Analysis of training and systems for french teachers in Senegal

 

Thierno LY ¹

 

¹ French Institute for Foreign Students, University of Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal

 

1. INTRODUCTION

In the training practices of future french teachers in Senegal, it is often observed that the content, tools and pedagogical, and didactic approaches are used in different ways by the teachers/trainers in the situation, and that they have not yet stabilised. This raises the question of what content and what pedagogical and didactic tools and approaches are used in different ways buy the teachers/Trainers in the situation, and that they have not yet stabilised. This raises the question of what content and what pedagogical and didactic tools are used in the training of future teachers of french. To better answer these questions, we have based ourselves on the hypothesis that the content of training programmes and pedagogical and didactic tools and approaches have not yet stabilised and are used differently in training situations. The aim of this study is to carry out a quantitative and descriptive analysis of the content of the programmes and the pedagogical and didactic approaches used in the training practices of french teachers in Senegal, in order to check how the teachers/trainers appropriate them. First we defined the research context. Next, we presented the training systems. Then, the part devoted to the methodology consists of the choice and justification of the quantitative and descriptive study as a method for analysing the content, tools and didactic approaches in training practices, and the processing of the data from the questionnaire submitted to the teachers/trainers. The final section presents and discusses the results, and concludes with the prospects for stabilising teacher training content.

 

2. THE RESEARCH CONTEXT

For a long time, french teacher training in Senegal was provided by the Higher Superior Normal (ENS). However, in 2008 the Higher Superior Normal became a faculty, known as the Faculty of Education and Training Science and Technology (FASTEF), created by law n°2008-40 of 20 august 2008. This will change not only the way the school operates administratively as a faculty, but above all the way in which content, tools and teaching approaches are developed in the process of training teachers of french in Senegal. In particular, the introduction of the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate (LMD) system will lead to changes in the content of training programmes for french teachers in Senegal, taking into account the new requirements associated with this. It should also be remembered that this study is being carried out in a context of stabilisation of the syllabuses and, more generally, of teacher training programmes. Hence the interest of placing this research in a perspective where the development of content, the choice of tools and pedagogical and didactic approaches, with a view to training teachers of french, is divided between prescriptions linked to institutional recommendations and their actual application by teachers/trainers in their training practices. This article is therefore part of a process of stabilising the training of teachers of the subject of french in Senegal and their appropriation by teacher-researches and trainers at the Faculty of Science and Technology of Education and Training.

 

3. TRAINING SCHEMES FOR FUTURE TEACHERS OF FRENCH

The training arrangements concern two types of training provided in the FASTEF literature department for the option: french. These are initial training and continuing education. These courses are open to future trainers and teachers of the subject of french, as well as to researchers in subject didactics. The training system is based on a programme whose content aims to equip future teachers of french with the knowledge and skills in french that will enable them to carry out teaching, supervisory and leadership roles, administrative roles (specialised inspector for the subject of french, trainers in regional in-service training centres for teachers of french, etc.), school management and research. Initial and in-service training for future teachers of french in Senegal is organised in four semesters around fundamental teaching units (UE) in methodology, culture and specialities linked to the subject of french and divided into constituent elements (EC). They are organised in the form of courses, lectures, tutorials, practical work, work placements and project management. At the end of the course, future teachers and trainers of french write either an internship report or a dissertation on the subject of french. Two profiles are targeted in the development of training content: an academic and professional profile. For the academic profile, the aim of the training content and practices is for future teachers to acquire solid knowledge and mastery of the subject of french and its history. As far as the professional profile is concerned, it should be remembered that future trainers must be able to designing and implementing training for trainers in the subject of french, mastering and integrating TICE (Information and Communication Technologies for Teaching) into the teaching of french, and organising and assessing a french class, using the tools and pedagogical and didactic approaches recommended by the institution.

 

4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In this part, devoted to the research methodology, we will first justify the choice of quantitative and descriptive analysis as a means of verifying the content, tools and pedagogical and didactic approaches developed in the training practices of future teachers of french in Senegal. Secondly, we explain how the quantitative and descriptive data were collected from the questionnaire submitted to teachers and/or trainers in the FASTEF literature department.

 

4.1. CHOICE AND JUSTIFICATION OF RESEARCH METHOD

In this study we opted for quantitative and descriptive analysis of data from a questionnaire. The choice of this method of analysis is explained by the fact that it makes it possible not only to verify the content, tools and pedagogical and didactic approaches used in the training practices of future french teachers, but above all to describe them from the point of view of the teachers and/or trainers, with a view to arriving at general and conclusive interpretations of the subject of the study. Indeed, the quantitative analysis of descriptive statistics has the advantage of making it possible to understand how training content is developed and implemented in training practices and how teachers and/or trainers appropriate it in their training activities.

