How EFL Teachers Deal with Pedagogical Competence Development for the Teaching of Writing: A Study on Higher Educational Level in Indonesian Context

Dini Kurnia Irmawati1 ; Tri Mega Asri2* ; Aulia Luqman Aziz3

1,2,3Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia.

Abstract

This study investigates what has been done by EFL teachers in higher education level or EFL lecturers in the teaching of writing. This study involves seven research subjects who have taught writing for English Department students for at least three years. The data were collected through in-depth interview. The data were then analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding. In relation to development of teaching techniques for teaching writing, the most frequent activity done by the research subjects is to attend workshop and seminar/conference on writing and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). The most frequent activity conducted to improve pedagogical competence on material development for writing class is to read literature or article on materials development for writing class from textbook or the internet. As an addition, the most frequent activity the lecturers conducted to develop their pedagogical competence in classroom management is conduct sharing session with fellow and/or senior lecturers. Finally, the most frequent activities the lecturers conducted to improve their pedagogical competence in assessment/evaluation for writing are to read literature or article on ‘assessment/evaluation for writing class’ from textbook, journal, thesis, dissertation, and the internet, and conduct sharing session with fellow and senior writing lecturers and expert in writing. FFuture researchers can develop this study into pedagogical competence in the other English skills (reading, speaking, listening) or other types of competence pivotal for English lecturers (personal, social, and professional). These will have a positive contribution toward development of English as Foreign Language in Indonesian context.

Keywords:Lecturers’ professionalism, Pedagogical competence, The teaching of writing, Higher education.

Contribution of this paper to the literature:The findings of the present study provide insight related to how EFL lecturers improve their pedagogical competence in the teaching of writing for English Department students in Indonesian context. The pedagogical competence development involves the ways how the research subjects develop their teaching technique, material development and assessment.

1. Introduction

LConsidering the importance of English as one of the international languages, English is taught as a local content in elementary schools and a compulsory subject in junior and senior high schools in Indonesia. In higher education, there are study programs focusing on English, namely a three-year program in English, and a bachelor program in English Language Teaching, and English Literature. Besides that, English becomes a compulsory subject for non-English Department students. These show that the Indonesian government has taken some steps to help its citizens improving foreign language competence, particularly English, in order to communicate in a global-scale and keep up with global competition.

Compared to the other three English skills, speaking, listening, and reading, writingis considered the most challenging skill to learn (Widiati & Cahyono, 2006) as writer should master several aspects of writing (spelling, capitalization, diction and structure) and be able to connect ideas into a piece of writing readers can understand or enjoy. In addition, Marliasari (2006); Dewi (2008); Dewi (2009) and Irmawati (2010) stated that content, organization, and language are some issues taking place in English writing.  Richards (1990) argued that writing complexity lies not only in linguistic aspects, but also in transforming concept, ideas or thought into written text.

Even though writing is not easy, writing is an important skill to master, particularly for English learners (Cahyono, 2009). Writers should be able to convey ideas, feelings and thoughts to other people who do not speak the Indonesian language. At work, English writing ability allows individuals to provide services to both Indonesian people and foreigners. For students, writing is one of the factors evaluated when they want to pursue higher education in foreign countries. These show that every individual should improve his or her English writing competence to meet the demands of globalization. Since English is considered as foreign language in Indonesia, the classroom is the only place for Indonesians to learn English, including improving their writing competence. Therefore, English teachers, acting as facilitators, play a pivotal role in classroom learning. It is in line with Richards. (2010) that language teacher competence is represented by teacher’s ability to speak the language he or she teaches fluently and accurately, maintain continuation of the target language, and conduct an enjoyable and meaningful learning activities. Abad (2013) also emphasized that learning strategy helps in improving student’s competence in English. This study focuses on how English lecturers develop their competence in teaching writing class to English Department students. Article 10 of the 2005 Teachers and Lecturers Decree number 14 mentioned four competences teachers should have, namely: personal, social, pedagogical, and professional. Personal competence refers to teacher’s characteristics or personality traits that support his or her performance, while social competence is related to how teachers socialize or communicate with their peers. Pedagogical competence is related to mastery on learning methods or techniques that help students when learning process takes place. At last, professional competence is type of competence closely related to mastery of English as teacher’s field of study and how teacher as professional develops him or herself.

