Speaker
Description
This study examined how EFL teachers’ critical reflection triggered transformative teaching practices in a Vietnamese higher education context. This qualitative research employing a phenomenological approach was conducted with the participation of three EFL tertiary teachers in the Mekong Delta region through semi-structured interviews. These three participants, who come from different universities, have several years of experience in teaching English, and they all implement critical reflection in their teaching. Matsuo’s (2017) framework of critical reflection with problem posing, preconceived assumptions, and double-loop learning would be employed for considering teachers’ transformative teaching practices. The findings on transformative teaching practices would be recognized as adapting from Mezirow’s (1991) ten phases of transformative learning, including disorienting dilemma, self-examination, critical assessment, recognition, exploration, planning, knowledge and skill acquisition, provisional trying of roles, building competence, and confidence and reintegration. The study result will foster teacher professional development by demonstrating how critical reflection supports transformative teaching practices. Furthermore, the essential role of critical reflection in pedagogical development is emphasized by teachers’ issue recognition and gearing their minds towards improving teaching quality.
Keywords: Critical reflection, transformative teaching practices, EFL teaching, professional development.
Biography
Mr. Pham Dinh QUOC, Nam Can Tho University (NCTU), Vietnam, is currently a
lecturer in English Studies, Department of English language. He is currently Vice head of
Department of English language. His main research interests are English language
teaching, interpretation and translation.
Van Tuyet Thi Phan, Associate Professor, is a lecturer at the School of Foreign Languages, Can Tho University. She is passionate about social studies and pedagogy and always wants to raise public awareness about the role of education in changing, improving, and developing society, which can be found in her publications. Her research areas also include teaching English skills, critical teaching, literature, professional development, and the application of ICT in language teaching.
