In contemporary Cambodia, demands for the teaching of English continue to increase. Particularly, the demand for teachers of English has markedly increased as changing national systems and global concerns have created an interdependent world. English has been viewed by the Royal Government of Cambodia as an indispensable tool of development and by individuals as the language of opportunity for career advancement. In addition, this language has been accepted as the international medium of communication in business, science and technology, politics, mass media, information, and tourism, and it is the language predominantly used on the Internet.

Notwithstanding the widespread acceptance of the need for English in Cambodia, there are relatively few opportunities for teachers to upgrade their knowledge and skills in teaching it. The Master of Education (M.Ed.) in TESOL is distinctive in its focus on actual experiential learning–students plan lessons, observe classes, and design tests for English language classes. It also draws on extensive teaching experience, research, and interaction with students from various educational backgrounds and cultures to provide pragmatic lessons and advice.

The M.Ed. in TESOL program is designed for those who wish to teach in national and international settings or in public and private institutions or universities. Apart from this, the program aims to meet the need for professional development among the growing number of suitably qualified teachers of English in Cambodia. The program is based on the conviction that teachers need a well-rounded, principled understanding of their practices. It, therefore, reviews the current state of knowledge from a critical point of view, thus encouraging teachers to develop their own opinions on current issues. The program also considers the specific context and the changing trends of learning and teaching English in our fast-changing Cambodia.

The M.Ed. in TESOL program focuses on pedagogical innovations and practical experiences that build program participants’ hands-on application of teaching skills. Courses examine theory and practice, materials and techniques, different linguistic and cultural environments, student assessment, and second language acquisition.

The program prepares students for a variety of classroom situations in English as a Second Language (ESL), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) settings. It is committed to providing a broad knowledge based in the following areas: second language acquisition processes, theoretical understandings of sociocultural and psychological factors affecting learning, current theories and methods of second language teaching and assessment, research design and methodology, and curriculum development. The Faculty and students accomplish this mission through collaborative efforts, locally, nationally, and internationally and through excellence in teaching, research, and professional services. The program also provides teachers of English with a research skill base that aids them in becoming critical readers of research literature. It additionally offers a research project option for those committed to the scholarship of teaching and learning.

The M.Ed. in TESOL program endeavors to prepare educators to be both informed practitioners and effective researchers by providing a pedagogically and theoretically sound knowledge base and by encouraging respect for differences in language, culture, belief systems, and values. In addition, the program serves the language and cultural needs of our students with an outstanding quality of teaching in an atmosphere of service, personal attention, mutual understanding and respect, and cooperation. It provides a secure environment for students of all backgrounds and cultures to experience the national and international view of English. It also empowers teachers and staff to have a voice in the development of all aspects of the program. More than these, the M.Ed. in TESOL encourages teacher excellence through opportunities for professional development.

Major: TESOL

Option 01: All Courses Path

Required Courses (30 Credits)

 Elective Courses (15 Credits)

Option 02: Project Report Path

Required Courses (33 Credits)

Research (12 credits)

NOTES

¹Academic Writing (ENGL 511) and Fundamentals of Statistics (STAT 550) are prerequisite for Educational Research Methods (EDUC 530).

²Language Assessment (EDUC 547), Advanced TESOL Methodology (EDUC 542), and Second Language Acquisition (EDUC 544) are prerequisite for Specialized TESOL Seminar (EDUC 590).

³Educational Research Methods (EUDC 530) is prerequisite for Research Proposal Writing Seminar (EDUC 548).

⁴See enrolment eligibility at the top of this page.

Course Description

ENGL 511      Academic Writing (3 credits)

This course is designed to reinforce and advance English writing proficiency of master’s students who wish to improve their accuracy and appropriateness in certain types of academic writing conventions such as reflective and academic papers. This course starts with a review of basic writing skills, including quoted and reported speeches, sentence syntax, paragraph structure, and essay outline. It also covers key aspects of advanced academic writing, including formality of language, transitions, unity and coherence, plagiarism, summarizing, and paraphrasing. Overall, the course focuses on the process, styles, and mechanics of academic paper writing.

