Viewpoints On Using
the EPOSTL in ELT
Departments
Paulina Liżewska, Paweł Kamiński
I can understand the requirements set in national and local
curricula.
no r.no maybe r.yes yes
-
2
10
18
11
-
-
10
19
12
-
-
6
20
15
I can apply appropriate ways of reading a text in class (e.g.
aloud, silently, in groups etc.).
-
-
5
23
13
I can introduce, and help students to deal with, new or
unknown items of grammar in a variety of ways (teacher
presentation, awareness-raising, discovery etc.).
-
3
9
16
13
I can evaluate and select a variety of activities which help
learners to learn vocabulary.
-
-
5
20
16
I can evaluate and select activities which enhance the
learners’ intercultural awareness.
-
6
13
18
4
I can evaluate and select meaningful speaking and
interactional activities to encourage learners of differing
abilities to participate.
I can design and select different activities in order to
practiseand develop different listening strategies (listening
for gist, specific information etc.)
no r.no maybe r.yes yes
I can identify and evaluate a range of
coursebooks/materials appropriate for the age, interests
and the language level of the learners.
1
3
14
14
9
I can design learning materials and activities appropriate
for my learners.
-
1
7
19
14
I can plan specific learning objectives for individual lessons
and/or for a period of teaching.
-
2
9
22
8
I can structure lesson plans and/or plan for periods of
teaching in a coherent and varied sequence of content.
-
1
3
23
14
I can be flexible when working from a lesson plan and
respond to learner interests as the lesson progresses.
-
2
6
17
16
-
2
14
13
12
I can encourage learner participation whenever possible.
no r.no maybe r.yes yes
I can take on different roles according to the needs of the
learners and requirements of the activity (resource person,
mediator, supervisor etc.).
1
1
12
15
11
I can evaluate and select a variety of activities which help
learners to identify and reflect on individual learning
processes and learning styles.
1
4
12
18
6
I can evaluate and select tasks most suited to be carried out
by learners at home.
-
-
10
21
10
I can evaluate and select valid assessment procedures
(tests, portfolios, self-assessment etc.) appropriate to
learning aims and objectives.
6
17
14
4
-
Overall
0% 0%
5%
27%
23%
no
r.no
maybe
r.yes
yes
n/a
45%
Was this task easy?
Yes(6)/Rather yes(18)
4%
4% 4%
self-awarness
22%
4%
4%
teaching practice
covered in classes
easy tasks
3%
tutoring
11%
too long questions
abilities
22%
too little experience
cannot relate to
22%
no immediate feedback
Quotes
• “There is nothing particularly difficult in answering
questionnaires.”
• “I am aware of my skills as a teacher, and I am able to
say what I can do and what I have to work on.”
• “The task itself was easy, but there might be some
things I don’t know or see in myself.”
Was this task easy?
No(1)/Rather not(8)
13%
lack of experience
25%
hard to assess
62%
too little practice
Quotes
• “I have too little experience to evaluate myself
so specifically.”
• “Hard to say, as we are forced to do certain
activities by a teacher.”
• “I haven’t had enough teaching practice to
answer all these questions.”
Conclusions
• Students have most problems with:
– Assesing appropriate procedures (tests, portfolios etc.)
– Personal approach towards pupils
– Assesing appropriate materials
• Because they did not have related course yet
• Most students are either well prepared or selfconfident
• They have no problem with more theoretical tasks,
e.g. designing lesson plan, or other practiced in
schools
Can one be taught to be a teacher?
No: inate skills are
necessary, 2
No:
vocation, 3
Yes: Various
techniques to do so,
3
Yes:
Teaching is
a skill, 4
Rather not:
personality, 6
Rather yes:
Connected with skills
that can be learnt,
13
Rather not:
vocation, 6
Rather yes:
motivation, 1
Rather yes: personal
approach, 2
Rather yes: for some
people it is easier, 6
Quotes
• “If you don’t like teaching, you will be a bad
teacher no matter how well you are trained.”
• “Inborn qualities are helpful, but there are many
rules to be learned.”
• “One can be trained as a teacher, know various
techniques, ways of teaching, but it is not
possible to acquire love for teaching.”
Have you ever been asked to assess yourself?
7%
20%
27%
Yes: Writing lesson
plans
Yes: Self-assesment
sheet before the test
Yes: Correcting my
own methods
Yes: Trainee journal
No
42%
2%
2%
I don't remember
Do you think self-assesment should be implemented in your
teacher training course?
9%
7%
5%
Yes
49%
Rather yes
Rather not
No
I don't know
30%
Why?
evaluation
helps to improve
to learn from mistakes
not objective
7%
40%
33%
20%
What helps you monitor the development of your competencies as a
teacher?
My didactics course
1%
6%
My tests and quizzes results
15%
My own observations
15%
5%
0%
Discussions with my didactics
teacher
Discussions with my peers
Feedback from my mentor in
teaching practice
15%
20%
EPOSTL
Feedback after microteaching
sessions
14%
9%
Self-assessment tools within
didactics course
Feedback from teachers and
students
Is there place for reflection in didactics course?
I don't know
12%
No
20%
Yes
68%
Quotes
• “There is too much to read, prepare and learn, and
there’s not much time to think about teaching itself.”
• “Sometimes we have to look at our actions from a
different perspective.”
• “Problems are impossibly idealized and often have
nothing in common with real lessons, pupils and
problems.”
What is your experience in teaching English
Other
4%
Conducting
one-to-one
tutoring
62%
Only in the
didactics
course and
the practicum
21%
Conducting a
course for a
group of
learners
13%
Conclusions
• Being self-reflective is not easy
– Students might have had time to reflect, but they
might have not realized that
– It is a process
• Nobody knows about EPOSTL or even a
portfolio method of self-evaluation
– Although it would be useful
Personal note
• We need to vanquish our vanity, try to be
objective, look from different perspectives
• Self-reflection is a first step to become a
better teacher
• There is a need to highlight reflection during
teaching courses
Thank you
for your attention!