is taught frompre-school to higher education English language teachers who are considered tohave substantial impacts on their students‘ achievement therefore are among themost important elements of the education system, as Rockoff (2004) indicated:

―teachers also have a fundamental role in their learners‘ academic achievementand their quality can highly influence student outcomes‖ In order to encouragestudents 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 topossess a certain amount of knowledge, skills, as well as attitudes, which together isknown as teacher competence Teacher competence is crucial that can lead topositive individual student development and even lessen the aggressive behavior inthe classroom (Çubukçu, 2010)

In reality, as entering the 21st century, the real situation of teaching and learningEnglish is a major topic of discussion in the education domain More particularly,the status of language teaching has changed over time; for example, many newdevelopmental policies in knowledge, teaching methods, or programs have beenupdated 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 thesechanges to move towards professional competence which includes subject matterknowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, knowledge of teaching and learning,curricular knowledge, teaching experience, and certification status (Shulman, 1986,Grossman, 1995)

It has become a major issue for teaching staff to innovate and upgrade theircompetence 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 andprovided 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 ofEnglish as in this study, should recognize the need of professional competence andtraining in order to address the demands of society

Vietnam is not the exceptional country in the world that considers professionalcompetence and training needs as essential factors for any English languageteachers Since Vietnam has implemented Doi Moi policies, one of the issues on thislandscape of change is the development of new English language teachergenerations Accordingly, the Vietnam government has decided to carry out animportant project entitled ―Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in theNational Education System, Period 2008-2020‖ (dated 30 September, 2008 of thePrime Minister on the country) The project offers many opportunities for Vietnambecause it can help a massive group of teachers be aware of the importance ofEnglish teaching standards and encourage them in gaining higher professionalcompetence in their career

The project is an attempt of the government to promote teachers‘ motivation tobecome skilled language instructors By highly appreciating the great influences ofprofessional competence and training programs on education system, Englishlanguage teachers are active to learn and develop themselves continuously duringtheir 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 – TESOLMaster students at ULIS, VNU, a leading institution in English language teachertraining nationwide They are young, energetic in-service English teachers comingfrom various kinds of educational institutions in English language teaching They

are also the typical human resources who keep a decisive role in transforming theeducational goals into a reality Moreover, with the participations in MA course,most of these long-term teaching staff perceive that improving their competencewith the master's degree is a vital stimulant for their teaching practice, especially forthe young teachers whose experience and practical teaching knowledge are not stillsufficient A study into these teachers‘ competence and training needs should beable to yield interesting results In addition, the findings may hold crucialimportance to the design of training courses for the teachers, including both formalcourses 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 languagepolicy makers towards more effective English language teaching and learning insimilar 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 – MAstudents 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

Professional competence and training needs are such broad topics that theycannot be wholly discussed within the framework of this paper For this small-scalethesis, the study attempts to investigate the needed competencies from Englishlanguage teachers‘ perspectives, accordingly to explore the strengths andweaknesses of the targeted teachers based on an in-service version of EnglishTeacher Competency Framework (ETCF) The subjects of the thesis are threeteacher 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 inlanguage learning First, when completed, the research results may be used as anevidence to provide teacher educators and administrators with useful informationabout the needed competencies of in-service English teachers – MA students afterfinishing MA course according to their self-assessment The training programs thenmay be formed to support and motivate the in-service English language teachersbetter so that the quality of English language teaching can be enhanced in thesimilar contexts

7 Method of the study

This study employs qualitative and quantitative research methods in order toobtain a more detailed and comprehensive picture about what are investigated.Two survey questionnaires were conducted with 65 in-service English languageteachers – MA students after finishing the Master course to investigate their trainingneeds 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 wereinvited to bring out their opinions based on the given questionnaire

8 Design of the study

The research study is organized into three parts:

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, detailedmethodology 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 thefindings of the study

Conclusions offer a summary of major findings of the study, limitations,

recommendations for further study

In this part, the rationale as well as how to conduct the study was presented Inthe next part - Development, the literature review of the study will be presented

