International Journal of Science Annals, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2024 рrint ISSN: 2617-2682; online ISSN: 2707-3637; DOI:10.26697/ijsa SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES. Education ORIGINAL RESEARCH A Digital Leap in the Evolution of Continuous Professional Development for Teachers Authors’ Contribution: A – Study design; Ghobrini M.1 ABDEF , Ghobrini R. E. A.1 ABCDE , B – Data collection; Benaicha F.1 EF C – Statistical analysis; 1 Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University, Algeria D – Data interpretation; E – Manuscript preparation; F – Literature search; Received: 10.04.2024; Accepted: 12.05.2024; Published: 30.06.2024 G – Funds collection Abstract Background and The realm of education is in a constant state of evolution, necessitating that Aim of Study: teachers at K-12 and tertiary levels continually update their practices through continuous professional development (CPD). The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated the adoption of online CPD, encompassing self-driven initiatives, government-led programs, and third-party offerings, notably those by the British Council in the MENA region, which is the emphasis of this study. This transition to online platforms initially involved leveraging Zoom, and subsequently, WhatsApp. The aim of the study: to map the process of CPD-infused online training by analyzing meeting schedules, topics discussed, group dynamics, and interaction patterns. Additionally, it seeks to develop a CPD-based system that can be replicated or scaled for broader implementation. Material and Methods: This descriptive multi-case study is conducted on two WhatsApp groups dedicated to enhancing the skills and competencies of 990 and 780 MENA teachers, respectively. For data collection, the study employed two primary tools: participant observation, and analysis of archived data from CPD-based multimedia-focused discussions in both e-groups over a fixed period of 40 days. Results: The research provides a comprehensive overview of the CPD process and a cost- effective scalable CPD-centric system based on six key elements: e-platforms, e- meetings, archiving, certification, website and organization that orchestrates and streamlines the entire process. This CPD-driven system offers guidelines for institutions and policymakers looking to replicate this system in their educational contexts, with the goal of upgrading teachers’ pedagogical expertise. Conclusions: This study contributes to understanding the effectiveness and scalability of online CPD initiatives using platforms like WhatsApp, particularly in regions like MENA, and offers insights for stakeholders aiming to implement similar strategies for enhancing teacher professional development. Keywords: education, system, social media, CPD, MENA, WhatsApp Copyright: © 2024 Ghobrini M., Ghobrini R. E. A., Benaicha F. Published by Archives of International Journal of Science Annals DOI: https://doi.org/10.26697/ijsa.2024.1.3 Conflict of interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests Peer review: Double-blind review Source of support: This research did not receive any outside funding or support Information about Ghobrini Mustapha – https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2296-633X; Doctor of the authors: Philosophy in Work and Organizational Psychology, Assistant Professor, AQQDPSB Research Lab, Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University, Algeria. Ghobrini Rafik El Amine (Corresponding Author) – https://orcid.org/0000- 0003-4028-8793; amine.ghobrini@univ-mosta.dz; Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics and New Technologies, Assistant Professor, DSPM Research Lab, Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University, Algeria. Benaicha Faiza – https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0692-029X; Post-Graduate student, GSLSD Research Lab, Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University, Algeria. 17 International Journal of Science Annals, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2024 рrint ISSN: 2617-2682; online ISSN: 2707-3637; DOI:10.26697/ijsa Introduction In these turbulent times, professional continuous especially useful for average to low-resourced contexts development for teachers at all levels, including (Focho, 2023) where it become significantly cost- primary, middle, secondary, and tertiary, is becoming effective to deploy such e-trainings and to larger increasingly crucial. It enables them to sharpen their audience. As a result, it is recommended that social capabilities, broaden their pedagogical repertoire, and media tools like WhatsApp hold promise for fostering build upon existing knowledge to overall enhance the teacher development in similar under-privileged teaching profession. In this sense, the landscape of contexts (Motteram et al., 2020). education is being fundamentally changed by Further, another key