Implementing the EPOSTL (European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages) in Pre-service Teacher Education

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Implementing the EPOSTL (European Portfolio for
Student Teachers of Languages) in Pre-service
Teacher Education

• Barbara Mehlmauer-Larcher
• barbara.mehlmauer-larcher_at_univie.ac.at
• English Department, University of Vienna/Austria

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EPOSTL (European Portfolio for Student Teachers
of Languages)

• Developed for the European Centre for Modern
  Languages/Council of Europe
• by a team of teacher educators from 5
  different countries
• (Austria, Armenia, Norway, Poland, UK, led
  by David Newby together with Rebecca Allan,
  Anne-Brit Fenner, Barry Jones, Hanna Komorowska
  Kristine Soghikyan)
• Available in various European languages (English,
  German, French, Polish, etc)
• Overall aim harmonising teacher education in
  Europe

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The EPOSTL in the European context
Language Learning
Language Teaching
Common European Frame of Reference gt Reference
tool f. teaching, learning assessment
European Profile for Language Teacher
Education gt Reference tool f. teacher education
programmes

• European
• Language Portfolio gt
• Tool for Reflection
• Self-assessment

EPOSTL gt Tool for Reflection Self-assessment
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EPOSTL 3 main sections

• 1) Personal statement section help students to
  reflect on general questions of teaching
• 2) Self-assessment section list of gt can-do
  descriptors, e.g.
• I can evaluate and select meaningful
  speaking and interactional activities to
  encourage learners to express their opinions,
  identity , culture etc.
• 3) Dossier document progress, record examples of
  work etc.
• 3 further sections
• Introduction
• Glossary of terms
• Index Users Guide

24.06.2007
18. 09. 2008
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Organisation of the self-assesment
section(source EPOSTL, p. 6)
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EPOSTL Aims Function 1

• Target groups primarily student teachers,
  teachers, but also
• teacher
  educators, curriculum designers, etc.
• EPOSTL general aims to support the concept of
• teacher
  learner autonomy
• EPOSTL a tool for reflection,
• dialogue
  self-assessment

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EPOSTL Aims Function 2

• to assist in discussions between student teachers
  teacher educators
• to encourage reflection on competences to be
  attained and on the required underlying knowledge
• to help students develop awareness of their
  strengths weaknesses
• to provide support during school placement to
  assist in discussions with mentors (gt systematic
  feedback, reflection, self-assessment)
• (cf. Newby 2007)

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EPOSTL Aims Function 3

• EPOSTL process and no show case portfolio
• EPOSTL belongs to the student teacher, and is
• no assessment or grading
  tool
• Underlying principles CLT, learner autonomy
• interdependence of language
  culture
• Outcomes
• increase transparency of education
  programmes
• encourage a reflective mode in teacher
  education
• aid comparison of teacher education
  programmes
• (cf. Newby 2007)

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Implementation of the EPOSTL 1in pre-service
teacher education at the English Department,
University of Vienna / Austria
Overview of the TE Programme
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Implementation of the EPOSTL 2 Overview of
the methodology programme

• 2 general introductory courses on ELT
  methodology/ EPOSTL
• 4 courses on ELT methodology/ EPOSTL

pilot project using the EPOSTL in the course
accompanying the school placement phase
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Pilot project using the EPOSTL in the course
accompanying the school placement phase (usually
4 parallel courses per semester)

• before the school placement phase introduction
  of the EPOSTL, working with selected descriptors
• while/after school placement working with
  selected particularly relevant descriptors
• after the school placement phase using the
  EPOSTL as basis/spring board for the final
  reflective talk with the course leader/teacher
  educator

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Research ProjectPotentials of the EPOSTL with
regard to
data collection
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Reflection some definitions

• Dewey (1910) active, persistent, and careful
  consideration of any belief or supposed form of
  knowledge in the light of the grounds that
  support it, and the further conclusions to which
  it tends
• According to Dewey (1910) reflection is
  characterized as
• disciplined, conscious, explicit
• Reframing (notion developed by Dewey) reflection
  enables the reframing of problems gt leads to a
  change of perspectives and wider range of
  possible solutions (cf. Roberts 1999)