 

4.2.  DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING

The data for this study were taken from a questionnaire drawn up on the Google Forms platform and submitted to ten (10) teachers and/or trainers in the literature department at FASTEF. Seven (07) of them approached answered the questions on their profile, the content of the training programmes, the pedagogical and didactic tools and approaches, and their point of view. The questions were essentially closed and open in order to obtain quantitative data on the teachers profile, status, academic and initial training and professional experience. They also included descriptive statistics to assess their views on didactic tools and approaches, and on the content of training programmes for future teachers of french. The responses obtained were automatically processed into quantitative data in the form of graphs and descriptive data that grouped the responses of the teachers and trainers thematically. Once, the data had been obtained, we classified them according to the following themes: the profile of the teachers (status, academic and initial training, professional experience), the content of the training programmes, and the pedagogical and didactic tools and approaches used in their training practices. On the bases of this data, we carried out a quantitative and descriptive analysis of the way in which the content of training for future teachers of french is put into practice by teachers and/or trainers.

 

 

 

5. QUANTITATIVE AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA ANALYSIS

This analysis relates to the quantitative and descriptive data collected from the responses of the teachers and/or trainers of future teachers of french in Senegal. It makes it possible to verify the profile of the teachers and/or trainers of future teachers of french, and to describe the content, tools and pedagogical et didactic approaches of the training practices.

 

5.1. PROFILE OF TEACHERS AND/OR TRAINERS

Figure 1

Figure 1 Profile of Teachers and/or Trainers

 

Nearly 86% of the seven (07) teachers interviewed were research teachers, compared with 42% who were teacher trainers. This gives an idea of the changes in store for the development of training content for future teachers of French. It is therefore possible that teachers and trainers do not have the same appreciation, or even the same application of training content, because of their respective missions, which change according to their more or less different statuses.

Figure 2

Figure 2 Level of Education of Teachers/Trainers

 

Furthermore, half of the teacher s and trainers have a doctorate, thesis or PHD (57%), a quarter of them (29%) have a DEA or a Master 2, while only 14% have a licence. This shows that there are three academic levels which undoubtedly make it difficult to stabilise content and harmonise pedagogical and didactic approaches in the french teacher training process.

Figure 3

Figure 3 Professional Qualifications of Teachers/Trainers

 

In addition, all the teachers and trainers interviewed (100%) hold a certificate of aptitude for teaching french. This means that they have experience of teacher training practices as actors. What’s more, this experience linked to their professional training is an asset as it enables them the reproduce and/or draw inspiration from one or more models of content, tools and pedagogical and didactic approaches based on their experience in the field.

Figure 4

Figure 4 Professional Experience of Teachers/Trainers

 

It is also important to note that the teachers and/or trainers have professional experience of more than 5 years (14%) and more than 10 years (86%) in training future teachers of the subject of french. This shows that they have experiential knowledge not only of the teaching profession, but above all of teacher training practices. We can therefore see that the profile of teachers and trainer sis slightly different, which perhaps explains the different assessments of the content of the training programmes.

 

5.2.  THE CONTENT OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES

The content of training programmes is analysed and described on the basis of teachers responses relating to the subjects taught, the development of their training syllabus, and their different views on the pedagogical and didactic tools and approaches recommended in training practices.

 

5.2.1.  SUBJECTS TAUGHT

Figure 5

Figure 5 Subjects Taught by Teachers and Trainers

 

Figure 5 shows the overall content of the training programmes for future french teachers in Senegal that teachers and/or trainers actually take on in their training practice. We note that it consists essentially of five subjects: literature, grammar, pedagogy, didactics and psycho-pedagogy. In order of priority, a close look at the quantitative data shows that the subjects on which the programme focuses are literature and grammar, representing 72% of teachers, that is to say a ratio of five (5) out on the seven (07) mobilised to teach them. This way mean that, in the development of training content, pedagogical and didactic aspects are not given priority over academic knowledge or subject knowledge. This choice seems paradoxical when your consider that most student teachers, at least those who have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in modern or classical literature, have already had academic training at their home university that has enabled them to acquire subject-specific knowledge. There is therefore a risk that they will feel they are repeating their academic training.

Furthermore, in the description that the teachers interviewed gave of the subjects taught, there was a section devoted to the pedagogical and didactic aspects relating to the psychology of student teachers, learning and class management. Another part deals with the presentation of the official french syllabus (african, french and francophone literature, grammar or language study, oral and written expression, aesthetics of genres: drama, poetry, novels, etc., techniques of expression: the essay, commentary and text summary). By analysing the description that teachers and trainers give of the subjects they teach, we can say that the content of french teacher training programmes places more emphasis on subject knowledge than on practical knowledge. As a result, future teachers of french may later be confronted, once in a didactic situation, with real problems of transforming subject knowledge into knowledge of action and/or practice with a view to constructing knowledge and/or co-constructing knowledge of the subject of french with learners.

