Training Pre-service Teachers for Professional Expertise: a Neglected Area in the Algerian Higher Educational System

 

Abstract

Much of the recent discussions and debates in ELT are around one important issue ‘how to promote high quality language teachers to ensure high quality learning’. As a matter of fact, there is a consent that promoting an operational view on how to teach before joining the teaching profession represents a real challenge. The teaching of English should meet the learners’ expectations, societies’ needs and the globalisation standards for trade, communication and technology. From this perspective, pre-service interventions to trigger reflective practice and prepare novice teachers to transfer the professional know-how to their actual classrooms have recently been emphasised. As far as the Algerian Higher Educational system is concerned, a shortcoming that handicaps language teaching is the absence of a coherent, nationally accepted framework on how to teach. Actually, there is a missing link between disciplinary knowledge and classroom practice. This gap is addressed in this article. In order to offer a clear picture of the language teaching situation in the Algerian Universities, this paper is an attempt to explore and examine the experiences of teachers who enrolled in the workplace with no pre-service training. To this end, a descriptive study based on a survey with teachers from different parts of Algeria is conducted. Findings permit us to gain information on how these teachers initiated their professional career in teaching English at university. Finally, some significant and practical implications on how to spur pre-service teachers’ professional expertise is provided.

Key words: Competencies, EFL university teachers, pre-service training, professional expertise, classroom practice.

1. Introduction

In the context of the constantly evolving needs of education, it is essential that university teachers are well-equipped and prepared to be effective in both their own continuous personal and professional development. As a result, most researchers and educators try to bring change and innovation to cope with the new demands of this global world. One way to achieve high quality education is by addressing teaching practices in English language classes through teacher training. The issue of teacher pre-service training has always been a primary concern for educators and researchers in the field of second/foreign language education. Likewise, the concept has recently attracted a great deal of Algerian educators who strive for improving the quality of teaching and learning in Algeria. However, little if no attention has been given to teacher pre-service training by the Ministry of Higher Education. As a matter of fact, the aim of this article is to conceptualise the notion of pre-service teacher training, its components and its importance for Algerian EFL teachers.

2. Literature Review

   1. Overview of Pre-service Teacher Training

According to Doyran (2012), education is considered as one of the major problems all over the world (for example, low quality in teaching practices and lack of teacher training). The university teacher is the most affected by these problems. Hence, to improve education, two important strategies are worth mentioning, these are training and development. Broadly speaking, training is a preparation programme that is followed before integrating the teaching profession, whereas development is a programme that is followed throughout the teaching career as a reinforcement. Based on the aims of this article, our focus is on pre-service teacher training. According to Collins English Dictionary (1994), teacher training means “training that a student must undergo in order to qualify as a teacher”. In other words, being a teacher is achieved only through preparedness and qualification. Specifically, Freeman (1989, p. 39) defines pre-service teacher training as a strategy for direct intervention that is typically aimed at preparing teachers for classroom practice. The intervention is usually based on knowledge and skills that should be practised and mastered as a pre-requisite for teacher qualification (ibid). In short, training is a preparatory course that seeks to facilitate professional growth and ensure effectiveness in classroom practice.

1. 2. Components of a Teacher Training Program

Although different training programmes exist, researchers agree that there are common key components that all trainings contain. These are: disciplinary knowledge, theoretical considerations, pedagogical skills and duration.

First, according to Berry (1990, p.97),disciplinary knowledge in EFL teacher training involves knowledge of the subject matter including the language itself, culture, literature or any related sub-fields. In turn, Tardif (2001) stresses the importance of including some topics related to societal changes and multiculturalism in teacher training. Other researchers like Rottman and Rabidoux (2017) focus rather on the impact of social injustice on the educational setting as a topic to be discussed in the training. Mercado (2013) relies on content presentations and lesson demos to pre-and early-service teacher development. In his research, a considerable amount of time is given to what and how to teach. This shows the importance of the subject matter in teacher training programmes.

Second, pre-service teachers need an account of the theories of teaching and learning that deal with different aspects related to curriculum, instruction, assessment and classroom management. This component has the aim of raising teachers’ awareness and reinforcing their understanding of the theoretical conceptions underpinning teaching and learning practices (Berry, 1990, p.97).

