Abstract:
In the last couple of decades, teachers’ professional development has received much
attention in the field of teacher education. In addition to maximizing quality in
preparing English language teachers in pre-service programs, efforts have also been
directed towards enhancing ongoing in-service professional development worldwide.
The way these needs are addressed vary across nations based on policies and
institutional frameworks. The purpose of this paper is to discuss EFL teachers’ beliefs,
experiences, and their needs regarding professional development in a particular
context: Northern Cyprus. In particular, teachers’ visions, self, and their role in relation
to development were examined. Interviews with 12 teachers in three different cities
were carried out. Our findings indicate that if institutional support for professional
development is unavailable or insufficient, teachers rely on their own resources. Their
preference, however, is to be part of the system that supports and appreciates their
efforts. The findings also imply that these teachers are aware of the constraints in the
system and they highlight that a needs analysis should be carried out to design
professional development activities that meet teachers’ needs and interests. Based on
the findings, recommendations are made to the governing bodies.
