1. Creative Teacher Development /
Empowerment in the Asian
Context
Paul Doyon (BA, MAT, MA)
Mae Fah Luang University
Thai TESOL 2009
Bangkok, Thailand
August 9th, 2009

2. Synopsis of Presentation
What is Empowerment?
What is Development?
Engagement and Empowerment
Responses to Control: Compliance and Defiance
Control. Initiative. Shyness.
Learned Helplessness
Self-Efficacy Theory
Reciprocity
Resistance
Intrinsic Motivation
Psychoacademic Needs
The Need for Autonomy
Groupthink
Self Efficacy & Groupthink
Levels of Conscientization
Change Agency
Democracy in Education
Power To and Power With Versus Power Over
The Teacher as Professional
Action Research
The Experiential Learning Cycle
Optimal Teacher Development

3. What is Empowerment?
em·pow·er
- to invest with power, especially legal
power or official authority.
- to equip or supply with an ability;
enable
The Free Dictionary by Farlex

4. What is Empowerment?
to empower is…
…to equip or supply with an ability;
…to enable
The Free Dictionary by Farlex

5. What is Empowerment?
Social Empowerment is a process by
which people reclaim their power, the
power to shape their own lives and to
influence the course of events around
them. They use their power against
oppression and exclusion, and for
participation, peace and human rights.
Julia Kraft, “Power-with, not “Power-over.” Peace News. June-
August 2000. p. 35

6. What is Empowerment?
Empowerment processes work on three levels, the
personal (power within), the collective/group
(power-with), the social (power in-relation-to-certain
ends, and power-against-certain-social forces).
These levels are not separate. Personal power often
comes from a sense of connectedness, or
membership of a group with like-minded people.
Julia Kraft, “Power-with, not “Power-over.” Peace News. June-
August 2000. p. 35

7. What is Development?
to develop is…
…to improve by expanding or
enlarging or refining;
…to pass by degrees to a different
stage (especially a more advanced
or mature stage);
The Free Dictionary by Farlex

8. What is Development?
to develop is
- …to pass by degrees to a different
stage (especially a more advanced
or mature stage);
The Free Dictionary by Farlex

9. What is Development?
Teacher development … usually
refers to professional learning by
teachers already engaged in
professional practice, usually through
reflective discussion sessions based on
current classroom experience.
Penny Ur 1997 “Teacher Training and Teacher Development: A
Useful Dichotomy?” The Language Teacher.

10. Development =
Empowerment
TRAINING DEVELOPMENT
Imposed from "above“ Initiated by "self“
Pre-determined course structure Structure determined through process
Not based on personal experience Based on personal experience
Externally determined syllabus Syllabus determined by participants
External evaluation Self-evaluation
Input from "experts“ Input from participants
Unthinking acceptance of information Personal construction of knowledge
Cognitive, cerebral Cognitive and affective, "whole person“
Isolated Collaborative
Stresses professional skills Stresses personal development
Disempowers individual teacher Empowers individual teacher
Penny Ur 1997 “Teacher Training and Teacher Development: A
Useful Dichotomy?” The Language Teacher.

11. Engagement &
Empowerment
If we look at very young children engaged in the
learning process, one thing most salient is the fact
that it is a very empowering process for them. Every
time they learn something new, it empowers them to
do something more.
We see the act of learning in itself as an empowering
process as long as the student is engaged in the
learning process as an act of his or her own volition.
However, when a child starts school, very
often, something negative happens to this natural
learning process -- what might be called a process of
disempowerment.
Doyon (2002). “Enhancing Value Perception in the Japanese
EFL Classroom.” Asian EFL Journal.

12. The Response to Control:
Defiance or Compliance?
To the extent that a behavior is not autonomous, it is
controlled, and there are two types of controlled
behavior.
The first type is compliance, and it is compliance that
authoritarian solutions hope to accomplish. Compliance
means doing what you are told to do because you are
told to do it….
The other response to control is defiance, which means
you do the opposite of what you are expected to do just
because you are expected to do it. Compliance and
defiance exist in an unstable partnership representing
the complementary responses to control.
Deci, 1995, Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-
Motivation. NY, NY: Penguin Books.

13. Control. Initiative. Shyness.
Zimbardo (1981) defines shyness in depth
as
a mental attitude that predisposes people to
be extremely concerned about the social
evaluation [italics added] of them by others.
As such, it creates a keen sensitivity to cues
of being rejected. There is a readiness to
avoid people and situations that hold any
potential for criticism of the shy person's
appearance or conduct. It involves keeping
a low profile by holding back from initiating
[italics added] actions that might call
attention to one's self. (p. 9)
Zimbardo, P. The Shy Child. New York: McGraw-Hill.