Researchers have focused on English teacher professionalism, for instance Kolo (2006), Anugerahwati (2009), Mustofa (2011), Husein (2013), Amin (2013), Priajana (2015) and Irmawati (2017). Kolo (2006), Anugerahwati (2009), Mustofa (2011) and Husein (2013) discussed profile of professional English teachers. Mustofa (2011) and Amin (2013) investigated how professional English teachers use their service time as one of the criteria in professional teacher competition. Priajana (2015) focused on professional development of English teachers that involves their professional competence. In addition, Irmawati (2017) conducted a study on methods professional English teachers take to develop their pedagogical and professional competence. Out of several studies on English teacher’s professional competence, there has not been one emphasizing the development of the English lecturer’s pedagogical and professional competence in the writing skill. Taking into consideration the integral role of English writing competence for university students, lecturers are responsible for self-development in order to find out types of learning process that improves student’s writing skills and apply them into a classroom setting.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Writing Skill

Tarigan (2008) stated that writing is a language skill used to communicate indirectly with other people. Writing is both productive and expressive. In writing, writers should be able to combine graphology, structure, and vocabulary. Also, aaccording to Brown (2001) writing is indeed a thinking process. To write something means to allow the very process of putting ideas down on paper to transform thoughts into words, to sharpen the main ideas, to give them structure and coherent organization. In other words, writing is a means of transferring ideas in mind through graphic symbols which forms a meaningful coherent message. In addition, Rozimela (2004) also sees writing as a way of thinking  because it can develop critical thinking. In deciding what information has to be included in the composition, what the most important information is and what the least is, the writers are actually involved in the process of analysis and selection. Therefore, writing can develop critical thinking. It can be concluded that the writing ability refers to an individual’s ability to convey ideas, message and thoughts through writing while following applicable writing rules.

2.2. Characteristics of Good Writing

In order to deliver a message to readers, writer should produce a good composition. Tarigan (2008) mentioned several characteristics of a good composition, namely:

It can be concluded that a good composition is written in an honest, clear, and concise/brief manner in which every paragraph is related to one another, follows applicable rules and can be understood by both readers and writer.

2.3. English Lecturer’s Competence

Dantes (2012) stated that competence is a set of knowledge, attitude, skill and behavior teachers should have, internalize and master in carrying out their professional duties, while professionalism means job or activities of an individual and it becomes his or her income that requires expertise, skills or capabilities which meet a particular standard of quality or norm and need professional education (General Provisions of 2005 Decree number 14). The provision explicitly stated that a lecturer or teacher as a profession is related to professional services in the teaching-education sector and thus, a solid academic mastery should become its foundation.

Professional educators should internalize and transform various values of life, hard and soft skills as well as growth of learners. Teachers should master pillars of education and learning (learning to know, learning to do, learning to be, learning to live together, and learning to live sustainably) in order to carry out meaningful learning process and develop learners into individuals who understand science and technology, are aware of their rights and responsibilities and can sustain both their lives and their environment. Walker (as cited in Yuwono and Harbon (2010)) explained that a professional English lecturer has three major aspects, namely: (1) qualification/ education, (2) sound knowledge of his or her field, and (3) skills. It can be inferred that Walker’s idea emphasized hard skill, knowledge and skills English lecturers should have to obtain qualifications or professional certificates. On the other hand, Dantes (2012) stated that lecturers should be evaluated based on three perspectives: brain, body, and heart. Based on their brain, a professional lecturer is an expert in his or her field. Based on their body, professional lecturer has professional appearance, while heart refers to the sincere presentation of materials and thus, the professional lecturer is one that leaves a lasting impression in student’s heart. In line with Walker (as cited in Yuwono and Harbon (2010)), Dantes (2012) added that as requirements of a skillful practitioner, a lecturer should understand students’ characteristics and acknowledge them with various approaches, understand material in both disciplinaryand pedagogical content, master learning approaches of which planning and implementation increase learner’s knowledge and develop learner’s independence, and develop professional capabilities in sustainable manner. Mastery of dimensions of academic concept related to professional education-teaching service and experience in implementing this service into profession continuously will result in nurturant effectstoward social and personal capacity which in turn contribute to the teacher’s personality on a macro-scale.

