Perspectives of english teachers on developing digital content in english curriculum

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perspectives of English language teachers on the development of digital content within English language teaching programs. This research was conducted using the exploratory case study model, one of the qualitative research designs. The study group consisted of 28 English teachers working in public schools in the city center of Giresun in the 2022-2023 academic year. The 28 teachers who made up the study group were selected using the criterion sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling methods. In determining the teachers in the study group, the following criteria were taken into consideration: working in public schools, working as an English teacher, having at least 3 years of teaching experience, and using digital materials in teaching English. The research was conducted in two phases. In the first stage, the researcher facilitated a six-week 'Digital Content Development Training Integrated into English Curricula' online training via Zoom platform for English teachers working in Giresun city center. Within the framework of the training, a total of 22 digital tools (Web 2.0 and artificial intelligence tools) were introduced. In the second stage, at the end of the online training, interviews were conducted with 28 volunteer teachers. Data were obtained through a semi-structured interview form. Data were analyzed by using thematical content analysis methods in accordance with qualitative research. The themes, sub themes, and codes were obtained during the analysis process. The findings were presented in tables, and direct quotes were also included to reflect the views of the teachers. As a result of the research, categories such as digital content and tools, contributions of digital content, technology integration and use, professional development, goals of online education, educational content, learning-teaching process and evaluation, benefits of digital content and tools, and contributions of digital content to students' language skills were formed. According to the results of the research, it can be recommended that teachers be provided with sufficient support and technical assistance to facilitate the preparation of digital content and its integration into curriculum during education and training processes. Teachers can integrate more digital content into the curriculum in order to increase students' language proficiency. Research can be conducted with the participation of students on the contributions of digital content to students' language development.