Social Constructivist Mentoring Program to Support Teacher Professional Development: An Action Research Approach

Authors

Kurniawan Yudhi Nugroho, Universitas Islam Sultan AgungFollow
Choiril Anwar, Universitas Islam Sultan AgungFollow
Hartono Hartono, Universitas Islam Sultan AgungFollow

Abstract

Despite the presence of various TPD initiatives from governmental and non-governmental organizations, English teachers in the private universities in Indonesia continue to encounter challenges in accessing TPD programs, that fit their specific needs. This study explored the implementation of a social constructivist mentoring program to support the professional development of seven teachers teaching English academic writing. Using an action research approach, this mentoring emphasized collaborative inquiry, reflective practice, and continuous improvement. We opted for a qualitative approach to gain a deeper understanding and exploration of the learning process within the program. Data were collected from multiple resources such as interviews, teachers’ self-evaluation reports, observations, and discussions, and analyzed using the thematic analysis method by Braun and Clarke (2006) to identify and extract significant themes from the collected data. Our findings indicated that using the social constructivism and action research in the program fostered promising progress. The teachers and their students experienced a notable positive transformation, with learning activities becoming more captivating, meaningful, and enjoyable. The teachers expanded their pedagogical knowledge and practices, accompanied by a transformation in their attitudes and mindsets after a series of interventions in the nine-month mentoring program. Finally, not only did we note that the program had a central role in nurturing teachers' self-identity and helping them overcome internal barriers, but it also contributed to the continuous professional development of the teachers in the long run.

Keywords

social constructivist mentoring program, action research approach, teacher professional development, private university English teachers, English academic-writing classroom

Author Bio(s)

Dr. Kurniawan Yudhi Nugroho, S.Pd., M.Pd. is an assistant professor of education and English Language Teaching (ELT) at Universitas Islam Sultan Agung. He has published numerous research articles and actively participates in both national and international conferences to present papers on topics relevant to his areas of expertise. His research interests include academic writing, teacher professional development, ELT methodology, qualitative research methodology, ELT curriculum, and education policy. Please direct correspondence to kurniawan@unissula.ac.id

Dr. Choiril Anwar, M.Pd. is an assistant professor in English Education Department, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung with specialization in Teaching English to Young Learners since 2015. His interests in scholarly publication started when he was a journal editor of Edulite: Journal of English Education, Literature and Culture since 2015. He earned his Master's Degree in English Education from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He is also an editor in some reputable internationally-indexed journals. His expertise includes Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL), English grammar, Open Journal System, open access journal, reference management system, and storytelling. Please direct correspondence to choirilanwar@unissula.ac.id

Hartono, M.Pd is a lecturer at English Education Department of Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (UNISSULA). He got his Bachelor’s degree from English Literature of Universitas Diponegoro and his Master’s in English Education from Universitas Negeri Semarang. Currently, he is taking his Doctoral degree in language education at Universitas Negeri Semarang. His research interest is in second language acquisition, English language teaching, and career. He has published his research in journals, presented in conferences, and written books and modules. Please direct correspondence to hartono@unissula.ac.id

Acknowledgements

We thank Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP), the Ministry of Finance, Republic of Indonesia and Universitas Islam Sultan Agung for supporting us in this project.

Publication Date

5-14-2024

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2024.6634

Recommended APA Citation

Nugroho, K. Y., Anwar, C., & Hartono, H. (2024). Social Constructivist Mentoring Program to Support Teacher Professional Development: An Action Research Approach. The Qualitative Report, 29(5), 1416-1436. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2024.6634