An Analysis of the Content Knowledge Elective Courses of the ELT Departments: A Suggested Syllabus

Abstract

This research study took its sprouts from the reform implemented by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE), Turkey in 2018. The recent update has focused not only on the deficiencies of the existing programme but also enhancing the number of the elective courses up to 25 per cent. Correspondingly, CoHe suggested thirteen “Content Knowledge” electives along with granting authorization to universities to add six more electives on demand. Originated with these decision-making exigencies, this two-phased study was planned to disclose the favoured elective of 1093 EFL teachers in the first phase while the focus on the second phase changed direction to a syllabus design on the relevant elective with the guidance of teacher educators. The first phase of the research exploits a mixed method sequential exploratory design involving qualitative and quantitative research paradigms revealing “Current Trends in ELT” as the most favoured elective course, consequently. In the following phase, a further step was taken, and 62 teacher educators were consulted regarding the content of the course. Having analysed the responses by open-coding technique, the theme ‘technology integration’ was found out to be teacher educators’ main concern. Based on this data, the targeted topic-based syllabus was designed around the suggested sub themes of technology integration and ultimately fine-tuned through the lenses of two experts. The study also presented a compilation of teacher educators’ responses which should carefully be scrutinized and utilized by the policy makers and decision-making parties.