Factors Influencing Teachers' Professional Learning: A Study of Turkish EFL Teachers (original) (raw)
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Teaching and Trainings for Professional Learning of English Teachers
Butwal Campus journal, 2023
Teachers are the change agents of the society and nation and they always have to update themselves with the changes in time, technology and situation. They have to learn all the time. Many teachers are not aware of the teacher learning processes and they are not aware of the various opportunities of teacher learning and professional development. Teacher professional development is not just the product of formal teacher trainings organized by the authorities outside but a product of continuous teaching learning activities of the teachers themselves. The study was conducted by purposively selecting 30 secondary school English teachers of Rupandehi District using a set of questionnaire. This article aims at analysing the teachers' views regarding how teaching and trainings help their professional learning and tries to highlight some of the most common and useful strategies for the process of teacher learning and teachers' professional development. As most of the strategies presented below do not cost extra fund to apply in the day to day life, the teachers need to use these activities in their day to day life so that they can improve their practices which will ultimately improve the education. It was found that the teachers were not much aware of the fact that they can learn much by teaching and they can develop their practices of teaching through teacher trainings they attended. Not only this, the teachers were found to be not much willing for their professional development as well.
Development and validation of an English language teacher learning scale
Cogent Education, 2017
Teacher learning is of significant importance in mainstream education and a number of attempts have been made to measure the quality of teacher learning across different contexts. The available instruments, however, have been originally developed to assess teachers' perceptions of a single contributive element of teacher learning; therefore, multiple interacting variables which influence the complex process of teacher professional development in English Language Teaching (ELT) contexts have received little attention. This study aimed at developing and validating an instrument whose items are particular to ELT teachers and contexts. To this end, based on a detailed study of the related literature, interviews with ELT practitioners and teacher education professionals, a preliminary theoretical model was proposed. The model was verified and developed into an English Language Teacher Learning Scale. After developing the scale and administering it to 184 ELT teachers, it was validated through both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses which resulted in a few alterations. This study portrays a more inclusive picture of teacher learning in ELT contexts in terms of factors related to teacher cognition and belief, teacher emotions, teacher motivation, and contextual variables.
An Investigation of the Professional Development Agenda of Turkish Efl Student Teachers
i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 2018
Teacher Professional Development (PD) is crucial for sustaining the quality of teaching. This study aims at investigating PD plans of English student teachers and the factors affecting those plans. The data were collected through a survey applied to 101 participants, and semi-structured interviews with 20 student teachers studying at an English Language Teaching (ELT) program of a large state University in Turkey. Survey findings showed that the majority of the student teachers have PD plans. The analysis of the interview data indicated that there were academically oriented (scholarly oriented pursuits, career-oriented pursuits), occupational, and teaching methodology plans. In addition, there were plans for improving English proficiency, using technology effectively, motivating learners, and teaching speaking skills. Factors affecting student teachers' plans included but not limited to practicum experience, competence-based issues, and family reasons. The findings are discussed in line with the conditions of second language teacher education programs in Turkey, namely program entry and exit requirements, as well as teaching motivation and English proficiency.
The 56th TEFLIN International Conference, 2009
Perception is important to reveal in order to look into the "hidden" truth, or the truth behind a condition. At times, perception is more likely to investigate than behavior under certain circumstances, such as when an observational study is not welcomed by the people being observed. This paper presents the result of a survey on teachers' perception of the roles they can play within the learning-teaching context. The survey used convenience sampling with total respondents of 61. The respondents were secondary education teachers of English in the area of Central Java Province. The data was collected through questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 16 close-ended items and one free response item. Testimonies and existing facts were brought forward to assess consistency between teacher perception and behavior. On overall, the data has shown the EFL teachers had the 'right' perception of teacher roles. Of the sixteen close-ended items, the average percentage of favorable response to thirteen statements such as "As long as I know a lot about my lesson materials, though without any pre- teaching preparation my students will master the teaching materials" and "It is always enough to teach as I usually do" reached above So, while the rate of favorable response to the other three, i.e. "The main job of a teacher is to give explanations to the students", "A teacher should always be present among students in the class, because it is unlikely that they can learn alone in the absence of teacher", and "I am not tolerant of noise that is in my class, because it disturbs the classes nearby" was only under 50. Unfortunately, in practice, the teachers' behavior was to some degree inconsistent with their perception. First, though the teachers disagreed with the statement saying teachers should not do pre-teaching preparation, commonly the teachers practicing peer-teaching during in-service training in the teacher certification program were poor in performance. The class activities were dominated with listening to the teacher. Secondly, the teachers perceived that they needed to always improve their quality, no matter how hard it is for them to withdraw from their routines. In reality, however, a lot of teachers said they had no interest in joining trainings anymore just because they had obtained a professional 'educator' certificate from the govt. Several other teachers canceled their participation in a workshop that was about to start. Strangely enough, they insisted on deserving certificates of participation. The teachers agreed that out-of-class assignments were a good thing. This opinion is contradictory to what most students told in informal dialogues with the writer, who is also their home tutor. According to them, their English teacher hardly ever gave home assignments. Last but not least, the teachers agreed with the questionnaire statement saying that a teacher should conduct a research. Unfortunately, many teachers have not yet shown a commitment to this stance. Based on the writer's experience as a teacher's portfolio assessor, quite rare was found one research report in every ten portfolios.