14. Control. Initiative. Shyness.
In A Way and Ways (1980), Earl Stevick strikingly
employs the same terms of evaluation and
initiative in describing the alienation felt by
students in many EFL classrooms:
But the teacher's own urge to become "an object of
primacy in a world of meaningful action" can lead her
to carry any of these five legitimate functions to
undesirable excess. Cognitive primacy may become
an assertion of infallibility; the responsibility for
structuring time may lead to a demand of
omnipotence, and also to excessive defining of
goals. Together, they are the principle ingredients of
the evaluative manner that is so effective in stifling
the initiative of students. [italics added] (p. 21)

15. Learned Helplessness
Learned Helplessness is “an apathetic attitude
stemming from the conviction that one's actions do not
have the power to affect one's situation” (Gale
Encyclopedia of Psychology, 2001 p. 1). Dr. Martin
Seligman, of the University of Pennsylvania, originally
found that rats, upon repeated exposure to unavoidable
electric shocks, became “unable to act in subsequent
situations where avoidance or escape was possible”
(p. 1). In extending these findings to the human
population, Seligman found that one’s lack of control
over his or her environment also undermines one’s
“motivation to initiate [italics added] responses” (p. 1).
Thus, students’ beliefs in their own powerlessness, not
only undermine their ability to act in a learning
situation, but also color how they perceive that learning
situation.
Doyon (2002). “Enhancing Value Perception in the Japanese
EFL Classroom.” Asian EFL Journal.

16. Self-Efficacy Theory
A theory of situation-specific self-confidence that
proposes that self-efficacy is fundamental to
initiating certain behaviour necessary for
competent performance.
According to the theory, self-efficacy is enhanced
by four factors: successful performances, vicarious
experiences, verbal persuasion, and emotional
arousal. Successful performance, which can be
achieved by participatory modeling, is regarded as
the most important factor.
http://www.answers.com/topic/bandura-s-self-
efficacy-theory

17. Reciprocity
“There is an emphasis on
reciprocation, that is, the importance
of the learner reciprocating the
intentions of the mediator or teacher.
This means that the learner is ready
and willing to carry out the task
presented, and that there is an
agreement as to what should be
done”
(Williams and Burden. 1997. Psychology for Language
Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.)

18. Resistance!
From Talk A Lot, by David Martin

19. Intrinsic Motivation
Raffini (1996), an educational psychologist at the
University of Wisconsin, defines intrinsic
motivation as:
“…choosing to do an activity for no
compelling reason, beyond the
satisfaction derived from the activity
itself -- it’s what motivates us to do
something when we don’t have to do
anything.”
150 Ways to Increase Motivation in the Classroom. Boston:
Allyn and Bacon.

20. Psychoacademic Needs
Raffini (1996) goes on to state that intrinsic motivation is
fueled by five psychoacademic needs:
The Need for Autonomy (e.g. Choices)
The Need for Competence
(e.g. Vygotsky’s ZPD)
The Need for Belonging and Relatedness
(e.g. Cooperative Learning)
The Need for Self-Esteem / Dignity
(e.g. Unconditional Positive Regard / Respect)
The Need for Involvement and Enjoyment
150 Ways to Increase Motivation in the Classroom. Boston:
Allyn and Bacon.

21. The Need for Autonomy
Individuals seek a quality of human
functioning that has at its core the desire to
determine their own behavior; they have an
innate need to feel autonomous and to
have control over their lives. This need for
self-determination is satisfied when
individuals are free to behave of their own
volition – to behave in activities because
they want to, not because they have to. At
its core is the freedom to choose and have
choices, rather than being forced or
coerced to behave according to the desires
of another. (Raffini, 1996, pp. 3-4)

22. GroupThink
…is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to
minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing,
analyzing, and evaluating ideas. Individual creativity, uniqueness,
and independent thinking are lost in the pursuit of group
cohesiveness, as are the advantages of reasonable balance in
choice and thought that might normally be obtained by making
decisions as a group.[1] During groupthink, members of the group
avoid promoting viewpoints outside the comfort zone of consensus
thinking. A variety of motives for this may exist such as a desire
to avoid being seen as foolish, or a desire to avoid embarrassing or
angering other members of the group. Groupthink may cause
groups to make hasty, irrational decisions, where individual doubts
are set aside, for fear of upsetting the group’s balance.
Wikipedia: Groupthink. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink

23. Causes of GroupThink
…Highly cohesive groups are much more likely to engage in groupthink, because
their cohesiveness often correlates with unspoken understanding and the ability to
work together with minimal explanations…
James Surowieckii warns against loss of the "cognitive diversity" that comes from
having team members whose educational and occupational backgrounds differ.
The closer group members are in outlook, the less likely they are to raise questions
that might break their cohesion.
Group cohesion as the most important antecedent – but not absolutely necessary –
to groupthink, and is promoted by the following:
Structural faults in the organization: insulation of the group, lack of tradition of impartial
leadership, lack of norms requiring methodological procedures, homogeneity of members'
social background and ideology.
Provocative situational context: high stress from external threats, recent failures, excessive
difficulties on the decision-making task, moral dilemmas.
Social psychologist Clark McCauley’s three conditions under which groupthink
occurs:
Directive leadership.
Homogeneity of members' social background and ideology.
Isolation of the group from outside sources of information and analysis.
Wikipedia: Groupthink.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink

24. Self Efficacy & GroupThink
Similarly, low self efficacy amplifies Janis’s
prior consideration of this factor. The one major
shift is that the ubiquity model assumes that
when combined, social identification, salient
norms and low self efficacy are both necessary
and sufficient to evoke “groupthink reactions.”
Such reactions include Janis’s array of defective
decision processes as well as suppressed
dissent, selective focus on shared
viewpoints, polarization of attitude and action
and heightened confidence in such polarized
views. Note that such elevated confidence will
often evoke the feelings of in-group moral
superiority and invulnerability alluded to by
Janis.
Wikipedia: Groupthink.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink

25. Levels of Conscientization
(1) Intransitive Consciousness - the individual
accepts reality, disbelieves personal
change, shows passivity, has a limited sphere of
apprehension;
(2) Transitive Naive - ingenuous: the person
offers simple interpretation of social
problems, presents weak arguments, is open to
stimuli, is awakened to cause/effect
relationships, is anguished about social situation;
and
(3) Transitive Critical - the individual sees link
between problems and reality, argues for social
and political responsibility, is confident about
reasoning through dialogue, has new attitudes
toward the world, becomes involved in
transformative action.

26. Change Agency
The skills to be achieved were intended to
help an individual function in the role of
“change agent”. A change agent was
thought to be instrumental in facilitating
communication and useful feedback
among participants. He was also to be a
paragon who was aware of the need for
change, could diagnose the problems
involved, and could plan for
change, implement the plans, and evaluate
the results. To become an effective change
agent, an understanding of the dynamics of
groups was believed necessary.
Reid (1981: 153) Character Building to Social Treatment. The
history of the use of groups in social work, Westpoint, Conn.:
Greenwood Press. http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-lewin.htm

27. Democracy in Education:
Kurt Lewin and John Dewey
Democracy and groups
Gordon W. Allport, in his introduction to Resolving Social Conflicts
(Lewin 1948: xi) argues that there is striking kinship between the
work of Kurt Lewin and that of John Dewey.
Both agree that democracy must be learned anew in each
generation, and that it is a far more difficult form of social structure
to attain and to maintain than is autocracy. Both see the intimate
dependence of democracy upon social science. Without knowledge
of, and obedience to, the laws of human nature in group
settings, democracy cannot succeed. And without freedom for
research and theory as provided only in a democratic
environment, social science will surely fail. Dewey, we might say, is
the outstanding philosophical exponent of democracy, Lewin is its
outstanding psychological exponent. More clearly than anyone else
has he shown us in concrete, operational terms what it means to be
a democratic leader, and to create democratic group structure.
http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-lewin.htm

28. Democracy in Education:
Leadership Styles
They looked to three classic group
leadership models - democratic, autocratic
and laissez-faire – and concluded that
there was more originality, group-
mindedness and friendliness in democratic
groups. In contrast, there was more
aggression, hostility, scapegoating and
discontent in laissez-faire and autocratic
groups (Reid 1981: 115)
http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-lewin.htm

29. Democracy in Education:
Effect on Children
There have been few experiences for me
as impressive as seeing the expression in
children’s faces change during the first day
of autocracy. The friendly, open, and co-
operative group, full of life, became within a
short half-hour a rather apathetic looking
gathering without initiative. The
change from autocracy to democracy
seemed to take somewhat more time than
from democracy to autocracy. Autocracy is
imposed upon the individual. Democracy
he has to learn. (Lewin 1948: 82)
http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-lewin.htm

30. “Power with” & Power to”
versus “Power Over”
This power is not “power-over”, or domination, but the power to
be and to do, “power-with” others that can be used to change
oppressive or disempowering circumstances. This power stands
against political repression, repression by institutions and also
against the social patterns that pervade within society and
which diminish the quality of peoples’ lives. Power and influence
within society needs to be redistributed. As people become
empowered they people a critical consciousness about the
unequal distribution of goods, opportunities and knowledge
within society, and how this social reality can be changed.
Empowerment is also about locating our own resources,
discovering what other resources are available, and learning to
use them.
Julia Kraft, “Power-with, not “Power-over.” Peace News. June-
August 2000. p. 35

31. The Teacher As Professional
Teacher empowerment means that the teacher is
seen as an autonomous professional, responsible
for, and an authority on, professional learning and
practice, rather than subordinate to external
authority and expertise. The concept
"professional" may be clarified by contrasting it
with opposing ones such as "lay." "amateur."
"technician." and "academic"
Penny Ur 1997 “Teacher Training and Teacher Development: A
Useful Dichotomy?” The Language Teacher.

