Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Introduction
Levels of need
133
Familiarization
At the most basic level, there is the need for familiarization. This involves
the innovation implementation team, on the one hand, in becoming
properly familiar with the innovation situation, and on the other, in the
potential innovation users likewise being adequately informed about the
background to, rationale for, and possible direction of the innovation.
Thus, for example, in a textbook development project, needs at this level
might be catered to by meetings in which the initial innovation concept is
explained and a proper needs analysis is conducted, involving a
representative cross-section of those who will use the textbook, as well as
those, such as heads of department, supervisors, and others, who will be
responsible for overseeing its use, and so on. On this basis, a working
hypothesis can be developed about the shape that the innovation might
take in practice.
Socialization
At the next level up there are the socialization needs. These involve
providing opportunities for the innovation prototype to be modied by
the same group that provided input into the needs analysis process, so
that the model at this phase of its development is checked for its match
with the prevailing socio-cultural educational preconceptions of this
group. At this stage in a textbook project, therefore, consultation
meetings could be held, in which the participantsteachers (and, ideally,
also learners), heads of department, supervisors, trainers, and the like
are given a chance to provide feedback to the design team on how well
samples of draft materials do or do not t in with and extend previous
approaches, and, as necessary, to suggest how they might be modied.
Application
The third level up is concerned with the need for application. This is to do
with ensuring that the process by which the users actually test the
worked-out innovations is monitored and supported in such a way that
the necessary level of personal, practical understanding and expertise is
built up. To use the example of a textbook development project once
again, meeting needs at this stage might involve a programme of schoolbased project work, in which teachers are supervised closely in their
attempts to put the new materials into practice, followed by further
support in the form of related trouble-shooting meetings.
Integration
Finally, at the topmost level, there is the need for integration. Here, scope
should be given for the innovation to become the personal property of
the users, through its further development, in ways determined as far as
possible by the users individual priorities. In a textbook project, this
could be done by linking teachers attempts to get the best out of the new
materials on an everyday basis to their schools and their own
professional development programmes, supported and supervised
directly by the host educational system.
The picture can be made clearer and simpler than this, however, by
conating these four levels into just two basic, overall strata. Thus, needs
at the rst and second levels can be seen as concerned with achieving an
initial conception of a proposed innovation, and its ratication. In other
words, they are to do with establishing a basis on which further
understanding and development can be builtwhat may therefore be
134
figure 1
Levels of need in
the innovation
implementation process
1 Needs must be
addressed at this
level rst
Foundation-building
Areas of activity
Having outlined the vertical dimension of our model, we will now map
out its horizontal axis. This consists of the core areas of development
activity, and, therefore, of need, which ELT innovation projects
potentially involve, namely curriculum development (including
evaluation), teacher learning, trainer learning, and ELT management
learning.
1 Curriculum
We dene curriculum development as any form of innovation activity
development needs which is aimed at bringing about change in the way learners experience
the learning process, at the overall level of policies, goals, and so on,
and/or in terms of the syllabus, teaching materials, teaching methods,
and evaluation techniques.
135
figure 2
Curriculum
development needs
Potentialrealizing
Modern
approach
Foundationbuilding
Traditional
approach
136
2 Teacher learning
needs
137
Potentialrealizing
School-based teacher
learning (e.g. SFDA)
Foundationbuilding
Course-based teacher
learning
figure 3
Teacher learning needs
3 Trainer learning
needs
138
However essential this foundation may be, the trainers role is not simply
to teach the content of the innovation, but to maximize the potential for
ownership of the innovation by the teachers. The second part of the PELT
trainer training programme has therefore focused on preparing the
trainers for the latter role, by providing opportunities for them to gain a
practical understanding of the nature of real teacher learning, and how to
promote it, i.e. the methodology of teacher development. The situation
can thus be represented as follows:
Potentialrealizing
Orientation to teacher
development
methodology
Foundationbuilding
Orientation to
innovation content
figure 4
Trainer learning needs
4 ELT manager
learning needs
figure 5
ELT manager learning
needs
Potentialrealizing
Devolution of
innovation monitoring
and support
Foundationbuilding
Innovation
orientation
139
Conclusion
Potential-realizing level
Foundation-building level
We have tried to show that there are two main levels, and a number of
major areas of need, to be taken into account in the ELT innovation
implementation process. Figure 6 is intended to summarize what we see
as the current tendencies in this regard. The unshaded cells show the
areas of need usually identied, as indicated in earlier sections of this
paper. The shaded cells, as also indicated, represent the areas of need
that we feel tend to be overlooked, or under-rated. However, as we have
tried to show, they are nevertheless of equal importance.
Modern
School-based
Methodolgy
Devolution
Traditional
Course-based
Content
Orientation
1 Curriculum
development
figure 6
ELT innovation
implementation needs:
areas of priority and
neglect
2 Teacher
learning
3 Trainer
learning
4 ELT manager
learning
140
Notes
1 The term traditional is used here in a
chronological, rather than a qualitative sense.
2 The Philippines English Language Teaching
(PELT ) Project is an in-service teacher-training
project of the department ... etc!!!
References
Clarke, D. F. 1989. Materials adaptation: why leave
it all to the teacher? ELT Journal 43/2.
Fullan, M. 1991. The New Meaning of Educational
Change. London: Cassell.
Hersey, P. and K. Blanchard. 1993. Management of
Organizational Behaviour (6th edn.). New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall.
Joyce, B. and B. Showers. 1980. Improving
Inservice Training. Educational Leadership 37.
Maslow, A. H. 1970. Motivation and Personality
(2nd edn.) New York: Harper & Row.
Rudduck, J. 1981. Making the most of the short inservice course. Schools Council Working Paper
71. London: Methuen Educational.
Waters, A. and M. L. C. Vilches. 2000. From
Seminar to School: Bridging the INSET Gap. ELT
Journal 54/2.
White, R. 1987. The ELT Curriculum: Design,
Innovation, and Management. London: Blackwell.
The authors
Alan Waters is Director of the Institute for English
Language Education at Lancaster University,
England, and was the Lead Consultant for the
Philippines English Language Teaching (PELT )
Project from 19959. His current main research
interests are teacher learning processes, and the
application of ideas from management to the ELT
classroom.
Email: A.Waters@lancaster.ac.uk
Ma. Luz C. Vilches is the Executive Director of the
Ateneo de Manila Center for English Language
Teaching, Ateneo de Manila University,
Philippines and was the Co-ordinator of the
Philippines, English Language Teaching (PELT )
Project from 19959. Her main research interests
include the use of literary texts in language
teaching, and the training, of teacher trainers.
Email: mvilch@admu.edu.ph
141