While the beliefs and practices of teachers on professional development (PD) are generally considered to promote quality in education and raise teachers’ awareness regarding teaching strategies, there is still limited research available into different PD models’ effectiveness in providing teachers with practical knowledge. This research aims to explore the role of AR in Turkish EFL instructors’ beliefs, and compare action research (AR), as a transformative model, with transmissive and transitional PD models. Qualitative data collected by means of semi-structured in-depth interviews were analysed by using constant comparative data analysis procedure. The participants were nine Turkish EFL instructors from a state university, selected according to purposive criterion-based sampling. The results revealed that the PD beliefs of Turkish EFL instructors conducting AR were different from those engaging in transmissive PD models in terms of access to and reflection on knowledge. The beliefs of the former group indicated strong evidence of a lifelong learning PD process, collaboration-based PD practices with intrinsic motivation, integration of inquiry based, experiential knowledge with reflective practice experiences, and a bottom up approach to PD. In contrast, the latter group showed short-term learning, and a theoretical knowledge transmission model depending on extrinsic motivation, presenting non-reflective, passive roles, with a top down approach. In this context, AR as an on-going PD activity is seen as highly effective for fostering teachers’ practical knowledge.

中文翻译：

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土耳其EFL讲师对职业发展的参与

虽然通常认为教师对专业发展的信念和实践可以提高教育质量并提高教师对教学策略的认识，但对于不同的PD模型在为教师提供实践知识方面的有效性，研究仍然有限。这项研究旨在探讨AR在土耳其EFL教师的信念中的作用，并将动作研究（AR）作为一种转化模型与透射和过渡PD模型进行比较。使用恒定的比较数据分析程序分析通过半结构化深度访谈收集的定性数据。参与者是来自国立大学的九名土耳其EFL讲师，他们是根据有针对性的基于标准的抽样选出的。结果表明，土耳其EFL讲师进行AR的PD信念在获取和反思知识方面不同于那些采用透射式PD模型的PD信念。前者的信念表明了终身学习PD过程，基于协作的PD实践与内在动力，基于探究的学习，具有反思性实践经验的经验知识以及自下而上的PD方法的有力证据。相比之下，后一组则显示了短期学习和依赖于外部动机的理论知识传递模型，呈现出自上而下的非反思性，被动角色。在这种情况下，AR被认为是正在进行的PD活动，在培养教师的实践知识方面非常有效。