Page 56 - The SpeakTeach method - Esther de Vrind

Chapter 3. Perspective of the teachers - practicality
3.4.2 Intervention
The 13 teachers in the experimental group participated in a professional development trajectory of five meetings of three hours each spread over three months and implemented the SpeakTeach teaching method in their own teaching practice for four months. During the meetings the teachers produced a self-evaluation of their own teaching practice. This self- evaluation consisted of producing a visual representation in building blocks of a representative series of lessons, checking the advantages, disadvantages and difficulties of their regular teaching practice, and setting and prioritising goals. In addition, the three design principles and possible variants of the SpeakTeach methodology were discussed. On the basis of the design principles and in line with their own goals, the teachers designed SpeakTeach lesson series, which they then implemented in their teaching practice. The intervention was concluded with an evaluation meeting.
3.4.3 Research instruments
Designing lesson series and considerations during this process (research questions A and B)
The teachers in the experimental group completed a questionnaire (see Appendix VI) about each SpeakTeach lesson series that they had given. The questionnaire comprised ten closed questions to describe the lesson series: number of speaking activities; type of speaking activities; place of self-evaluation; type of structure; type of input designed to bring about improvement; type of support exercises designed to bring about improvement; type of work forms; who decided which input would be used and which exercises would be done; who decided in what order and with which forms of work; and the focus and organisation of feedback (see Appendix VI, B. Specification of a SpeakTeach round). The teachers were also asked about what they considered when opting for a particular form of that aspect; and they were asked whether these aspects were or were not tailored to an individual student based on the student’s self-evaluation and/or choice.
In addition, the teachers produced a visual representation with the aid of the building blocks (such as Figures 4 and 5) to show the type and sequence of lesson segments making up their regular lessons and their SpeakTeach lesson series (see Appendix VI, B. Structure of a SpeakTeach round).
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