Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, cilt.0, sa.0, ss.1-18, 2024 (Scopus)
This instrumental case study explored 10 English as a foreign language
(EFL) instructors’ perceptions and experiences of participating in an
asynchronous online professional development (OPD) program. The study
aimed to explore instructors’ professional development (PD) needs, the
factors influencing their participation in OPD, and the perceived
effective characteristics of the OPD program. Data gathered through
individual interviews, reflective reports, and a focus group were
analyzed using a reflective thematic analysis approach. The study
revealed that the EFL instructors’ limited engagement in reflective
practice and continuous PD could potentially result in overconfidence
and a lack of awareness regarding their PD needs. Furthermore, the
article highlights perceived effective characteristics of the OPD
program: flexibility, collaboration, facilitation and organization,
reflection, relevance, and practicality. Findings suggest that these
characteristics not only contributed to its effectiveness but also
promoted instructors’ participation and engagement in the OPD.