ENGLISH TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND AWARENESS-KEEPING UP WITH THE CURRENT CHANGES IN TEACHING

Abstract

The field of English teaching is one which thousands of teachers worldwide have pursued as a life profession. The issues of expertise and professionalism, however, vary in the aspect to which we understand the obligations that are tied to the chosen profession. Most frequently, the misconception related to the issue of “preparedness” in teaching is that of gaining superficial knowledge i.e. a BA diploma in teaching English, a practical experience in a school or two, a diploma project on a topic which is conducted during the studies etc. and by this, the mission “being accomplished.” The false belief that is formed is that no further training or advanced development is further needed. However, in order to keep up with current changes in teaching, teachers must always pursue further practical development, termed as the individual perspective. This paper aims to identify the most crucial aspects of teacher development and also stresses the importance of teacher trainings in the process. It also implies that the individual perspective is achieved with the help and support of the Ministry of Education together with higher institutions. The case study was conducted with private and state university professors. A teacher survey consisting of 12 statements was used as an instrument in the study (see Appendix). Statements were divided into two main categories: the individual perspective and the institutional perspective and were ranked on a scale from 1-5 (least-most important).Research questions were: “Are teachers aware of the importance of individual perspective development in their career?” “What are the areas which need further development?” and “How can teachers initiate institutional support?”The findings and conclusions serve as implications for a wider general perspective in Macedonia and in the region.