The Impact of Digital Transformation in Teachers’ Professional Development During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This article presents a study conducted to reveal the positive and negative aspects of professional development programs conducted to teachers in distance education during the novice COVID-19 pandemic and investigates whether the programs contributed to the digital transformation competencies the teachers acquired through these programs. The case study was carried out with a total of 30 teachers, who took part in the study voluntarily. Qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were used in order to ensure the validity, reliability, and consistency of the research. Once the teacher-oriented professional development program was completed, the teachers were subjected to an achievement test and a self-assessment questionnaire. A focus group interview was conducted to collect various views of 18 teachers regarding the program. This study also reveals that teacher-oriented professional development programs can be applied efficiently through online education and have a crucial role in strengthening and enhancing the technical competencies of the teachers involved in distance education.