ELT Research Journal

Yazarlar: Sabriye Şener, Ayten Çokçalışkan

Konular:-

Anahtar Kelimeler:Professional Development,Career Stages,In-service Teachers,Life-long Learning

Özet: Professional development (PD) is not just a short term involvement but a long process starting from teacher training at university and going on throughout the working life of the individuals. Therefore, it is thought that teachers pass through different stages in their careers and have different perceptions on their PD. Teachers’ thoughts, attitudes, motivation, and the stages they pass through affect their perform ance in the workplace. This study aims to reveal the perceptions of English language teachers on PD and what kind of practices they employ to become more professional. It is a descriptive and explorative case study into professional development of in-service teachers. During the data collection and analysis, qualitative research design was employed. By employing a purposeful sampling, the qualitative data were gathered from 9 non-native English in-service teachers working at different state schools in the west of Turkey during the spring term of 2016-2017 education year. Semi-structured interviews were benefitted to collect data. The analysis showed that teachers were aware of the significance and necessity of PD and saw it as a process which helped them to be more knowledgeable and experienced. They also pointed out that involving in such studies could increase their motivation and confidence.

---