Perceptions of instructors and administrators of English language on their professional development needs

The present study aims at investigating the professional development needs of instructors and administrators of English language in public universities in North Iraq. The study also attempts to evaluate the professional development of universities’ instructors in improving their personal and professional career while teaching English as a foreign language. Professional development provides teachers with more knowledge, skills, and experiences either personally or professionally throughout the process of teaching. In this study, qualitative research methods were used. There were forty participants involved in this study including English language and literature instructors, heads of departments, assistant heads of departments, and coordinators employed in the 9 public universities of North Iraq. The results showed that there are still no actual tendencies of professional development as a program to be implemented as a continual process of teaching and learning, and there is a lack of professional development opportunities in public universities in North Iraq. The participants also provided significant suggestions on their professional development needs.

     

Evaluation of the organizational personalities of the tourism schools in Cyprus: a comparative case study

The aim of this study is to compare the organizational personalities of the tourism schools in two universities in North and South Cyprus. The data were collected by means of an interview schedule and were examined using content analysis. The results showed that the tourism schools of both countries had distinct personalities due to the differences in the higher education systems, management styles, organizational structure and administrative behaviors of their universities. For both parts of the island, the results showed that international accreditations, collaborations, and dual programs with international bodies and different universities will enhance student satisfaction and the success of the current universities. The researchers suggest that both institutions should take into account the needs of the industry and improve their cooperation with the stakeholders of the tourism sector in order to promote their curricula.