Designing an in-service teacher training program for english language instructors and identifiying the effectiveness of the program: An implication at Afyon Kocatepe University

It is of crucial importance for teachers of English to develop professionally at this time of rapid change. In order to encourage this aim of the teachers, the institutions should have attempts like having offices responsible for professional development of the academic staff and organizing events for the sake of on-going development. This study was conducted at Afyon Kocatepe University School of Foreign Languages Department and the participants of the study were the 10 newly hired teachers and 12 experienced teachers. In order to meet the needs of the academic staffs? professional development Teacher Training and Development Office was founded and it organized in service teacher training program (hereafter INSET) considering the needs of the participants. To be more helpful and beneficial, needs were analyzed in a comprehensive way. During the implementation of the program different techniques, models, activities like microteaching, peer observation, on the job observation, intensive INSET program were applied to meet the needs of the participants and the effectiveness of these studies was evaluated as a part of this study. The research questions posed for this study investigated to what the novice teachers and experienced teachers? needs are and what aspects affect these needs and to evaluate the effectiveness of the overall program. Two data collection instruments were employed in this study. First, a survey was completed at the beginning and at end of the program. Second, semi-structured interviews with ten randomly chosen participants were conducted after the intense 15-day INSET and after microteaching activities. Generally speaking, the results showed that novice and experienced teachers? needs differ in most of the components, their needs were met at the end of the program, and all components of the program resulted in success.