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 bebetter to review the notions of teachers‘ competence, teachers‘ competencies, andthe frameworks that some researchers conducted in their studies Second, thechapter presents some theories related to teachers‘ training needs and self-assessment, and the studies conducted by some scholars in the world, as well as inVietnam 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 ofteachers Jamani (2007) pointed out: ―the quality and the level of excellence ineducation 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, embodiedhuman action in the world, in a particular domain‖ (Crick, 2008) In pedagogy, theconcept of ‗competence‘ defines the individual capabilities acquired throughlearning and teaching Teacher competence, particularly, is ―a knowledge, skill,ability, personal quality, experience or other characteristic that contributes to ateacher‘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 anyteacher desires to possess ‗Professional competence‘ of the teachers is the term thatdescribes a highly qualified teacher The term implies the ability of professionalwork in accordance with standards sets for individual professional actions Krneta

and Milošević (2010, p.203) indicated: ―professional competence as the system ofknowledge, skills, abilities and motivational disposition which provide the effectiverealization of the professional teaching activities‖ The notion ‗professionalcompetence‘ is considered as an overall, generic and integrated image of acompetent teacher in an education system Teachers are expected to achieve theirtargets at high levels through constantly accumulating knowledge, experience,moral values as well as other expertise.

Though both ‗teacher competence‘ and ‗professional competence‘ have beentaken into consideration, the term ‗professional competence‘ is more generic,comprehensive than ‗teacher competence‘ In this study, ‗teacher competence‘ isfocused as the key research term This is because of the aims of the study whichprovides all-sided trait of a professional teacher

1.2.1.2 Teacher competencies

According to Mulder (2014, p.3), ―competence consists of differentcompetencies A competency is a part of generic competence; it is a set ofknowledge, 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, ameasure of one‘s performance and a common language for talking about teaching

& learning (Harris & Carr, 1996) Teachers having various competencies are alwaysexpected to teach students at all levels effectively in diverse contexts In addition,

the concept of ‗teacher competencies‘ is emphasized by Rice (2003) as ―theknowledge, skills and attitudes that satisfactorily meet the social and professionalrequirements of teaching roles and bring about good learning‖

In brief, the term ‗competency‘ accounts for the particular ability which canmeasure teacher performance In each country, based on different factors, a variety

of competencies are formed into a national framework which is consideredprofessional standards for every teacher

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/herexpertise, whereas ‗competency‘ (competencies), whose sense refers to activities, isused to describe particular instances of that broader expertise.

1.2.2 Frameworks of Teacher Competence

Beside theoretical frameworks, many practical ones have been developed byresearchers Competence frameworks contain the professional standards forteaching and provide the means to identify how a competent teacher is Thecompetence framework comprises a set of competencies for the teachers to followand 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 teacherneeds 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 circumstancesour 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 particularsubjects and topics at a given level, the variety of instructional materials available inrelation to those programs, and the set of characteristics that use for particular

curriculum or program materials in particular circumstances.‖ (Shulman, 1986b,p.7-10)

According to Caena (2011, p.3-4), based on the ―Common European Principlesfor Teacher Competences & Qualifications (2005)‖, three broad areas ofcompetence 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 inprofession Teachers need to have enough knowledge in psychology, pedagogy todevelop students‘ potential Moreover, they also need to be able to co-operate andcollaborate 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 whichequip them to be more effective in teaching and learning, together with good subjectknowledge and pedagogical skills, their teaching skills in both theoretical andpractical knowledge The third required the teachers to work with local communityand 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 mainlycontent knowledge in a undeniably key frameworks for teacher educationtheoretically which highlights (a) subject matter content knowledge, (b) pedagogicalcontent knowledge, and (c) curricular knowledge, the European Commission (2005)emphasized the active roles of teachers in three competencies as (1) working withothers, (2) working with knowledge, technology and information and (3) working inand with society certain contexts The latter framework seems to reinforce further

on the practical control the modern teachers should demonstrate towards differentsubjects relevant to their career, be it the subject matter knowledge or other relevantknowledge, their context or a different context Both frameworks and otherimportant ones should be considered in constructing and evaluating localizedsystems 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 tosupport teachers, and to promote quality in education English TeacherCompetencies Framework is based upon general teacher education research whichindicates 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 areembedded with a number of professional values and attitudes (Domain 4) andlocated within a larger sphere (Domain 5) that reflects a ―situative‖ (local)perspective of effective teacher learning that takes place within the contexts andpractice 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 offerinstruction that would support much deeper and more complex learning for theirstudents? Secondly, what sort of professional education would be most likely tohelp teachers to learn those things? Thirdly, what do these ideas imply for thecontent, method, and structure of professional development?

