PART A

1.0

Introduction

1.1

Overview
This action plan begins with an introduction of my background as a teacher

educator and the background as well as context of my target group of trainees. It

then proceeds to identify an issue in ELT methodology which is relevant to my
trainees. Subsequently, it outlines the aims and outcomes of my action
plan.

1.2

My background as a teacher educator

In January 2010, I was posted to the Institute of Teacher Education Batu

Lintang Campus two months after completing my B. Ed. TESOL. Three years and
eight months down the road, the teaching experiences I have include working with
primary school students, pre-service trainees and in-service teachers through
workshops, short proficiency courses, courses for the foundation programmes as
well as methodology courses for the degree programme. A bulk of my work is related
to

teaching

English

language

courses

in

pre-service

programmes

1.3

Background and context of trainees

In this action plan, I would like to focus on the trainees that I mentor during

practicum. The trainees that I have previously mentored come from a range of
courses from Kursus Perguruan Lepasan Ijazah (KPLI) to Program Ijazah Sarjana
Muda Perguruan (PISMP) to the B. Ed (TESOL) twinning programme between IPG
Kampus Batu Lintang and University of Otago. ..

2.0

Issue Identification

2.1

Description of the issue identified

The target group of trainees for this action plan are not able to draw links

between one activity in a lesson to another and to the lesson objective. The activities
they carry out may contain the element of fun but there is little indication of how the
activities

contribute

to

the

overall

objective

of

the

lesson. .
2.2

Rationale for the selection of the issue

My issue is not a new one; neither is it an uncommon one. Beers (2006) notes

that most lesson plans available online, which many teachers depend on, contain
very detailed descriptions of activities. They are filled with activities that identify what
the pupils will do, not what and how they will learn. In an experiment carried out by
Beers (2006), it was found that in many cases of lesson planning, there was no clear
connection between what pupils needed to be able to do
2.3

Significance and value of focusing on the issue

Students of teaching spend many years learning theories and principles of

teaching but unless they learn how to link theory to practice effectively, the theories
remain as philosophical ideas. More importantly, working on trainees practical skills
will create a positive snowball effect ..

PART B
3.0

Action Plan

3.1

Aims and outcomes of the plan

The aims and outcomes of my action plan is that trainees would be able to:

(i)
(ii)

3.2.0 Theory and ELT principles guiding the plan

This section will delve into the key concepts which are discussed in this action
plan, namely lesson planning, lesson objectives, learning activities and linking. There
will be a definition of terms where appropriate or necessary, and a discussion of the
theories and ELT principles guiding the plan.
3.2.1 Lesson Planning
Butt (2008) defines a lesson plan as a concise, working document which
outlines the teaching and learning that will be conducted within a single lesson (p.
19). A more detailed definition is provided by Singer (2003) who states that lesson
planning is part of the
3.2.2 Lesson Objectives
According to Moore (2012), an objective is not a statement of what you plan to
do; instead, it is a statement of what your pupils should be able to do after instruction.
In other words, objectives should state the expected learning, not the activities that
will occur.
3.2.3 Learning Activities
Learning activities, as defined by Butt (2008), are a sequence of phases for
learning in the lesson, from beginning to end. He further states that statements of
learning activities imply making a choice of the most productive ways in which a
teacher thinks the pupils will learn; .
3.2.4 Linking
Loughran (2010) defines linking as making connections across ideas so that
prior knowledge and new knowledge can interact in ways that will further develop a
pupils understanding of the topic being studied.

3.3

Selection of appropriate strategies and justification

3.3.1 Selection of strategies

In order to achieve the aim of enabling my trainees to create a link between all
the learning activities in a lesson to each other as well as to the lesson objectives,
and to make these links obvious and explicit to the pupils, I will use the modelling
strategy, with a focus on the think aloud protocol (TAP).
3.3.2 Justification of strategies
Teachers teach as they were taught; hence, the terms training and
modelling can be used synonymously in certain contexts. I cannot tell my trainees
to do what I am not doing myself. As stated by Loughran (2006), it is crucial that
teacher educators are continually reminded of the need to confront the tyranny of
teaching as telling. .
In this case, modelling the process of lesson planning to my trainees would
give them access to the underlying purpose of lesson planning .
3.4

Activities and implementation procedures

The first step I plan to take would be to model lesson planning to my trainees.

I will use the think aloud protocol in order to model the steps I go through in planning
my lessons and drawing links within the lesson to the lesson objectives.
When teacher trainees are asked to write lesson plans, they have to include a
rationale for every activity. .
My second step would be to model making links in my lessons explicit to my
students. However, I often do not teach the trainees that I supervise on practicum.
Hence, I would conduct a micro-teaching lesson to demonstrate how to make links
explicit to the pupils.
In the micro-teaching lesson, I would focus on the transition between each
learning activity in the lesson. At the beginning of each activity,
3.5

Strengths of the plan

Modelling has been proven through research to work. This is true especially

because modelling can work even when the practice being modelled does not reflect
perfection..

3.6

Limitations of the plan

The effectiveness of this plan depends on my trainees motivation for a

change in their practice as well as the time frame which different trainees will require
to make a positive change. ..

PART C
4.0

Reflection
The experience of developing my plan created the need for me to rethink the

rationale or principles behind my actions as a teacher educator. The issue I

discussed in my action plan is not an earth-shattering, new discovery. However,
what it has done for me is to help me reflect on my current practice and to get me to
ask the questions, Where do I go from here? and What changes will I make when I
return to my institute?

References
Beers, B. (2006). Learning-Driven Schools: A practical guide for teachers and
principals. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
Butt, G. (2008). Lesson Planning (3rd ed.). London: Continuum.