Page 181 - Innovative Professional Development Methods and Strategies for STEM Education

Identifying the Target Needs of Non-Native Subject Teachers

Table 7. Perceived lacks related to the communicative target tasks: writing

Communicative Target Tasks Options
I need a lot of I need some I do not need any
practice on this practice on this practice on this
f % f % f %
1- Writing e-mails 5 13.9 24 66.7 7 19.4
2- Writing report cards 10 28 19 52.6 7 19.4
3- Writing register book 7 19.4 20 55.6 9 25
4- Preparing posters and notices 10 27.7 20 55.6 6 16.7
5- Writing petitions 13 36.1 20 55.6 3 8.3
6- Writing invitations 10 27.7 24 66.7 2 5.6
7- Writing a CV 6 16.7 25 69.4 5 13.9
8- Writing questions (for quiz, exam etc.) 12 33.3 17 47.3 7 19.4
9- Writing reports 8 22.2 22 61.1 6 16.7
10- Writing information notes to parents 12 33.3 21 58.4 3 8.3
11- Writing a defense 18 50 16 44.4 2 5.6
12- Writing meeting minutes 21 58.3 13 36.1 2 5.6

Comprehension-Based Target Tasks

As identified by the GD, CM and HDs working at schools, some comprehension-based target language
tasks, i.e. reading and listening, are also needed while teaching subject matter in English. Therefore, the
participants in the study were asked to evaluate themselves with regard to these tasks. The following
table shows their responses (Table 8).
As the data in Table 7 show, unlike the target situation tasks based on production, the receptive tasks
were not regarded as very strong lacks by the majority of the participants where only some of the par-
ticipants reported to be in need of a lot of practice. Additionally, when reading and listening tasks are
compared, the subject teachers appeared to be a bit more confident in target listening tasks. Field-related

Table 8. Perceived lacks related to the comprehension-based target tasks: reading and listening

Comprehension-based Target Tasks Options
I need a lot of I need some I do not need any
practice on this practice on this practice on this
f % f % f %
1- Reading books, articles on my field 6 16.7 25 69.4 5 13.9
2- Reading the materials of the lesson 1 2.7 29 80.6 6 16.7
3- Reading web sites on my field (blog, wiki, forum etc.) 3 8.3 28 77.8 5 13.9
4- Understanding teacher’s book. 1 2.7 29 80.6 6 16.7
5- Listening to videos and audios related to my field. 4 11.1 24 66.7 8 22.2
6- Listening to complementary files of books (video and audio 3 8.3 24 66.7 9 25
files).

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