Thus, it can be inferred that as a professional educator, the lecturer should master both disciplinary content, and pedagogical content, which later are developed based on the most current developments of science and technology. This, in turn, will influence the nurturant effect, namely personal and social competences, which support professional and pedagogical competences.
Based on the Act number 14 Year 2005 and Government Regulation number 19 Year 2005, professional lecturers should have professional, pedagogical, personal, and social competences. The following discusses aspects assessed in each type of the competence:

3. Methodology

3.1.Research Method

This qualitative study describes how the research subjects develop their pedagogical competence in the teaching of writing. This study was divided into two stages, selecting subjects, and finding out what has been done by the research subjects in developing their pedagogical competence in teaching writing. Figure 1 showed the research stages.

Figure-1. Research Stages.

3.2 Research Subjects

The research subjects were selected by using the following criteria:

(1) having taught writing subject for English department students in the universities (Malang, Sidoarjo and Pasuruan).
(2) having taught writing subject for at least three years.
Several interviews and documentation were done to select the research subjects. Finally, seven EFL lecturers were selected to be the research subjects of the present study.

3.3. Data Collection Technique

A guided interview was used during the data collection process. The in-depth interviewaimed to obtain information on the activities the lecturers undertook to develop their pedagogical competence in teaching writing and how these activities developed their competence.The interview was conducted by appointment. Voice recording was used during the interview. Questions depended heavily on the lecturers’ responses. Besides voice recording, another medium used during the data collection process was memo. Memo-writingaimed to record additional information during the interview.

3.4. Data Analysis

Data analysis process used data transcription (qualitatively). It was conducted right after the interview to obtain comprehensive and meaningful data. The researchers then shared the transcriptions with the lecturers to avoid misinterpretation or inaccurate transcription. Having validated the transcription, the researchers carried out the next procedure, namely codingthat aimed to analyze data and answer the research problems. The researchers conducted three types of coding: open, axial,and selective coding. Open coding identified types of professional development the lecturers undertook to improve their pedagogical competence in teaching writing. The researchers divided the professional development into categories. Output of the first type of coding was several categories of activities and lecturers’ names. Thus, readers could see the different types of professional development each lecturer had participated in. Axial coding was conducted in order to explain how these professional developments had helped these lecturers developing their pedagogical competence. In this stage, the researchers elaborated on the benefit of each professional development toward their teaching writing competence.

Finally, selective coding was conducted to develop the proposition of the main focus of this study, namely developing categories describing types of professional development that improves pedagogical competence in teaching writing and explaining how the activities facilitated the lecturers’ developing their pedagogical competence. In the following section, the researchers compared the findings of this study and theories discussing English lecturer’s professional development and the findings of previous studies.

4. Findings and Discussion

4.1. Respondents’ Profiles

The respondents were English lecturers from different universities in Malang, Pasuruan and Sidoarjo.  These lecturers have been teaching for between three and ten years and have been teaching writing classes using various methods and specification. Table 1 described the respondents’ profiles.

Table-1 . Profiles of English Writing Lecturers (Respondents).

No
Name (Initials)
 Institution
1.
LS
 STKIP PGRI Pasuruan
2.
FM
 Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo
3.
DP
 Universitas Brawijaya
4.
SR
 Universitas Negeri Malang
5.
ES
 STIBA
6.
SP
 UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang
7.
WN
 UIN Maulana Malik IbrahimMalang

Based on the table, there were seven respondents, namely LS from STKIP PGRI Pasuruan, FM from Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo, DP from Universitas Brawijaya, SR from Universitas Negeri Malang, ES from STIBA, and SP and WN from UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang.

4.2. Activities English Lecturers Underwent to Minimize Issues in Teaching Writing

Successful learning depends heavily upon quality and capabilities of lecturers. In writing classes, lecturers should be able to develop learning methods and strategy that allow students to process information and make connections between the information with knowledge or skills they have learned previously. This refers to pedagogical competence, teacher’s competence in learning management. pedagogical competence is one of the indicators that determines effectiveness and quality of learning process in writing classes. Despite years of experience, the lecturers encountered various obstacles in their writing classes. They employed several strategies to minimize these obstacles. Table 2 described types of strategies the lecturers implemented to minimize some issues occurred in their writing class.

