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The BA (TESOL) Project 1999-2008
Upgrading English Teachers’ Qualifications |
Introduction
The educational process in the Sultanate is witnessing rapid and significant
change in all areas. The Ministry of Education is keen that developments in the
process of teaching and learning should be matched by a parallel focus on human
resource development and is therefore implementing training policies aimed at
equipping teachers with an understanding of the latest trends in education.
Although the Ministry’s training policies target personnel at all levels,
teachers are given special attention as they are the cornerstone of the teaching
and learning process. Officials in the Ministry realize that better training of
teachers is the best way to achieve the targets of the educational reform
initiative. Thus the Ministry of Education has initiated a number of projects
aimed at improving the competencies of Omani teachers and upgrading their
academic qualifications, to enable them to cope more effectively with the rapid
and continuous process of change that characterises education today in the
Sultanate of Oman. The BA Project, implemented by the Ministry of Education, in
collaboration with the University of Leeds, to upgrade the qualifications of
Diploma-holding English language teachers to BA (TESOL) degree level, was one of
these pioneer training initiatives.
The BA Educational Studies (TESOL) degree programme of the University of Leeds
aimed to upgrade the skills and knowledge of Omani English language teachers so
that they can use the language proficiently in teaching, in discussion, in
analyzing what they read, in writing academic essays and carrying out research,
and so that they can contribute to the development of English language teaching
and research in Oman to an international level. It greatly enriched teachers'
professional knowledge by introducing them to the latest trends in education and
it enabled them to gain a degree, which is a stepping stone to higher studies.
Six cohorts of students, from all the regions of the Sultanate, completed the BA
Programme and the reports of participants, tutors and lecturers and the four
independent evaluations of the Project have shown that the BA programme is
achieving its goals successfully. Graduates all agree that they benefited a lot
from the BA Programme, as it was tailored to meet their needs in the classroom
and in their daily life.
Studying on the programme
The programme lasted for three years. It commenced in January of the first year
and ended in December of the third year. The study was shared between the
Sultanate and the UK. Participants studied the BA on a part-time basis. They
were released from teaching duties one day a week to attend lectures in the
training centre in their region in groups of roughly 15. Training centres were
fully equipped and each had a library containing books, journals and reading
files. Participants were taught in these centres by Regional Tutors, native
speakers of English, who were appointed by the Ministry. These Regional Tutors
also provided individual tutorials and conducted group seminars. In addition
they visited participants in their schools to help them relate the concepts they
encountered on the BA to their own experience in the classroom.
Winter and Summer Schools in Oman
In January every year, BA participants attended a Winter School at either
Muscat, Sohar or Nizwa Training centre. There they engaged in a period of
intensive professional study, supported by lecturers from the University of
Leeds, who came to the Sultanate specifically for this purpose, and by Ministry
of Education Regional Tutors. Each Winter School lasted for either two or three
weeks.
In June and July of the 1st and 3rd. years of the BA, participants attended
another intensive study programme, this time for either six or five weeks. This
was known as the Summer School.
The Leeds Summer School
In the second year of the BA, participants travelled to the UK to spend two
months at the University of Leeds. While studying there, they were able to
improve their language proficiency and to benefit from the libraries, technology
and other resources available in the University. After completing the Leeds
summer school, teachers resumed their studies in the Sultanate.
Graduation
Upon successful completion of the BA programme, students graduated in a ceremony
organised jointly by the Ministry of Education and the University of Leeds.
Impacts of the BA Project
Number of graduates
By November 2009, 809 students had officially graduated with a BA degree, the
vast majority with Honours. A number of the best BA (TESOL) graduates were
provided with scholarships to study higher degrees at the University of Leeds
through the project. During the life of the Project a total of 56 Omanis,
completed MAs in Education, of whom the great majority were the best BA (TESOL)
graduates. An additional 5 research students are studying for a PhD, funded by
the project.
Personal and professional change in graduates
Graduates developed their academic knowledge and understanding in a wide range
of areas concerned with education and language, including teaching methodology,
syllabus design and methods of assessment.
The BA also aimed to help participants' professional development as teachers of
English. During the BA they were introduced to current trends in a wide range of
fields including initial literacy, assessment and mentoring. As a result they
became more reflective and more skilful as classroom practitioners. They became
more autonomous as teachers, more confident and more able to justify their own
classroom practices. They now feel they know what they are doing, and why, and
feel confident enough to innovate, for example in interpreting curriculum
materials. They also developed their command of the English language,
particularly their academic reading and writing skills and oral fluency and
became more confident users of English as teachers. Most also developed a deeper
commitment to the teaching profession and to their learners.
