LANGUAGE INSTRUCTORS’ PERCEPTIONS AND APPLICATIONS OF CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

Professional development can be defined as all the practices and activities for teachers’ growth. In the area of English language teaching, teachers need to follow the pedagogical and practical developments in their field, thereby developing themselves professionally. This study aims at figuring out and comparing the perceptions and applications of language instructors in higher education institutions in Latvia and Turkey on continuous professional development. The authors carried out a small scale research in order to answer the question “What are the most effective forms of professional development for English language instructors?” A semi-structured interview was used to gather the data. The comparative research was carried out in the frame of COST Action CA15221 – Advancing effective institutional models towards cohesive teaching, learning, research and writing development – that addresses the field of professional conversations and research. The main finding of the study is that English language instructors thought that the responsibility of continuous professional development primarily belonged to themselves and then their institutions and the other professional institutions. Majority of them claimed that their professional development was triggered by their curiosity and passion. Attending research-oriented events such as seminars, conferences, and workshops was mentioned as very effective for their continuous professional development.

Keywords: continuous professional development, English language teachers