THE CONTRIBUTION OF CONSTRUCTIVISM INTO THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS

In recent years, constructivism has offered considerable suggestions in teaching and learning process. Constructivist teacher education emphasizes two major concepts: reflection and collaboration. Reflection can be defined as being aware of one’s own teaching. Hence, reflective teaching which is based on constructivism has received considerable attention since it paves the way for teachers to internally analyze their teaching with the help of their colleagues. In this sense, having its roots from reflective teaching, Critical Friends Group which is a professional learning community may be applauded as an effective teacher development activity. In a Critical Friends Group program, teachers meet voluntarily to discuss their students’ work or their dilemmas about their teaching in a supportive environment. In this study, it is suggested that an effective teacher development program must assist teachers to be reflective on their teaching through working collaboratively in a supportive professional community. This article seeks to address the implications of a Critical Friends Group program which lasted 8 weeks for further researchers. The participants were 4 voluntary English Language teachers working in a private school. The data was collected using teachers’ diary, the researchers’ field notes, questionnaire and interviews. The findings supported the idea that working in collaboration in a friendly and supportive professional community has a positive impact on teachers to be reflective on their teaching. As a result, they facilitate their teaching practices by the help of their colleagues in a constructivist framework.