In terms of life skills, graduates developed critical thinking abilities,
greater autonomy, better time management and computer skills. Using the rich
library resources in their regional premises taught them to appreciate the true
meaning of academic learning. It motivated many to want to continue improving
themselves throughout their professional careers.
Capacity-building in schools and in the regions
The BA is having a much wider impact too. According to figures from 2009, at
least 228 Senior English Teachers, 9 out of 20 Regional Trainers, 45 out of 112
Regional Supervisors and 2 Acting Senior Supervisors are BA (TESOL) graduates.
Support for the change process in the education system
The majority of BA participants took the course while also implementing a new
curriculum and a large number recognised that the two experiences were mutually
beneficial. i.e. the BA assisted in the reform process, while the reform process
assisted students on the BA too. BA graduates report that the programme helped
them understand the rationale for the curriculum reforms. There is evidence from
questionnaire responses of genuine change in beliefs among BA graduates in line
with the principles underlying Basic Education reforms. There is further
evidence that this alignment of BA (TESOL) and Basic Education reform is having
a practical effect from the field of assessment, where BA graduates are among
the most enthusiastic users of new assessment techniques like portfolios and
self/peer assessment, and among the most capable designers of progress and
achievement tests.
Impact on pupils
Ultimately the most important test of the value of the BA (TESOL) Programme is
whether it is contributing to pupils learning English better. However, it’s also
the most difficult kind of impact to prove. Anecdotally we have heard that pupil
achievement is increasing, especially in urban areas, though this could anyway
be ascribed to many different factors. We also have some evidence of change in
pupils’ learning experience. Freeman observed BA (TESOL) graduates teaching and
identified many positive features of pupil learning, which should feed through
over the long term into greater levels of proficiency (Freeman, 2007).
Supporting the development of a research culture
The BA has been a major contributor to supporting the development of a research
culture in Oman. Firstly, all BA participants had experience of carrying out a
small-scale research project for their dissertation. The best of these are now
published in three volumes (Borg 2006, 2008, 2009b), which are available here on
the Ministry's web portal. Secondly, Project staff and students carried out a
number of joint research projects and a fourth publication, also available on
the web portal, brings some of these reports together and reflects on key
aspects of the project as a successful international collaboration (Atkins, Lamb
and Wedell, 2009). Thirdly 16 of the best MA critical studies in various
disciplines submitted by Omanis for the degree of MA in Education at University
of Leeds between 2003 and 2008 have been edited and published in a further
volume (Wyatt and Atkins, 2009). Fourthly the Ministry and the University have
provided two research methods courses for teachers, teacher trainers and
supervisors, who have conducted their own research projects. Research reports
from one of these courses are also available here (Borg 2009a). Overall a series
of 6 research books focusing on the best research carried out through the BA
Project have been published and can all be accessed on this portal. These
publications, and the related conference presentations that were made to promote
them, have raised the profile of Oman in the academic field of TESOL and beyond.
One graduate's view of the BA (TESOL)
"My teaching performance has improved greatly. My study for three years on the
BA has provided me with skills and knowledge which I use in my teaching to
improve the performance of my students. I have also become ambitious to go for
higher studies."
"The BA was an interesting experience for me. It helped me to develop my
language proficiency and my teaching skills, which I need as a Senior Teacher.
The most important thing is that it encouraged me to continue my professional
development and was my first step towards an MA."
REFERENCES
Atkins, J., Lamb, M., & Wedell, M. (2009). (Eds.). International collaboration
for
educational change: The BA project. Muscat: Ministry of Education, Sultanate of
Oman.
Borg, S. (Ed.). (2006b). Classroom research in ELT in Oman. Muscat: Ministry of
Education, Sultanate of Oman.
Borg, S. (2008). (Ed.). Investigating English language teaching and learning in
Oman.
Muscat: Ministry of Education, Sultanate of Oman.
Borg, S. (2009a). (Ed.). Researching English language teaching and teacher
development
in Oman. Muscat: Ministry of Education, Sultanate of Oman.
Borg, S. (2009b). (Ed.). Understanding English language teaching and learning in
Oman. Muscat: Ministry of Education, Sultanate of Oman.
Freeman, D. (2007). Fourth evaluation of the Ministry of Education, Oman –
University
of Leeds BA Educational Studies (TESOL) Project. Ministry of Education,
Sultanate of
Oman.
Wyatt, M. & Atkins, J. (2009). (Eds.). Research perspectives on education in
Oman.
Ministry of Education, Sultanate of Oman.
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