Table-2 .  Activities lecturers conducted to minimize issues taking place in writing class.

No
 Activities
Code
D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7
1
 Conduct regular assessment/ evaluation (several times in a semester) to avoid boredom and subjectivity, which also includes lecturer’s mood
J1
 v            
2
 Provide direct feedback, discussing strength and weakness of student’s writingby asking students to meet face-to-face with the lecturers
J2
 v            
3
 Assess/ evaluate student’s writing based on its general content (topic sentence, paragraph development, and introductory and concluding paragraph)
J3
 v            
4
 Develop a rubric based on an established learning indicator
J4
 v            
5
 Conduct online based project
J5
   v          
6
 Apply collaborative writing
J6
     v        
7
 Use various instructional media and activities, such as peer feedback
J7
       v      
8
 Group students based on their abilities (conduct placement test)
J8
         v    
9
 Incorporate games into learning process
J9
           v  
10
 Introduce technical terms every meeting and combine writingand extensive reading. (for example, using articles discussing mathematics to increase student’s vocabulary)
J10
             v

Note:  D represents Lecturer.

Table 2 showed that each respondent had different strategies to minimize obstacles that occurred in their writing classes. In relation to evaluation/assessment/giving feedback toward student’s writing, D1(respondent) stated that she did not evaluate students’ work in one sitting (conduct regular assessment) (J1). This prevented both the lecturer’s and students’ boredom, which had a direct influence on the learning atmosphere. In addition, D1 also provided direct feedback, particularly on grammar and effective sentences. This type of feedback allowed the respondent to discuss the strength and weakness of each students’ writing more easily (J2). However, D1 revealed that she evaluated students’ writing based on general aspects, such as topic sentence, paragraph development, and introductory and concluding sentences only (J3). D1 stated that she often developed her own rubric to match the students’ work and established learning indicators (J4). In relation to the integration of information technology into learning, D2 (respondent) conducted online-based project to reduce issues taking place in writing classes (J5). Implementation of online-based projectin writing class is growing in popularity these days as technology and the internet offers various platformsthat enhances students’ writing skills, for example making social media updates or blogging in English. In terms of curriculum development and learning process, the respondents did not refer solely to an existing system or standard. They agreed that various interactive approaches were more effective for their writing classes. These approaches helped students understanding materials more easily. The types of interactive learning these lecturers conducted were collaborative writing(D3) (J6), peer feedback (D4) (J7), games (D6) (J9), and vocabulary buildingby introducing new technical terms or combining vocabulary building and extensive readingto introduce the term (D7) (J10). Another method to minimize problems in writing class was to group students into small groups based on their characteristics and capability.

asically, students have different intelligence levels, creativity, physical/psychological capacity, and potentials. To identify a student’s characteristics, D5(respondent) conducted a placement test or preliminary test to find out the student’s ability in developing a well-organized composition in English (J8). The test also aimed to identify learning methods that matched the students’ needs and abilities and minimize the gap between quick and slow learners.

In conclusion, the respondents have conducted various activities to minimize student’s writing issues and improve the quality of learning in their writing classes. Learning situation and obstacles become the respondents’ consideration in selecting a suitable activity for their classes.

4.3. Activities English Lecturers Conducted to Improve their pedagogical Competence in Teaching Writing

Teaching is perceived as a collaboration between lecturers and students to change the understanding of the latter. In other words, teaching is assisting in a student’s learning. Teaching involves efforts to identify student’s misconceptions, encourage changes and create a learning situation or context that motivates students to participate actively during the classroom learning process. Both learning materials and a student’s difficulty in understanding the material determine the type of learning methods used.

In writing classes, the English lecturer is required to design learning methods that represent materials in an effective, systematic, flexible, and strategic manner to match the needs of students. This is a challenge as failure might cause a learning failure. Quality lecturers are ones that can improve a student’s competence through the actualization and demonstration of learning material. Thus, lecturers should develop their pedagogical competence in learning methods to increase the learning quality.