advantage of professional technology, as digital advancements progressively development facilitated by social media is its flexibility integrate into the daily tasks of teachers in schools to tailor to the specific needs of different teachers and (Player-Koro et al., 2018; Pypenko, 2019). In fact, accommodate an individual’s changing requirements as technology has been a proficient vessel through which they progress through various stages of their career continuous professional development (CPD) has (Anders, 2018). For this reason, Acuyo (2021) urges transcended the physical confines of educational tutors to utilize the interactive functions of social media institutions, thereby becoming more widespread. platforms to connect with fellow professionals and make Accordingly, a consistent body of literature has been a lasting impact in the community by actively produced in term of using CPD online for teachers (e.g., participating in online discussions. Çelen & Seferoglu, 2020; Lantz-Andersson et al., 2018; In a more angled standpoint, different studies that have Wong et al., 2023). Along these lines, the pandemic has been conducted on how to leverage WhatsApp for significantly accelerated the proliferation of continuous professional developments ends. In this technologizing CPD programs because instructors regard, Cansoy (2017) suggests that WhatsApp groups worldwide were in need to upgrade their e-savoir-faire have the potential to facilitate professional growth by to be able to operate in online-only environment in the offering field expertise, pedagogical knowledge, wide spectrum of pedagogical facets. During these practical teaching insights, and emotional times, different initiative be it self-initiated (Rahman et encouragement among educators. With its wide range of al., 2020), government-mandated (Mutiary & Ratnam- functions, many social media-based features can be Lim, 2023) and/or third party-led as it is the case in this utilized for educational purposes in general and study. specifically for professional development. In this respect, it’s attested that teacher training Another investigation conducted by Motteram et al. encompass training instructors to hone different (2020) suggests that WhatsApp groups enhanced competences (Hossein et al., 2024) that ranges from teachers’ proficiency in English language, offering a creating educational tasks that cater to the specific needs forum for sharing and discussing challenges specific to of students (Simamora et al., 2020; Thumiki & Magd, their context, facilitating the creation of teaching 2022), utilizing precise, organized content and schedule materials, and initiating meaningful discussions to to impart course requirements to learners (Jung et al., address issues. It also highlights concerns regarding 2021; Li et al., 2017), devising online pedagogical participation, access, equity, and sustainability materials in/for learning management system (LMS) highlighting the potential of online platforms in (González et al., 2023; Martin et al., 2019), choosing enhancing teacher professional growth and the suitable online technology that aligns with the desired associated advantages. In the same veins, Lee et content and learning objectives (Adi Badiozaman et al., al. (2023) found similar outcomes in a primary school 2022; Schalk et al., 2022), creating a well-structured situated in Hong Kong amidst the COVID-19 crisis, course with supplementary tips, instructions, and criteria determining that WhatsApp can aid in fostering (Paliwal & Singh, 2021; Wang et al., 2021), to continual professional growth for teachers primarily that efficiently aligning learning goals, course tasks, of English as a second language. assessment methods, and educational activities in online On the flip side, Mohr and Shelton (2017) reported that courses (Hung & Chou, 2015; Reader et al., 2020), and most of these training programs “typically focus on creating online study materials, methodologies, and technology, pedagogy, and course content” (p. 134) yet resources to enhance learning effectiveness and are also one-size-fits-all, and thus may not adequately organization (Metz & Bezuidenhout, 2018; Phelps & address the unique requirements of individual Vlachopoulos, 2019). instructors (Leary et al., 2020). This calls for a Additionally, these teacher training (e)-programs were personalized online CPD that can considerably improve conducted on educational platforms including Zoom the quality of the training and therefore augment the (e.g., Anene & Idiedo, 2023; Lucovich, 2021) and level of benefit that instructor should obtain from such Google meet (Noor et al., 2021) along with other initiatives. An additional key consideration is the informal arenas including social media (Acuyo, 2021; common challenge of possessing adequate digital skills Maloney et al., 2017) such as twitter (e.g, Colwell & to confidently navigate social media platforms Hutchison, 2018), Facebook (e.g., Al-Jarf, 2021; Bett & (Donelan, 2016; Zhu et al., 2018), which can be a barrier Makewa, 2020) and more importantly WhatsApp that obstructs an optimal CPD-based learning journey. (Kihwele & Mgata, 2022). These social media- These considerations should be taken into account when facilitated professional development programs are formulating such training programs. 