PERSONAL FACTORS AFFECTING EXPERIENCED ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS DECISIONS TO OR NOT TO ENGAGE IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES Figen Özdemir İyidoğan, 2012

GAP There is a lack of studies focusing on personal factors, and particularly in the Turkish context, where much of the time failure to participate in PD is simply attributed to institutional factors. Kurt (2010) states that teachers salaries are low, which is a concern for these teachers about their future. Therefore, they change their working habits. Pachier and Field (1997) state that being an effective foreign language teacher requires commitment to keep up with the developments in the field and a willingness to engage in continuous professional development.

GAP Teachers who are believed to have the willingness to engage in PD activities regardless of their expertise have been striving for their own professional development (Tedick, 2005) Some teachers are investors, and put great effort by their relationship with learners and in getting to know them, and they display empathy with learners (Steward, 2009, p.109)).

RESEARCH QUESTION Which personal factor(s) play a role in experienced English language teachers decision to or not to engage in PD activities?

METHODOLOGY Setting State primary and secondary schools Participants Six experienced English language teachers

ParticipantMerveMelisZeynepDenizVolgaYağmur Sex M/F FFFFMF Age Experience in Years Marital Status SMMMMM Number of Children N/A22121 Siblings 224N/A41 Degree BA+MABA BA+MA+ PhD (continuin g) BA Hobbies/ Sports SwimmingN/A JoggingN/ASwimming Participatio n in PD activities No No Unwilling Table 1- Profile of the Interviewees

METHODOLOGY Instruments Questionnaire (52 teachers) Semi-structured interviews (six teachers) The interviewer had the flexibility of changing the order of questions or skipping some questions according to the development of the interview (Yıldırım and Simsek, 2005).

I NTERVIEW QUESTIONS : 1. How many hours do you have to teach every week? 2. Was it your own choice to become a teacher? 3. Do you prepare your own exams/materials for the class or is there a testing committee? 4. Do you recall any other experiences that you think are worth mentioning as regards to your teaching and/or educational life? 5. What is your definition of PD? 6. What makes you participate in PD activities? 7. What factors prevent you from engaging in PD activities? 8. How would you define a good teacher? What are the characteristics of a good teacher? 9. If you were asked to draw a picture of the life style of a teacher, what would the picture look like? 10. Tell me about your present and past participation in PD activities. 11. Have you changed your attitude towards PD through the years? If you have, in what ways has it changed?

DATA ANALYSIS Each participant had a different story to tell The researcher wanted: - to make the analysis interesting and easy to read - to create a trustworthy atmosphere during the interviews - to make the interviewees feel comfortable

FINDINGS Factors Affecting Experienced English Language Teachers Participation in PD Activities Definition of PD* Age Salary Marital status and children Years of experience Educational background

C OMMON T HEMES Intrinsic motivation Attitude towards students and teaching environment* Sense of well-being* The effect of frequent changes in the educational system*

LIMITATIONS Time constraints Accessibility of experienced teachers across the country More representatives of the administration Classroom observations

IMPLICATIONS More collaboration among teachers, principles, and ministry officials. Principals own discretion in selecting and providing PD activities for their staff. Revised content of the PD activities. Minimizing the effect of problems teachers face in their professional lives.