Publication details
How to grow on a Small Budget: Strategies for Teachers´ Professional Development in Language Centers
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | How to grow on a Small Budget: Strategies for Teachers´ Professional Development in Language Centers Budget constraints present a significant challenge for many university language centers in organizing effective CPD (Continuing Professional Development) activities for their teaching staff. This presentation explores strategies for offering professional development opportunities within a limited financial budget. At Masaryk University Language Centre (CJV in Czech), which employs over 60 language teachers, a range of professional development initiatives are organized despite budgetary limitations. These initiatives include workshops, sharing sessions, peer observations, international exchange, and an internal conference known as “CJV Week.” In alignment with Wenger’s (1998) concept of a community of practice, the centre prioritizes collaborative activities, emphasizing knowledge sharing and peer support. Based on data from teacher surveys and focus group interviews, this presentation investigates teachers’ evaluations of the current professional development opportunities, specifically considering cost-effectiveness and impact. The aim is to identify key barriers that limit teachers’ access to these resources and strategies for maximizing the impact of professional development based on sharing and community collaboration. By examining teachers' perspectives, this presentation offers insights into how professional development initiatives can be organized more effectively to address existing challenges and identifies successful approaches to making the most of limited financial resources. |