Table 3 described the types of activities English lecturers conducted to develop pedagogical competence in teaching writing.

Table-3 . Activities lecturers conducted to improve their pedagogical competence in teaching writing.

No
 Activities
Code
 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 Freq.
1
 Utilization of media, technology, and literature as instructional media, such as: to compare video/past event into composition.
K1
 v             1
2
 Allow students to select their own topic for writing or select among available topics and then ask other people’s opinion about the topics (conduct mini-scale researchon selected topic)
K2
 v             1
3
 Attend academic forum, such as: conference, seminar, workshop on the teaching of writing
K3
   v   v v     3
4
 Publish journal or proceeding
K4
   v           1
5
 Read literature or scientific article on the teaching of writing and its strategies from books or the internet
K5
     v v       2
6
 Conduct sharing session with senior or fellow writing lecturers individually
K6
     v   v     2

Note:  D represents Lecturer.

The table described six activities the respondents (English lecturers) conducted to improve their pedagogical competence in teaching writing. Based on their intensity, the six activities are as follows:

First, the lecturers (D2, D4, D5) attended academic forums (conference, seminar, or workshop) discussing strategies for teaching writing (K3). Besides developing academic competence, this forum helps lecturers improve the quality of service and learning for students, including the teaching of writing. These activities increase the lecturers’ motivation and allow them to gain some insights on innovative learning methods. In short, lecturers can experience enjoyable and effective learning through their participation in academic forum.

Second, the lecturers (D3, D4) read literature and scientific articles on methodology for teaching writing (K6). In line with the growth of technology and science, literature on effective learning methods or strategies is increasing in number and more importantly, becoming more accessible. To select an effective method for teaching writing, the lecturer should first identify and analyze the student’s ability. Hence, teaching experience is one of the indicators to measure the extent to which a learning method can effectively transfer value, concept and understanding of learning material. This experience can be obtained through readings, previous studies, and relevant theories. Third, the respondents (D3, D5) had individual discussions (sharing sessions) with fellow or experienced writing lecturers (K7). It helped the lecturers overcome issues related to techniques for teaching writing as well as allowed them to seek advice or learn from more experienced writing lecturers. These lecturers found personal discussions more convenient as they could choose to have either face-to-face or phone discussions.

Fourth, the lecturer (D1) incorporated media, technology, or literature into their writing class (K1). One of which was a video on the discussed topic. As an example, students should write a composition on “Should we give money to beggars?” The lecturers then played two videos describing the hard life of a beggar and an individual pretending to become a beggar to gain money without working. Another alternative was to use literature, for instance comparing two short stories with the same topic. Students were asked to compare and contrast them and then write an essay. These facilitated the development of students’ creativity and imagination.

Fifth, the respondent (D1) allowed students to select their own writing topics or choose one among several available topics and find out other people’s opinions about the topic (K2). Take “What are the problems of learning English in University Level?” as an example. The lecturers instructed the students to conduct mini research on the topic and report it in the form of article.

ixth, the lecturer (D2) published articles on methods for teaching writing in journal or proceeding (K4). Scientific publication plays a strategic role in socializing lecturer’s expertise, experience, skills, and work. Lecturers should perceive publication as one of their main responsibilities. There are several instances of scientific publication, namely presentation in scientific forum, dissemination, writing scientific article or scientific bulletin, developing textbook, writing in mass media, or blogging. These activities allow reviewers or readers to respond to writing teaching methods these lecturers have applied. This feedback will encourage lecturers to conduct further study investigating the effectiveness of the methods discussed in their articles. Figure 2 comprises the percentages of how often the activities that aim to develop lecturers’ competence in teaching writing were conducted.

Figure-2. Percentage of activities that improve English lecturers’ pedagogical competence in teaching writing.

4.4. Activities English Lecturers Conducted to Improve pedagogical Competence in Developing Writing Material

Another important aspect in the learning process is the material used. The majority of lecturers carried out learning systems to meet the required curriculum and syllabus and learning materials depended heavily on the syllabus. As a result, science was limited to knowledge instead of understanding of concept, principle, proposition, or legal basis. One of the keys to achieve learning objectives is the lecturer’s ability to develop and manage learning material. Hence, in order to meet established learning objectives, lecturers should conduct activities that improve their pedagogical competence in developing writing materials.
Table 4 showed activities the lecturers carried out to improve their pedagogical competence in developing writing materials.

