EFL Teachers’ Perceptions of Professional Development

Authors : Cansu Alpsoy, Özden Oğul, Deniz Türkdoğan

Pages : 80-93

View : 29 | Download : 37

Publication Date : 2017-12-01

Article Type : Research

Abstract :It is an indisputable fact that English has become today’s lingua franca. That being the case, the prominence of English is broadly recognized, particularly in EFL settings. Therefore, in those countries where English is not frequently spoken, professional development of English teachers is highly significant to sustain and better the quality of the education provided. Hence, this study aims to investigate Turkish EFL teachers' beliefs and habits about professional development through conducting a qualitative research by focusing on the information gathered from observations and interviews. The study involves several different participants varied in gender, nationality and years of experience with different departments in the field of language in one of the practicum schools located in İstanbul in 2016. Results of the study show that most teachers view professional development as "a must” due to different, but equally valid reasons and thereby engage in various activities to develop themselves professionally and to continue their growths. 
Keywords : EFL teachers, professional development