STAT 550       Fundamentals of Statistics (3 credits)

This course deals with general concepts of statistical methods. It includes descriptive statistics, normal distribution, estimation/sampling theory, hypothesis testing, correlation/regression theory, analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, non-parametric tests, and application of computers to statistics. Basic statistics such as sampling techniques, assumptions underlying the use of statistical tests, calculations, and interpretations of results will be reviewed to guide the students to this high level of statistics.

MNGT 583     Governance, Advanced Management, and Leadership Dynamics (3 credits)

This course is a study about advanced management and leadership application in 4 levels: individual, corporate, state and spiritual. Also, the course explores business ethics, morality and character building as an integral part of a good leader with social responsibility.

EDUC 530      Educational Research Methods (3 credits)

This course provides an overview of research types; various quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research designs; and procedures and methods for data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Students will practice library and Internet database searching, literature and data coding, and research writing.  The course materials and assignments focus on the field of education to facilitate M.Ed. students’ learning, topic refinement, and understanding of educational research literature and data.  Academic Writing (ENGL 511) and Fundamentals of Statistics (STAT 550) are prerequisite for this course.

EDUC 540      Educational Psychology and Sociology (3 credits)

The course introduces the foundations of education in the respect of various psychological and sociological perspectives. The focus is on human development which incorporates physical, cognitive, personal, and social development. The implications of various theories and principles will guide and inspire the students through their future teaching and/or educational management career. Social categories (such as gender, socioeconomic class, race, and ethnic backgrounds) and how they may affect teaching, learning, and educational administration are reflected on. Students will discuss how psychological and sociological understandings influence educational and learning purposes, styles, and approaches.  Students are encouraged to develop their personal theories of education.

EDUC 542      Advanced TESOL Methodology (3 credits)

This comprehensive course was designed to get students well informed of the four macro skills and some selected micro skills of language teaching and to enable them to apply those skills in their actual teaching. This course provides an overview of the way English is now being taught in contemporary Cambodia, what the problems are and how those problems may be alleviated. Various approaches such as the direct approach, pattern practice, communicative language teaching, notional-functional and many others are analysed, and relevant theoretical frameworks are explored. Various aspects of lesson planning, classroom management and other related issues are more fully developed. Practice lessons are utilized to develop effective teaching skills.

EDUC 547      Language Assessment (3 credits)

The course introduces key concepts of student learning assessment: validity, reliability, and practicability. The various types of assessment are also demonstrated and discussed: aptitude, achievement, proficiency, and diagnostic. Students critically examine language test items and are expected to develop assessments for their students. The emphasis is on how student assessments can best serve language teaching and learning.

EDUC 544      Second Language Acquisition (3 credits)

This course examines the historical development of methodology with reference to linguistic and psychological theory and practice.  Special emphasis is on a critical examination of “Metropolitan” theory and practice and its suitability to particular contexts.  The link between approach and classroom procedures is a focus of study.  In addition, in this course, the basic theoretical aspects of learning language are explored.  Development of brain, cultural, and other factors that control the language learning is examined.  Focus is on theories of learning a second language.  Applications of theory to teaching are also reflected on.

EDUC 591      Instructional Supervision (3 credits)

The course focuses on the role of the instructional team leader or subject coordinator in planning, organizing, directing, monitoring, evaluating, and improving team performance. It deals with the nature, process, and general approaches to course curriculum development and instructional team supervision. Specifically, it includes introduction to academic supervision, effective school environment, motivation that builds a performance culture, team and interpersonal dynamics, student and peer feedback mechanism, class observation, teaching development, and course improvement.

