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Perceptions of instructors and administrators of English language on their professional development needs

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Abstract

The present study aims at investigating the professional development needs of instructors and administrators of English language in public universities in North Iraq. The study also attempts to evaluate the professional development of universities’ instructors in improving their personal and professional career while teaching English as a foreign language. Professional development provides teachers with more knowledge, skills, and experiences either personally or professionally throughout the process of teaching. In this study, qualitative research methods were used. There were forty participants involved in this study including English language and literature instructors, heads of departments, assistant heads of departments, and coordinators employed in the 9 public universities of North Iraq. The results showed that there are still no actual tendencies of professional development as a program to be implemented as a continual process of teaching and learning, and there is a lack of professional development opportunities in public universities in North Iraq. The participants also provided significant suggestions on their professional development needs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Cyprus International University, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Farhad Muhammad Rajab & Fatoş Silman

  2. Faculty of Education and Science/Akre – English Department, Duhok University, Akre City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

    Farhad Muhammad Rajab

  3. Akre Branch - Head of English Department, Rawanduz Private Technical Institute, Akre City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

    Farhad Muhammad Rajab

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  1. Farhad Muhammad Rajab
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  2. Fatoş Silman
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Correspondence to Fatoş Silman.

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Rajab, F.M., Silman, F. Perceptions of instructors and administrators of English language on their professional development needs. Qual Quant 52 (Suppl 2), 945–959 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-017-0547-y

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