English language teachers’ professional development: a survey study of needs and expectations

Abstract

Professional development should be an inseparable part of a teacher’s professional career. Although it is the teacher’s sole responsibility, the action he/she undertakes greatly influences learners’ success. The goal of the paper is to investigate in-service English language teachers’ professional development practices, as well as delve into their needs and expectations in this area. The data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. The results show that teachers are aware of the lifelong nature of professional development and undertake various activities to improve the quality of teaching, such as workshops or reading didactic literature. However, their attitudes, practices and needs differ and are contingent on their education level, experience and workplace.