Abstract:
PD initiatives have a broader implication for English as Second Language (ESL)
teachers at the Sri Lanka university sector for enhancing their professional growth
and students’ performance. A qualitative case study was undertaken with ten ESL
teachers of a government university of Sri Lanka at identifying their perceptions of
engagement during PD sessions and how their perceptions impact on their
engagement in PD activities. The study used semi-structured interviews as the
research instrument, and Thematic Analysis for recognizing, analyzing and
interpreting of data. Participants’ reactions and engagement in PD activities during
sessions were mostly regulated by contextual factors - relevance to ESL of the
content of the session, interest in the session, practitioner-centeredness of the
activities, and other contextual aspects - rather than their by perceptions or type of
PD. Therefore, participants’ level of engagement in PD was heavily dependent on
the managerialist and democratic regulations that decide the aims, the content, and
the format of PD activities. Findings and recommendations offer a valuable
contribution to PD facilitators and policy-makers that would be of help for
introducing productive changes to the existing PD activities at all universities in Sri
Lanka. Moreover, the recommendations informed by the study would be useful in
designing and implementing new PD activities for university ESL teachers. As such,
ESL practitioners in the university sector in Sri Lanka would have opportunities to
engage in focused and meaningful PD activities that may enrich their knowledge,
skills and professionalism.
