An evaluation of an innovative model of preparation for executing “On the Job Training Course” for EFL Iranian teachers
Subject Areas :
Toktam Parhizkar Khadiv
1
,
Farhad Fahandezh
2
,
Shahram Afraz
3
1 - Department of English Language, Qeshm Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qeshm, Iran
2 - Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas BranchDepartment of English, Bandar Abbas Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran
3 - Department of English Language, Qeshm Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qeshm, Iran
Keywords: Job Training Course, in service training, Model, teachers training,
Abstract :
Abstract The main purpose of this study is to present and evaluate a model to execute successful On the Job Training Course for Iranian EFL teachers. In order to achieve the goal of the study, 441 teachers of different language institutes in several cities of Iran were asked to complete a self-made questionnaire which was designed based on some face-to-face interviews and observation documents of 26 teachers. As factor analysis was the most crucial concern of this study, the 43 items of the questionnaire were piloted on a sample of 147 EFL teachers. Regarding this matter, the scale in this study enjoyed having a sufficient communality value greater than 0.5 for 25 questions in the questionnaire out of 43 questions. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling (SEM) were run to analyze the relationships among the components. The result revealed that the research model was in the domain of acceptance. The findings of this study can provide fruitful information for English teaching and learning stakeholders, educational policy makers, supervisors, and those involved in second language teacher education as well as English language teachers in EFL contexts.
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202406161122990 International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Research ISSN: 2322-3898-http://jfl.iaun.ac.ir/journal/about © 2024- Published by Islamic Azad University, Najafabad Branch |
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Please cite this paper as follows: Parhizkar Khadiv, T., Fahandezh Saadi, F., & Afraz, Sh. (2024). Evaluating an Innovative Model for On-the-Job Training of Iranian EFL Teachers. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 12 (50), 95-110. http://doi.org/10.30495/JFL.2023.703378 |
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Evaluating an Innovative Model for On-the-Job Training of Iranian EFL Teachers
Toktam Parhizkar Khadiv1, Farhad Fahandezh Saadi2*, Shahram Afraz3
1Department of English, Qeshm Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qeshm, Iran
t.parhizkar.kh@gmail.com
2 Assistant Professor, Department of English, Bandar Lenge Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Lenge, Iran
3Assistant Professor, Department of English, Qeshm Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qeshm, Iran
Abstract The main purpose of this study is to present and evaluate a model to execute successful On the Job Training Course for Iranian EFL teachers. In order to achieve the goal of the study, 441 teachers of different language institutes in several cities of Iran were asked to complete a self-made questionnaire which was designed based on some face-to-face interviews and observation documents of 26 teachers. As factor analysis was the most crucial concern of this study, the 43 items of the questionnaire were piloted on a sample of 147 EFL teachers. Regarding this matter, 25 out of the 43 questions in the questionnaire had a sufficient communality value greater than 0.5.Pearson’s correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling (SEM) were run to analyze the relationships among the components. The result revealed that the research model was in the domain of acceptance. The findings of this study can provide fruitful information for English teaching and learning stakeholders, educational policy makers, supervisors, and those involved in second language teacher education as well as English language teachers in EFL contexts. Keywords: On the Job Training Course, In service training, Teachers training |
