Quality indicators of a private personal development course for adults: A case study

The aim of this research is to determine the quality indicators related to the teaching activities of a private personal development course that serves in the field of foreign language teaching for adults and has brand value. By examining the teaching activities of a private personal development course with brand value in the field of foreign language teaching to adults, an understanding of what quality standards should be met in the teaching activities of private personal development courses for adults will be tried to be created. In line with this purpose, the question "What are the quality indicators of the teaching activities carried out in the private personal development course serving in the field of foreign language teaching for adults?" constitutes the main problem of the research. The research, in which qualitative research methods and techniques were used, was carried out in an explanatory case study design. The research was carried out in Adana Çukurova American Culture Education Institutions, which was determined by criterion sampling and operates in the field of foreign language teaching in Adana. The data of the research were collected through observation, interview and opinion form application. Participant observation technique was used in the observations made in the research. In the observation processes; the number of classes and the physical characteristics of the classes, the characteristics of the social areas in the institution, the use of instructional technologies, the characteristics of the areas offered to the use of teachers, the teaching practices of the teachers in the classroom, the practices to meet the educational needs of the students outside the course hours, the exam practices, the professional development activities for the teachers and the teamwork carried out by the teachers were observed. In the research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the teachers and students of the educational institution. 10 teachers working in the educational institution and 11 students studying in the educational institution participated in the interviews voluntarily. The opinion form, which included an open-ended question for determining the quality indicators of the educational institution, was applied to the teachers and students of the educational institution. The data obtained from observation, interview and opinion form application were analyzed by content analysis. As a result of the research, it has been understood that the quality indicators of the educational institution are gathered in the areas of institutional teaching activities, teachers' instructional practices, examination practices, physical equipment to support teaching, social practices to support teaching, management practices, teachers' professional development activities and teachers' teamwork activities. The quality of the teaching staff, the organization of the teaching processes in accordance with the preferences and needs of the students, the organization of activity lessons out of class hours, and the collaborative works of teachers that contribute to their professional development are the indicators that determine the quality of the educational institution. In addition to the activities directly related to the teaching, the approach adopted in the management processes of the educational institution is also an effective factor in the perception of qualified teaching practices. In the research, it was concluded that the quality of an educational institution serving in the field of adult education depends not only on the quality of teaching practices, but also on the approaches adopted in the teaching and management processes. The distribution of the needs and expectations of adult students in a wider range has made it necessary to respond to individual needs in the quality management process of the educational institution in the field of adult education. Based on the results of the research, it is recommended to create a systematic work plan for organizing professional development activities in which teachers can work in cooperation in the quality management process of educational institutions operating in the field of adult education. In order to increase the institutional quality in the field of adult education, teaching activities should be organized in a way that is sensitive to student needs and expectations, and social activities supporting the teaching processes should be organized.