Teacher agency and professional development: A study on Cambridge English teacher program in the Arabian Gulf

Abstract

Teacher agency has a powerful influence on teachers’ classroom practices, student learning outcomes, and other professional undertakings. Although teacher agency shaping is a core subject of professional development (PD), most in-service PD initiatives focus on developing teaching knowledge and skills while enhancing teacher agency. The current study investigates the influence of Cambridge English Teacher (CET) professional development on EFL teachers’ agency development in an English Language Institute at a Saudi Arabian public university. Utilizing retrospective pretest post-test design, a quantitative questionnaire provides data to understand EFL teachers’ agency development as they participate in the CET development program. Based on the theoretical framework of the current study, EFL teacher agency change is characterized by three attributes: teachers’ say in curriculum and syllabus designing, teachers’ freedom to implement teaching methods and techniques, and teachers’ autonomy in using supplementary materials. In analysing the PRE and POST data, descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed Rank test were employed. The findings show that all three teacher agency attributes are significantly influenced as a result of the CET development program. However, regarding the extent to which teacher agency attribute has enhanced, the results exhibit different degrees of change. The findings suggest that institutionally imposed professional development is useful for the development of teachers’ agency, provided PD initiatives are cognizant of teachers’ needs and institutional requirements. The findings of the current study have implications for EFL teachers, teacher trainers or professional development specialists, and language institutes’ administration.

Keywords

• Agency
• CET program
• EFL teachers
• teacher professional development