Exploring the Lesson Study Experience of EFL Instructors at Higher Education: A Pilot Study

Abstract

This study aims to present the findings of a pilot Lesson Study implementation at a Turkish foundation university which took place between May and June, 2016 with the participation of three EFL instructors. Since an in-depth analysis of a group of instructors was required in order to have a comprehensive understanding of how the model was implemented, what issues and challenges were experienced and what lessons were learned by participant instructors, the study was designed as a qualitative phenomenological case study. Data obtained through interviews were subsequently coded and interpreted through content analysis. Results showed that issues with Lesson Study were mainly about feelings of anxiety, workload, conceptualizing the model and performing the model; however, results also revealed that it could contribute to professional development of instructors in certain aspects such as collaborative lesson planning, delivering less teacher-fronted lessons, focusing more on students and improving time management skills.

Keywords

• Professional development,EFL instructors,Lesson study

Yükseköğretimde Görev Yapan İngilizce Okutmanlarının Ders İmecesi Deneyimlerinin Araştırılması: Pilot Çalışma

Öz

Bu çalışma Türkiye’de bir vakıf üniversitesinde görev yapan üç İngilizce okutmanının katılımıyla Mayıs-Haziran 2016 tarihinde gerçekleştirilen pilot Ders İmecesi uygulamasının sonuçlarını paylaşmayı amaçlamaktadır. Ders İmecesi uygulayan okutmanların modeli nasıl uyguladıkları, uygulama sürecinde karşılaştıkları zorlukların neler olduğu ve modelin okutmanların mesleki gelişimlerine yansımalarının neler olduğunun araştırıldığı bu çalışma nitel ve fenomenolojik bir durum çalışması olarak desenlenmiştir. Görüşme yoluyla toplanan veriler kodlanmış ve içerik analizine tabii tutulmuştur. Çalışmanın sonuçları okutmanların kaygı, iş yükü ve modelin anlaşılması ve uygulanması konularında zorluklarla karşılaştıklarını, ancak modelin birlikte ders planlama, öğrenci merkezli ders anlatma, öğrencilere daha çok odaklanma ve zaman yönetimi becerilerini geliştirme noktalarında okutmanların mesleki gelişimlerine katkı sağlayan bir model olduğunu ortaya koymuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Mesleki gelişim,İngilizce okutmanları,Ders imecesi

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