INTERNATIONAL ONLINE JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES, vol.2, no.14, pp.419-431, 2022 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
The present study aims to examine the perspectives of Turkish as a second language (TSL) lecturers
on an in-service teacher training programme which was organized to improve their teaching
competencies. The method of the study is case study, one of the qualitative research methods. 6
Turkish L2 lecturers participated in the study. Firstly, a needs analysis has been made with the
lecturers to determine their possible problems and needs while teaching Turkish at a Turkish
Language Learning Research and Application Centre (TÖMER) of a state university in Turkey. The
reason of making a needs analysis was that 2 of the lecturers do not have an academic background
in teaching Turkish as a second/foreign language, 4 of them are only certified in that field. After
determining their problems and needs, a six-week teacher training programme has been
implemented. The teacher training programme was established with a group of field experts. All the
field experts had an academic background and practical experience in teaching Turkish as a
second/foreign language. Data were collected with two different semi-structured interview forms.
Before the programme, lecturers’ needs were determined and after finishing the programme, semistructured
interviews were conducted to obtain lecturers' perceptions on the teacher training
programme. In-service teacher training was carried out through online platforms, and interviews
were conducted face-to-face. According to the research findings, lecturers remarked that the teacher
training programme would be more effective if it was face-to-face. Online education environment
caused them to often hesitate to ask questions. Moreover, teacher training helped the participants
increase their awareness and knowledge and identify their knowledge deficiencies. The most
effective subjects in the teacher training were measurement and evaluation, teaching reading,
material development, and grammar, respectively.