Peer to peer: Teachers support teachers through recorded teacher training videos

Abstract

Language teachers who engage in continuous professional development after graduation demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning and the enhancement of their pedagogical skills, thereby ensuring they remain effective and up to date in their teaching practice. According to the British Council and TEPAV’s report (2015), a significant of English teachers in Higher Education in Turkiye seem to be well-qualified, with around two-thirds having master’s degrees. However, these qualifications seem to have limited training in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) or English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Additionally, a needs analysis conducted at a foundation university in Istanbul indicated that many teachers, the majority of whom graduated from non-English Language Teaching (non-ELT) departments, required further training. This institution’s Professional Development Unit, which embraced a blended learning strategy, planned and implemented asynchronous sessions consisting of recorded videos, considering the needs of the team, in addition to the face-to-face teacher training sessions facilitated by esteemed teacher trainers. They aimed to provide a more flexible schedule for watching these videos and completing the related tasks as learning evidence to deliver lessons more efficiently and effectively and enhance the quality of teaching, while compiling a sustainable series of training videos. The initial set of videos was recorded by the Professional Development Unit Coordinator, an experienced teacher trainer. Subsequently, teachers were motivated and encouraged to volunteer in creating the remaining videos. This peer-to-peer support is incredibly valuable, especially for new teachers, as they can learn directly from the experiences and insight of their more seasoned colleagues. In other words, teachers support teachers by integrating a socio-cultural framework to develop a collaborative learning community.