18 International Journal of Science Annals, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2024 рrint ISSN: 2617-2682; online ISSN: 2707-3637; DOI:10.26697/ijsa Another noteworthy aspect is that much of the existing more general, and the latter is more specific. The literature is theoretical, highlighting the need for more primary objective of this study is to create a detailed in-depth individual case studies to provide a more “picture” of how this process unfolds, enabling future realistic portrayal of practice (Acuyo, 2021), akin to our replication. Therefore, the comparison made between study, which examines the entire process both within the groups is not to highlight contrasts but to fill in any and outside the WhatsApp platform. This approach gaps that might arise from analyzing just one e-group. would enable researchers to gain a deeper understanding Indeed, descriptive studies aim “to describe or explain of the complexities of social media-enabled relationships among phenomena, situations, and events participation in professional development initiatives (De as they occur,” as Thomlison (2001, p. 131) notes, Laat, 2012). aligning with the objectives of this scholarship. This The aim of the study. To extract a replicable CPD-centric study concentrates on two distinct case studies, system that can be applied for similar purposes by qualifying it as a multiple case study. As Greene and charting the process of CPD-integrated e-training, David (1984, p. 75) explain, this approach is utilized examining meeting schedules, discussed topics, group “for generalizing to a target population of cases from the dynamics, and interaction patterns. results of a purposefully selected sample of cases,” which, in our situation, involves two cases. Materials and Methods The Sample Population To conduct the study, a descriptive multiple case Regarding the sample population, the first WhatsApp research design was utilized to examine the CPD group “MENA English Teachers Community” processes in two distinct WhatsApp groups: “MENA comprises 990 users, each identified by a unique phone English Teachers Community” and “Secondary number. Consideration was given to those who were Teachers”, created by the British Embassy. The either added to the group or active in CPD-focused initiative initially involved grouping instructors for discussions. Consequently, 92 users were identified as training in online seminars and workshops to adapt to participants. These individuals come from 17 different the pandemic-affected environment. Invitations for countries, with varying representation (Figure 1): CPD-focused seminars were sent via email, with a shift Egypt (38.04%), Iraq (9.78%), Saudi Arabia (7.61%), to a socially mediated WhatsApp platform by the end of Algeria (6.52%), Oman (6.52%), Libya (5.43%), 2023. Jordan (5.43%), Yemen (4.35%), United Arab Two groups were selected for this study: the first is for Emirates (4.35%), Qatar (3.26%), Lebanon (2.17%), all MENA teachers, while the second is exclusively for Morocco (2.17%), India (2.17%), Kuwait (2.17%), secondary English teachers. In essence, the former is Tunisia (1.09%), Sri Lanka (1.09%), and Iran (1.09%). Figure 1 The Countries’ Frequency of the Participants in Both WhatsApp Groups Meanwhile, the second WhatsApp group “Secondary participants were identified, originating from 17 Teachers” consists of 780 users. Those accounted for in countries. The breakdown is as follows (Figure 1): the study include members who were invited and added Egypt (41.57%), Iraq (10.11%), Oman (10.11%), Saudi to the group or those who actively participated in online Arabia (8.99%), Algeria (7.87%), Jordan (6.74%), discussions. Within this specific timeframe, 77 Morocco (5.62%), Libya (5.62%), Yemen (4.49%), 19 International Journal of Science Annals, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2024 рrint ISSN: 2617-2682; online ISSN: 2707-3637; DOI:10.26697/ijsa United Arab Emirates (4.49%), Qatar (4.49%), India content data accessible and analysable for social science (3.37%), Lebanon (2.25%), Kuwait (2.25%), Iran scholars. The qualitative data from these e-groups (1.12%), Sri Lanka (1.12%), Tunisia (1.12%). permit a comprehensive mapping of how the CPD One noticeable trend in both populations is the process is undertaken, identifying the interlinked significant presence of Egyptian participants, elements that first, made this educational journey have accounting for 38.05% in the first WhatsApp group and such broad reach, and second, uncover the guidelines 41.57% in the second. This can be attributed to the fact