A Qualitative Study of Iranian EFL University Teachers’ Attitude towards Professional Development

Abstract

Abstract-Within the past few years, teachers have no longer been conceived as mere transmitters of knowledge. The image of the teacher as the exclusive holder of all the information related to teaching and learning has changed dramatically. It the new context, teachers are supposed to act as transformative agents who pay attention to new aspects of their profession in the process of developing professionally as individuals. In other words, the concept of teachers' professional development (PD) has been recently viewed as a continuous process focusing on planned and systematic activities designed to trigger and enhance their growth. The current status of professional development in Iran, however, is not satisfactory. Summarizing the findings of the interview with the small group of English university teachers, this study attempted to find out the attitudes of participants to PD and discuss the constraints they faced on their way towards PD. Results indicated that a number of impeding factors have influenced the effective implementation of PD policies which need a reoriented and revitalized perspective to make them more compatible with new requirements of the present context.

Exploring instructional leadership in Iran: A mixed methods study of high- and low-performing principals

“…It has forced teachers to shift their teaching from “teacher-centered” and “content-centered” to “student-centered” approaches. To improve teachers’ knowledge and skills, the Ministry of Education’s Bureau for the Scientific Promotion of Human Resources has developed short-term courses and workshops for teachers (Aliakbari and Sadeghi, 2014; Moghaddam et al, 2015; Navidinia et al, 2015; National Study Center for TIMSS and PIRLS, 2015; Saberi and Amiri, 2016; UNESCO, 2016). These new expectations also highlight the need for principals who are more active in leading teachers in the development of teaching and learning (Aliakbari and Sadeghi, 2014).…”

Implementing English language teaching reforms through professional learning

“…Yet, such collaborative practices were not without challenges. After the three teachers began to engage with the reform initiatives, they found the idea of group work problematic, and were resistant to aspects of student collaboration and cooperative learning (Saberi & Amiri, 2016). Alongside experimentation and the integration of new practices, there was a tendency to retain or revert back their familiar, pre-existing practices.…”

“…Although there is evidence of collaborative teacher development programs in Iran (e.g. Motallebzadeh, Hosseinnia, & Domskey, 2017), these opportunities are neither common nor sufficiently practised within site-based learning communities (Saberi & Amiri, 2016). As such, this investigation focused on teachers' engagement in a collaborative teacher learning program within a school setting designed to effect change in both teaching and learning.…”

Needs Assessment of Saudi University EFL Teaching Assistants

“…Nevertheless, in recent years there has been a change in the notion of professional development considering it as orderly systematic plans to help teachers grow in their profession (Villegas-Reimers, 2003). Within this new perspective, novice teachers gain support to become reflective practitioners (Saberi & Amiri, 2016). Therefore, according to Saberi and Amiri (2016), the concept of teachers' professional development has been viewed as a perpetual process focusing on planned and systematic activities which aims at triggering the teachers' growth in their profession.…”

“…Within this new perspective, novice teachers gain support to become reflective practitioners (Saberi & Amiri, 2016). Therefore, according to Saberi and Amiri (2016), the concept of teachers' professional development has been viewed as a perpetual process focusing on planned and systematic activities which aims at triggering the teachers' growth in their profession. Reviewing the literature on Saudi teachers' professional needs and development shows that there is little published research conducted in this field.…”