Table-4 . Activities lecturers conducted to improve pedagogical competence in developing writing materials.

No
 Activities
Code
 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 Freq.
1
 Attend scientific forum, such as seminar or workshop, as either presenter or participants
L1
 v             1
2
 Write article and publish it in journal
L2
 v             1
3
 Ask students to describe rooms in their houses, compare between two countries or journals
L3
   v           1
4
 Read literature or article on learning materials for teaching writing from either book or internet
L4
     v v v   V 4
5
 Conduct sharing session with senior or fellow writing lecturers individually
L5
     v   v     2
6
 Conduct or attend round-table discussionon learning materials for writing class
L6
     v v   v   3

Note:  D represents Lecturer.

The table showed six activities the respondents conducted to improve their pedagogical competence in developing materials for teaching writing. The following section discusses the activities in detail.

First, the respondents (D3, D4, D5, D7) read literature and scientific articles on learning materials for writing classes from either books or the internet (L4). The increasing number of literature and scientific articled has a positive influence on the pedagogical competence of lecturers, including material development for writing classes. Through these articles, lecturers learn to adapt and adopt learning materials for teaching writing in order to match not only the students’ needs, characteristics, and interest, but also the current trends.

Second, the lecturers (D3, D4, D6) conducted or participated in roundtable discussions on ‘learning materials for teaching writing’ (L6). Roundtable discussions provide an organized, sophisticated, and interactive discussions where many people overcome certain issues or discuss particular topic (learning materials for teaching writing, in this case). It allows lecturers to give opinions, propose and oppose ideas, provide alternatives and share experiences about best practices in teaching writing including methods to develop materials for writing classes.

Third, the lecturer (D3, D5) conducted individual sharing sessions with fellow or senior writing lecturers to discuss material development for teaching writing (L5). These activities helped the lecturers overcoming issues related to material development for writing class and learn from more experienced writing lecturers. They found personal discussion more convenient as they could choose to have either face-to-face or phone discussions.

Fourth, the lecturer (D1) attended scientific forums (conference, seminar, or workshop) on learning materials for writing classes (L1). Not only does it enhance academic competence, academic forums sharpen a lecturer’s skills in material development for writing class.

Fifth, the lecturer (D1) published articles on material development for the teaching of writing (L2). The number of learning materials developed by English or writing lecturers is limited as lecturers prefer readily available materials. As a matter of fact, scientific publication has a positive influence on lecturer’s performance. They can learn how others respond to writing materials these lecturers have developed. This feedback will encourage lecturers to conduct further study investigating the effectiveness of the learning materials discussed in their articles.

Figure 3 shows the percentage of how frequently the activities improving English lecturers’ pedagogical competence in developing material for writing class were conducted.

Figure-3 . Percentage of activities that improve English lecturers’ pedagogical competence in material development for teaching writing.

4.5. Activities English Lecturers Conducted to Improve pedagogical Competence on Classroom Management of Writing Class

The third aspect of pedagogical competence to discuss in this study is the classroom management of writing classes. Classroom management is associated with methods teachers undertake to maintain order in the classroom. In other words, classroom management refers to the teacher’s conscious method to plan, organize, apply, and supervise classroom activities in order to make sure that learning process is both effective and efficient. Classroom management that runs well has positive influence on students, teachers, and the achievement of learning objectives. As a result, teachers should improve their ability to run an engaging, effective, efficient, and enjoyable class. Table 5 summarized activities English lecturers conducted to improve pedagogical competence in classroom management.

Table-5 . Activities lecturers conducted to improve pedagogical competence on classroom management in writing class.

No
 Activities
Code
 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 Freq.
1
 Conduct discussion or sharing session with senior or fellow writing lecturers
M1
 v   v   v v   4
2
 Interact with students to probe information on their needs and characteristics
M2
 v v   v       3
3
 Provide clear feedback or evaluation to all students
M3
   v           1
4
 Provide regular exercise to improve student’s writing skills and give clear instruction on assignment/ project submission
M4
   v           1
5
 Conduct roundtable discussionon classroom management of writing class
M5
           v   1
6
 Conduct research on classroom management
M6
           v v 2
7
 Read literature or article on classroom management of writing class from books or the internet
M7
         v v v 3
8
 Attend academic forum (seminar or workshop) on classroom management
M8
             v 1

Note:  D represents Lecturer.