used to fulfil their mission. that the entity monitoring the CPD program is the British Embassy of Egypt. Therefore, it is logical that the Results majority of instructors taking part in these CPD trainings The results of the study revolve around three main are Egyptians. Another point worth emphasizing is that elements namely the meeting schedules and topics, a small fraction of instructors do not belong to the group dynamic and interaction in both WhatsApp MENA region. This is understandable, as invitations groups and lastly, the overall process of CPD-infused sent to invite instructors can be referred to other WhatsApp-based e-training. colleagues outside the immediate region. Meeting Schedules and Topics Procedure The “Secondary Teachers” group appears to be targeted After extracting chat-transcript from both WhatsApp at educators operating with secondary-level students, groups “MENA English Teachers Community” and discussing a wide variety of teaching techniques in this “Secondary teachers” over a 40-days period (10th of niche. During this 40-day period, they held about eight January to 20th of February 2024), a meticulous meetings, equating to two regular meetings per 10 days, protocol of cleaning the data was followed to enhance to discuss a broad spectrum of topics ranging from the analysis on a later stage. Initially, we removed social-emotional learning in education, developing irrelevant information including automated messages speaking skills, role play strategy, teaching writing, to from WhatsApp, greetings, and notifications about enhancing reading and writing skills. Conversely, the members joining or leaving the group. This was done “MENA English Teachers Community” is more both semi-automatically meaning the process was partly encompassing for English language teachers in the manual and partly automated. It was also essential to Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, sharing organize the conversational threads in certain themes the same vision as the former. This vision is equipping that would ease up the analysis process. Additionally, educators with pertinent language teaching techniques, non-English content was translated for future use. regardless of the educational level they operate in, be it Because regular meetings were held, Key Discussions primary, secondary, or tertiary. It is noteworthy to were highlighted along with their respective dates that mention that, despite serving the same goal, the meeting aligned with the analysis goals. This step-by-step format is different as this e-space is used more for procedure prepared the data for a comprehensive announcing CPD-oriented seminars via Zoom, for thematic analysis which is “a method for identifying, instance. In these 40 days, only two post webinar analyzing, and interpreting patterns of meaning meetings were held. Similar to the Secondary Teachers (“themes”) within qualitative data” (Clarke & Braun, WhatsApp group, many interesting topics were tackled, 2017, p. 297). including how to efficiently use technology in language Data Collection Tools teaching, teach grammar more creatively, and how to This CPD-focused journey began with an email practically implement group activities. Two post- invitation to participate in a live ZOOM webinar during webinar meetings were held, and this group seems to the COVID-19 crisis, which one of the researchers group mainly MENA educators to inform them about attended and received a certificate. In late 2023, an upcoming events that may be of interest to them. So, it invitation from the British Embassy in Egypt was sent is another way to reach a broader audience the same way via email to join various WhatsApp groups, two of one can send an email reminder, one can send a text via which were selected for an in-depth study using a WhatsApp. descriptive multiple case study research design. To Group Dynamic and Interaction realize this research, participant observation was the Because there were eight online CPD-focused meeting initial data collection tool, as the researcher engaged in in the secondary teachers WhatsApp group, a noticeable these groups and participated in WhatsApp-directed level of interaction has been noticed but both groups professional continuous development conversations. To displayed an active participation and a considerable thoroughly understand the dynamics of both WhatsApp level of engagement through sharing their ideas and groups, “Secondary Teachers “, and “MENA English experiences on the discussed topic whilst upholding the Teachers Community”, recorded transcripts were group rules. extracted into a file for careful analysis. This digital An emphasis has been put on sharing their best practices trace data, as defined by Howison et al. (2011), is and savoir-faire on the domain, which means not only automatically stored by the social media platform and they discuss the theory but also the practice as well as encompasses records of activity often through online the various case scenarios to which this pedagogical information systems. Ohme et al. (2024) assert that it concept apply. This can immensely enlarge and extend enables the analysis of content usage at an individual teachers’ repertoire of pedagogical methods and level and those methods and tools are available to make techniques. 