A Case Study of an Online /Distance Learning Professional Development Course of EFL Teachers in Pakistan

Authors

  • Asad Qayyum English teacher, Access program, University of Education, Multan Campus, Pakistan Author
  • Athar Munir Associate professor, Higher education department, Punjab, Pakistan Author

Keywords:

online professional development, continuing professional development, community of practice

Abstract

Professional development plays a crucial role in enhancing teachers' skills and knowledge in their respective subjects. According to Freeman (2004), second language teacher education encompasses both initial preparation and ongoing professional growth. This study aims to explore the perspectives of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Pakistan regarding online professional development courses. Specifically, the study seeks to investigate how these teachers perceive the implementation of such courses in terms of their impact on teaching effectiveness, the creation of a community of practice through interaction, the support provided by tutors throughout the course, and the relevance of course content.

Using a mixed-method approach, this study employed questionnaires to collect quantitative data and conducted semi-structured interviews to gather qualitative insights. The participants consisted of male and female English language teachers from Pakistan.

The research findings shed light on various aspects of teachers' perspectives, highlighting the effectiveness of online professional development courses for English teachers. The key findings indicate that these courses positively influence teaching skills, facilitate the establishment of a community of practice through collaborative interaction, offer substantial support from tutors throughout the course, and contribute to the enhancement of subject knowledge. Ultimately, this study serves to inform EFL teachers and educators in other subject areas about the advantages of engaging in online professional development opportunities.

References

Abbasi, F. (2015). Teacher education for sustainability in Pakistan, vol. 6 (pp. 13–19).

Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2014). Grade change: Tracking online education in the United States. Babson Survey Research Group.

Alimirzaee, H., & Ashraf, H. (2016). On the Effect of Online Peer Knowledge Sharing on Lranian EFL Teachers' Professional Development. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 6(1), 134-146. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0601.18

Craft, A. (2000). Continuing professional development.London: Routledge and Falmer.

Crandall, J., &Christison, M. (2016). Teacher education and professional development in TESOL: Global perspectives. New York, NY: Routledge

Darling-hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development, no. June.

Freeman, D. (2004). Implications of socioculturalperspectives for language teacher Education. In M.Hawkins (Ed.), Language Learning and TeacherEducation(pp. 169-197). Great Britain: MultilingualMatters Ltd.

Guskey, T.R. (2000). Evaluating Professional Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Hashimoto, K., & Nguyen, V.-T. (2018). Professional development of English language teachers in asia: Lessons from Japan and Vietnam. Oxon and New York:Routledge.

Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. B. (2004). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches. Pearson/A and B.

Konetes, G. D. (2011). Distance education's impact during economic hardship: How distance learning impacts educational institutions and businesses in times of economic hardship. International Journal of Instructional Media, 38(1), 7-16.

Kabilan, M. K., Adlina, W. F. W., &Embi, M. A. (2011). Online collaboration of English language teachers for meaningful professional development experiences. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 10(4), 94-115.

Kabilan, M. K., & Rajab, B. M. (2010). The Utilisation of the Internet by Palestinian English Language Teachers Focusing on Uses, Practices and Barriers and Overall Contribution to Professional Development. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, 6(3), 56-72.

Li, C. S., & Irby, B. (2008). An Overview of online education: Attractiveness, benefits, challenges, concerns, and recommendations. College Student Journal, 42(2), 449–458.

Lyons, J. F. (2004). Teaching US history online: Problems and prospects. The History Teacher, 37, 447–456.

Luyt, I. (2013). Bridging spaces: Cross-cultural perspectives on promoting positive online learning experiences. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 42, 3–20.

Liu, M.-H. (2012). Discussing Teaching Videocases Online: Perspectives of Preservice and Inservice EFL Teachers in Taiwan. Computers & Education, 59(1), 120-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.09.004

Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991) Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press).

Limperos, A. M., Buckner, M. M., Kaufmann, R., & Frisby, B. N. (2015). Online teaching and technological affordances: An experimental investigation into the impact of modality and clarity on perceived and actual learning. Computers & Education, 83, 1-9.

Magidin de Kramer, R., Masters, J., O'Dwyer, L. M., Dash, S., & Russell, M. (2012). Relationship of Online Teacher Professional Development to Seventh-Grade Teachers' and Students' Knowledge and Practices in English Language Arts. The Teacher Educator, 47(3), 236-259. https://doi.org/10.1080/08878730.2012.685795

MacKinnon, D. P. (2008). Introduction to Statistical Mediation Analysis. Taylor and Francis group: New York.

McCall, A. (2018). Teacher perceptions of online SIOP® professionaldevelopment.(Doctoral Dissertation), University Of Maryland. Maryland, U. S..https://doi.org/10.13016/M2QJ7820J

Murugaiah, P., Azman, H., Ya'acob, A., & Thang, S. M. (2010). Blogging in Teacher Professional Development: Its Role in Building Computer-Assisted Language Teaching Skills. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, 6(3), 73-87.

Majoka, M. I., Fazal, S., Khan, M. S. (2013). Implementation of information andcommunication technologies (ICTs) in education course: A case from teacher education institutions in Pakistan, vol. 35(no. 2) (pp. 37–53).

Nooruddin, S., &Bhamani, S. (2019). Engagement of school leadership in teachers’ continuous professional development: A case study. Journal of Education and Educational Development, 6(1), 95–110. https://doi.org/10.22555/joeed.v6i1.1549

Prestridge, S. (2010). ICT professional development for teachers in online forums: Analysing the role of discussion. Teaching and teacher education, 26(2), 252-258.

Rawal, S., Aslam, M., & Jamil, B. (2013). Teacher characteristics, actions and perceptions: what matters for student achievement in Pakistan.

Silvia, A. (2015). “Coursera" Online Course: A Platform for English Teachers' Meaningful and Vibrant Professional Development. TEFLIN Journal -A Publication on the Teaching and Learning of English, 26(2), 228-246. https://doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v26i2/228-246

Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity (New York, Cambridge University Press).

Downloads

Published

07/03/2023

How to Cite

Asad Qayyum, & Athar Munir. (2023). A Case Study of an Online /Distance Learning Professional Development Course of EFL Teachers in Pakistan. University of Chitral Journal of Linguistics and Literature, 7(I), 148-158. https://jll.uoch.edu.pk/index.php/jll/article/view/299

Similar Articles

31-40 of 44

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.