Speakers
ABSTRACT
Autonomy is an essential factor for language teachers to advance their careers. However, part-time university teachers often struggle with professional development and academic opportunities due to their busy teaching schedules and limited opportunities (Kambayashi, 2021; Milliner, 2017; Sugino, 2010). Collaborating with colleagues can improve their autonomy and help address this issue. This presentation reflects and discusses two types of collaboration: pedagogic and academic collaborations. Case studies highlight two pedagogic collaborations using digital tools. In one case, two teachers jointly utilised Padlet for academic writing instruction. Other teachers partnered with full-timers using Quizlet to enhance learners’ self-directed vocabulary learning. The presentation also examines academic collaborations, including co-writing an academic paper and forming an academic writing group that supports each member’s productivity. This presentation will be valuable for any part-time or novice teachers interested in professional development but unsure where to begin. It will also benefit faculty at the managerial level, seeking fresh ideas for faculty development and considering the integration of collaborative activities in their programmes. We believe teacher collaboration improves our autonomy, which not only enhances career development but also ultimately promotes learner autonomy.
KEYWORDS
Teacher autonomy, teacher collaboration, part-time teachers, professional development
| TITLE | Empowering autonomy: Part-time teachers’ collaborative pathways to success |
|---|---|
| RELEVANT SIG | College and University Educators (CUE) |
| FORMAT | Practice-oriented Oral Face-to-face presentation (25 minutes, including Q&A) |
