The value of teacher portfolios for professional development in TESOL

Abstract

Teacher portfolios can play a significant role in professional development. This is because besides being “an organized collection of evidence about a teacher’s best work that is selective, reflective, and collaborative”, the portfolio is an intrinsic part of their professional identity. In fact, Haniford affirms that the discourse employed in a portfolio may be indicative of how practitioners construct their identity. Perhaps the most important means by which a portfolio allows teachers to negotiate their identity is by enabling them to examine their beliefs and practices as professionals. This is because “When presenting a (personal) professional portfolio, the professional presents material that characterizes themselves and distinguishes their practices, values and beliefs from those of another professional in the same field”. Berrill and Whalen found that the portfolio acted as a way for teachers “to make their beliefs visible, to demonstrate how their practice reflected those beliefs, and to demonstrate how they could teach in ways that had integrity for them and still satisfy external expectations”. Speaking about preservice education, Berrill and Addison maintain that through the portfolio “teacher candidates might more deeply understand and articulate their beliefs and competencies regarding the expected repertoires of practice in the teaching profession and therefore, their teaching identities”. The portfolio’s contribution to teachers’ professional identity makes it a significant artifact of practice.