ارزیابی یک مدل نوآورانه آمادگی برای اجرای دوره آموزشی حین کار برای معلمان زبان انگلیسی به عنوان زبان خارجی در ایران هدف اصلی این مطالعه ارائه و ارزیابی مدلی برای اجرای موفق دوره آموزشی حین کاربرای معلمان زبان انگلیسی به عنوان زبان خارجی در ایران است. به منظور دستیابی به هدف پژوهش، از 441 معلم موسسات زبان مختلف در چندین شهر ایران خواسته شد تا پرسشنامه ای را تکمیل کنند. این پرسشنامه بر اساس مصاحبه حضوری و مستندات مشاهده 26 معلم طراحی شده بود.از آنجایی که تحلیل عاملی مهمترین دغدغه این مطالعه بود، 43 سوال پرسشنامه بر روی نمونه ای متشکل از 147 معلم زبان انگلیسی به صورت آزمایشی اجرا شد. با توجه به این موضوع، مقیاس در این پژوهش برای 25 سؤال پرسشنامه از 43 سؤال، از ارزش اشتراکی کافی بیش از 5/0 برخوردار بود.برای تحلیل روابط بین اجزا ضریب همبستگی پیرسون و مدل سازی معادلات ساختاری برای تجزیه و اجرا شد. نتایج نشان داد که مدل تحقیق در حیطه پذیرش قرار دارد. یافتههای این مطالعه میتواند اطلاعات مفیدی را برای ذینفعان آموزش و یادگیری زبان انگلیسی، سیاستگذاران آموزشی، سرپرستان و کسانی که درگیر آموزش معلمان زبان دوم هستند و همچنین معلمان زبان انگلیسی فراهم کند. کلمات کلیدی: در دوره آموزشی حین کار، آموزش ضمن خدمت، آموزش معلمان |
Introduction
Considering a successful teaching style, teachers may adopt different roles in the classroom based on their teaching styles. Scrivener (1994) identifies three types of teachers: the Explainer, who is well-versed in their subject matter but has limited knowledge of teaching methodology; the Involver, who actively engages students and puts significant effort into finding suitable and interesting activities while maintaining clear control over the classroom; and the Enabler, who possesses knowledge of both the subject matter and teaching methodology and also understands how individuals and groups think and feel. However, a successful teacher integrates these roles, acting as an organizer of various activities, an assessor, an active participant in students' development, and an observer who seeks feedback and evaluates their work (Harmer, 2001).
One of the pedagogical expectations in the educational setting is that teachers, to be successful, should be highly qualified. Research displayed the influence that effective and qualified teachers had on learners’ learning (Berry, Hoke, & Hirsh, 2004; Besharati & Mazdayasna, 2017). Therefore, teachers need intense, high-quality professional development to advance their instructional capability and that of the schools’ (Miles, Odden, Fermanich, & Archibald, 2004). Accordingly, “If teachers feel better about themselves, they will feel better about their learners; so, their learners feel better about their teachers” (Bolitho,2016).
Being enthusiastic and lively, having interest in his/her job and feeling responsibility for teaching, being creative and spontaneous, being self-confident, having a loud and clear voice and having patience with students were the prominent personal traits of effective EFL teachers. the majority of the students viewed their teacher as an effective EFL teacher because s/he presented the topic via a variety of examples, had adequate level of linguistic knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and communication skills and dealt with them individually and s/he was patient to them. (Hismanoglu,2019)
According to Goksel and Rakicioglu- soylemez (2018) the thematic firework of a pre-service teacher of an effective teacher consists of four categories: academic competence, personality, social effective skills and teaching competence. It has been indicated that the most important characteristics of an effective EFL teacher from pre-service teachers’ point of view is having the necessary language skills which means to be able to use language fluently and accurately in the classroom. And also, personality traits such as being patient, helpful and humorous is essential to be an effective teacher.
Many studies have had reflections on in service training courses which are also called On the Job Training Courses. Most of the studies conclude that employees are in need of improving their skills and knowledge. Workplace could be an effective condition for the development of their practices. Some of the studies have been presented for the confirmation of the outcome of the course.
Moreover, Aykac and Yilidirim (2017) focused on the idea that, as individuals must update themselves, it is crucial to train teachers to make an educational system effective. However, they interviewed teachers, and the results revealed that teachers have problems planning and implementing in-service training programs. Considering the planning, they emphasized that in-service training is conducted without taking needs analysis into attention. Also, it would be necessary to ask teachers' opinions. They believed that educators did not plan and prepare to carry out the in-service training programs.
