Page 19 - IJSA, Vol. 7, No 1, 2024
P. 19

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:                       1 ABDEF                      1 ABCDE
             A – Study design;                    Ghobrini M.          , Ghobrini R. E. A.          ,
             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;  [email protected];  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
   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24