VietTESOL International Convention 2026

Professional learning is most effective when it responds to teachers’ immediate contexts, priorities, and constraints. However, in multi-campus institutions, centrally designed professional development may not always align closely with the teaching realities of smaller satellite campuses. This presentation shares the development of monthly teacher-led discussion clubs at RMIT Vietnam’s Danang campus, where teachers deliver programs that differ from those offered at the university’s larger campuses and where institution-wide professional development was not always directly applicable.

The discussion clubs were introduced as a locally responsive professional learning model designed to create regular, voluntary, low-pressure opportunities for teachers to discuss classroom challenges, share practical strategies, and build collective knowledge. Rather than positioning professional learning as expert-led training, the model foregrounded teacher voice, peer exchange, and context-specific problem solving. Topics were selected to reflect teachers’ local needs and included, for example, methods for maintaining engagement with teen learners, activities for analysing IELTS texts, and how to incorporate study plans.

The presentation will outline what was implemented, including the rationale for a campus-specific model, how the clubs were organised, and how teacher-led discussion supported participation. It will then examine the impact of the clubs, including high repeat participation, stronger collegial exchange, and improved relevance of professional learning to local teaching needs. Finally, the presentation will share lessons learned about sustainability, facilitation, voluntary engagement, and adaptation. Participants will leave with practical principles for developing teacher-led discussion clubs in their own schools, centres, or campuses.