Abstract

PINEDA, Diana  and  FRODDEN, Cristina. The Development of a Novice Teacher's Autonomy in the Context of EFL in Colombia. profile [online]. 2008, n.9, pp.143-162. ISSN 1657-0790.

This article reports the experience of a novice English teacher taking part in a collaborative action research project with a group of children in a bi-national language center in Colombia, where a theme-based approach to teaching had been recently introduced. The purpose of the study was to learn how to solve problems encountered with the approach and to develop learner and teacher autonomy. The findings show how reflection, collaborative work and critical thinking were promoted and enabled the teacher to find alternatives in her teaching, to gain a new understanding of this approach, and to develop teacher autonomy.

Keywords : Action research; professional development; novice teachers; foreign language teaching; theme-based teaching; collaboration; reflection.

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