 

5.2.2.  DEVELOPING THE CONTENT OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES

Figure 6

Figure 6 Developing of Training Programme Content

 

The disparity between the place given to pedagogical and didactic aspects and the devoted to subject knowledge can be explained by the fact that teachers and trainers are not very often involved in drawing up the content of the training programme, which remains prescriptive. In fact, three (03) teachers and/or trainers out of seven (07) say that they are not involved in drawing up training programmes, that is to say a percentage of 43%. This situation can have a negative impact on the application of the content of training programmes if they do not feel involved. Although almost all the teachers and/or trainers (66%) said that they followed the training programme to the letter, at least one teacher and/or trainer (14%) felt that it was out of date. This is why the majority of teachers and/or trainers draw up their own course syllabus, which enables them to make their own contribution to putting the training content into practice.

 

5.2.3.  DRAWING UP SYLLABUSES FOR TEACHERS AND/OR TRAINERS

Figure 7

Figure 7 Syllabus for Teachers and Trainers

 

A close look at Figure 7 shows that the majority of teachers and/or trainers (71%), that is to say five (05) teachers out of seven (07), draw up their own syllabus. This allows them to make their own personal contribution to the content of french teacher training training, while remaining within the spirit of the programme. Among the new elements that the teachers and/or trainers add are what some of them call the “administrative framwork, the pedagogical framework and the assessment framework’’. Some make slite changes to certain subjects, for example by teaching literature “[…] under headings by genre, by theme […]’’. Other teachers prefer to emphasise in their syllabus what they call “language tools and literature exercises’’. Some of them have a relative understanding of the training content when they draw up their syllabus, since they think that is linked to the level of training of the student teachers. The fact remains that these teachers and/or trainers retain in their syllabus, over and above what is described above, the elements relating to “written exercises and assessment practices’’. Analysis of the data in Figure 7 also shows that the majority of the teachers (83%) questioned, that is to say six (06) teachers out of seven (07), think that their syllabus correctly meets the training requirements for the teaching of french in Senegal and more or less respects the content of the official training programmes. Figure 7 below shows more clearly the assessments that teachers and/or trainers made of the content of french teacher training.

 

5.2.4.  TEACHERS AND/OR TRAINERS VIEWS ON TRAINING CONTENT

Figure 8

Figure 8 Teachers Views on the Content of Training Programmes

 

Analysis of Figure 8 reveals two points of view of teachers and trainers on training content. The first is linked to the fact that the content takes into account the practical dimension of training future teachers of french in Senegal. This means that the training content takes into account inspection missions and the pedagogical and didactic placement of trainers in the field, over and above the theoretical aspects relating to the subjects taught for the acquisition of subject knowledge. The second recommends “the implementation of APC (skills-based approach) training’’, which is already in place in the basic cycle. In addition, some of the teachers and/or trainers interviewed thought that the content of french teacher training in Senegal did not take sufficient account of the learners “immediate environment’’, that is to say the socio-cultural and even political and economic context in which they live. They also believe that there is a need for a “digital reading of the syllabus’’, which undoubtedly refers to the techno-pedagogical dimension of the training content in order, they explain, “[…] to appropriate the subject in a different way so as to enjoy it more’’.

To improve the content of training for future french teachers, and/or trainers made a number of proposals to stabilise the content of training, in their view, consideration should be given to defining the profile of student teachers by means of “an initial test’’ and “an individual sheet’’ in order to take better account of their concerns, that is to say “their needs and shortcomings’’ in the training content. This would make it possible to set “clear objectives in the light of the multiple demands of the french class, depending on the level (intermediate or secondary)’’, to adapt the training of french teachers to the social-cultural context of the learners, to introduce contemporary works of literature, to “promote the flipped classroom to involve learners more closely in the practice of the language’’, and to “encourage exchanges between teachers’’. These proposals show that teachers and/or trainers consider that the content of training for future teachers of french needs to be stabilised and updated in the line with socio-cultural realities and the technical and pedagogical requirements of the teaching profession. They also show that they are not always involved or consulted in the development of training content, since they put forward additional ideas for improving it, in particular that of the pedagogical and didactic approaches used in the teaching and/or learning environment and situation.

