A Case Study of an EFL Teacher’s Personal & Professional Development: Employing Repertory Grid Elicitation Technique

Year 2008, Volume: 25 Issue: 1, 25 - 41, 02.09.2015

Şaziye Yaman

Abstract

This study presents a knowledge elicitation approach; the Repertory Grid (Repgrid) Elicitation Technique. It describes this technique based on Kelly’s (1955) Personal Construct Psychology. The researcher aims to presents a research investigating an ELT teacher’s development through an in-service program in which repertory grid is used as a research tool. The grid technique reveals not only the change in the content but also in the structure and organization of the participant’s construct system at the end of the study, which lasted a full academic year long. The study emphasizes the high potential of the Repgrid as a tool for reflection and provides useful insights into the personal and professional development of teachers. The findings suggest that the Repgrid promotes reflective process and teachers’ self-awareness, and serves as a trigger for change and development.

Keywords

Repertory grid, constructivism, in-service teacher development, reflection, content and structure analysis

A Case Study of an EFL Teacher’s Personal & Professional Development: Employing Repertory Grid Elicitation Technique

Abstract

This study presents a knowledge elicitation approach; the Repertory Grid (Repgrid) Elicitation Technique. It
describes this technique based on Kelly’s (1955) Personal Construct Psychology. The researcher aims to
presents a research investigating an ELT teacher’s development through an in-service program in which
repertory grid is used as a research tool. The grid technique reveals not only the change in the content but
also in the structure and organization of the participant’s construct system at the end of the study, which
lasted a full academic year long. The study emphasizes the high potential of the Repgrid as a tool for
reflection and provides useful insights into the personal and professional development of teachers. The
findings suggest that the Repgrid promotes reflective process and teachers’ self-awareness, and serves as a
trigger for change and development.

Keywords

Repertory grid, constructivism, in-service teacher development, reflection, content and structure analysis

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