32. Action research
…is a reflective process of progressive problem solving led by
individuals working with others in teams or as part of a "community
of practice" to improve the way they address issues and solve
problems. Action research can also be undertaken by larger
organizations or institutions, assisted or guided by professional
researchers, with the aim of improving their
strategies, practices, and knowledge of the environments within
which they practice. As designers and stakeholders, researchers
work with others to propose a new course of action to help their
community improve its work practices. Kurt Lewin, then a professor
at MIT, first coined the term “action research” in about 1944, and it
appears in his 1946 paper “Action Research and Minority
Problems”. In that paper, he described action research as “a
comparative research on the conditions and effects of various forms
of social action and research leading to social action” that uses “a
spiral of steps, each of which is composed of a circle of
planning, action, and fact-finding about the result of the action”.
Wikipedia: Action Research –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_research

33. The Experiential Learning Cycle
Concrete Experience
Testing Implications Observation
of Concepts in New and Reflection
Situations
(Experimentation)
Formation of Abstract
Concepts and Generalizations

34. The Experiential Learning Cycle
Concrete
Experience
Teachers Artists,
Musicians,
Psychologists
Businesspeople
Active Reflective
Experimentation Observation
Sociologists
Anthropologists
Engineers Scientists
Formations of
Abstract Concepts
& Generalizations

35. Feeling
Perception
Apprehensi
on
-prehension
Thinking
Conception
Comprehension

36. Two Ways of Knowing:
Apprehension & Comprehension
The prehension dimension refers to the way in which the
individual grasps experience. This dimension can be seen
as two modes of knowing, ranging from what Kolb calls
grasping via “apprehension” to what he calls grasping via
“comprehension.” Apprehension is instant intuitive
knowledge without a need for rational inquiry or
analytical confirmation. The other end of the dimension,
grasping via comprehension, on the other hand,
emphasizes the role of conscious learning, whereby
comprehension introduces order and predictability to the
flow of unconscious sensations. This dimension is thus
concerned with the ways of grasping reality through the
varying degrees of emphasis on unconscious and
conscious learning.
(Kohonen, Experiential language learning: second language
learning as cooperative learner education. 1992, p. 16)

37. Praxis
“reflection and action upon the world
in order to transform it.”
Paulo Freire
Action Praxis Reflection
(Activism) (Verbalism)

38. Models of Teacher Learning
One "way in" to this distinction which I have found helpful is to define it in terms of
Wallace's (1991) three models of teacher learning: the applied science, craft, and reflective
models. According to the applied science model, teachers learn to be teachers by being
taught research-based theories, and then applying them in practice: The implication is that
the most important professional knowledge is generalizable theory. The craft model means
learning teaching in the way apprentices learn crafts like shoemaking or carpentry: The
novice watches and imitates a master teacher, and obeys the latter's directions for
improvement. Here the implication is that teaching is mainly a practical skill. Finally we
have the reflection model, according to which teachers learn by reflecting on their own
experience and applying what they have learned in order to develop their professional
abilities further.
Penny Ur 1997 “Teacher Training and Teacher Development: A
Useful Dichotomy?” The Language Teacher.

39. Ur’s Optimal Teaching &
Expert Practice Learning Model
Anecdote, etc. (in the Vygotskian sense)
The Outside World Concrete
Experience
Critical
Observation
Active Reflective
Experimentation Observation
The Learner
Research,
Experiment
Abstract
Conceptualization
Theories,
Abstract Concepts

40. Optimal Teacher Development
…to learn only from oneself is limited: One needs also to take
advantage of the enormous amount of … knowledge and
expertise “out there” waiting to be tapped. Your own experience
can be enriched by hearing, seeing, or reading about the
experiences of others: your reflections on your own or other’s
performance can be enriched by other people’s critical
observations; you can discover some beautiful theories through
reading the literature or listening to lecturers that help you
understand what you are doing; you can supplement your own
experimentation by finding out about the experiments of
researchers. Such knowledge cannot be taken on board simply
through reading or hearing about it. In order for it to function as
real knowledge and not just as inert items of information, you
need to process it through your own
experience, reflection, conceptualization, and experimentation
and to construct your own understanding of it.
Penny Ur 1997 “Teacher Training and Teacher Development: A
Useful Dichotomy?” The Language Teacher.

41. The End
Thank you
doyon.paul@gmail.com