Table 5 summarized eight activities lecturers conducted to improve their pedagogical competence in classroom management for writingclass. The following section discusses the activities in a more detailed manner.

First, the lecturers (D1, D3, D5, D6) conducted a sharing session with senior or fellow writing lecturers discussing classroom management in writing classes (M1). This session allowed the lecturers to seek advice to overcome problems related to classroom management in their writing class from senior or fellow lecturers. The lecturers found personal discussion more convenient as they could choose to have either face-to-face or phone discussions.

Second, the lecturers (D1, D2, D4) interacted with students to identify their characteristics and needs (M2). This interaction developed a channel of communication between lecturers and students allowing for discussions about various topics, including learning obstacles, between students and lecturers. Having understood students’ characteristics and needs, lecturers could use this information from students to divide students into small groups helping them learn more effectively.

Third, the lecturers (D5, D6, D7) read literature or scientific articles on classroom management for writing classes from both printed materials and the internet (M7). This type of reading allowed the lecturers to not only learn theories and research findings in classroom management, but also apply them in the learning process. In other words, the literature helps lecturers in conducting a well-organized and enjoyable writing class where students improve their writing skills more effectively.

Fourth, the lecturers (D6. D7) conducted research on classroom management (M6). Substantially, research is conducted to develop collaboration and networking among lecturers, for example to conduct joint research entitled “classroom management to improve learning productivity, effectiveness and efficiency.”

Fifth, the lecturer (D2) gave clear feedback or evaluation on students’ writing (M3). Sixth, the lecturer (D2) developed student discipline by provide regular exercises to improve students’ writing skills and setting submission dates for every assignment and project (M4). It allows lecturers to run a more effective classroom. Seventh, the lecturer (D6) conducted or attended roundtable discussions on ‘classroom management in writing class’ (M5). This type of discussion allows lecturers to give opinions, propose and oppose ideas, provide alternatives and share experiences about methods to conduct an effective, communicate, interactive and enjoyable writing class. Eighth, the lecturer (D7) attended scientific forums (seminar or workshop) on classroom management (M8). Seminars or workshops enhance English lecturers’ pedagogical competence, particularly on classroom management in writing classes.

Figure 4 showed the percentage of how frequently the activities improving English lecturers’ pedagogical competence in classroom management were conducted.

4.6. Activities Conducted to Improve pedagogical Competence on Assessment/Evaluation for Writing

The last step of learning process is evaluation or assessment. The objective of evaluation is to measure students’ understanding of learning materials. It also aims to measure the implementation and effectiveness of learning strategy, method, and materials. Lecturer’s pedagogical competence in assessment plays a pivotal role in his or her ability to identify change in student’s behavior and competence. There are several means of evaluation, namely: quizzes, mid-term and final tests, presentations, and portfolios.

Figure-4 .  Percentage of activities that improve English lecturers’ pedagogical competence in classroom management in writing class.

In the teaching of writing, the English lecturer is required to evaluate students’ work/ writing and observe their cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects. Thus, writing lecturers should improve their pedagogical competence in writing evaluation/ assessment.

Table 6 showed activities the respondents (English lecturers) conducted in order to improve pedagogical competence in evaluation/assessment for writing class.

Table-6 . Activities conducted to improve pedagogical competence in assessment/evaluation for writing class.

No
 Activities
Code
 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 Freq.
1
 Read literature or article on ‘assessment/ evaluation for writing class’ from textbook, journal, bachelor’s thesis, thesis, dissertation, or the internet
N1
 v v     v v v 5
2
 Ask for suggestion and conduct sharing session with senior or fellow lecturers
N2
 v v v   v v   5
3
 Attend training, seminar, workshop on assessment/evaluation for writing class
N3
     v         1
4
 Involve rater(expert evaluator) in assessing students’ writing
N4
       v       1
5
 Conduct or attend roundtable discussion on ‘writing evaluation/ assessment’
N5
           v   1

Note:  D represents Lecturer.

