Turkish EFL pre-service and in-service teachers’ views on professional development and related activities

It is generally agreed that teachers need to develop themselves in order to contribute learners’ personal and professional development.  Starting in the final year of faculties of education, teacher candidates get a notion of professional development along with learning about classroom management, pedagogical knowledge and preparing course materials. However, the first time they teach in their own classrooms without any supervisor is the moment when the clock of professional development actually starts to tick. Teaching is a job which requires thinking and learning at the same time. The teacher candidates and teachers who have been performing their duties attempt to find their way of teaching by trial-and-error learning during class and afterwards. Some teachers keep searching for ways to improve and equip themselves outside the classroom as well. As there seems to be no end to professional development, the following study aims to investigate whether there is a difference between pre-service and in-service teachers’ perceptions of the concept. It also tries to find out what methods these two groups use to improve their teaching style and career. To reach this aim, six in-service teachers and six pre-service teachers at a state university were interviewed. It is thought that the findings might reveal a general picture related to in-service and pre-service teachers’ beliefs and perceptions about professional development.