Overcoming teaching development barriers in english language teaching contexts

Abstract

This exploratory qualitative study reports the findings on the investigation concerning existing gaps in teacher education and professional development from a group of English language teachers in a public university in Colombia, in regard to their teaching practice and the implementation of 21st century skills. In order to determine a baseline regarding their professional and personal experiences, two instruments were implemented, a focus group and a questionnaire to 15 English teachers. The study made use of Grounded Theory procedures to examine the collected data, by following validation and triangulation procedures proper of studies of this kind. Thus, findings display several teacher deficiencies, classified into three main axis: language proficiency, teaching awareness and teacher challenges. These tensions include imbalances between theory and practice, inefficient mentoring during their practicum and lack of classroom management skills for efficient teaching, as well as a revealed need for the inclusion of ICT in the classroom to support language education.