To address this problem, our study aims to investigate and introduce a structured model of on-the-job or in-service training courses designed to enhance teachers' practical performance, reduce stress, and facilitate the teaching process. Ultimately, this approach aims to improve learning outcomes for students, who are the central focus of any educational system.
Literature Review
The following research is mainly directed to teachers who are the crucial keys in presenting a lesson to learners. Teachers are supposed to help students acquire knowledge so that it may be significant to consider teachers as a central point in educational system.
Cheung (2006) indicates that effective teachers are inclined to:
• work in their jobs for longer timeframes;
• give more time to teaching and curricular designing;
• be willing to teach;
• give importance to their students’ needs;
• be understanding to the mistakes and errors made by their students;
• deal with problem causing students for longer timeframes;
• take an interest in and add to the learning encounters of their students
Language teachers play a crucial role in language education. An effective EFL teacher in most cases paves the way for having an effective education. EFL teaching in different contexts bears some differences. While the knowledge of the language such as the knowledge of skills, sub-skills, testing, evaluation, teaching experience, and knowledge represent the linguistic factors; appearance of the teacher, his/her attitude towards culture, his/her ability to decide, his/her use of technology, his/her creativity, his/her ability to motivate, his/her ability to implement group work are among the non-linguistic factors of the criteria for being an effective EFL teacher. (Khaksefidi,2015)
Following the assumption that teachers are the central concern, educating them could be focused and how to educate them could be designated to organize proper “on the job training” courses.
Referring to Ozturk (2019), today there seems to be a shift from traditional approaches to more innovate ones when teachers are expected to reflect on their beliefs and actions within the context of their actual classroom practices. A model of in service training was proposed to develop teachers’ competencies. The study began by questioning the beliefs to investigate the drawbacks of existing processes. By emerging the needs, the activities and materials were designed. Teachers were allowed to develop their own activities after practicing the exemplary activities under the guidance of trainers. A number of principles were also considered to develop the training model. The principles are inductive, active, relevant, collaborative, interactive, reflective, participative.
An explanation of each are as follows, mentioned by Ozturk (2019)
- inductive: presenting concrete problems instead of abstract concept
- Active: encourage learners to do instead of being told
- Relevant: designing real life activities
- Collaborative: encouraging group work and cooperation
- interactive: teaching by the use of activities, discussions and debates.
- Reflective: inspiring teachers to reflect on their experience and build knowledge that is suitable for their own situation.
- Participative: allowing teachers to assess their own activities or their peers’.
According to Balbay, et al (2018) as there is a gap between the training programs and the contextual needs of teachers’ long term programs were designed to solve the problem. In service training could be planned inside or outside institutions keeping the individual and institutional needs in to consideration. A teacher-led training has been suggested which consists of analyzing teachers’ background, needs analysis, taking teachers’ desires into account, dividing and developing the schedule, giving them options and analyzing the results. This process has two positive points, it can give an opinion to the teachers and it will help teachers to easily find suitable activity for their own professional improvement.
Teachers are a source of encouragement to their students because of the developed relationship and in addition, provide instructions in their respective academic area. Teachers’ education, training and development are a means for professional upgrading which deals with all developmental functions directed at the maintenance and enhancement of their professional competence. Performance of teachers is partly dependent on their pre-service training in addition to the in-service training given to the teachers. (Hervie & Winful, 2018)
Since teachers play the most important role in the classrooms, training and improving their language use and teaching methods is a good avenue to prepare them to become better qualified teachers (Ulla, 2017)
Heathfield (2017) explained that on-the-job-training is a practical method of teaching the skills, knowledge and competencies, required for employees to carry out their job in their workplace. On the job training utilizes the tools, machines, documents, equipment and knowledge of the workplace to assist the employees effectively do their job. Training mostly occur in the normal workplace of the employee which is actually the simplest objective of OJT.
