The teacher-education activities discussed in this book are based on the following assumptions:

. In any school or educational institution, there are teachers with different levels of experience,
knowledge, skill, and expertise. Mutual sharing of knowledge and experience is a valuable source of Teachers have different needs at
professional growth. different times during their careers,
. Teachers are generally motivated to continue their professional development once they begin their and the needs of the schools and
careers. institutions in which they work also
. Knowledge about language teaching and learning is in a tentative and incomplete state, and change over time. The pressure for
teachers need regular opportunities to update their professional knowledge. teachers to update their knowledge in
. Classrooms are not only places where students learn—they are also places where teachers can areas such as curriculum trends, second
learn. language acquisition research,
composition theory and practice,
. Teachers can play an active role in their own professional development.
\\\ and administrators to provide opportunities for continued technology, or assessment is intense,
. It is the responsibility of schools
and it is the school and the classroom
professional education and \to encourage teachers to participate in them. that provide a major source for further
. In order for such opportunities to take place, they need to be planned, supported, and rewarded. professional development.

The nature of teacher education

Strategies for teacher development often
Understanding teacher learning involve documenting different kinds of teaching
Teacher development Teacher-education processes derive practices; reflective analysis of teaching
Development generally refers to general their rationale from assumptions about practices, examining beliefs, values, and
growth not focused on a specific job. It the nature of teacher development and principles; conversation with peers on core
serves a longer-term goal and seeks to how it takes place. This field has been issues; and collaborating with peers on
facilitate growth of teachers’ understanding called teacher learning (Freeman & classroom projects. However, al- though many
Richards, 1996) and is concerned with
of teaching and of themselves as teachers. things can be learned about teaching through
exploring questions such as the
It often involves examining different self-observation and critical reflection, many
following: What is the nature of teacher
dimensions of a teacher’s practice as a cannot, such as subject-matter knowledge,
knowledge and how is it acquired?
basis for reflective review and can hence be pedagogical expertise, and understanding of
What cognitive processes do we
seen as “bottom-up.” curriculum and materials. Professional
employ while teaching and while development, therefore, should go beyond
learning to teach? How do experienced personal and individual reflection. For example,
and novice teachers differ? These it can include exploration of new trends and
The following are examples of goals from a development questions are themselves dependent on theories in language teaching; familiarization
perspective: our conceptualization of the nature of with developments in subject-matter
. Understanding how the process of second language language teaching and our knowledge such as pedagogical grammar,
development occurs understanding of the knowledge, composition theory, or genre the- or; and critical
. Understanding how our roles change according to the kind of attitudes, skills, and processes we examination of the way schools and language
learners we are teaching employ while teaching. programs are organized and managed.
. Understanding the kinds of decision making that occur during
lessons
Conceptualizations of teacher learning
. Reviewing our own theories and principles of language
teaching  Teacher learning as skill learning
. Developing an understanding of different styles of teaching
 Teacher learning as a cognitive process
. Determining learners’ perceptions of classroom activities
 Teacher learning as personal construction
 Teacher learning as reflective practice