Firstly, subject matter is one of the most important factors that teachers wouldneed to know They also would need to understand the contexts, select and useapplications appropriately In order to know the materials in teaching, teacherswould need to have a good understanding of pedagogy and the learners comingfrom different backgrounds so that they could connect students with contents ineffective ways

Secondly, even if teachers knew all these things, they would not know nearlyenough to teach in the ways that researchers and educators think they should, for thesituations could be more complex, unpredictable, and difficult to monitor andmanage that we call classrooms They would need to learn before teaching andwhile teaching, how to learn in and from practice.

Thirdly, towards curriculum and pedagogy for professional education, suchprofessional education would depend mainly on finding ways to center professionallearning in practice One way to do this lies within the course of teachers‘ everydaywork—in the regular tasks of planning, selection, enactment, reflection, andassessment 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 theresearch was to provide a common framework for curriculum content andpedagogies in teacher education – the framework that is useful for preparingteachers with the knowledge, skills, commitments that will able to help all studentssucceed with emphasis on ―teaching as profession‖ They share knowledge oflearners & their development in social context, knowledge of teaching, knowledge

of subject matter & curriculum goals It is important for teachers to be aware oftheir roles and responsibilities in order to confront with complex decisions inteaching that reply on different kinds of knowledge and judgment

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (2002) definedeight standards for ESL teachers: planning, instructing, assessing, identity andcontext, language proficiency, learning, content and commitment, andprofessionalism By means of these competencies, TESOL clarified that a teachershould 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 instrumentalsystems which consist of specific abilities to measure their performance in their

professional career Based on certain conditions, a comprehensive framework forteachers 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 languageteachers‘ competence For example, Korkmaz and Yavuz (2011) aimed to find outwhich competencies were necessary to be an effective language teacher andcollected data from the fourth year English language student teachers at UludagUniversity in Turkey with an open-ended question, a structured questionnaire and asemi-structured interview Teachers indicated many competencies such asmonitoring and evaluation of learning and development, knowledge of students,knowledge of curriculum, personal and professional development, and school-family and society relationships

According to Anugerahwati and Saukah (2010), the study was conducted to findout the profile of exemplary English teachers at secondary schools in Indonesia.Data were collected through observations, interviews, and questionnaires The studywas conducted in four towns, including exemplary teachers in one senior highschool and three junior high schools This study was done mainly to find out (1) theprofessional competences of the exemplary teachers in each town and (2) how theyachieve the competences The collected data were analyzed qualitatively by theusual 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 beingthe most influential in shaping them as professional and exemplary teachers Fromthe findings, a profile of the professional competences of the exemplary Englishteachers at secondary schools is developed

Kızılaslan (2011) also conducted a qualitative study on 21 senior ELT studentteachers‘ competence of teaching language skills in Turkey Field notes, interviewsand follow-up focus group interviews comprised the data sources for the study Thestudy showed that student teachers were not fully competent in areas defined by

MONE and failed to integrate four skills They somehow had difficulty inintegrating listening and speaking, and also reading and writing It was also notedthat student teachers should be informed about competencies defined by MONEsince they were open to improve themselves.