The third component that is very important in any training is the consideration of the skills required for effective teaching. Pre-service training involves direct instruction and modeling of these skills and opportunities for practice and mastery (Richards & Farrell, 2005, p.6).In their research study conducted on the skills that pre-service teachers need to know in order to be skillful at values-based education, Mergler and Spooner (2012) found reflection, diversity, listening and questioning as the main skills. Truly, prospective teachers need to learn how to reflect on their teaching process and their own values which will affect their teaching pedagogy and their relationship with colleagues, as well as self-assess their own teaching practices. They also need to recognise the differences within their students by listening to their inquiries. Equally important, language proficiency is an important skill that prospective teachers need to develop. Berry (1990, p.97) explains that training especially in a non-native context should target the teachers’ mastery of linguistic and communicative features of the language related to classroom instruction. This will increase their self-confidence and facilitate the use of the target language in the classroom.

Last but not least, Ries, Cabrera and Carriedo (2016) state that duration is one of the major components in teacher training. Unquestionably, trainers need to schedule in advance the time required for training pre-service teachers. This can happen through discussion with both trainers and trainees. Some researchers like Ashcraft and Ali (2013) offered training to students called “The Continuing Professional Development Practicum”. This latter had been delivered progressively every autumn and spring. For example with Ashcraft, the students used to meet her once a week in the first semester. Whereas in the second semester, Ali was in charge of the training; she used to take them twice a week. According to the authors, the duration of the training changes with the new demands and objectives of trainees. Absolutely, the training may take either a long or a short duration depending on the needs, interests and the lacks of the prospective teachers.

1. 3. Benefits and Problems Inherent in Pre-service Teacher Training

Several studies show firm evidence that pre-service training makes a strong contribution to the development of both teaching and learning. Yet, some problems are worth mentioning too. One compelling research by Salihoglu (2012) investigated the beliefs of English language pre-service teachers and their instructors about the educational programme in Turkey. The results in his study demonstrated both the benefits and the problems of the training. As potential benefits, the trainees developed an understanding of the link between theory and practice and learnt from their instructors’ experiences. Regarding the challenges encountered, the training programme revealed a lack of clarity as far as the aims of the courses are concerned and low proficiency level of the trainees.

Another study on pre-service teacher training is the one of Ozbilgin and Neufeld (2013) in which they relied on Corpora for the training programme. For example, the trainees use their own writing to create their corpus, which the researchers refer as individual corpus (ICorpus). As a result, the trainees developed the ability to analyse their own writing, use various softwares as well as enhance their language awareness. In her turn, Pop (2015) explored the pre-service teachers’ experiences with training through reflective journal. The answers of the trainees in the journals revealed the positive impact of the training in promoting both their professional development and personal qualities like self-confidence. However, the trainees experienced some challenges like the adaptation of teaching resources to the learners’ needs as well as the management of disruptive behaviours. Similarly, a recent study by Nkambule and Mukeredzi (2017) stressed the importance of training because for them, it increases prospective teachers’ knowledge, sense of efficacy and flexibility in performance as well as interaction. In the Algerian context, Messoudi (2012) conducted a research on the adequacy of pre-service training programme at the department of English, University of Tlemcen. He focused in his study on the importance of training students on EFL methodology, teaching skills, assessment, educational psychology and communication skills that should be practical in nature rather than theoretical.

In a nutshell, it was revealed from the studies reported above that training is a must for every prospective teacher to go through. This is why careful preparation for the training programmes is necessary to ensure high quality teaching and learning within the Algerian Higher Educational system.

3. The Study

Statement of the Problem

Thispaper addresses one central question: ‘Do Algerian universities ensure an adequate pre-service training for prospective teachers?’

In light of this, the present article seeks to find answers to the following sub-questions:

1. Do Algerian universities offer a teacher training programme?

2. Are these teachers satisfied with their current classroom practices?

3. What are the needs of these teachers?

4. What are the major challenges of English language classrooms in the Algerian Higher Educational context?

5. What suggestions can be made to achieve high quality teaching in the Algerian universities?

Hypothesis

In the light of the current literature on Pre-service training in Algeria, we are likely to hypothesise that: ‘University teachers in Algeria lack the necessary pre-service teacher training programmes.

Methodology

The present study is a descriptive research that aims at investigating the status of pre-service training in the Algerian Higher Educational system. Specifically, it seeks to explore teachers’ previous training experiences as well as their attitudes towards the current teaching situation in Higher Education. It also seeks to explore their needs in order to have an overview of the problems they face in Algerian universities; and accordingly, put the relevant suggestions forward to achieve better staff training programmes aimed at helping teachers to update their knowledge, expertise, skills and competences in the teaching profession.