 

5.3. PEDAGOGICAL AND DIDACTIC APPROACHES USED BY TEACHERS AND/OR TRAINERS

Figure 9

Figure 9 Pedagogical and Didactic Approaches

 

If we look closely at Figure 9, we can see that the teachers implement teaching and learning approaches based on the following elements: lectures, tutorials, practical work, simulations of professional situations, sharing of experiences, work placements, simple and/or cross self-confrontation, field trips, conferences, films and literature fairs. These description of these pedagogical and didactic approaches shows that teachers and/or trainers in their training practices begin, after making contact, with the lecture course (CM), which they consider to be an introduction to the subject of the french discipline being taught.  The tutorials (TD) and practical work (TP) are essentially devoted to personal work on presentations on a theme related to the teaching of french and the methods of evaluating teaching techniques. The logbook, which each student teacher has, is a means for the teachers and/or trainers to achieve their teaching objectives, in particular the acquisition of professional skills through practice, organisation and planning of the tasks inherent in the course content. All the teachers and/or trainers (100%) who replied to the questionnaire thought that pedagogical and didactic innovation was a source of motivation in training practices. This is why, in addition to the usual pedagogical and didactic approaches, they chose to implement their own, based on music, cultural expressions, digital technology, dialogue, multiple-choice questions (QCM), etc. This shows that the pedagogical and didactic approaches, which are variously appreciated and implemented in training practices by teachers and/or trainers, need to be harmonised, which is what emerges from the point of view of the teachers and/or trainers.

 

5.4.  TEACHERS/TRAINERS VIEWS ON TEACHING TOOLS AND APPROACHES

Figure 10

Figure 10 Pedagogical and Didactic Approaches as Seen by Teachers

 

Figure 10 shows that most of the teachers, five (05) out of seven (07), thought that the pedagogical and didactic tools were favourable, good, useful and even perfect for producing training content for future french teachers in Senegal, even though some continued to support the idea that there were “obsolete’’. Thus, the classic teaching tools remain dominant in training practices, as we can see from the following comments: “there are the classic tools: blackboard, dictionary, complete works, posters, photos, external contributors (writers, poets, storytellers, writing workshop leaders)’’. This option shows that there has been no remarkable change in the way future french teachers are trained in Senegal, and that traditional methods are favoured to the detriment of the introduction of digital technology and ICT, which is still mixed. To remedy this, the teachers and/or trainers are proposing innovative pedagogical and didactic approaches such as the flipped classroom, which they believe makes an invaluable contribution to improving training practices, distance learning and APC. The aim is to “encourage students to speak out, to be creative, [to] develop a spirit of initiative, boldness and curiosity, [to] encourage self-learning’’ through interaction in training practices. This analysis led to results and discussions that reflect the way in which training content and pedagogical and didactic approaches are developed and implemented by teachers and/or trainers in real-life situations.

 

6. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Analysis of the quantitative and descriptive data from the questionnaire submitted to the teachers/trainers revealed that the content, tools and pedagogical and didactic approaches developed as part of the training of future secondary school french teachers in Senegal have not yet stabilised. Between the official recommendations contained in the training models of FASTEF literature department and the reality of their application, as reflected in the answers given by seven (07) teachers/trainers out of ten (10) on their training practices, a difference was noted in the assessment of the content, pedagogical and didactic tools and approaches developed by the teachers/trainers. Firstly, this shows that the content of french teacher training programmes in Senegal is not effectively implemented in training practices, and that there is still a reluctance on the part of those involved in training to appropriate them fully. Secondly, the switch to digital technology for the choice of new pedagogical and didactic tools and approaches in the training of future teachers of french in Senegal, in line with the introduction of Information and Communication Technologies for Education (ICTE), is not yet well integrated by the various training stakeholders. This can be explained by the fact that some teachers and/or trainers think that certain points in the content of the training programmes are “obsolete’’, that they need to be brought up to date with digital requirements and the changes linked to be transition from the Teacher’s Training College to the faculty of Faculty of Education and Training Sciences and Technologies (FASTEF). However, we have noted in this study that the training model and the tools made available for teacher training remain conventional and based on techniques considered “bsolete’’ by some of the teachers/trainers interviewed. In addition, the content of the programmes seems to be geared primarily towards acquiring knowledge of the subject of french. However, future secondary school teachers of french have either a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree or a master 1 in literature, which means that they already have an academic background and solid knowledge of the subject of french. The priority would have been to focus on the most up to date teaching methods and techniques possible, taking into account the cognitive context in which future teachers of french in Senegal evolve.

 

7. CONCLUSION

At the end of this study, it appears that the content of the training programmes for future teachers of french, as well as the didactic tools and approaches developed as part of their training need to be stabilised. The priority is to harmonise training practices for teachers of french. To do this, we need to think about how to update them, bringing them into line with the requirements of ICTE, for example. What was most striking in the analysis of content, tools and pedagogical and didactic approaches in the training practices of teachers of french in Senegal was the pre-eminent choice by those involved of the lecture and the emphasis placed on the acquisition of subject-specific knowledge. The content of training programmes should rather emphasise the practical elements that make it possible to construct or even co-construct knowledge linked to the subject of french on the basis of what future teachers of french Know and know how to do for the construction and/or co-construction of knowledge.

 

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

None. 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

None.

 

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