PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS VIA DISTANCE EDUCATION: THE CASE OF NON-THESIS MASTER’S PROGRAM IN INNOVATIVE EDUCATION IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Abstract
The main aim of this study is to examine the opinions of the teachers studying in the Innovative Education in Primary School Distance Education Non-Thesis Master’s Program and the reflection of the program on their professional lives. In line with this aim, sequential explanatory design from mixed research methods was used in the study. 147 teachers participated in the quantitative part of the study and 52 teachers participated in the qualitative part. The data were collected through a questionnaire and a structured interview form. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data and thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The study revealed that the majority of participating teachers participated in this program to improve their professional competencies and increase their teaching effectiveness. Participants gave positive evaluations of the live lessons, learning management system, content and assessment methods. It was stated that the program contributed significantly to teachers’ personal and professional development. However, a significant number of teachers found the non-interactive lessons ineffective, attributing this to one-way teaching methods, traditional content, limited interactive materials and repetitive topics. In addition, the participants offered various constructive suggestions for the structural features of the program and for providing more effective support for career development.
Keywords
Teacher education, professional development, distance education, non-thesis master’s program.
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