20 International Journal of Science Annals, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2024 рrint ISSN: 2617-2682; online ISSN: 2707-3637; DOI:10.26697/ijsa Because the participants are from different countries, 3. Videos: Moderators occasionally posted videos, there was a context-bound layer that was added to these prompting members to first view the pedagogical discussions because each member showcased their own material, reflect on its content, and then share their perspective to the issue at hand. So, for many of the opinions with others, fostering diversity and a multitude discussed elements, mani-fold culture-infused solutions of perspectives. were given which shows how enriching and 4. Formal Online Webinars: These took place externally enlightening the exchanges were. on platforms like Zoom, representing the other end of The Process of CPD-Infused WhatsApp-Based E- the spectrum from the informal WhatsApp External Training links are frequently shared in the groups, particularly the Both groups utilized direct messaging within WhatsApp one catering to the MENA English teacher’s among members, which can be regarded as an informal community. These links invite users to participate in live semi-structured online CPD session. In this setup, the formal webinars presented by professionals and teacher moderator guided real-time discussions following trainers. The aim is to refine instructors’ skills, enabling specific prompts containing content-related instructions them to deliver optimal learning experiences for their and ideas to be discussed by participants, employing students. various interactive modes. These included: Following the live sessions, recorded versions of the 1. Polls: Used to gauge participants’ understanding of a webinars are shared for those unable to attend. given concept or to survey the extent and manner in Additionally, post-webinar meetings are scheduled to which a certain teaching method is employed in their discuss the webinar's content, sharing additional respective classes. Instructors could use the responses to resources available on the official website of the British seek clarification, present problems, or share their Embassy. This method effectively disseminates existing thoughts on the subject matter. knowledge from the website to other e-platforms, 2. Emojis: Moderately employed to express reactions as maximizing outreach. requested by the moderator. For example, members A CPD-oriented web-based practical system based on clicked 👍 to indicate agreement with a statement or to six elements, namely e-platforms, e-meetings, signal understanding of an instruction. archiving, certification, website and the organization that orchestrates the whole process, is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 CPD-Oriented Web-Based Practical System One notable example is the provision of online free Overall, group admins supervise, organize, and moderate training courses (as seen in Figure 2), open to any these online meetings by posting a variety of audio-visual educator looking to enhance their competencies at their materials, reminders, and follow-up messages. These own pace. Participants receive certification upon efforts serve to encourage further participation and completing the e-training. Each session concludes with a ensure fruitful exchanges, efficient communication, and call to action for teachers and a brief summary of the key resource-sharing during these instructive sessions. elements discussed, ensuring that members retain crucial information from the meeting. 21 International Journal of Science Annals, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2024 рrint ISSN: 2617-2682; online ISSN: 2707-3637; DOI:10.26697/ijsa Discussion maximizing the benefits of the system and significantly After meticulously tracing the CPD journey of teachers deepening their understanding and honing their skills in in both WhatsApp groups created by the British Embassy the target areas. in Egypt – the organization overseeing the CPD initiative Another noteworthy implication is the cross-cultural – and thoroughly reviewing their regular pedagogical exchange among instructors in these regular online activities in these online spaces, a scalable, intensive, meetings. Each member can present their unique cost-effective, and practical system was developed for perspective on a particular point, and the aggregation of future replication (Figure 2). these reflections can provide an all-encompassing picture The organization oversees the entire CPD process across of the discussed concept or demonstrate the various ways various