2015 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Providing pedagogical support for English teachers in Japan
| Project/Area Number |
15H03481
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| Research Institution | Nanzan University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
O・Connell Sean 南山大学, 総合政策学部, 准教授 (40580824)
MILES Richard 南山大学, 外国語学部, 講師 (90751602)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
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| Keywords | Teacher-training / TEFL / Workshops / Online support |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Stage 1 of this research project has proceeded as planned for the period April 2015- March 2016.
The researchers have completed the following: 1. An in-depth review of the current literature on teacher training, online support, content-based and skills-based teaching. 2. Interviews with key academic figures in Japan, Canada, America, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. 3. Construction of a needs-analysis questionnaire for teachers. 4. Preliminary interviews with junior high and high school teachers re. their needs. 5. Workshop design and creation/collection of authentic teaching material.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
1: Research has progressed more than it was originally planned.
Reason
The research project is proceeding as planned.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
FY2016 Stage 2 (April 2016-March 2017) Workshops 1 and 2 and launch of the online Teacher Support Center (TSC)
During stage 2, two intensive workshops will be offered to teachers of English at Japanese junior high schools and senior high schools. These workshops will provide practical support for teachers to help improve their professional development. The workshops will be divided into four distinct 90 minute units: Unit 1 - A formal lecture (70 minutes) given by an expert in the English teaching field followed by Q & A time (20 minutes); Unit 2 - A content-based class which will focus on one particular aspect of teaching e.g. intercultural communication or communicative competence; Unit 3 - A skills-based class which will focus on practical ways to improve teaching and learning e.g. vocabulary building and material creation; Unit 4 - A practical class which will fuse the main themes/topics of each day. Teachers will be encouraged to present their ideas through task-based work and discussion.
The online Teacher Support Center (TSC) will be developed to both support and enhance the intensive workshops. A secure and dedicated TSC website will be created and made accessible through all platforms - PCs, smartphones and tablets. The TSC will provide teachers with access to a wealth of pedagogical information.
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