Participants

The participants of this study consist of 31EFL University teachers from different part of Algeria. The respondents are twenty (20) females and eleven (11) males ranging from 25 to 67 years old. It is worth noting here that we have contacted 81 teachers, but only 31 accepted to participate in the study. The participants hold either a Master or PhD degree in English language and their teaching experience varies from one (1) to fourty-one (41) years. They are specialised in either didactics, applied linguistics or Civilisation.

Research Instrument and Data Analysis Procedures

This research article is descriptive in nature. In order to get into teachers’ experiences, attitudes and concerns of the Algerian Higher Education, a questionnaire has been administered to the participants via e-mail or facebook to elicit their previous pre-service training experience and their current classroom practices.

The questionnaire (see the appendix) consists of four (04) main sections designed according to the aims of the study. The first section gets the professional profile of the teachers (age, gender, specialty and years of experience). The second section concerns teachers’ previous experiences in pre-service training. Section three focuses on current classroom practices (performance and attitudes). The last section is devoted to teaching concerns in the Algerian educational context, and therefore, an attempt was made to elicit suggestions for change from the participants.

The questionnaire yielded both quantitative and qualitative data. SPSS version 18 was used to generate numerical data and content analysis was adopted to analyse qualitative data.

Results

Based on teachers’ reported answers, the data is grouped under three (03) thematic headings: teachers’ pre-service training experiences, attitudes and current classroom practices and teaching concerns in Algerian Higher Education.

1. Pre-service teacher learning experience

Figure 1: students’ answers to question 1 regarding previous teacher training experiences

Based on the statistics presented in Figure 1, it appears that a significant number of teachers (61.29%) did not receive any training during their studies at university, which means they were hired at university with little qualifications or preparation. The participants indicated that their universities do not offer pre-service training for teachers as part of teacher qualification. The rest of participants (38.71%) reported enrolling in pre-service training; they pointed out that the training took place during their last year at University as a requirement for B.A. or MA degree. The training took place in either Middle or Secondary schools and lasted only for a short period of time (one to three months). It had the aim of introducing students to the classroom environment and make them familiar with different aspects like lesson planning and classroom management.

Figure 2: students’ answers to question 2 regarding the relevance of the pre-service training

We can notice from figure2 that more than half of the participants (58.33%) who reported that they enrolled in a pre-service training revealed that the training was relevant to their current teaching practices at university. They argued that it mostly contributed to raising their awareness about different aspects of teaching (instruction and classroom management) as well as managing their affective factors (self-confidence and anxiety).The rest of the participants (41.67%) admitted that the training they had was not beneficial. When taking into consideration the classroom environment where the training took place, that is Middle or Secondary schools, finding the experience not helpful for their current classroom practices at university seems quite reasonable. This is because the teaching content, the learners (mainly their age and motivation) and the learning environments are different. As for the role of the supervisor, the participants said that he/she was acting as a supporter and advisor instead of focusing on the teaching aspects or providing feedback on their teaching performance.

2. Attitudes and Motivation about Current Classroom Practices

Figure 3: students’ answers to question 3 concerning selection of the modules to teach

As shown in figure 3, (36.67%) of the participants choose the modules they like to teach, whereas 26.67%reportedthat the modules are assigned to them by the administration without taking into consideration their specialism. However, one third of the participants (33.33%) indicated that depending on the situation, they are sometimes provided with an opportunity to choose some of the modules to teach. Actually, the choice of the courses to teach has certainly an effect on teachers’ performance. Because of an insufficient background knowledge about the subject being taught and the appropriate teaching skills, teachers may find themselves confronted with difficult tasks and high teaching responsibilities. This can be a cause of poor teaching quality.

Figure 4: students’ answers to question 4 about teachers’ motivation

We can notice from the statistics displayed in figure 4 above that all the participants (100%)like teaching. This intrinsic motivation is certainly the key for effective teaching.

Figure 5: students’ answers to question 5 concerning teacher development experiences

Figure 5shows that teacher development is a neglected area in the Algerian universities. Half of the participants (54.84%) revealed their lack of exposure to professional development during their professional career. Some teachers claimed that they did not hear about any opportunities and others stated that the universities where they teach do not offer trainings or professional development. Only a few number of participants (38.71%) reported their attendance to workshops and seminars related to EFL teaching and learning, yet the participants criticised the short period of time devoted to the workshops (one to two days). Some further revealed that the workshops were not practical.

