Transforming Teaching and Learning: A Professional Development Approach to Increase Self Efficacy through Course Planning

Abstract

This essay describes one professor’s alternative approach to planning and teaching an English language arts methods course for pre-service teachers.  Planning for the course began with a needs assessment, much like a needs assessment that practicing teachers would complete in order for administrators to plan professional development workshops.  Students were surveyed concerning their efficacy beliefs as they pertained to common tasks English language arts teachers encounter in the classroom.  A methods course was then designed to provide a series of professional development-type workshops to boost the students’ efficacy beliefs about their abilities to become effective English language arts teachers.