UNIT 9: TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

Module 1 (1 of 1)

TASKS

TASK 1

Briefly explain the need for teacher assessment as an aspect of continuing

professional development, and discuss how this may best be undertaken. Compare
two different teacher assessment tools you are familiar with, commenting on the
strengths and weaknesses of each.

Introduction
Teacher assessment is a significantly essential part of Continuous Professional
Development (CPD) since it helps teachers reflect on their practising teaching,
identify the strengths and weaknesses, and ensure stability and quality in teaching.
Richards and Farrell (2005) propose that professional development has to be attained
through a systematic process of both reflection and evaluation, rather than occurring
naturally. Therefore, frequent assessment enables teachers to adapt their methodology
and maintain motivation in their career path effectively.

The importance of teacher assessment

Teacher assessment is highly considered for its support in sustaining reflective
disposition and learning a lifelong mindset. Harmer (2015) emphasizes that teachers
who have highly self-evaluated abilities can respond more flexibly to students’ needs
and changing educational contexts. Assessment also helps them determine the gap
between lesson plans and realistic teaching in classes while aligning practice with
pedagogical theory. Moreover, regular assessment fosters a sense of responsibility and
encourages a collaborative spirit among teachers.

The way to conduct an effective teacher assessment

An effective teacher assessment approach should focus on how to foster teachers’
teaching performances instead of judging them.
The aim is to contribute to the teachers’ personal development through valuable
reflection and colleagues’ aid rather than seeking their errors. Edge (2011) argues that
this progress is most effective when teachers actively participate in self-evaluation
and collaborative reflection. Procedures, including goal settings, lesson observations,
and post-assessment discussions, help teachers transform feedback into specific action
plans. The ideal assessment is a combination of self-evaluation, peer evaluation, and
mentor feedback to achieve an entirely productive outcome.

The comparison between two teacher assessment tools

1. Self-Evaluation
Self-evaluation enables teachers to reflect on their teaching practices, lesson
achievements, and student engagement. Bailey (2006) suggests that this useful tool
aids teachers to become independent learners and significant responsibilities in their
professional path. Flexibilities and capacities in self-awareness enhancement would
be a considerable major strength; nevertheless, its lack of objectivity and inherent
limitation may drive teachers to misjudge their performance without external
feedback.

2. Peer Observation
Peer observation is a process in which teachers observe one another’s lessons and
give mutual feedback. Richards and Farrell (2005) identify it as a form of
collaborative and unpressured professional development. The advantages of this tool
are mutual learning and fostering a collaborative spirit among teachers. However, the
limitations also exist, such as a lack of trust or unspecific feedback, which reduces the
effectiveness. Moreover, setting observation time sometimes meets challenges from
many teachers with different available schedules.

Conclusion
Teacher assessment plays a fundamental role in CPD as it supports teachers’ self-
awareness, reflection, and advancement. Combining both self-evaluation and peer
observation creates a balance between self-reflection and collaborative objectivity. As
Harmer (2015) states, effective assessment not only enhances the quality of teaching
but also reinforces teachers’ dedication to lifelong learning in their career path.

References:
Bailey, K. M. (2006). Language Teacher Supervision: A Case-Based Approach.
Cambridge University Press.

Edge, J. (2011). The Reflexive Teacher Educator in TESOL: Roots and Wings.
Routledge.

Harmer, J. (2015). The Practice of English Language Teaching (5th ed.). Pearson
Education.

Richards, J. C., & Farrell, T. S. C. (2005). Professional Development for Language

Teachers. Cambridge University Press.

TASK 2

Adapt or create a self-assessment tool by which to assess your own performance and
use it. Reflect upon your own performance in one of the lessons you have taught, the
usefulness of the tool you have created, and how you might refine it for future use.

Introduction
As a teacher committed to Continuous Professional Development (CPD), I find
available insights of self-assessment for teaching practice improvement (Ross &
Bruce, 2007). This tool is designed for my class: a Grade 11 Intermediate English
class (Vietnam, age 16–17). The purpose is to assess my speaking class effectively,
reflect on strengths and weaknesses requiring refinement, and modify it for the next
lessons.

Self-assessment tool description

The tool includes a one-page list within five criteria rated from 1 to 5 points (1= needs
improvement, 5= excellent). Five criteria consist of:
1. Specific introduction
2. Students' engagement
3. Language accuracy
4. Classroom management
5. Use the communicative activities
There are three self-assessments in the last part: “Which things went well?”, “Which
things can be improved?”, and “ What are action plans for the next lessons?”.

The lesson’s application

In a speaking lesson about travel plans, I used the self-assessment tool immediately
after the class. I rated myself: specific = 4, engagement = 3, accuracy = 4,
management = 3, communicative activities = 4. Reflection:
- Strength: students actively engaged and used the target language in class.
- Improvement: Two students were still unconcentrated in pair work; I didn’t
frequently go around for observation.
- Action plans: In the next lessons, I will go around the class more in activities and
provide support for weak students.

Usefulness and adaptation

This tool is remarkably useful due to its precise reflection and measurement in
supporting me. As Bruce et al. (2005) indicate, the self-assessment helps teachers
clarify the distance between practical ideals and realities. However, it also has
unavoidable limitations: five criteria are quite general and unavailable to specific
reflection, such as the Q&A technique or students’ language competence. For future
use, I will modify it by adding some sub-criteria (for example: “ teachers elicit the
students’ correct responses”, “Teachers provide feedback to correct students’ errors”)
and incorporate colleagues’ opinions or students' ones to increase objectivity
(Masuwai, 2024).

Conclusion
In summary, creating and applying this self-assessment tool has advanced my
reflective practice and professional development. With adaptation and the
combination of external feedback, it can become a more powerful tool for CPD.