Exploring Teachers’ Perception Toward Their Professionalism in Teaching English
English Education Journal, 2020
This study is intended to explore the teachers' perception toward their professional development in teaching English at senior high schools in Bireuen. This study employs a qualitative design in collecting and analyzing the data.To collect the data, 30 English teachers of 146 English teachers in Kabupaten Bireuen were randomly chosen as the participants. A set of Likert Scale questionnaires was given to 30 teachers and 10 of the teachers were interviewed by using a guided interview to explore the general perception about the teachers' perception toward their professional development and their effort to improve their professionalism in teaching English. The finding revealed that the English teachers in Kabupaten Bireuen presumed themselves as professionals in doing their occupation. It is due to their perception that they accomplished the four pre-requirement competencies namely pedagogical, social, personal, and professional. They improved pedagogical competence by collecting teaching materials from the internet, books, and their seniors and learning about new teaching methods. They improved their competence by building a good relationship with students, parents, and school stakeholders.The teachers improved their professional competence by joining the forum of subject matter teacher (MGMP), attending education seminars, training, and workshops, and they improved the competence by behaving with good characters.
Journal of Teaching English Language Studies, 2019
The fundamental goal of any EFL teacher education curriculum is to equip and prepare student teachers for their teaching career. The present study sought to explore how practicing teachers feel about the effectiveness of the latest English teacher education curriculum in the content, pedagogical content and pedagogical knowledge bases and the university education that the current student teachers go through. The participants of the study were 130 male and female high school EFL teachers who were selected through cluster random sampling. The study utilized a descriptive design to investigate the effectiveness of the curriculum. The data were collected via semi-structured interview and a Likert scale questionnaire which comprised 35 items on the detailed stated objectives and performance tasks for each specific course in the curriculum. Descriptive statistical analysis revealed that participants were satisfied with the latest curriculum and perceived it as adequate and effective in stated objectives. Qualitative analysis showed that participants complained that the curriculum is not so successful in providing the student teachers with the opportunity to experience real life teaching during their education, to make them aware of contextual challenges awaiting and strike a balance between ideals and actuals.
2017
This study sought to compare Iranian EFL novice and expert teachers regarding their professional knowledge at Iranian language institutes and universities. To achieve the aim of study, a questionnaire was developed based on the literature, the theoretical framework and the results of a qualitative study. This questionnaire was administered to the whole sample of the study who was 200 Iranian EFL teachers from different genders and educational contexts. The participants were selected conveniently as going through random sampling was not possible. Based on the results of the exploratory factor analysis, six factors emerged under the main category of professional knowledge for Iranian EFL teachers. The findings of this study revealed that: (a) Iranian EFL expert teachers have higher levels of professional knowledge than Iranian EFL novice teachers (b) expert teachers have higher levels of knowledge about language and knowledge of language skills and components than novice teachers (c) ...
European Scientific Journal ESJ
By the time they graduate from their initial teacher education programs, most teachers are equipped with the basic information and skills they will need to begin their classroom practice – including content knowledge, theories about the teaching and learning process, and various instructional strategies and techniques. However, the process of becoming a teacher does not end there. The most successful teachers are also lifelong learners who continuously work to improve their subject-related knowledge, understand how they can reach their students most effectively, and keep up with new developments in education. Considering the need for teachers to be aware of the concept of teacher learning and at the same time be self-aware about their beliefs that impact their practice in that regard, this comparative study will explore and report initial findings of what Georgian and Turkish teachers of English understand from the concepts of “teachers as learners” and “teacher learning,” and what ...
Teacher's attitudes toward their job and professional development in Turkey : an EFL perspective
1999
Various studies investigating the factors that affect professional development havefound that both extrinsic/G;ctors such as pay and promotion and intrinsic rewards such as pride in work can supply motivation for professional development. This study aims to investigate the attitudes a/Turkish EFL teachers toward their teaching career and professional development. In doing so, it also explores what cultural qnd/or political factors may affect Turkish EFL teachers' professional development. Data came from semi-structured interviews administered to 31 teachers working in 5 different English medium high schools in Istanbul. The findings indicate that these Turkish EFL teafhers have positive feelings toward their careers and professional development to the extent that their personal values, abilities, and accomplishments match their expectations of the values, abilities, and accomplishments that should characterize a teacher. Moreover, the results also indicate that teachers' professional accomplishments, together with the recognition they receive from administrators (lnd supervisors have a strong positive relationship to their attitudes toward professional development. Finally, similar to the findings of studies conducted in various cultural contexts, this research suggests that, extrinsic and intrinsic factors must receive complex interpretation in relation to work satisfaction of teachers and their attitudes toward professional development. Professional development has attracted increasing attention in recent years. It has been recognised that institutional conditions-such as the need for improving quality-and individual needs of teachers-such as job satisfaction and personaVprofessional growthare t~e ~o inextricable dimensions of professional development.
Factors Contributing to EFL Teachers' Professional Development in Indonesia
Excellence in Higher Education
This study was aimed at investigating factors contributing to English as a Foreign Language teachers’ professional development and how these factors have shaped their professionalism. The subjects of the study included six English teachers at senior high schools under the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Religious Affairs in three different regions in Indonesia. Findings of the study reveal that there are both personal and environmental factors identified as having contributed to an EFL teacher’s professionalism, both prior to and after their induction into EFL teaching. Prior to the induction, two of the personal factors were identified: an early interest in English and a high aptitude, although early exposure to English may also be considered an environmental factor. After induction, their professional development is affected by: the level of job satisfaction, commitment to their own learning and student learning, communication skills, and resilience as personal factors, ...