Continuous professional development (CPD) is important for teachers in attaining sustainable education. According to the study revealed that the participants are positive about CPD programs and they see CPD beneficial as they would be able to meet their demands. Also, it was illustrated that teachers’ beliefs toward CPD effect on the participation of teachers. Also, the study shows that pertinent and applicable workshops are fruitful for teachers to cope with their problems in the classrooms. (Mohammadi & Moradi ,2017)
Teachers need in service training (INSET) to fill in the gaps from pre-service training and for continuous professional development, which keeps teachers up to date throughout their careers with respect to the skills required in a contemporary knowledge-based society (Koc, 2016).
Teachers’ learning never ends. That is, teachers’ teaching lives consist of two poles: teaching and learning, and they are always moving from one pole to the other. In addition to external motivation, teachers learn for their own interests. The most important source for teacher development is work. As such, the workloads of novice versus experienced teachers will certainly differ. useful workshops in line with teachers’ needs are of much significance and that the teachers who are qualified should be encouraged to present at the conferences and share their experiences with the other association members. (Alibakhshi & Dehvari,2015)
Based on “cooperative model” proposed by Nicolaidis el.al (2008) INSET courses can play an important role when there is an active interaction cooperation between academics’ policy makers, advisors, mentors, teachers and principals as well as students.
“In-service teacher education is broadly defined as any learning opportunity for practicing teachers” (Koellner and Greenblatt, 2008, p.1).
The objective is to improve teachers’ performance through the study of specialization and expertise and the time of the period in the service of the educational process, evaluate and determine courses for needy teachers under improving their performance. By offering precise directed courses to the teacher according to his need and build on what he has from previous knowledge. So the training adds new information and knowledge to the experience and improves his performance in the classroom and in the delivery of scientific material for students and how to manage time and deal with the modern means. The main goal is to develop a model based on data mining that evaluates the performance of teachers, apply our approach on red data sets. The most important factor to explain the instructor’s teaching performance is the instructor attitudes that are primarily measured by the evaluation process. The attendance of the students is another important factor that influences positively the performance of the instructor. Hence the instructors that attract more students to the classes are evaluated more successfully. Data was collected about training courses, trainees and trainers. Several topics were discussed by the use of questionnaire.
Data mining techniques were applied to discover knowledge like association, classification rules to determine ways that can help them to better serve the educational process. The important results are, trainees are allowed to participate actively, the objectives could be clear for trainees, the sessions are started by trainees’ post experience. (Hemaid & Halees 2015)
Desimone (2009) stated that professional development would increase teachers' effectiveness. The proposed model represents interactive, non-recursive relationships among the critical features of professional development, teacher knowledge, beliefs, classroom practice, and student outcomes.
The stated model focuses on the theory of action. Teachers will experience effective professional development to increase teachers' knowledge and skills or change their attitudes and beliefs. Teachers' instructions would vary based on the new knowledge and views that finally will improve the student's learning.
Ganji et al. (2018) presented five stages of holding a teacher-training course in Iran. The five stages are enrolment, written exam, interview, training courses, and evaluation. The teacher-training course could be divided into three groups in Iran. The first group will train the applicant to employ them and focus on practical techniques. The second group concentrates on theoretical aspects and partly the practical ones, based on the trainers' experience, and the aim is not to employ the trainees. Finally, the third group follows the syllabus of international courses such as CELTA and TESOL to prepare teachers for an EFL context.
According to Novozhenia and Pinzon (2018), professional development programs should be designed based on teachers' and institutions' needs. Moreover, one training session would not be enough for teachers to grasp the whole idea of an issue, and improvement might not happen based on the workshops only. So designing professional development programs could be a complex task that designers must consider several details such as the institution, the context, teachers' needs, and styles. Following the mentioned theoretical framework on teachers’ performance, designing workshops, and in-service courses, the study sets out to utilize the model of professional development programs considering the characteristics of an excellent teacher to perform well.
According to the mentioned ideas the present study attempts to answer the following questions:
RQ1: What are the standard procedures for conducting on-the-job training (OJT) courses?
RQ2: Using grounded theory, what model of OJT courses contributes to improving teachers' performance?