Table 6 showed five activities conducted to improve the lecturers’ pedagogical competence on assessment/ evaluation for writing class. The following section discusses the activities in a more detailed manner.

First, the lecturers (D1, D2, D5, D6, D7) read literature or articles on ‘assessment/ evaluation in writing’ from textbooks, journals, bachelor theses, theses, dissertations, or internet (N1). Through this activity, the lecturers gained some insights on effective evaluation methods for writing classes. They would then use this information to develop means of evaluation that matched learning objectives and materials (modification).

Secondly, the lecturers (D1, D2, D3, D5, D6) conducted sharing sessions with fellow or senior writing lecturers (N2). Similar to the previous point, the lecturers used this session to seek advice for solving issues related to writing assessment/ evaluation from fellow or senior writing lecturers. Third, the lecturer (D3) attended training, seminars, or workshops on assessment/ evaluation for writing classes (N3). It allowed the lecturers to learn the most current assessment/ evaluation methods for the teaching of writing.

Fourth, the lecturer (D4) involved rater to assess the students’ writing (N4). Assessment process in writing is more sophisticated and time-consuming compared to the other English skills as it focuses not only on grammar, but also content (a well-organized ideas). There are several factors that cause problems related to writing assessment or evaluation, for example to avoid subjectivity in assessment. This can be solved by involving rater (expert evaluator). Not only does rater minimize subjectivity making sure assessment processes run in an effective manner, but it also helps students improving quality of their writing.

Figure-5 . Percentage of Activities that Improve English Lecturers’ pedagogical Competence in Assessment/Evaluation for Writing.

Fifth, the lecturer (D6) conducted or participated in roundtable discussions on ‘assessment/ evaluation for writing class’ (N5). This type of discussion allowed the lecturers to give opinion, propose and oppose ideas, provide alternatives and share experiences about effective means of assessment/evaluation for writing classes.

Figure 5 shows the percentage of how often the lecturers carried out activities that aimed to improve pedagogical competence in assessment/evaluation for writing class.

5. Conclusion

The respondents carry out various activities to minimize problems taking place in writing class. The most frequent activities are the integration of enjoyable learning materials and instructional media, and the implementation of the genre-based approach. In relation to the development of teaching techniques for teaching writing, the most frequent activity to conduct was to attend workshops and seminars/conferences on writing and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). The most frequent activity conducted to improve pedagogical competence on material development for writing class was to read literature or articles on material development for writing classes from textbooks or the internet. The most frequent activity the lecturers conducted to develop their pedagogical competence in classroom management was to conduct sharing sessions with fellow and/or senior lecturers. Finally, the most frequent activities the lecturers conducted to improve their pedagogical competence in assessment/evaluation for writing was to read literature or articles on ‘assessment/ evaluation for writing class’ from textbooks, journals, bachelor theses, theses, dissertations, and the internet, and conduct sharing sessions with fellow and senior writing lecturers and experts in writing.

6. Suggestion

Based on the finding and discussion, the researchers proposed some suggestions for lecturers and further studies. Writing lecturers should be able to apply effective and enjoyable learning methods that improves student’s writing skill. Future researchers can expand this research into pedagogical competence in other English language skills (reading, speaking, listening) or other types of competence pivotal for English lecturers (personal, social, and professional). These will have a positive contribution toward development of English as a Foreign Language in Indonesia.

Citation| Dini Kurnia Irmawati; Tri Mega Asri; Aulia Luqman Aziz (2021). How EFL Teachers Deal with Pedagogical Competence Development for the Teaching of Writing: A Study on Higher Educational Level in Indonesian Context. Journal of Education and e-Learning Research, 8(1): 42-51.
History: Received: 21 July 2020 / Revised: 2 September 2020 / Accepted: 16 December 2020/ Published:4 January 2021
Acknowledgement: The authors would like to thank the respondents for being willing to be involved in the study.
Funding: This study received no specific financial support.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.
Transparency: The authors confirm that the manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study was reported; that no vital features of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as planned have been explained.
Ethical: This study follows all ethical practices during writing. 
Publisher: Asian Online Journal Publishing Group

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