EFL Teacher Professional Development Practices in Beninese Secondary Schools

Abstract

Whether EFL teachers are qualified or not, they need to keep abreast of recent developments in their field. There lies the importance of professional development which can be carried out through mentorship, lesson observation, and collaborative discussion with colleagues (Ur, 2012), or through E-portfolios (Xerri and Campbell, 2016). This paper aims at investigating the practices of EFL teacher development and identifying related challenges. It is also intended to make suggestions for the improvement of professional development in Beninese secondary schools. In that regard, a questionnaire was administered to 80 teachers in three different schools in Cotonou. The findings revealed that weekly professional developments are organized in the schools. During these meetings issues discussed include lesson planning, learner assessment, teaching experiences to mention just a few. Other professional development strategies such as reflective teaching, area professional development workshops, participation in webinars have also been recorded. Challenges to the professional development mentioned by respondents are lack of documentation, lack of administrative support, and the fact that the coordinators of the weekly professional development meetings are not creative. Suggestions for improvement focus on the need for teachers to be mindful of their own professional growth and provision of adequate document and support on the part of educational authorities.