Instructors’ Orientations and Workplace Learning: Schools of Languages at Turkish State and Foundation Universities

Abstract

Teacher professional development is universally acknowledged as crucial for academic success and educational progress. However, the efficacy of conventional continuous professional development (CPD) programs has been frequently questioned, with reports suggesting their ineffectiveness in fostering substantial teacher growth. The shortcomings of these programs range from overlooking school characteristics such as constitutions and politics to employing fixed goals and top-down approaches. The quality of professional development opportunities for instructors can be improved by promoting expansive learning environments as it is not possible to develop educators without considering their interaction with school environment and culture. Combining survey quantitative data and semi-structured interview results, this mixed-method study analyzed EFL instructors’ values and professional learning practices by comparing the schools of languages of state schools and foundation schools, as two different workplace settings. The study encompassed 300 EFL instructors in the quantitative phase, drawn from state and foundation universities in Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey. In a subsequent qualitative phase, 14 volunteers from this cohort participated in one-on-one interviews. It was observed that workplace environment influences instructors’ orientations to learning in terms of (i) which CPD activities instructors value and practice, and (ii) which factors they perceive as either influencing, supporting, or hindering their learning. The findings suggest that EFL instructors in state universities predominantly rely on external experts and exhibit external focuses in their professional learning. In contrast, instructors in foundation universities are more inclined to operate as a community of practice, utilizing internal resources, and engaging in collaborative efforts with their colleagues.