Professional Development Needs of Private and Public High Schools EFL Teachers in Erbil-Kurdistan

Abstract

Due to the importance of professional development in the improvement of teaching and education, and the importance of English as a language and subject of study in Erbil, this study focused on the needs for professional development of English teachers. The present study also investigated teachers' opinions about their needs for professional development. The study also attempted to explore other issues related to the professional development of teachers of English in Erbil such as benefits of professional development programs, state of professional development programs, stages of applying for professional development programs and problems in professional development programs. 36 English language teachers participated in a survey. The survey results demonstrated that a great number EFL teachers are aware of the importance of professional development. However, lack of resources and opportunities are some of the major reasons which prevent them to participate in professional development activities. The present study attempts to reveal what EFL teachers think about their professional development and what kind of difficulties they face in pursuing their goals.

Measuring Teacher Professional Development Learning Activities in Post Covid-19

“…In this case, (Abad 2013) highlighted that those pedagogical aspects should always be a considerable concern to consider in constituting teachers' professional development. To that end, he argued that teacher could revise their beliefs and adjust the practices in ensuring high-quality teaching/effective teaching (Mohammadi and Moradi 2017); (Aljuhaish, Senom, and Othman 2021); (Ibrahim and Kavlu 2020).…”

“…Pedagogical competency has been primary attention while doing professional development programs. In this way, in-service teachers will not overlook the other prominent aspects in teaching comprising instructional goal (Avila Fernandez 2016), knowledge of content (Anugerahwati and Saukah 2010), content presentation (Nurkolis, Warastuty, and Yuliejantiningsih 2020), pedagogical knowledge (Bayram and Bıkmaz 2021), and also assessment skills (Nakata et al 2018) (Ibrahim and Kavlu 2020). In a nutshell, professional MGMP as a teachers' forum is inevitably expected to help teachers mitigate their hurdles in conducting the teaching and learning process daily.…”

“…It expects the improvement of teachers' attitudes, knowledge, and skills in connection with routine practice. Likewise, (Ibrahim and Kavlu 2020) commented that the training of teachers is not limited to degree courses but a continuous educational process. Continuous professional developments aimed at improving teachers' content knowledge, understanding of how students learn, and pedagogy linked to improvements in teacher practice and student achievement (Carpenter and Sherretz 2012).…”

Exploring Private School Teachers' Perceptions of Professional Development Sessions Through the Lens of Active Experimentation

“…Many private school teachers report being inadequately prepared to execute instructional strategies necessitated for teaching (Darling-Hammond et al, 2017;Nguyen, 2019;Sancar et al, 2021). The knowledge and practice of private school teachers should improve after professional development, possibly influencing student knowledge (Bates & Morgan, 2018;Darling-Hammond et al, 2017;Ibrahim & Kavlu, 2020). Despite positive intent, professional learning sessions may not always lead to instructional change (Darling-Hammond et al, 2017).…”

“…Research has been minimal regarding which type of professional development best prepares private school teachers for current global situations and which type of professional development requires teachers to be collaborative problem solvers (Darling-Hammond, 2013;Sprott, 2019;Wagner et al, 2006). Ibrahim and Kavlu (2020) suggested professional development for private school teachers is vital in improving teaching and education; however, they found private school teachers lack resources, prohibiting their participation in a variety of professional development activities, but public school teachers are routinely provided training, resources, and support via district agencies. Prior research and related literature have advocated for all teachers, including private school teachers, to continue developing their instructional abilities (McShane, 2019).…”