Setting New Standards for In-service Teacher Training

Abstract

The top-down approach to teacher professional development that is typical in the Turkish context has been highly criticized in recent years as failing to meet the practical needs of classroom practitioners. Amid increasing calls for a more meaningful approach to in-service training, the author was called on to develop and present a seminar for Turkish teachers of English as a foreign language that would support their understanding of a newly designed English language teaching. With the need for responsive teacher training in mind, the author designed a program that would encourage teachers to share their experiences in the classroom and to highlight their concerns. Furthermore, the program would provide opportunities for ongoing interaction between the participants and the author in terms of feedback on the process, the impact of the program, and sharing of resources and other information. This chapter provides a detailed description of the training program, which was offered in two separate modules for elementary and secondary EFL teachers. The author hopes that the program may provide a useful model for teacher trainers and program designers in providing an actionable approach to teacher development.