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Reflection and professional growth 1

• Reflection in the context of professionalism
• It critical reflection) is a response to past
  experience and involves conscious recall, and
  examination of the experience as a basis for
  evaluation and decision making, and as a source
  for planning and action. (Bartlett 1990)
• With regard to teaching and learning reflection
  is seen as
• self inquiry, and critical thinking as
  central for continuing professional growth
  helping teachers move beyond a level where they
  are guided largely by impulse, intuition, or
  routine
• (Boud, Keogh, and Walker 1985)

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Reflection and professional growth 2

• Types of reflection
• a) retrospective, prospective, and innovative
  
• b) monological, dialogical
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  (cf. Akbari 2007)
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• Reflection as a pre-condition of professionalism
  for
• gt development of autonomy
  self-assessment,
• gt mediation between theory and
  practice
• 
  (cf. Akbari 2007)

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Reflection preliminary results 1

• Types of reflection
• prospective /retrospective
• You can use the EPOSTL again and again,
  well, you can use it for planningso if you want
  to hold a similar lesson again, for example, you
  can try to remember, right, how was it when I
  first held this lesson ?
• monological/ dialogical
• I think, at the beginning, you should
  discuss things together with colleagues, I am
  sure later on you can work on your own on it
  descriptors of the EPOSTL and make your own
  entries when you have become used to it EPOSTL
  , you can just use it yourself, thats no
  problembut you can always use it as a
  springboard for discussions

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Reflection preliminary results 2

• EPOSTL as a tool for structured reflection
• A) for my second subject we dont have
  anything like this EPOSTL... there, things are
  less structured... you just look and take
  notes...there is no structured reflection in
  such a way.
• B) well, it really is a kind of stimulus
  to think about various things and not just act in
  a kind of intuitive way, but have something to
  look at and be able to structure things. And
  then, in case something goes wrong you need not
  rely only on your intuition and react
  accordingly
• C) Also this kind of self-assessment is
  sometimes really helpful. There are always
  situations when I think, well, I havent really
  thought about that, or... you knowI had to think
  carefully, did I take everything into
  consideration, ..ok... you know, it EPOSTL
  really made me think.

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Reflection preliminary results 3

• D) it EPOSTL takes, I think, this idea of
  reflection away from we all sit in a circle and
  talk about whats just crossing our minds. It
  hasnt got this kind of strange element of a
  therapeutic session where everybody is just
  talking about his or her emotionsbecause it
  actually forces you to think about, I dont know,
  for instance, challenging learners to their
  full potential and nothow did I feel at the
  time.
• EPOSTL as a tool for self assessment planning
  further professional development
• Well I dont know, for instance, its also
  this reflection on how good am I at teaching
  speaking or writing. Somehow listening seems to
  be some kind of a feared opponent of mine, for
  whatever reason, I havent quite got the hang of
  this Maybe, when I am in a good mood, I might
  attend a course on teaching listeningbecause it
  is a reasonable thing to do, isnt it?... it
  EPOSTL has an impact, definitely!

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Further comments by student teachers

• Challenges
• A) I found filling in the descriptors a bit
  difficult because its hard to assess yourself. I
  mean nobody got a 100 obviously, but its
  difficult to find out where you really are.
• B) Particularly at the beginning I found it
  extremely difficult to assess competences with
  the help of can-do-descroptors. I still feel I
  havent got enough practical experience to do
  so.
• Final positive comment
• Using the EPOSTL before, while and after
  teaching at school made me realise I was actually
  making some progress. I found this so
  motivating.

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Summary and outlook

• EPOSTL
• challenges teacher students with regard to their
  self assessment capacity
• helps chart progress
• has a motivational force , helps initiate
  discussions
• is a useful planning device for professional
  growth
• supports a systematic approach to reflection and
  discussion
• at our department we will
• continue to use the EPOSTL in our classes
  accompanying the school placement and intensify
  using the EPOSTL in other methodology classes
• continue data collection regarding the use of
  the EPOSTL (student teachers teacher educators)

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• for now enough of ...
• EPOSTLING !

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