Teachers Needs Analysis

Analysing Analysing Teachers’ NeedsTeachers’ Needs

Victor GAO

Zhejiang Institute of Education

Sino-UK ELT Trainer Training ConferenceSino-UK ELT Trainer Training Conference

Analysing Analysing Teachers’ Needs Teachers’ Needs （（ 11 ））

Victor GAO

Zhejiang Institute of Education

Sino-UK ELT Trainer Training ConferenceSino-UK ELT Trainer Training Conference

Victor GAO: Analysing Teachers’ Needs

Outline

1. Education background in ZJ

2. Ways to identify teachers’ needs

3. Understanding teachers’ needs

4. Designing a training program

5. Reflections


Topography of East China

Jiangsu

Zhejiang

lenovo

lenovo

the centraal an southen part of zhejiang

lenovo

The central and southern part of Zhejiang mainly consists of mountain chains interspersed with valley bottoms where streaams and rice fields dominate the landscape. Most of the remaining forests in Zhejiang are found at higher altitude.This geographical isolation in the past created scorse of dialects and also made teacher training difficult to carry out.


Population distributionPROVINCE POPULATION PROVINCE POPULATION

JIANGSU 74,380,00074,380,000 ZHEJIANG 46,770,00046,770,000

SHANDONG 90,790,000 GUANG DONG 86,420,000

HUNAN 64,400,000 HUBEI 60,280,000

FUJIAN 34,710,000 HENAN 92,560,000

ANHUI 59,860,000 HEBEI 67,440,000

LIAONING 42,380,000 JIANGXI 41,400,000


Population growth in China


Map of Zhejiang


Map of Zhejiang


Education in Zhejiang

General situation Statistics in education in

Zhejiang, 2004 浙江基础教育展示版.doc


Problems with teacher training1. We always assume that teachers

would like ways we want to them to be trained

2. When the result of a training program is not satisfactory, we blame the teachers or policy makers

3. We believe that we are doing an honest job and are a bit worried about the assessment of the training course


Why to analyze needs1. We know where to start the training

2. It helps to see teachers’ problems

3. It helps to understand what they want to learn /know when they are on a training course

4. We can know how they prefer to learn and in what way they don’t


Ways to identify teachers’ needs

The major ways we use are:1. questionnaires

2. direct observations

3. interviews

4. tests

5. work samples


Ways to identify teachers’ needs Questionnaires

Questionnaires can be very comprehensive and complicated both in the process and the contents中小学英语教师现状调研问卷.doc

Or can be a simple one with a few questions, which can be done fairly conveniently in an informal way


Ways to identify teachers’ needs Classroom observations

Many teachers can fail to identify certain needs they should have for their classroom teaching. A video of classroom teaching can offer convincing information on teacher’s teaching methods, beliefs, language competence and problems existed 2004高歌初中105课云和讲座最新版.doc


Ways to identify teachers’ needs

Interview Interview can be carried out consciously or sub-consciously. Questions asked should be based on some major principles covering diverse areas. 教师访谈话题提纲.doc 学生访谈问题提示.doc

The interviewers should be trained, and rehearsals are needed.


Map of Zhejiang


Location of the surveyLocation


The data collection Usually before giving a talk on

ELT methodology, I would ask the teachers to answer three questions related to their daily teaching and compulsory training.

The following is a collection of the teachers’ headaches, needs and preference


Describing the questions

1. What are the top three problems in your daily teaching?

2. If you were on a short-term teacher training course, what do you want to learn?

3. In what ways do you prefer to learn, and in what ways you do not?


Describing the subjects

1. 113 participants participated of whom 20 were primary teachers, 21 senior high school teachers, while the rest 72 were junior middle school teachers.

2. Their average years of teaching are over three and they are regarded as “a bit below average level” in teaching compared with their colleagues


Describing the process 1. The reasons for the survey were

given first and then the participants were asked to answer anonymously.

2. The host trainer demonstrated how to answer the questions

3. The teachers were given ten minutes completing their answers

4. The answer sheets were then colleted


Categorizing the feedback1. The variety of the answers was

almost out of control as the 113 teachers listed altogether 100 problems for the first question, 22 suggestions on what they want to learn, and 5 ways about how they would like to study

2. These answers were then grouped into major and minor areas based on the number of each type


Results from Question One

1. Major problems How to motivate learners 49 How to use the 45mins efficiently 49 How to deal with underachievers 42 How to teach student to speak

English 29

Analysis:


Results from Question One 2. Language/study skill problems 38 How to teach spelling skills 15 How to teach grammar in an

interesting way 9 How to teach writing 5 How to teach phonetics 3 How to improve learners’ reading

skills 3 How to help learners pass exams 2 How to teach listening 1


Results from Question One 3. Classroom management problems 27 Classroom management 8 How o teach a large-size class with

students of mixed-ability 8 How to develop autonomy with

learners 5 How to build up an English

environment 4 How to assess learners 2


Results from Question One

3. Minor problems 8 I teach too many classes to teach

them all well 3 I need ICT skills and facilities 3 How to do action research and write

a research paper 2

Analysis:


Results from Question Two 2. What I want to improve: language teaching skills 52 improve my spoken English 46 activity design and management 29 language acquisition theory 14 language skills and study skills 14

Analysis:


Results from Question Two 2. What I want to learn/need: Motivation strategies and individual

differences 11 Research methods 11 Reflective lesson planning 11 Learn from successful and

experienced teachers 5 Provision of practical teaching

materials 5


Results from Question Two 2. What I want to learn/need: Classroom management 4 Analysis of reading texts 2 Classroom observation skills 4 English culture emersion 4Analysis:


Results from Question Three 3. How I want to learn: Classroom observations followed

by reflections and discussions 58 Application of theories into practice

25 Lectures on practical topics18 Full-time training course 5 Language skill development 1


Results from Question Three 3. The ways that I don’t like: Long and boring talks addressed to

an large audience on theoretical issues only 59

Correspondence degree course ( I feel that I learned little) 7

Mass training（千人大会式） 5

Analysis:


专家做空洞理论讲座的会场效果


Strength of the survey 1. Easy to conduct

2. Easy to be accepted

3. Easy to train for use

4. Easy for analysis


Limitation of the survey 1. Audience are less clearly

targeted

2. Answers are less controlled

3. Confusions can be caused by the briefness of the questions


Improving from this mini survey 1. Education and experience of the

teachers

2. Motivation of the teachers

3. Learning style of the teachers

4. teaching requirements versus present skill levels

5. Specific interests or biases of teachers

6. Whether to design open or closed questions for the survey


An ongoing progress

design

implement

develop

analysis

evaluation


Impact on training programs 1. Challenge our current training course

to meet the teachers’ needs

2. Repeat the survey a couple of times for validity reasons

3. Present the survey result to teachers for their response

4. Work out a new training program

5. Help teachers to work out a self-development project


Examples of teachers’ needs

1. What is learning? How does learning relate to teaching? (identified from the video)

2. What do we teach or focus on? Texts, grammar, vocabulary or language skills? (exam driven)

3. How do we teach them to pass tests well? (exam driven)


Example of teachers’ needs

4. I have to prepare my students for examinations, which focuses on the language knowledge rather than communicative skills. Therefore the foreign ways of teaching does not work in my class. (exam driven, attitude to change)



5. The students rely heavily on me in their English learning. How can I encourage them to become independent learners? (teacher-centered, care-taker oriented)



6. My students are from the countryside. They do not seem interested in learning English. How can I motivate these students? (motivation)



7. Many students tell me that they find it extremely difficult to remember new words, and I don’t have any effective solutions. How can you help me with this? (vocabulary skills)



8. My students do not like to speak English in class. This is always my headache. (motivation and activity

design)



9. I am a new teacher. My problem is that I cannot get the class under control. Does this mean that I am too bad a teacher to be able to make them interested in my teaching? If so, how can I improve myself? (classroom management)


Example of teachers’ needs10. In my class, there is a great difference

in language levels between the good students and the poor ones. I cannot please them all at the same time. So I follow mainly the language achievers’ responses and progress.

The result is, of course, the underachievers are desperate and tend to give up, which causes discipline problems.

I know that I am to blame, but where is the solution? (teaching a large class)


Example of teachers’ needs11. I want to manage a change in

my teaching towards to a skill-oriented approach. Bu the textbooks I use are very structural and boring. I have to adapt the activities in the textbook, but I do not now how. Reluctantly I return to the old way. (syllabus design)


Examples of teachers’ needs

12. What are qualities that a good teacher must posses? (teacher factors)

13. What are qualities that a good learner must posses? (learner factors)



14. I can speak English but other teachers say my intonation is terrible and I do have a local accent. I feel embarrassed and discouraged and tend to speak less. Can you help me with this? (language acquisition and competence)



15. I believe that a good teacher is the one who can always answer students’ questions in English wherever and whatever.

But this is rejected by my teacher Mr. GAO who says getting answers from the students is a better way.

But my students do not want to speak in class, what shall I do? (learner

development)



16. My students are very poor in grammar. I believe if they study grammar well, they won’t have any problems. (language acquisition and micro skills)



17. I want to do some research in my classroom that’s why I attended a number of ELT workshops.

But returning to my own classroom, I seem to be at lost again. Where and how should I start with my research? (classroom-based

research)



18. I feel sorry for my students. They are always busy with all the subjects and never have time for themselves.

How can I reduce their burden without letting them fall behind in their English study? (learner autonomy)



18. I don’t have the confidence when I check the students’ compositions. How to mark the students’ writing? Do I need samples for all the papers I check? How can I improve students’ writing? (language proficiency and writing skills)



19. It is very hard for me to teach a long text. Both my students and I feel exhausted before we finish it. My question is how to teach reading? (reading strategies and teaching reading)



20.I wonder if it is very important to let the students recite all the texts. As this has been regarded as extremely important by the majority of teachers in China, therefore being able to recite all the texts is believed to be the guarantee for English language learning in China. What do you think of this? (learning English in a

local and cultural setting)