Figure 6: students’ answers to question 6 about their teaching performance

As shown in figure 6, the majority of teachers (70.97 %) reported their satisfaction concerning their teaching performance. This seems somehow problematic if we take into consideration their answers to the previous questions in which most of the participants admitted that they did not receive a pre-service training and that they had not enrolled in any teacher development throughout their professional career. Besides, when asked how they develop their teaching competence and get feedback about it, the participants stated that their students and colleagues are the main source of development and feedback. They further explained that through discussions with their colleagues and more experienced teachers they assess their own teaching. As for the small number of teachers (23.33%) who admitted they are not satisfied with their current teaching, they believe that they are in need of training and practice of new teaching methods and material. Especially that they stated that no one supports their teaching or provides feedback about their classroom performance.

Figure 7: students’ answers to question 7 regarding students’ need for pre-service training

The statistics displayed in figure 7 show that a significant number of participants (84.21%) who reported that they did not undertake a pre-service training expressed a strong willingness to have a training. The participants see pre-service training as an opportunity to develop both theoretical and practical knowledge about classroom teaching. It allows them to acquire skills and competencies related to specific classroom contexts. Yet, a minority (15.79%) revealed their unwillingness to have a pre-training because they do not see any potential benefits for a training before starting to teach.

3. Teaching Concerns in Algerian Higher Education

The challenges teachers face when teaching have been divided into two categories: those related to teachers themselves and those related to the teaching environment. It is worth mentioning here that the problems related to students have not been given attention based on our research aims. As far as the first category is concerned, the participants reported that the first teaching concern is poor pedagogical skills in instruction, assessment and classroom management. Another problem teachers struggle with is the lack of collaboration with other colleagues. Teachers’ negative attitudes and absence of consciousness represent also a big problem as reported by some participants. This is likely to affect the teachers’ performance and many aspects related to classroom practice. Concerning the second category, the teaching environment, the absence of training either pre-service training courses or professional development courses was the major problem highlighted by all the participants. Consequently, they stressed that personal experiences are the main source of improvement. In addition, the participants described teaching in Algerian universities as decontextualised and fragmented due to the absence of a coherent model of teaching. They also reported the lack of time and material as another significant problem, without forgetting the status of English in Algeria (a foreign language) and teachers’ aptitude, which are among the dilemmas in Higher Education, as noted by the participants. Such problems put certainly teachers in a difficult situation to adapt themselves and to teach effectively.

As far as teachers’ needs are concerned, all the participants stressed their need for a training on classroom assessment to ensure effectiveness and fairness. Teaching strategies and techniques also seem to be a concern for the teachers as many of them want to gain new skills and competencies related to effective teaching. Similarly, theyexpressed their need to receive instruction on the recent literature in the field of foreign language education to up-date their theoretical knowledge. Some of the teachers also revealed their willingness to have a training on lesson planning, syllabus design, as well as training on how to integrate ICTs in EFL classes.

As an attempt to minimise the problems teachers face, the participants suggested some solutions. The first important step towards achieving high quality education is to link teaching to the needs of society. The teachers also suggested unifying the syllabi in all the Algerian universities. Another important decision is to integrate pre-service training courses as a pre-requisite for degree obtainment and teacher qualification. Regarding recruitment, the participants highlighted that this process should be based on selection and entry tests and not on degrees. Then, teachers need to be supervised and monitored in their classroom practices. Collaboration between teachers has also been suggested by the majority of teachers in order to work out things together. Another suggestion is the need to encourage research and publication in the field of EFL and ELL. The last but not least suggestion made by many participants is the reconsideration of the teaching context by taking into consideration the number of students in class and providing authentic material that can facilitate teaching, mainly ICTs.

Discussion

The aim of the present research study is to investigate whether teachers at university were trained before they engage in the teaching profession. The findings confirmed our hypothesis and made it clear that the Algerian university does not offer pre-service teacher training for university teachers. In her study, Boudersa, (2016, p.5) supports our claim when she writes:

In the Algerian educational context, universities do not usually provide students with, and involve them in, any teaching training and professional development programs. This is mainly due to the fact that we do not even have such educational programs in order to talk about training at all.

