FLIPPED ESL TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: EMBRACING CHANGE TO REMAIN RELEVANT

Many traditional professional development programs that are initiated to equip ESL teachers with knowledge and skills have been futile for numerous reasons. This paper addresses a gap in the recent research of ESL teachers’ professional development. Literature has revealed many shortcomings of the traditional and online professional development programs that are widely conducted; thus, an implementation framework of flipped professional development program is proposed in this paper, based on Malaysian educational practices. Integrated theories of Zone Proximal Teacher Development (ZPTD) and revised Bloom’s Taxonomy are adapted in designing the Flipped Teacher Professional Development (FiT-PD). The implementation of the FiT-PD program is conducted in the four Train-to-Learn (TL) stages; remembering and understanding (TL-1) conducted in face-to face mode, applying and analysis (TL-2) conducted via online, evaluation (TL-3) conducted in face-to-face mode and finally creating (TL-4) conducted via online. Thus, the paper recommends an implementation framework of flipped teacher professional development. The recommendations assist educational policymakers to strategize better planning and organize flipped professional teacher professional development (Fit-PD) for ESL teachers.