spaces, continuously inviting potential members a technique can be deployed. This exchange can greatly to join the WhatsApp groups primarily via email, expand instructors’ horizons and enrich their teaching resulting in an ever-growing population benefiting from practices cross-culturally. these e-trainings. This scalability enables the system to train a massive number of instructors. Furthermore, the Conclusions communication platforms, specifically WhatsApp groups This research aims to outline the CPD journey by in this case, serve as venues for conducting CPD analyzing metrics such as materials used, frequency of meetings with different members in closed groups. These virtual meetings, expansion of participant groups. meetings can occur several times a month, in this Through this process, a blended, cost-effective, and instance, six times, highlighting their cost-effectiveness scalable CPD system has been uncovered that has the compared to regular face-to-face CPD workshops. potential to revolutionize this arena. This system can Additionally, the WhatsApp groups are utilized to post train instructors and educators globally on a regular basis, announcements regarding virtual seminars conducted on keeping them updated with the latest trends in (e)- external platforms like Zoom. These platforms serve not education. Such optimization and maximization can only for seminar attendance but also for post-seminar significantly enhance both the teachers’ teaching journey discussions, where participants can share their thoughts and the learners’ educational endeavors. and provide feedback about the CPD presentations. This With an automated archival system, all CPD-centered aligns with Niess’s (2011) findings, which emphasize discussions can be traced and accessed by any member at that the success of CPD programs depends not solely on any time. This allows for revisiting prior trainings and attendance but also on the post-PD support teachers assessing stored multimedia-based data to improve the receive. Within this community, professional system overall. Moreover, these remote CPD trainings relationships can be cultivated, and instructors can seek can be accredited, offering certificates to instructors each assistance when needed. time they participate in these professional seminars, CPD-driven and social media-based systems have the complemented by the wide spectrum of resources potential to alleviate the burden of time and temporal available on the official website of the organization. limitations (Cook et al., 2017; Trust et al., 2016) that Such a comprehensive CPD system holds the promise to traditional CPD formats impose. By removing these upgrade teachers’ skills worldwide and advance the constraints, online CPD-centric systems offer more teaching profession overall. This sustainable e-system intensive training to instructors, as research indicates that can be leveraged by educators, stakeholders, and policy single-session workshops are unlikely to significantly researchers seeking to replicate such models in their improve teachers’ practices (Darling-Hammond, 2017). respective educational institutions. CPD for teachers will Once a social media CPD-centered meeting takes place, always remain at the forefront of their responsibilities it is automatically archived, allowing any member to and those of their stakeholders because their excellence review the content at any time or retrieve shared lies in continuous growth and improvement. pedagogical materials. This digital repository facilitates revisiting past meetings, seeking help from other Ethical Approval members, and evaluating CPD programs to potentially The study protocol was consistent with the ethical improve design and delivery (Nicolaidou & Petridou, guidelines of the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki. 2011). Active participants in these e-sessions can receive Funding Source certificates, aiding in career advancement. Resource This research did not receive any outside funding or sharing is central to this CPD-focused exchange, with the support. official British Embassy website housing countless resources for instructors to utilize. Accredited courses are References also available for participation. This CPD-focused Acuyo, A. (2021). 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Computers & Education, Research, 57(8), 1935–1955. 102, 15–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633118820631 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.06.007 Cite this article as: Ghobrini, M., Ghobrini, R. E. A., & Benaicha, F. (2024). A digital leap in the evolution of continuous professional development for teachers. International Journal of Science Annals, 7(1), 17–25. https://doi.org/10.26697/ijsa.2024.1.3 The electronic version of this article is complete. It can be found online in the IJSA Archive https://ijsa.culturehealth.org/en/arhiv This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en). 25