Although in some universities students take a short period training as a degree requirement, the training is not rich or relevant to teaching in Higher Education because it targets knowledge and skills required in Middle or Secondary schools. The students were trained on how to teach general English to young learners. In addition, the training was not planned or organised as a formal course; students take the burden to choose a teacher and observe their classes.

It is worth mentioning here that at the metacognitive and affective levels, the training was beneficial but there was no preparation on the subject matter and pedagogical skills related to teaching adult students majored in English language. The absence of such an important programme as part of teacher qualifications is the major source of poor teaching quality. As a result, some teachers reported their discontent with their current teaching performance due to their poor pedagogical skills and lack of knowledge about innovative teaching techniques and assessment methods. What was surprising is the satisfaction of the majority of teachers with their teaching profession despite not experiencing any pre-service training or teacher development after they engaged in teaching. One possible reason for such over-confidence can be their good interaction with the students and students’ high achievement. Another probable reason is their lack of awareness about the importance of teacher training or the lack of knowledge about the recent development in teaching and learning in EFL contexts.

The study also permitted us to gain insight into teachers’ needs and the problems inherent in their classrooms. As stressed by all the participants, their major need concerns training on different aspects of teaching pedagogy mainly assessment. Regarding the challenges, several problems appear to influence the quality of teaching in which the teaching environment plays a crucial role. In addition to a lack of collaboration between teachers, lack of autonomy, teachers’ negative attitudes and others; the absence of training, the absence of a coherent model of teaching, the lack of material, and others represent a major source for teachers’ poor performance. Rationally, the teacher cannot be the only one to blame. Although they reported they like teaching and they chose this profession by conviction and motivation, the unfavorable educational environment is a stumbling block to their improvement. This §situation reflects the educational policy adopted in Algeria. Based on Richards and Farrell (2005, p3), we believe it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education to offer pre-service trainings and professional development opportunities and encourage teachers to participate in them. The authors state, “In order for such opportunities to take place, they need to be planned, supported, and rewarded” (ibid).

In view of the current teaching situation, we highly recommend reconsidering the educational reform (LMD); teachers’ needs and suggestions should be regarded as well as the needs of students and the whole society. For the reform to be successful, there is a need to establish a national framework for teaching/learning that defines the knowledge, skills and competencies required, in addition to unifying the programmes in the Algerian Universities. Moreover, the Ministry of Higher Education should design pre-service training programmes that target the needs of teachers and the field they are involved in and funding such projects by collaborating with English native experts. It is also important to establish a pre-determined policy of teacher selection. Teachers should be selected to teach at university on the basis of specific criteria related to both aptitude and motivation. We also recommend to establish a council or a pedagogical committee that follows-up and evaluates the educational and training programmes and ensures sufficient supervision by field-related experts. Besides, we stress the need to cultivate the culture of inquiry and development through self-assessment and encourage collaboration between teachers (no man is an island).This can be achieved by raising teachers’ awareness (knowledge, attitudes and motivation). Last but not least, we need to encourage research and publication in the field of education.

Conclusion

For a positive and beneficial change to take place, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research should devote a considerable amount of money, efforts and resources for pre-service training programmes. Teachers should be prepared and equipped with the necessary skills and competencies before they engage in teaching in order to ensure effective teaching and high quality learning.

References

1. Ashcraft, N., and Ali, S. (2013). A Course on Continuing Professional Development. In Edge, J., and Steve, M. (Eds), Innovations in Pre-service Education and Training for English Language Teachers, pp. 147-161. London: British Council

2. Berry, R. (1990). The role of Language Improvement in In-service Teacher Training: Killing two birds with one stone. Svstem, 18 (I), 97-105
3. Boudersa, N. (2016). The Importance of Teachers’ Training and Professional Development Programs in the Algerian Educational Context: Toward Informed and Effective Teaching Practice. Expériences Pédagogiques, 1, 1-14

4. Collins English Dictionary (3^rd Ed) (1994). Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers.

5. Doyran, F. (2012). Research on Teacher Education and Training. USA : Athens Institute for Education and Research.

6. Freeman , D. (1989).Teacher Training, Development, and Decision Making: A Model of Teaching and RelatedStrategies for Language Teacher Education. TESOLQuartly, 23(1), 27-45

