1. What do ESL Teachers Need for Their Professional Development?: The Voice From Ontario Kangxian Zhao, University of Toronto Hong Wang, Mount Saint Vincent University

2. Overview Introduction Literature Review The Present Study Research Findings Discussions Limitations & Future Directions References

3. Introduction English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in Canada The knowledge base of in-service ESL teachers ESL teachers’ PD activities and needs within the Canadian context and the challenges they face

4. Literature Review Peyton (1997): Renew and revitalize teacher knowledge Darling-Hammond (1998) & Park et al. (2007): Teacher learning through study, active participation, reflection, collaboration… Terdy (1993): Professional development models Epstein (2001): PD needs of six language teachers in Western Canada

5. The Present Study What are the professional development needs of ESL teachers? What challenges do ESL teachers face in their professional development? Pilot study (20 participants) Questionnaire Descriptive analysis

6. The Teachers VariablesN=20% Gender N=20 Female 1365.0 Male 735.0 Age N=15 21-29 213.3 30-39 746.7 40-49 640.0

7. The Teachers VariablesN=20% Teaching Experience N=19 1-4 years 631.6 5-9 years 526.3 10-14 years 526.3 Over 15 years 315.8 Educational Qualifications N=20 Certificate 315.0 B.A. 945.0 M.A. / M.Ed. 840.0

8. The Teaching Contexts VariablesN = 20% Number of Employers N = 20 One 1680.0 Two 210.0 Three 210.0 Qualifications Required to Teach ESL N = 20 TESL Certificate 525.0 TESL/Bachelor’s degree 1365.0 TESL/Bachelor’s degree/ Master’s degree 210.0

9. The Teaching Contexts VariablesN = 20% Teaching Hours Per Week N = 18 Less than 10 hours 844.4 10-19 hours 527.8 Over 20 hours 527.8 Average Students Per Class N = 19 5-9 students 210.5 10-14 students 526.3 15-19 students 736.8 20-29 students 526.3

10. Teachers’ Responsibilities

11. Teaching Evaluation

12. Professional Development

13. Learning Experiences Contributing to PD VariablesN = 18% Working with other teachers 1161.1 Membership in associations 211.1 Internet resources 211.1 Writing reflective journals 211.1 Other informal learning 15.6

14. What do Teachers Want to Learn?

15. How to Learn?

16. Challenges in Teachers’ PD Limited teaching hours Employment & financial situation “low pay” “lack of tenured employment with benefits available” Need more pedagogical support Cultural diversity & large groups of monolingual students Cost of formal education

17. Discussions The importance of mentorship and peer support (Park et al., 2007; Terdy, 1993) Informal learning within the community of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991) Teachers: diverse educational backgrounds and teaching experience PD opportunities & support: limited Computer assisted language learning: integrating technology into ESL classrooms

18. Limitations & Future Directions Small sample Contextual factors Questionnaires A broader scale Different provinces Interviews, focus group.. Interview administrators

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