Professional Development Of Efl Teachers At The Department Of English And Literature, Batna 2 University: Challenges And Opportunities

Abstract

Academic interest in professional development (PD) of teachers throughout the world is growing for the simple reason that the achievement of quality in education depends to a large extent upon the quality of the teachers in society. Added to this, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the process of teaching considerably with the rise of e-Learning/Teaching. The present study relied on a sequential mixed methods approach, using a questionnaire to the total population of EFL teachers (n=61) at the department of English and Literature in Batna 2 University via their professional e-mails in order to gather quantitative data about their PD challenges and opportunities; and analyzed subsequently with the qualitative data gathered from semi-structured interviews conducted with ten teachers. Results show that although the respondents still hold the idea of traditional PD, 94.9% of them share the view for the necessity of PD to improve their knowledge and skills. Out of 39 respondents, 48.71% were involved in PD activities. However, mentoring and guiding less experienced teachers did not receive the attention required. Findings of this study can inform educators and policymakers of the importance of PD in enhancing teacher quality and improving students’ learning skills. This will hopefully help the future direction of PD programs, particularly PD for EFL teachers in Algeria.