Theme:
Professional Development: Reflections on Informal Initiatives and Self-Directed Strategies
Guest Editors:
Dara Tafazoli and Glenn Stockwell
Overview:
Technological innovation is rapidly transforming language education, reshaping how teachers teach and how learners engage with content. From generative AI to emerging digital tools, these advancements are introducing new possibilities for interactive, personalized, and efficient language learning. However, alongside these opportunities come significant challenges. Teachers are now expected not only to integrate these technologies seamlessly into their classrooms but also to guide students in using them ethically and effectively. This evolving landscape demands continuous professional development (PD), yet traditional models often fail to meet the diverse and immediate needs of educators, particularly in resource-constrained or geographically isolated environments (see Tafazoli & Picard, 2023).
Amid limited access to formal training opportunities, self-directed professional development (SDPD) is gaining momentum as a vital strategy for teachers to remain professionally relevant (Zhang, 2023). SDPD empowers educators to take control of their learning by identifying personal development goals, curating resources, and advancing at their own pace. However, while this approach offers flexibility and autonomy (Koay, 2023), it also presents unique challenges. Teachers who lack confidence with technology, work in isolated settings, or have minimal institutional support may find it difficult to engage fully with SDPD (Zhang, 2023). Furthermore, without structured guidance or peer support, the effectiveness of SDPD can vary widely, highlighting the need for innovative and inclusive models to ensure that all educators, regardless of their background, can benefit.
This special issue seeks to bring together global perspectives on diverse professional development pathways in language education, with a focus on both informal initiatives and self-directed Strategies. Our aim is to foster a comprehensive understanding of how teachers can successfully navigate professional growth in the context of rapid technological change. By addressing key issues and showcasing successful models, we hope to provide actionable insights for educators, researchers, and policymakers alike.
We invite submissions on, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Innovative approaches to equipping teachers with skills in language education.
- Narratives of individual teachers navigating their own professional growth in language education.
- Reflections on overcoming barriers such as technological unfamiliarity or limited resources.
- Role of online platforms, communities, and open-access resources in supporting SDPD.
- Identification of barriers to effective professional development and strategies for mitigation.
- Collaborative efforts and peer networks for fostering teacher-led initiatives.
- Creation, dissemination, and use of freely available resources for professional development.
- Self-directed strategies to curate and leverage open-access tools for maximum impact.
- Balancing top-down and bottom-up approaches in professional development initiatives.
- Exploring peer mentorship, cross-generational teaching partnerships, and informal coaching.
Submissions may take various forms, including research articles, case studies, reflective essays, or practical how-to guides. We particularly welcome papers that offer transferable models or frameworks that can inspire and inform professional development efforts in different educational contexts. Contributions that emphasize the creation, dissemination, and use of freely available resources will be highly valued, as they align with our commitment to making professional development accessible to all educators.
Timeline:
- Abstract Submission Deadline: January 31, 2025
- Notification of Acceptance: February 15, 2025
- Full Manuscript Deadline: July 31, 2025
- Expected Publication: November 2025 [Continuous online publication]
Journal:
This special issue will be published by the Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics (AJAL). AJAL is a peer-reviewed international open access journal focussing on all areas of applied linguistics, indexed in Scopus, DOAJ, and ERIC. For additional information regarding the journal, please visit:
https://www.castledown.com/journals/ajal
Submission and Inquiries:
We invite you to submit a proposal/abstract of no more than 500 words using APA 7th style in MS Word format (.doc/.docx) to Dara.Tafazoli@newcastle.edu.au. Proposals/abstracts should detail the area of focus, the gap, the research design and methodologies used, and key findings related to the central theme of the special issue. Identifying information, including name of author(s), affiliation(s), contact information for all author(s), and a 100-word biographical statement for each author, should be included in the proposal. Based on the review of the proposals, authors will be invited to submit complete manuscripts for possible inclusion in the special issue. Authors’ guidelines will be included in the invitation letters.
For this special issue, please submit your proposals and inquiries directly to:
Dara Tafazoli (dara.tafazoli@newcastle.edu.au)
References:
Koay, J. (2023). Self-directed professional development activities: An autoethnography. Teaching and Teacher Education, 133, 104258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104258
Tafazoli, D., & Picard, M. (Eds.) (2023). Handbook of CALL teacher education and professional development: Voices from under-represented contexts. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0514-0
Zhang, X. (2023). Teachers’ self-directed professional development in under-resourced contexts: How do open educational resources matter? Education and Information Technologies, 28, 1849–1863. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11238-7
Please visit the journal website to view the articles (100% open access) or to make a submission:
https://www.castledown.com/journals/ajal/