To summarize the results of aforementioned studies on English language teachercompetence, it was found that the English language teachers would have differentstrengths and weaknesses in their job From the findings, the teachers‘ trainingneeds also would be identified in order to improve the quality of teaching andlearning

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 CompetenciesFramework (ETCF) is usually based upon general teacher education research (Ball

& Cohen, 1999; Bransford, Darling-Hammond et al., 2005) ETCF in Vietnam isalso developed from several international standards documents for foreign languageteachers including the Common European Framework Reference (CEFR), the ACTFLProgram Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers (2002),TESOL/NCATE Teacher Education Standards (2010), the European Portfolio of StudentTeachers of Languages (Newby, Allan et al, 2007), and a Vietnamese project, the HueUniversity EFL Teacher Education Standards (2010)

Vietnam‘s English Teacher Competencies Framework is classified into fivedomains:

Domain 1 is knowledge of subject matter and curriculum It represents subjectmatter knowledge for English teaching This domain includes teachers‘ languageproficiency, knowledge of the language system, understanding of how languages arelearned, content and curriculum Curricular content knowledge includes cultures ofEnglish-speaking countries, basic academic content in English, and knowledge oflocally used English curriculum

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

Domain 3 is knowledge of learners It relates to the knowledge of languagelearners Teachers‘ understanding of students‘ development, stages of learnerlanguage, 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 knowledgedomains Professional attitudes and values are embedded throughout the otherknowledge domains, as indicated by Domain 4 These attitudes and values includepromoting and modeling language learning; practicing cooperation, collaborationand teamwork; demonstrating life-long learning and participating in professionaldevelopment activities

Domain 5 is learning in and from practice and informed by context It representsteachers‘ understanding of the context in which English is being taught, andconnecting language learning to real uses of English in Vietnam This understandinginvolves connections to other subjects, relevant contextual issues, and other Englishusers It also involves teachers‘ reflection on their practice

In short, Vietnam‘s ETCF is a standardized, flexible roadmap for teachers tofollow in reaching professionalism Through Vietnam‘s ETCF, teachers can identifythe specific areas which they need for training and self-study throughout theircareer Compared with the frameworks of teacher competence, the Vietnam‘sETCF, the first set of subject-specific teacher standards in Vietnam, was createdmore 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 achievethe objectives of the study

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 AnGiang high schools The aims of the research was to understand the relationshipbetween 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 inthe province The techniques for assessing competence of the participants were classobservation, and questionnaires Overall, the competence of the teachers inpedagogy was relatively high The results indicated that high school teachers in theprovince had sufficient competence in their job However, among three aspects ofpedagogical competence structure were examined, classroom management skillsand pedagogical manners & behaviors were evaluated better than teaching methodswhich 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 Englishteachers in Ho Chi Minh City, who graduated from Ho Chi Minh City University ofEducation (HCMUE) in the last 5 years (from 2007 to 2011)‖ The study focused onintroducing some reasoning viewpoints of the importance of the topic, the findings

of the study, and some recommendations for the Department of English in theHCMUE The study showed the majority of teachers in English (graduate Englishdepartment, HCMC University of Education from years 2007-2011) were relativelycompetent in subject matter; pedagogical skills, and good manners However, theteachers still had some difficulties such as teaching methods, curriculum, or lessonplanning

In brief, investigating teachers‘ competence has been carried out in Vietnam.The findings of the studies indicate that in different contexts, teachers would havedifferent levels of competence Through evaluating teacher competence, their

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, theneeds in training among teachers have been increasing in order to meet the demands

of the society Through training programs, teachers will be provided manyopportunities 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 trainingprograms To have more high qualified English language teachers, there should begood teacher training courses and educational policies

In the study, the training needs of the targeted teachers would be identified fromthe teacher trainers and from their own perspectives Possibly, the results will be thesources for educators to implement suitable training programs for in-service Englishlanguage 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 inFreshman Unit at Bilkent University The results showed that the teachers needed toimprove 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 hundredsecondary school English teachers from nine blocks of Aligarh District based onworkshop methodology A detailed questionnaire was conducted, followed by

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 outEnglish teachers‘ training needs Through the teachers‘ perspectives, more effectivetraining programs would be adjusted Fifty-four English teachers coming fromprimary schools to universities participated in the survey The results showed thatthe surveyed teachers not only need a good understanding of the subject matter,theoretical knowledge but also need further training in the context of languageteaching

In general, the role of training needs is to build up competent teachers Theneeds can be subjective perceptions, their needs as their desires to do their jobbetter It can be objective ones which are seen as the professional requirements forthe teachers to meet certain standards Training needs among teachers are diversity.Therefore, intensive regular training programs will be organized and widened inorder 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-

assessment was given by Purtić and Sad (2006) in the form of four questions:

