Developing EFL teachers' professional values using Gardner's respectful and ethical minds in light of 21st century competences

Abstract EN

In a new millennium, teachers bear the burden of training young minds on the competences most needed in the 21st century: professional knowledge, practical or instrumental skills and professional values.

The present research aimed at developing EFL teachers’ professional values using Gardner’s two minds related to personality; the Respectful Mind and the Ethical Mind.

The study followed a mixed sequential explanatory research design of two phases; quantitative data collection followed by qualitative one.

Data were collected through two instruments: the Structured Interview Checklist (SIC) and the Stimulated Recall Interviews (SRI).

The participants were 22 EFL teachers enrolled in the Special Diploma Program, Faculty of Education, Ein Shams University.

The findings showed that EFL teachers’ professional values improved significantly.

Respect for the learners was the professional value that got the greatest improvement with a shift in its meaning to include other values like fairness, having a responsible behavior and openness to change.

Collaboration with peers and openness to change were the professional values with the least improvements.