References:
Bruce, C., Ross, J. A., & McDougall, D. (2005). Teacher self-assessment: A
mechanism for facilitating professional growth [Case study]. Teacher Self-
Assessment Project, Trent University.

Masuwai, A. (2024). Self-assessment for continuous professional development.

Frontiers in Education.

Ross, J. A., & Bruce, C. (2007). Teacher self-assessment: A mechanism for

facilitating professional growth. Educational Research & Evaluation, 13(3), 275–281.

TASK 3

Design a pre-course (entrance) and post-course (exit) assessment for your own
learners.
Introduction
Assessment plays an essential role in identifying learners’ starting proficiency levels
and measuring advancement through time. According to Brown and Abeywickrama
(2019), well-designed entrance and exit assessments provide evidence of learning and
assist teachers in modifying lesson plans. This paper illustrates the design of pre-
course and post-course assessments for 11th-grade students (aged 16-17) in an
intermediate (B1) English-speaking course.

1. Pre-course Assessment
Aim:
To evaluate learners’ starting proficiency in speaking skills, focusing on fluency,
accuracy, vocabulary, and interactive skills (Richards & Lockhart, 2007).

Format:
Part 1- Personal interview (3 minutes):
Students answer the following questions: “ Can you tell me about your daily routine?”
or “ What do you often do on weekends?”
Part 2- Picture description (2 minutes):
Students describe a familiar picture (for example: an event at school or a trip with
family).
Part 3- Short dialogue (3 minutes):
Work in pairs, discuss a simple topic (for example: “Choose a traveling destination”).

Assessment criteria:
Criteria Description Scale

fluency Ability to speak smoothly with minimal hesitation 1-5

accuracy grammatical and syntactic accuracy 1-5

vocabulary Diversity and appropriate context 1-5

pronunciation Clarity, correct stress patterns 1-5

interaction response and maintain conversation 1-5

Maximum points: 25
This pre-course assessment determines common weaknesses such as limited lexical
resources or inaccuracy pronunciation.

2. Post-course Assessment
Purpose:
To assess learners’ advancement and achievement of learning objectives.
Format:
- Part 1- Presentation (3 minutes):
Students present about “ a memorable experience” by using learned structures in class
- Part 2- Role-play (4 minutes):
Act a scene with partners (example: planning an event at school)
- Part 3- Reflective questions (2 minutes):
Students reflect on their advancement in speaking.
Assessment criteria
Keep the original criteria as a pre-course assessment for easy comparison. Teachers
save the results and give documentary feedback.

3. Use of results and reflections

After conducting both assessments, I record and compare the points. For instance, a
student attaining an increase in scores from 12/25 to 19/25 reveals notable
improvement.

As Hedge (2000) emphasizes, reflection based on pre-course and post-course

assessments helps teachers adapt the lesson plans for addressing weaknesses (such as
pronunciation or fluency).

Students also self-reflect by using a short checklist to enhance learners’ independence

in learning.

Conclusion
In general, pre-course and post-course assessments are significantly helpful in
monitoring learners’ advancement, giving feedback, and strengthening teaching
effectiveness. When applied systematically, they not only measure learning results but
also foster a reflective mindset for both teachers and students.

References:
Brown, H. D., & Abeywickrama, P. (2019). Language assessment: Principles and
classroom practices (3rd ed.). Pearson Education.

Harmer, J. (2015). The practice of English language teaching (5th ed.). Pearson
Longman.

Hedge, T. (2000). Teaching and learning in the language classroom. Oxford

University Press.

Richards, J. C., & Lockhart, C. (2007). Reflective teaching in second language

classrooms. Cambridge University Press.

TASK 4

Teachers often have to write formal reports, so it is wise to practise!

Write a short formal report for the course you have most recently completed.

Introduction
This report presents an overall evaluation of the “Teaching Speaking Skills” course,
completed in September 2025. The course was designed for practicing English
teachers in order to promote communicative techniques in class and develop more
effective speaking activities for intermediate-level learners.

Content and structure of the course

The course comprises eight modules about the principles of Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT), lesson plans, classroom management, and speaking skill
evaluation. Each class combines both theoretical knowledge and practical tasks.
According to Harmer (2015), teaching effective speaking skills needs to balance
between accuracy and fluency, which the course attained through pair work, role-
plays, and reflection after class.

Learning outcomes
After completing the course, participants will gain a deep insight into designing and
supporting speaking activities. Utilizing authentic materials, as Richards and Rodgers
(2014) recommend, boosts learners’ participation and communicative confidence.
Additionally, participants also learn how to give constructive feedback (Scrivener,
2011), helping students self-correct and improve fluency.

Strengths and weaknesses

The main strength of the course is highly interactive, which creates conditions
allowing teachers to share experiences and reflect on their own lessons. However, the
time allocated for the “micro-teaching” activity seems limited, which restricts
teachers from deeply exploring individual teaching styles.

Recommendations
It is recommended that future courses should add peer observation and extend the
internship period. Moreover, incorporating technology tools such as analyzing videos
and digital interactive boards, enables teachers’ professional development (Richards
& Farrell, 2005).

Conclusion
Overall, the course brings considerable beneficial professional development,
providing teachers with both pedagogical knowledge and practical strategies to
enhance students’ speaking abilities in communicative environments.

References:
Harmer, J. (2015). The Practice of English Language Teaching (5th ed.). Pearson
Education.

Richards, J. C., & Farrell, T. S. C. (2005). Professional Development for Language

Teachers: Strategies for Teacher Learning. Cambridge University Press.

Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and Methods in Language

Teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Scrivener, J. (2011). Learning Teaching: The Essential Guide to English Language

Teaching (3rd ed.). Macmillan Education.