Method
Observing teachers’ performance provided some criteria which were worked on practically through a procedure of teaching practices. Reading the observation reports, which were collected in the qualitative phase and the workshops in the development phase, were used to design a questionnaire to see how the teachers' performance would change by participating in a continuous on-the-job training course.
Furthermore, the questionnaire revealed teachers’ insights toward such programs of on-the-job training courses. The self-made questionnaire was designed to generalize the findings of the qualitative phase to a much larger and analogous population, so the significant phase is to pilot and validate the questionnaire before distributing it among the target population.
Pilot Phase
To pilot the questionnaire in order to calculate the validity and reliability, it was distributed among 147 male and female teachers, working in different educational systems from all around Iran. A six Likert scale questionnaire was used to determine teachers’ insights from the workshops and their overall effectiveness. The questionnaire was designed based on the information gathered from interviews and observation forms of the teachers in which seven main themes was the consequence. The pilot study results were used to check the reliability and construct validity of the questionnaire which leads to completing the procedure of the study in the main phase.
Main Study
The piloted questionnaire was administered to present the model based on the results. In the following, the participants and setting, Instrument, data collection procedure, and data analysis procedure will be discussed in detail.
Participants and Setting
A total sample of 441out of 500 male and female teachers working in different institutes as teachers from all around Iran participated in this study through non-probabilistic sampling. Out of 441 teachers, 153 of them were males and 288 were females.
Gender | |||||
| Frequency | Percent | Valid Percent | Cumulative Percent | |
Valid | Male | 153 | 34.5 | 34.7 | 34.7 |
Female | 288 | 65.0 | 65.3 | 100.0 | |
Total | 441 | 99.5 | 100.0 |
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Missing | System | 2 | .5 |
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Total | 443 | 100.0 |
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Considering the teachers' teaching experience who participated in this study, most of the teachers were working in this career for more than ten years, and about 10 percent of the participants were working as an EFL teachers between 1 to 2 years.
Teaching Experience | |||||
| Frequency | Percent | Valid Percent | Cumulative Percent | |
Valid | Less than one year | 61 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.8 |
1 to 2 years | 48 | 10.8 | 10.9 | 24.7 | |
2 to 5 years | 99 | 22.3 | 22.4 | 47.2 | |
5 to 10 years | 111 | 25.1 | 25.2 | 72.3 | |
more than ten years | 122 | 27.5 | 27.7 | 100.0 | |
Total | 441 | 99.5 | 100.0 |
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Missing | System | 2 | .5 |
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Total | 443 | 100.0 |
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Considering the highest educational degree, many of the teachers held M.A. degrees, and only 7 percent of the participants had Diplomas.
Highest education level completed. | |||||
| Frequency | Percent | Valid Percent | Cumulative Percent | |
Valid | Diploma | 35 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 |
B.A. | 155 | 35.0 | 35.1 | 43.1 | |
M.A. | 206 | 46.5 | 46.7 | 89.8 | |
PhD | 45 | 10.2 | 10.2 | 100.0 | |
Total | 441 | 99.5 | 100.0 |
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Missing | System | 2 | .5 |
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Total | 443 | 100.0 |
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Instruments
The other data gathering tool used in this phase of the study, was the self-made questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed based on the qualitative phase of the study. The validity and reliability have already been checked and prepared for this phase of the study. The questionnaire consisted of 43 questions. The first section of the questionnaire dealt with the participant's demographic information, followed by 43 inquiries related to the OJT course. The reliability of the Instrument was rechecked regarding 441 participants. The Cronbach alpha reached 0.911.
Reliability Statistics | ||
Cronbach's Alpha | Cronbach's Alpha Based on Standardized Items | N of Items |
.911 | .915 | 26 |
Data Collection Procedures
The questionnaire was distributed among male and female participants to develop a model of the benefits and drawbacks of holding workshops as an on-the-job training course. The questionnaire was designed in www.porsline.ir, a useful website for online surveys. The questionnaire’s link was shared with EFL colleagues in the institutes using the What’s app, Telegram, and Instagram. They were kindly asked to share the same link with their friends who have experience teaching English in different institutes. The researcher checked the site every day to see the number of participants who filled the questionnaire. After about two months, 441 teachers answered the questions. The answers were exported to be analyzed and studied.