―Where am I and what do I know? Where do I want to go? How can I get there?What else do I need to know?‖ Accordingly, self-assessment enables teachers toidentify what they really need and find out professional development opportunities.Mirici (2015,p.1) also indicated: ―self-assessment comprises purposeful and well-developed common criteria for continuously monitoring, recording and assessingtheir own educational progress‖ From reflecting on their own performance, theirstrengths and weaknesses would be identified Furthermore, Aeginitou et al (2007)stated the benefits of self-assessment including (1) monitoring of learning andprogress, (2) setting goals for the future, (3) encouraging responsibility for learning,(4) promoting critical thinking, (5) constructing and reconstructing knowledge, and(6) bridging the gap between high and low achievers Therefore, it seems to be a powerful technique to enhance further life-long learning in the educational process

The knowledge of self-assessment has been indicated its benefits in order to findout the perspectives of the participants, i.e., the student teachers in this study interms of training needs and their own competence

1.6 Summary

The present study aims to investigate how competent the English languageteachers perceive themselves based on ETCF: their most and least competent areas,the most and least important training needs from their own perspectives Therefore,the related literature review above has presented the definitions of professionalcompetence, the competence frameworks, training needs and the previous findingsconducted in different contexts In this chapter, the in-service version of Vietnam‘sETCF has also been described in order to clarify the specific content of evaluatingthe English language teachers‘ training needs and their own competence throughself-assessment in this study All of the theoretical backgrounds are considered asfundamental issues relating to the topic of the study The following chapter willpresent the methodology of the research

CHAPTER II: METHODOLOGY

This chapter provides the information on the setting, participants, researchmethods, data collection instruments, and research procedures of the study

2.1 The setting of the study

The study was conducted at University of Language and International Studies,Vietnam National University (ULIS, VNU), a leading university in Vietnam.Currently, ULIS has been seen as one of the leading universities in South East Asiawhich is famous for providing good trainings as well as offering undergraduate andgraduate degrees in pedagogy and linguistic studies Hence, there are thousands ofnew students enrolling in this university every year

ULIS always looks for new methods to improve the quality of teaching andlearning English which are the priorities equipped for students in the search forprofessional development in teaching New programs, therefore, have beenlaunched to better meet the global changes In response to the demands, EnglishTeacher Competency Framework (ETCF) is the first set of subject specific teacherstandards issued by the Ministry of Education and Training The Vietnam‘s ETCFprovides ―a blueprint of the knowledge, skills, values and processes that make upEnglish teaching in Vietnam in the early 21st Century‖ (ETCF User‘s Guide)

This study focuses on the in-service English language teachers – MA studentscoming from throughout the country All of them had Bachelor degrees of English

at different universities in Vietnam After graduation, each teacher already has had acertain years of teaching experience

2.2 Participants

2.2.1 Teacher trainers

The subjects of the study are three Vietnamese English teacher trainers thatresponse to the interview question All these teacher trainers have been awardedDoctoral degrees of English Two of them are working at ULIS, VNU and one is

working at Hanoi Metropolitan University All of them have expertise in Englishlanguage methodology and have over 15 years of teaching experience.

2.2.2 Student teachers

The participants are 65 in-service English language teachers – MA students atULIS, VNU The participation of these teachers were voluntary, and their agesranged from 24 years to 38 years with different levels of background knowledge.They teach English in different contexts, in both urban areas and rural onesthroughout the country, and their teaching experience in English varies from one toten years All teachers are B.A degree holders majored in English and knew theETCF before answering the questionnaires Therefore, their opinions can be highlyreliable and useful for the study

2.3 The data collection instruments

In an effort to obtain information, two instruments of data collection were used;teacher trainers interview and student teachers survey questionnaires

2.3.1 Teacher trainers’ interview

Three teacher trainers were invited into the interview in order to identify theirperspectives of the needed competencies for the targeted teachers – MA students.The data collected was recorded and taken notes with the consent of theparticipants, then analyzed in accordance with the English Teacher CompetenciesFramework (ETCF) The main interview question is ―What are the neededcompetencies for the targeted teachers from your perspectives?‖ with a list of thefollowing questions in order to obtain the objectives of the study:

1 Which competencies are the most important in Vietnam‘s ETCF for

the targeted teachers – MA students?

