Abstract/Summary

The Qatari government views English language learning as crucial to the country’s future success. Anecdotal evidence suggests, however, that English Language Teachers (ELTs) employed in Qatar may not necessarily have the appropriate training, qualifications and experience to enable them to teach successfully. Despite growing research interest in the continuing professional development (CPD) experiences and needs of ELTs in Western contexts, there remains a lack of research in Middle Eastern countries in general and Qatar in particular. Furthermore, in-depth knowledge of female ELTs’ CPD experiences and needs are almost non-existent. The aim of this study, therefore, is to address this gap by exploring female ELTs' perceptions and experiences of CPD in Qatar in order to develop new practical and theoretical insights into our understanding of this area. The study is qualitative and located within the interpretive paradigm. Life history interviews were undertaken with 16 female ELTs with at least 3 years of teaching experience in Qatar schools. These data were analyzed using thematic analysis and profiling techniques and drawing on an analytical framework based on three inter-related concepts of identity, culture and CPD. The study found that female ELTs in Qatar all had very different experiences of CPD and unique developmental needs. These findings suggest that the current model of professional development for ELTs in Qatar may need revising. The thesis proposes a paradigm shift from a traditional ‘one size fits all’ CPD model towards a more dynamic and interactive style of teacher development which facilitates both personal reflection and professional discourse among teachers in order to build a shared understanding of ideas by analyzing and comparing approaches and actively encouraging student involvement in the learning process. It is argued that such a shift would prove a considerable step forward for English language teaching in the country.