Perceptions of EFL Teachers on the Effectiveness of Online Professional Development Courses in Pakistan: A Case Study
Keywords:
online professional development, continuing professional developmentAbstract
Professional development is an integral part of helping teachers improve their skills and knowledge about their respective subjects. Freeman (2004) defines second language teacher education as a means of professional preparation and continuing professional development. The aim of this study is to investigate the perspectives of EFL teachers about online professional development courses in Pakistan. Moreover, it is important to explore to what extent the teachers are satisfied with the support they receive from tutors and teachers’ perceptions about the content of the online course. This study used a mixed method approach, a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews; questionnaire was used for collecting quantitative data, while the transcripts of recorded semi-structured interviews characterized the qualitative approach. The participants were male and female English language teachers from Pakistan.
In the light of research findings, various aspects from teachers’ perspectives were investigated to establish the effectiveness of an online professional development course for English teachers. The main findings of the research showed that online professional development courses provided ample support of the tutor for the participants throughout the course and helped to improve their knowledge regarding the topic. The teachers talked about the tutor support they received during the online course. Each teacher reported that the tutor provided ample support throughout the online course in all areas. Furthermore, each teacher reported that the overall content, such as quizzes, reading articles, and videos, really helped them effectively understand the content of the course and complete the tasks efficiently. All the activities were designed according to the needs of the learners. This study will aid EFL teachers and other subject teachers in comprehending the benefits of taking online professional development courses.
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