2 Which competencies are the least important in Vietnam‘s ETCF for

the targeted teachers – MA students?

By means of the interview, it could investigate the most/least importantcompetencies in Vietnam‘s ETCF for the targeted teachers provided with reasons

Moreover, the teacher trainers would bring up suggestions for the target teachers to

be more competent in their career

2.3.2 Teacher’s survey questionnaires.

Two Likert-scale questionnaires were employed in this study to explore theteachers‘ needs for training and their own competence after finishing the MAcourse The questionnaires were applied to in-service English language teachers -

MA students at ULIS, VNU It consists of two parts Part one elicits data on theteachers‘ background, such as qualification, teaching experience, and location oftheir school Part two consists of 56 statements classified into five domains:knowledge of language; language learning and language content and curriculum(domain I); knowledge of language teaching (domain II); knowledge of languagelearners (domain III); professional attitudes & values in language teaching (domainIV); and practices & context of language teaching (domain V) In this part, theseclosed questions are for both training needs and self-assessment of their owncompetence The answers of the first Likert-scale questionnaire in training needs areranked into 5 options from ‗very important‘ to ‗very unimportant‘ The answers forself-assessment in the second one are also ranked into 5 options from ‗stronglyagree‘ to ‗strongly disagree‘ The contents of the questionnaires based on the in-service version of English Teacher Competencies Framework (ETCF) in Vietnam

2.4 Data collection and data analysis procedure

2.4.1 Teacher Trainers Interview

In the study, interview questions were posed to and responded by the threeinvited teacher trainers, working in the department of Foreign Languages atVietnam National University and at Hanoi Metropolitan University Each interviewtook from 15 to 30 minutes, and the language used during interview wasVietnamese All interviews were noted with the consent of the teacher trainers, thentranslated into English

The interviews were used to answer the first main question: ―What are theneeded competencies for the targeted teachers from teacher trainers‘ perspectives?‖

Through qualitative research approach, the targeted teachers‘ training needswould be identified by three teacher trainers, and then possible suggestions for thecontents of future training programs might be formed.

2.4.2 Teachers Questionnaire Data

Quantitative data for this study was gathered from 65 English language teachers– MA students at ULIS, VNU They were invited to fill in the questionnaires based

on the in-service version of Vietnam‘s English Teacher Competency Framework(ETCF)

The questionnaires were delivered to the targeted teachers at the end of the MAcourse in June, 2015 For each statement in the questionnaires, the English languageteachers were invited to respond with their level of agreement to the can-dostatements and their judgment of the importance of the statements After all thequestionnaires were returned, the data process was done carefully to calculate thefrequency of answers Of the total 120 questionnaires distributed to 120 participants

in MA class, 65 were returned

In order to analyze the collected questionnaires data, the researcher grouped datainto categories which also serves to answer the second and the third question:

―What are the needed competencies for the targeted MA students from their ownperspectives?‖ and ―What are the targeted teachers‘ self-assessment of their owncompetence after finishing the Master course?‖

2.5 Summary

In short, this chapter has presented the methodology of the study The aims ofthe study, as stated in Chapter I, is to investigate the professional competence andthe training needs of the in-service English language teachers – MA students atULIS, VNU In order to find out the aims of the study, the data was collected frominterviews and questionnaires The next chapter will present the findings of theresearch under the light of the above-discussed issues

CHAPTER III: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

In this chapter, the results of the study are presented, followed by the discussionand analysis of the data The data has been collected from the interviews and fromthe questionnaires The results are statistically presented in charts

3.1 Findings of the study

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

The main question of the interview is ―What are the needed competencies forthe targeted MA students from your perspectives?‖ For this question, the teachertrainers expressed their perspectives to the most and the least importantcompetencies for the targeted teachers as the following:

To be specific, firstly, all of the interviewees pointed out that the first domain

