EFL Teachers’ Experiences about eTwinning and its Effects on Professional Development


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KIZILASLAN Ş., ERSİN BAŞKAN P.

Marmara Üniversitesi Atatürk Eğitim Fakültesi Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, cilt.58, sa.58, ss.41-58, 2023 (Hakemli Dergi) identifier

Özet

Task-based learning through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has become more important for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners and teachers these days. Therefore, national and international projects have been facilitated by the integration of technology. This study aims to investigate the perceptions of EFL teachers on eTwinning. A qualitative research design was used to explore the experiences of EFL teachers who have already completed eTwinning projects and are currently carrying out them with EFL learners and gain in-depth understanding about the advantages and disadvantages of eTwinning projects in terms of their professional development. A total of ten EFL teachers working at secondary and high schools in Turkey participated in the study. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed with inductive analysis. The results showed that EFL teachers had positive attitudes towards participating in eTwinning projects. They reported that eTwinning projects contributed to their professional development since they created an international network of EFL teachers, providing an opportunity to share their teaching experiences, and the international network developed their technological and pedagogical content knowledge and organizational skills. Moreover, it was stated that these projects motivated the teachers to plan and organize similar projects and helped them gain recognition among their colleagues and appreciation in their workplace.