Data Analysis
The quantitative data was analyzed through statistical SPSS software to make inferences about the on-the-job training course and its effects on teachers’ performance. So structural equation modeling would be applied to confirm the factor analysis and determine the relationship between the measured and the latent variable. The independent sample test and t-test were used to discover the relationship between gender and the study's variables. Moreover, to check the relationship between teachers' educational degree and their experience and the variables of the study, analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was exploited using SPSS software. Finally, to prepare a model for the On the Job Training Course that would affect teachers' performance positively, the Structural Equation Model(SEM)was utilized. The statistical software package by the name of LISREL was employed to design a model of OJT course that is beneficial for EFL teachers to have booming performance in their classes.
Results
In this part, the results of the quantitative phase will be presented, which are obtained based on the designed questionnaire. The questionnaire was planned based on the results of the interviews in the qualitative phase. The questionnaire items were about to investigate the common features that could be focused on to design an efficient procedure for holding an OJT course that would motivate teachers to participate and cooperate in such a course. The questionnaire was piloted To check the reliability and validity before applying to the main study. Furthermore, the main study procedure was carried out to develop a model using Structural Equation Modeling. The result of this phase will be presented in the following section.
Descriptive statistics
Some statistical procedures were done using the SPSS software to find the relationship between the variables and the factors of the OJT course. In the following, the results are revealed and explained in detail.
Independent sample T-test
Independent sample T-test was applied to inspect the difference between gender and OJT course factors. The results in the table illustrate a significant difference between males' and females' selection of OJT course factors as sig = 0.006 is smaller than 0.05. Moreover, the mean scores show that males performed superior compared to females since the mean score for males is 61.9020 and for females is 57.4826.
Group Statistics | |||||
| Gender | N | Mean | Std. Deviation | Std. Error Mean |
overallOJTfactors | male | 153 | 61.9020 | 17.33523 | 1.40147 |
Female | 288 | 57.4826 | 15.19283 | .89525 | |
Analysis of variance (ANOVA)
An analysis of variance was calculated to investigate the effects of educational level, teaching experience, and place of residence. Taking the educational level of teachers into account according to the table it is noticeable that there is a significant among the educational level of the teachers. The statistics show that the educational level of the teachers can not affect their selection of OJT course factors. Sig = .253 which is more than 0.05.
ANOVA | |||||
Overall OJT factors | |||||
| Sum of Squares | df | Mean Square | F | Sig. |
Between Groups | 1056.075 | 3 | 352.025 | 1.364 | .253 |
Within Groups | 112818.814 | 437 | 258.167 |
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Total | 113874.889 | 440 |
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The last two features were the teaching experience of the teachers and their place of residence. The ANOVA table indicates no significant difference among both the teaching experience and the selection of OJT course factors as it is revealed that sig =.213 for teaching experience, which is greater than 0.05.
ANOVA | |||||
overallOJTfactors | |||||
| Sum of Squares | df | Mean Square | F | Sig. |
Between Groups | 1505.478 | 4 | 376.369 | 1.460 | .213 |
Within Groups | 112369.411 | 436 | 257.728 |
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Total | 113874.889 | 440 |
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Considering the place of residence, the sig is .038, which is less than 0.05. this will indicate a difference between the place of teachers' residence and their selection of the OJT factors.