―knowledge of language, language learning & language content and curriculum‖contains typical competencies which the targeted teachers need the most in theircareer Specially, ―knowledge of language‖ as the knowledge base for everyEnglish language teacher is the prior requirement It is commonly defined as aperson‘s ability to use English accurately and appropriately in teaching language.Teachers must be aware of what they teach so as to be active and flexible incollecting authentic resources for their students For instance, according to

interviewee 1, ―knowledge of language is the first requirement in language

teaching career To have an impressive beginning in your teaching career, you must be sure of understanding and using language perfectly‖ Therefore, language

teachers, first of all, have to master competently that language, i.e., English Once

being sufficient in knowledge of language, they will be confident in transmitting theknowledge perfectly to their students

Moreover, ―knowledge of cultures in English speaking countries‖ is alsoembedded in teachers‘ language knowledge which is a matter of concern English iswidely used as ‗lingua franca‘ in the world The goal of teaching English is to

develop and promote students‘ ability to communicate effectively and appropriately

in different situations Teaching cultures aims to equip learners having enoughcultural knowledge which brings students good impression and have positiveattitudes of that country The reasons why cultures of English speaking countries arealways considered as a certain competency for English teachers Hence, it isimportant for foreign language teachers to have sufficient knowledge about the

countries whose language they teach Interviewee 1 also pointed out: ―cultural

knowledge of English language teachers is the important element in this current trend of Vietnam‘s integration in Asia as well as any other countries throughout the world Cultural competency for language teacher means providing them a good understanding of cross-cultural communication.‖

However, in the first domain, interview 3 indicated that it is not absolutelynecessary for some English teachers to put ―academic content in English‖ into thehighest priority For non-majored English students or students at relatively lowlevels, the English teachers do not need to expand this knowledge urgently

Secondly, the interviewees showed that ―knowledge of teaching‖ also affectsdirectly students‘ learning outcomes In different stages of teaching career, Englishlanguage teachers need to develop different teaching competencies To begin with,English language teachers were equipped teaching methodology at universities.However, to be a competent teacher, it is not only based on theoretical knowledgebut also expanded practical knowledge through teaching experience All of theinterviewees shared the same ideas that how to teach, or teaching methodology, isthe question that needs to be more concerned In fact, there is always a gap betweentheoretical knowledge and practical knowledge Teaching skills, therefore, should

be taken into consideration in training programs As time goes by, English languageteachers will be mature and experienced

However, in the second domain, interview 3 also mentioned that ―technologyfor language teaching‖ is less important than other competencies for the English

language teachers living in rural areas because they are not well-equipped withtechnology and do not have many chances to enhance this skill.

Thirdly, according to interview 3, ―knowledge of learners‖ is also essentialbecause of the emphasis on ―student-centered teaching‖, not ―teacher-centeredteaching‖ Traditionally, instructors concentrated on what they did which leads tostudents to be not active In contrast, ―student-centered teaching‖ method tends to

be dominant nowadays Therefore, knowledge of learners is fully necessary inteaching career

According to the opinions of the interviewees, ―teachers‘ professional attitudesand values in language teaching‖ are also highly important for improvingeducational process Attitudes are closely related to teachers‘ strategies for copingwith challenges in their teaching job From then, teachers can shape their students‘learning environment, promote their motivation and achievement As the

interviewee 2 indicated: ―in the light of integration and development, English is

considered as a communicative tool to exchange information between countries in the world English teacher is one of the main factors that can help improving the quality of students‘ outcomes.‖

In domain IV, ―practicing cooperation, collaboration, & teamwork in languageteaching‖, and ―professional development and life-long learning‖ are the toppriorities for the targeted teachers However, interview 2 and 3 showed that

―demonstrating professionalism in language teaching‖ is the competency thatseems to be ideal in teaching career Hence, it is not the most prominent factor forthe targeted teachers in the contemporary time

Finally, according to interviewee 3, ―practice & context of language teaching‖

is the domain that consists of the vital competencies for the targeted teachers.Understanding the essence of connecting inside and outside of the classroom willmake the English teachers to be more knowledgeable Especially, the combinationbetween ongoing reflection and improvement throughout their career is completelynecessary for the targeted teachers in professional development

In brief, all of the five domains in Vietnam‘s ETCF are entirely important to thetargeted teachers Especially, knowledge of language; cultures of English speakingcountries; knowledge of teaching, knowledge of learners; practicing cooperation,collaboration, & teamwork in language teaching; professional development and life-long learning; practice & context of language teaching are the foremostcompetencies that the student teachers needed the most according to the trainers‘perspectives.