21.The parents and the schools pay their major attention to examination results rather than skills or ability that students should acquire. This greatly discouraged me to manage any change in teaching. (external factors)



22. I have to spend a lot of time explaining grammar of the text, therefore I do not have time to teach them how to read. (teacher factors and teaching skills)



23. Some of my students keep looking out of window while others mocking or talking secretly in class. How miserable it is to be a teacher in a class like this! (motivation, reflection)



24. How to adjust the relationship between oral and written English? Some students are interested in speaking but their bad at writing and get bad scores. I cannot convince their parents that they are achieving in English. (fluency and accuracy)



25. Sometimes my students do not want to do anything in class. They cannot understand what I say and they cannot remember new words. What should I do then? (skills to teach a multi-level class)



26. I don’t know how to attract my students’ attention in class, because they are of different levels and the time for class is limited. (skills to teach a multi-level class)



27. My school is a private school in which the students’ levels are more varied than in a public school. If I divide the class into three groups, perhaps it will be easier to teach. But it is so difficult to carry it out. And it is very risky to do so. (Howto teach a multi-level class, and groupwork skills)



28. There are urban students and rural students in my class. They are separate in many ways. They are aware of their own groups. How can I narrow the gap between them? (regional culture

conflict, people skills )



29. I want to encourage my students to read more in English after class, how can I do that? I told them to read more but they didn’t actually do it. (how to use readers )



30. What is the interesting way to teach grammar?

Grammar teaching is so boring but important for exams. (teaching grammar for meaning)


Grouping the needs

1. Language acquisition theories2. Language competence3. Teaching methodology4. Micro teaching skills5. Designing activities6. Classroom management7. People skills8. Dedication


Grouping the needs

1. Language learning theories2. Teaching methodology3. Language competence

Teaching micro skills4. Designing activities 5. Classroom management6. People skills7. Dedication


Further grouping the needs

1. Language learning skills or language proficiency improvement

2. Language teaching skills

3. Creativity and imagination


Current major solutions

Our current approach: Needs analysis based on

trainers’ constant training of the in-service teachers

Design a program to target the needs


Current major solutions Our current approach:

Designing a program to the needs Lectures on diverse areas covering

mainly language teaching and with some on language learning

Research methods & essay writing Teaching observations Reflective discussions 2005

年浙江省第一期县级初中培训最新计划稿.doc


The Chinese solutions

Running training programs Running ELT workshops Giving lectures on ELT Observing classroom teaching



Running training programs Lectures by trainers on

professional development cooperative learning teaching micro-skills observation skills lesson planning activity design 2005年浙江省第一期县级初中培训最新计划稿.doc



Running training programs Research methods

Research paper seminar Research paper workshop



Running ELT workshops Lesson-plan pools

A lesson-plan share and discussions

Classroom teaching observations and discussions Promoting school-based action

research


Current major solutions

ELT workshop/seminar Model: (by Trainers/ research fellows and model teachers)

Action Research Model: Research-fellow-led lesson-planning-teaching-evaluation group (not popular yet)

Reflective Model: Videoed / recorded lesson analysis, longitudinal (by Trainers)


Reflections （ 1） We are still at a preliminary stage,

a sound and systematic understanding of and research on teacher training is needed.

We need to learn from our British counterparts their valuable experience as well as lessons in their training programs.


Reflections （ 2） We need to be trained to learn how

to train teachers Trainers need serious training We need to share among trainers


Reflections （ 3） Needs analysis in large scale is

badly needed Education authorities should be

well-aware of its importance Models of training programs need

to be established Access to and exchange with

trainers overseas need to be promoted and formulized


Reflections （ 4） Methodology and language

proficiency complement each other. Without language proficiency, methods can be of little use.

Language skills training should be incorporated into a methodology program.


Reflections （ 5） Action research following a

training program should be formulized and developed


Reflections （ 6） An analysis of such a research

needs to be conducted Implementation of approaches,

methods and techniques Improvement in language

proficiency Confidence and creativity Research skills


Reflections （ 7） Localize the current or

imported materials through school-based teaching, training and research


Reflections （ 8） How do trainer train/develop

themselves constantly to catch up with the constant change and progress


Reflections （ 9） Using a reflective approach in

trainers’ training


Reflections （ 10） We have to learn by doing

it.


Data from videos Video available


Themes for training1. Management of a large, mixed

ability class, 2. Quality and quantity of student to

student interactions in the target language,

3. Introduction of communicative /interactive techniques

4. Development and maintenance of the motivation of students.

5. The action-research approach


What we have being dong so far

Running ELT workshops Classroom observations

Demonstration classes followed by refelctions and discussions and lesson share


What we have being dong so far

Running training programs Presentation by trainees

Trainees offer presentations on their class-based teaching and research

Assessing the program 第三次反馈表.doc


We are on a long march

Thank you all and you are welcome to contact Victor GAO to give you comment on this presentation

VICTOR GAO Zhejiang Education Institute Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

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