ANOVA | |||||
overallOJTfactors | |||||
| Sum of Squares | df | Mean Square | F | Sig. |
Between Groups | 5982.355 | 13 | 460.181 | 1.821 | .038 |
Within Groups | 107892.534 | 427 | 252.676 |
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Total | 113874.889 | 440 |
|
|
|
The most and the least influential factor
As it is illustrated in the table below, studying the mean score of the modified factors makes it clear that the most influential factor that motivates teachers to participate in an OJT course are their reasons, such as getting up to date, learning new methods, sharing experience, trying challenges and solving problems. The least mean score is labeled grouping participants. It seems that holding OJTs specifically for a specified group of teachers according to their years of experience is the last factor to consider when planning OJT courses.
| ||||||||
| reasonstoholdojt | ojtseffect | Ojtsspecifications | ojtsdesign | ojtsbenefits | participantsgrouping | motivatingfactors | |
Mean | 12.1701 | 10.1701 | 7.3333 | 7.5850 | 7.3855 | 5.5488 | 6.7302 | |
N | 441 | 441 | 441 | 441 | 441 | 441 | 441 | |
Std. Deviation | 4.94613 | 3.97842 | 2.41492 | 2.48681 | 2.45156 | 2.27995 | 2.27181 | |
Maximum | 36.00 | 30.00 | 18.00 | 18.00 | 18.00 | 12.00 | 17.00 | |
Confirmatory factor analysis
The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied using structural equation modeling (SEM) CFA is used to examine the fairness of fit of one or more hypothesized factor models of a measure (Brown & Moore, 2012). Seven measurement models were introduced in this study, and their goodness of fit must be checked. CFA was run through LISREL software. The following figure indicates the path diagram of the suggested model.
Fit indices
Fit indices were checked for model appraisal. The first index is RMSEA; the population root mean square error of approximation. For model appraisal, fit indices were checked. The first index is RMSEA, which is the population root mean square error of approximation. The recommended cut-off points for RMSEA are ˂ 0.08 is considered a good fit, between 0.08 and 0.1 indicates adequate fit, and ˃ 0.1 shows poor fit (Kenny et al., 2014). Regarding this study, as it is noticeable in the table, RMSEA is 0.034. The next index is the comparative fit index (CFI), with values larger than 0.90 are acceptable. In this study (CFI) value is 0.99. Regarding the next index (IFI), the normal fit index should exceed 0.90 (Schumacker & Lomax, 2004). In this study, the value of IFI is 0.99. The other fit indices are the normal fit index (NFI) and the non-normal fit index (NNFI), which should be over 0.9 for a good fit (Bentler, 1990). In this study, these values are 0.97 and 0.99, respectively.
Fit indices | RMSEA | CFI | IFI | NFI | NNFI |
The obtained value | 0.034 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.97 | 0.99 |
The acceptable value | ˂ 0.1 | ˃ 0.90 | ˃ 0.90 | ˃ 0.90 | ˃ 0.90 |
In the presented model, several indices were calculated. The results disclose that the present model is valid as it fits the data. The model is understandable as the procedure of achieving the model is explained clearly. It is also highly organized and fills the gap in the literature by presenting a model of OJT courses contributing to EFL teachers’ performance in Iran
The following procedure is designed to help the supervisors and institute managers improve teachers’ performance. In this study, the researcher searched teachers' problematic areas and their needs. The previous reports of teachers' performance were studied to reach the mentioned objective, and the same teachers' performance was observed in their real classes. A brief session was planned to discuss teachers' performance on that specific day, and teachers' ideas' were noted to be used in the developmental phase, which is the holding OJT course sessions. The topics of the sessions were categorized based on the observation and briefing sessions. Teachers were asked to participate in the sessions actively as the course was mostly planned based on practical issues. Feedback was provided on their performance during the OJT course. Moreover, the curriculum greatly demands teachers’ self-assessment in their real classes. In the following diagram, the following procedure is concluded and suggested by the researcher.
Discussion
Studies in the related literature emphasize the importance of continuous professional development (CPD). Various formats for conducting in-service training have been proposed by Ganji et al. (2018), Diaz Maggioli (2004), and Novozhenia and Pinzon (2018). They all advocate for designing training courses based on teachers' needs. In this study, the focus extends beyond teachers to also include the trainers responsible for designing the courses. Consistent with the aforementioned hypotheses, the study's results identify key factors that should be considered before planning and preparing the course materials. Specifically, the findings suggest that a well-structured approach to "on-the-job training" can significantly enhance the effectiveness of these courses.