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

A five-point Likert scale is used and the options are ―very unimportant,

unimportant, undecided, important, very important‖ represented as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

respectively

3.1.2.1 Domain 1: Knowledge of Language, Language Learning & Language

Content and Curriculum

In domain I, there are six competencies to explore the student teachers‘perspectives of their training needs in knowledge of language, language learning &language content and curriculum

Figure 1.1: Student teachers’ perspectives in knowledge of language &

26

Overall, the majority of the subjects indicated that they felt the necessity forimproving every competency, while a small minority did not think that they needfurther training in the current situation.

Particularly, more than 90% of the participants showed the highest need inimproving competency 1.1a ―teacher‘s language proficiency‖, including item 1.1a1

(I can use English at the level required for my teaching (B2 or C1)) and item 1.1a2

(I can find opportunities to strengthen my English proficiency) Similarly, they also

expressed their high concerns towards competency 1.2 ―language as a system‖.That means, understanding and teaching English sounds, word parts, wordmeanings, and word order at the primary and secondary level need to be enhanced

However, a small minority did not feel it necessary to be trained in competency1.1b ―working knowledge of Common European Framework‖ That is,understanding the CEF/KNLNN proficiency descriptors at the levels then applyingthat knowledge to their teaching practice are not really important for them to getfurther training

Figure 1.2: Student teachers’ perspectives in language content & curriculum

58.4

41.5

40 20%

Overall, the majority of the participants need further training in thesecompetencies, whereas the rests fall into ‗undecided‘ and ‗unimportant‘ choices ofbeing involved in the training programs.

27

According to the chart, it would appear that ―cultures of English-speakingcountries‖ is the most needed competency In detail, addressing the three statements

in this competency, around 90% of the participants felt both ‗very important‘ and

‗important‘ to expand cultures of English speaking countries knowledge Around85% of the participants also indicated that competency 1.6 ―language curriculum‖,

including item 1.6a (I understand the English curriculum I‘m required to use) and 1.6b (I can use textbooks and required curriculum objectives when planning

lessons), plays an important roles in their teaching and need being up-to-date.

However, regarding to the competency 1.5 ―academic content in English‖, aquarter of the participants perceived that using English literature, cultural texts(websites, songs, TV etc) and English academic texts to teach language and content

is not really necessary to be involved in the training programs

3.1.2.2 Domain 2: Knowledge of Language Teaching

In domain II, there are six competencies to explore the student teachers‘perspectives of their training needs in knowledge of language teaching

Figure 2.1: Student teachers’ perspectives in language teaching methodology,

lesson planning & conducting a lesson

28

whereas there was a small number on behalf of participants who responded

‗undecided‘ and ‗unimportant‘ in getting further training in the current situation

It can be seen that with more than 90% of people (‗important‘ and ‗veryimportant‘), ―language teaching methodology‖ is the most needed competency

They showed that the competency including item 2.1a (I know many strategies and

techniques to integrate the 4 skills), item 2.1b (I can use many strategies and techniques to integrate 4 skills), item 2.1c (I can use this methodology to integrate the 4 skills for authentic communication), and item 2.1d (I can use this methodology

to integrate 4 skills to teach different kinds of learners) would be the top priorities

in the training programs

However, apart from a large number of people felt necessary to improve

competency 2.2 ―lesson planning‖ including item 2.2a (I can understand what

kinds of lessons, assignments and activities teach content, integrate skills, and help students learn English), and item 2.2b (I can plan effective lessons and design assignments and activities to teach content, integrate skills and help students learn English), less than 10% of them did not show their major concerns to this

49.2 52.3

60%

47.7 20%

44.6