EDUC 590      Specialized TESOL Seminar (3 credits)

This culminating course is designed for TESOL students who have completed its prerequisite major courses: Language Assessment (EDUC 547), Advanced TESOL Methodology (EDUC 542), and Second Language Acquisition (EDUC 544). Participants of this course discuss their teaching experiences in comparison and contrast to theories, models, and methodology learned from the M.Ed. program. They adapt and design some practical teaching and learning activities, and conduct peer-teaching. The seminar cultivates a culture of action research in cycles of lesson and research planning, teaching and data collection, data analysis and reflection, and action planning. The action researchers work individually or in teams on their action research projects and make use of constructive peer observation and feedback.

EDUC 548      Research Proposal Writing Seminar (3 credits)

Building on its prerequisite Educational Research Methods (EDUC 530), this seminar aims at developing students’ skills in writing research proposals on specialized topics in the field of education. Each student is required to write introduction, literature review, and research methodology chapters on a self-selected topic in consultation with the course professor. At the end of the seminar, students present and submit their whole research proposals for feedback.  After feedback and grading, students who earn a GPA of 3.00 of higher from this seminar may submit their revised proposals for data collection approval and, after data collection, enrol in EDUC 600 Research Project Report.

EDUC 562      Curriculum Development (3 credits)

This course provides an overview of the principles, models, and processes of curriculum development and the role of stakeholders in those processes. Students will analyze, compare, and evaluate components of existing program and course curricula: expected learning outcomes, structured contents and materials, and assessment methods. It is expected that each student will design or develop a curriculum component or course syllabus. In this course, special emphasis is given to the roles of teachers or program administrators as agents of continuous improvement.

EDUC 565      Student Affairs and Support Services (3 credits)

This course is designed to prepare students to be future campus managers or professionals responsible for the support, direction, and coordination of student affairs and support services. This course discusses strategic approaches to student development, including models, current practices, and trends of student services. It also provides a comprehensive view of profiles of student services, including enrolment management, assessment of readiness for student learning, student orientation, course planning and registration, career interventions, academic and career advising, counselling, and financial services.

EDUC 595      Capacity-Building Project Management (3 credits)

This course presents basic concepts and practices of project management for educational administrators, consultants, and researchers. It also aims at equipping course participants with fundamental skills in designing, staffing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating educational and capacity-building projects. Beginning with analyses of sample projects as case studies, students will learn to seek grants, write grant proposals, and participate in educational or capacity-building projects.

EDUC 563      Human Resource Development and Management (3 credits)

This course discusses best practices in human resource development and management applied to educational settings. It also includes the following key aspects: organizational climate; employment laws; and human resource planning, recruitment, selection, retention, training, conflict resolution, and termination policies and processes.

EDUC 560      Educational Management and Leadership (3 credits)

This course discusses basic principles and theories of leadership and management that are applied in educational settings. Attention is given to leadership traits and ethics, leadership behaviors and motivation, influencing and contingency leadership theories, team leadership, and organizational leadership. It also examines organizational structures and roles, organizational culture, and decision-making.

EDUC 561      Educational Trends and Entrepreneurship (3 credits)

This course examines the current practices, issues, and trends in education from a comparative perspective. Topics include access to education, quality assurance, diversification of funding, research and consultancy, educational technologies, curricular relevance, commercialization, managerialism, strategic planning, entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, and innovative leadership. Students will learn to conduct

SWOT analysis and initiate, develop, budget, and present educational initiative proposals given the fast-growth opportunities in Cambodia’s educational context. This course requires case studies with student-selected educational institutions.

RESR 560      Research Methodology (3 credits)

This course deals with the study of the basic principles of research designs, types of research, techniques and procedures for data gathering, analysis, and interpretation. This will be supported by practical study skills on note-taking, library research, Internet access, and report writing.

NATS 502      Global Environmental Awareness (3 credits)

Attention will be focused on patterns of resource availability, human impacts on the snatural resources base, and the individual’s perception of the world about him/her (inscape) which results in a highly discriminating way of modeling landscape to match inner vision.