Supervisors and institute managers play a crucial role in this process. By implementing an organized framework for these training sessions, they can not only improve teachers' performance but also address their specific needs more effectively. This structured approach helps in reducing the stress associated with teaching and facilitates a more conducive learning environment for both teachers and students. Moreover, the study underscores the importance of tailoring training programs to meet the unique requirements of teachers. This personalized approach ensures that the training is relevant and practical, leading to better outcomes in terms of teacher development and student learning. The study also emphasizes the need for ongoing support and feedback from supervisors and managers to continuously refine and enhance the training process. In other words, the findings of this study provide valuable insights for trainers, supervisors, and institute managers on how to design and implement effective "on-the-job training" courses that not only improve teacher performance but also create a positive impact on the overall educational system.
The data suggest procedure cycle as follows:
Ø Review ex-observation reports
Ø Note down teachers’ needs
Ø Observe teachers’ performance
Ø Note down teachers’ needs
Ø Plan the OJTs’ sessions
Ø Hold the OJT course
The findings of this study provide a potential mechanism for supervisors of the institutes. It has been clear that supervisors can significantly motivate teachers to participate in OJT courses. Also, they can benefit from deep cooperation between teachers and themselves because there is a strong relationship between teachers' inspiration and their participation in such classes. Our data indicate that OJTs are beneficial for improving teachers' performance, which casts a new light on planning new OJT courses. Moreover, the results provide a basis for textbook designers to prepare a textbook for teachers that can motivate and effectively improve their performance.
Different techniques could be collected in a textbook to be used by teachers in their classes, leading to better understanding and improvement of learners. Furthermore, the institute managers can benefit from the results of this study since they could have some supervisors who are aware of the ways to find teachers' needs in teaching so that they could use the knowledge to plan practical courses.
There were some limitations and delimitations in this study. Initially, this study delimited itself to interviewing and observing teachers of the Kish institute of science and technology of the Shiraz branch. Moreover, teachers of the Kish institute were invited to on-the-job training courses. In addition, it was hardly possible to hold too many workshops during a term of study. The results of the proposed research were generalizable to teachers who (a) teach in private institutes, (b) in shiraz, and (c) have experience of teaching.
As statistical tests require a larger sample size to ensure that the sample is considered representative of a population and that the statistical result can be generalized to a larger population, it took a lot of time to collect enough data. The study confines itself to the purposive sampling procedure, which may decrease the generalizability of findings. Furthermore, many of the questionnaires were distributed via social networks; this may have affected the performance of the participants.
An attempt has been made to present a logical procedure to plan an ‘On the Job Training Course' that can motivate EFL teachers to improve their performance as the focus of the study was mainly the private institutes. Future studies could fruitfully explore the effect of such courses on teachers and professors of schools and universities. Following the fact that the study's first phase was practiced in the Kish institute of Science and Technology in Shiraz Branch, other institutes are desirable for future work.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate a strong effect of OJT courses on the teachers' performance. The study results provide a basis for holding a structured OJT course since it introduces the key factors of an OJT course that are promising aspects of improving teachers' performance. According to the findings, the procedure of a structured OJT course could start with the observation of teachers' performance, which identifies teachers' needs. The process continues with some brief sessions about the observation notes, which leads to a better understanding of teachers' problems in teaching. The workshops or the OJT sessions would be planned based on the needs of teachers, which has been discussed earlier in the brief sessions. Finally, teachers would see the effects of the OJT, and this cycle can move on as creativity in teaching can never stop improving.
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Biodata
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Research, Najafabad Iran, Iran. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0 license). (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by nc/4.0/).
International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 12(50), 2024 
Islamic Azad University of Najafabad
