Continuing Professional Development Policy
Mission
The mission of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Unit* at BTU SFL is to facilitate teacher development and organize activities that encourage professional growth in individual instructors and to the quality of the institution as a whole. As such it addresses the needs of the students and teachers reciprocally.
The SFL encourages the collective and individual development of its instructors by planning professional development activities designed by the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Unit in the light of the evidence stemming from three main sources: (1) the institutional priorities, (2) the data gathered from the instructors and students through the feedback surveys, the micro-macro feedback sessions, and student focus group meetings, and (3) the issues arising from the lesson observations.
The aims of the CPD Unit are:
- To promote high quality professional practices to meet international standards
- To introduce new instructors to our institutional values of professionalism and development
- To encourage and facilitate self-reflection and evaluation
- To organize collaborative development activities to enrich and improve our professional growth
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Office
In line with the above mission and aims, the CPD office offers the following major categories of activities:
- Induction Program
- Performance Evaluation System
- Orientation Program for the Students
- Collaborative CPD Activities
- Surveys
- Guides, posters, wall charts, information packs
The CPD Unit also analyses the results of feedback surveys, student focus group meetings, instructors’ micro-macro feedback sessions in collaboration with the SFL management to plan seminars, workshops, conferences as well as action research for the professional development of its staff. Through in-service training events supported by the SFL, the staff benefits from the opportunity to participate in regular professional development activities. While CPD events are voluntary in the SFL, instructors themselves decide in what areas they need to develop. This decision is often made based on the views they gain after certain CPD activities that are triggered by the feedback sessions, the discussion with a colleague, the trainer or manager, participating into a training, or attending a workshop, and so on. The instructors also tend to look for various ways to realize their full potential and determine the developmental activities they want to carry out accordingly. The CPD Unit collaborates with the SFL management to design and implement an induction program for the newly recruited instructors. The induction activities are support activities designed to assist new instructors in adapting to a new workplace culture, a new curriculum and new work routines. The program adopts observation, feedback, reflection, and curriculum orientation tasks as vital elements of the induction process.
The CPD Unit in collaboration with the SFL management and other departments also organizes a series of orientation activities to support students to get to know the school, interact with each other and with their new teachers through energizing fun activities.
Consequently, preparing teacher and student guides, information packs both for teachers and students, developing wall-charts and posters that summarize key ideas of INSET activities are also a few of the regular CPD Office activities.
The CPD collaborates with the SFL management to design a Performance Evaluation System (PES), which aims to address instructors’ potential based on self-assessment and positive thinking. The CPD Unit promotes the use of the European Profiling Grid (EPG) as a self-assessment tool, which is based on a “bottom-up” teacher development perspective. The EGP seems to be a perfect match for the requirements of the CPD Unit in the SFL. The instructors are encouraged to discuss, identify and reflect the significance of their EPG results and consequently develop a specific short-term plan of action they could adopt to enhance their personal professional development (Professional Growth Plan). Adopting their Professional Growth Plans, the instructors are eventually encouraged to have focused peer observations conducted in a climate of trusting relationship between the observer and the teacher. The PES cycle includes reflection both on the action and on the obstacles during the period of the implementation of the PEG action plan. The CPD Unit also conducts professional development talks with the staff in collaboration with the SFL management.
A good instructor at the SFL must employ certain strategies to achieve professionalism and personal growth by reaching the criteria for Performance Evaluation that fall under three categories:
(1) Professional Accountabilities
(2) Professional Development Activities
(3) Optional Activities
| Professional Accountabilities | Professional Development Activities |
Optional Activities |
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Additionally, the SFL allows and encourages its instructors to complete their Masters or PhD degrees while working for the institution. Instructors enrolled in graduate programs are allotted one day per week to attend their classes. In vein with the academic needs of staff members, the SFL encourages its staff to participate in academic conferences both in Turkey and abroad. BTU meets the expenses of academic staff participating in academic conferences and activities within the regulations of Higher Education Law, No. 2547, and the cost of two academic events per year (one in Turkey and one abroad) are covered by BTU.
In order to develop and apply an effective policy of professional development for our teaching staff, the CPD Unit also analyses and evaluates the results of different surveys, which are carried out throughout the academic year:
Student Feedback Survey
This survey is conducted at the end of each academic quarter. Students assess their instructors in terms of the instructor’s ability to use course materials effectively, answer questions appropriately, and create an environment conducive to learning. The results of the survey and the comments made by the students regarding their instructors are evaluated by the SFL management and reported to the individual instructors.
Coordinator Feedback Survey
This survey is delivered to the staff each academic year specifically for the assessment of Units and Coordinators. Instructors assess the Units and Coordinators in terms of planning and organization, communication, teamwork, decision making and problem solving, managing change and improvement of the course, and responsiveness to complete the unit tasks in a timely manner. The results of the survey and the comments made by the instructors regarding each Unit are reported to the relevant Coordinators by the SFL management.
SFL Management Feedback Survey
This survey is delivered to the staff each academic year specifically for the assessment of Assistant Directors’ and Department Head’s performance so as to improve the quality of the foreign language education at BTU SFL. Instructors assess the assistant directors in terms of planning and organization, communication, teamwork, decision making and problem solving, availability, managing change and improvement of the course, and responsiveness to complete the unit tasks in a timely manner. The results of the survey and the comments made by the instructors regarding each Assistant Director and the Department Head to the SFL director.
Following the analysis of the survey results, the shortcomings, needs, and expectations of our instructors are identified. The CPD Unit - in collaboration with the SFL management, fellow Coordinators and instructors - addresses these needs by arranging seminars, workshops, and other professional development events throughout the academic year.
Orientation Policy
The orientation and training processes of new students and instructors to the SFL are important for us. The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Office plans, organizes, and executes the student and staff orientation policy of the SFL. Selected instructors first meet with our Director, Assistant Directors and Department Head. In this meeting the general structure of the SFL, its processes, and its procedures are explained. Both the SFL’s expectations from its instructors and the instructors’ expectations from the SFL are discussed. If newly-recruited instructors are inexperienced in teaching, the CPD Office prepares an observation schedule for them so that they can benefit from more experienced staff.
After this general meeting, instructors are assigned to Units and/or Offices according to needs of the SFL. Each Coordinator holds regular meetings with his/her Team members to explain the procedures that are followed within the Unit and/or Office, the relevant course materials, and the procedures for accessing supplementary materials related to that skill. Coordinators are also available to answer any questions that new Team members may have.
At the beginning of the academic year, an orientation program is arranged for both students and
staff. During this program, students meet their instructors, and the procedures for exams,
assessments, assignments, and attendance are explained.
Learner Training Policy
At the beginning of every academic year, two orientation programs are offered to new students. The first orientation program focuses on BTU and the other on the SFL. As part of the SFL orientation program, students are informed about the details of the English preparatory class. The aim of twin orientation programs is to introduce new students to the administrative and academic units of BTU while also helping them adjust quickly to their new environment by encouraging them to participate in activities organized by various student clubs and groups.
Our students can consult the instructors who are appointed in the beginning of each academic quarter during designated days and hours. Furthermore, students can apply to assigned instructors on the condition that they need any assistance regarding the automation system.
* In this text, the words Office and Unit are used interchangeably.