7. Mercado, A. L. (2013). IMMERSE: An Institutional Approach to Pre- and Early-service Teacher Development. In Edge, J., and Steve, M. (Eds), Innovations in Pre-service Education and Training for English Language Teachers, pp. 47-62. London: British Council

8. Martiner, A., Raymond, D., and Gauthier, C. (2001). Teacher Training: Orientations, Professional Competencies. Quebec. Retrieved from: https://www.lextutor.ca/myanmar/QC_curric_TTrain.pdf

9. Mergler, A., and G. and Spooner, L.R. (2012). What Pre-service Teachers need to know to be Effective at Values-based Education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37(8), pp. 66-81. Retrieved from http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol37/iss8/5

10. Messoudi, Y. (2012). Reflections upon Pre-service Training Sessions(Magister Dissertation, University of Tlemcen). Retrieved from: http://dspace.univ-tlemcen.dz/bitstream/112/3642/1/youcef-messaoudi.pdf

11. Nkambule, T., and Mukeredzi, T.G. (2017). Pre-service Teachers’ Professional Learning Experiences during Rural Teaching Practice in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga Province.South African Journal of Education, 37( 3), pp. 1-9. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v37n3a1371

12. Ozbilgin, A. and Neufeld, S. (2013). ICorpus: Making Corpora Meaningful for Pre-service Teacher Education. In Edge, J., and Steve, M. (Eds), Innovations in Pre-service Education and Training for English Language Teachers, pp. 181-200. London: British Council

13. Pop, R. (2015). Understanding Pre-service Trainees Perceptions of their Teacher Training Experience: International Conference “Education, Reflection, Development”, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Procedia -Social andBehavioral Sciences 209, pp. 378 – 382. Doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.11.207

14. Richards, J. C. And Farrel, T. S. (2005). Professional Development for Language Teachers: Strategies for Teacher Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress.

15. Ries, F., Cabrera, Y., and Carriedo, R. (2016). A Study of Teacher Training in the United States and Europe.The European Journal of Social and BehaviouralSciences,VolumeXVII.Retrievedfrom:http://dx.doi.org/10.15405/ejsbs.184

16. Rottman, A. and Rabidoux, S. (2017). Higher Education Teacher Training: An Exploration of Civic Engagement Beyond theClassroom. Northwest Journal of Teacher Education, 12(2), pp. 1-9.DOI: 10.15760/nwjte.2017.12.2.1

17. Salihoglu, U.M. (2012). Pre-service Teachers and their Instructors Beliefs on the Effectiveness of an English Language Teacher Education Program. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 46, pp. 3440 – 3444. Doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.081

18. Tardif, M. (2001). Pre-service Teacher Training Programs: Outcomes of Recent Reforms and New Trends towards Effective Professional Training (Pan-Canadian Education Research Program Symposium University of Laval, Quebec City). Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/…/269402574_Pre-service_Teacher_Training_Programs_O…

Appendix: Teacher Survey

Teacher Questionnaire

1. Background / Career Information

• Age………………….
• Gender……………….
• Educational level…………………………………….
• Specialty…………………………………………
• Year of graduation………………………………..
• Year of recruitment………………………………
• Years of experience………………………………
• University where you teach: …………………………………

1. Previous Training Experiences
2. Before you integrated into the teaching profession, did you have any teacher training?

Yes No

If yes, would you please describe your training experience (when/ where/ how long/objectives/aspects covered?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

If no, please say why?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. Was the training relevant to what you teach at university? Yes No

If yes, in which ways has it contributed to your current classroom practices? And what was the role of the supervisor (the teacher trainer)

If no, why? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Attitudes and Motivation about Current Classroom Practices

3. Do you choose the modules you want to teach yourself? Yes No
4. Do you like teaching? Yes No
5. Have you been enrolled in teacher development programmes since you have been a teacher? Yes No

If yes, could you please cite any and provide a brief description of their aims/advantages/timing?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

If no, please say why?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

6. Are you satisfied with your teaching performance? Yes No

How do you develop your teaching competences and get feedback about it?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. Would you prefer to have undertaken the pre-service training (if your answer to question 1 is no)? Yes No

Why…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. Teaching Concerns in Higher Education
5. Could you please define the major problems of English language teaching in Algeria based on your teaching experience?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

9. What would you like to learn if you had (or have) a chance to participate in a teacher training programme?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

10. What are the changes that Higher Education should consider to achieve quality teaching?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Thank you very much for your cooperation