Keywords
LSP teachers
self-directed online course
open educational resource
intra-module structure
LSP-TEOC.Pro
How to Cite
Abstract
Self-directed open educational resources can serve as valuable tools for the continuing professional development of LSP teachers. This paper introduces an open educational resource, the LSP-TEOC.Pro course, which has been available since 2023. The course is organised into instructional modules, each serving as a distinct learning block. However, a research gap remains in understanding how intra-module design influences user experience and learning outcomes in self-directed courses. Given that module structure is of utmost importance for efficient learning, the main objective of this paper is to provide an intra-module presentation and analysis from the user perspective with respect to the following elements: difficulty, length and pacing, objectives, development and sequencing, interior feature strands, design, and clarity. The qualitative data were derived from the diaries kept by the course users when engaging with course content, and the open-ended questions in the post-participation surveys completed by the users. The results of the qualitative data analysis concerning module structure revealed overall user satisfaction with the intra-module structure. However, the results also highlight several points for consideration when designing self-directed courses, particularly concerning module design and clarity, efficient use of digital tools, and the users’ needs for feedback and a sense of belonging to a community of practice. These results may assist LSP teacher educators in the application of the LSP-TEOC.Pro course in in-person, blended, or online educational events, as well as course designers of self-directed courses in reflecting on various aspects of structure at the level of individual instructional blocks.
Funding
the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union (Reference Number: 2020-1-DE01-005687). Project title: LSP-TEOC.Pro (Language for Specific Purposes Teacher Education Online Course for Professional Development)
References
Basturkmen, H. (2014). LSP teacher education: Review of literature and suggestions for the research agenda. Ibérica, 28, 17–33.
Belcher, D. (2013). The future of ESP research: resources for access and choice. In: B. Paltridge / S. Starfield (eds.), The handbook of English for specific purposes (pp. 535–551). Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118339855.ch28
Bocanegra-Valle, A. / Basturkmen, H. (2019). Investigating the teacher education needs of experienced ESP teachers in Spanish universities. Ibérica, 38, 127–149.
Bocanegra-Valle, A. / Perea-Barbera, L. (2023). A quantitative analysis of LSP teacher needs across the European Higher Education Area. In: M-A. Chateaureynaud / P. John (eds.), LSP teacher training summer school. The TRAILs project (pp. 111–130). Lausanne: Peter Lang.
Borg, S. (2023). Planning teacher CPD – key principles. https://simon-borg.co.uk/planning-teacher-cpd-key-principles/
Burazer, L. / Skela, J. (2023). Foreword. In: J. Skela / L. Burazer (eds.), Teacher development resource book for pre-service ELT education programs (pp. 7–8). Ljubljana: Tangram.
Dede, C. / Jass Ketelhut, D. / Whitehouse, P. / Breit, L. / McCloskey, E.M. (2009). A research agenda for online teacher professional development. Journal of Teacher Education, 60(1), 8–19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487108327554
Guerrero-Quiñonez, A.J. / Bedoya-Flores, M.C. / Mosquera-Quiñonez, E.F. / Ango-Ramos, E.D. / Lara-Tambaco, R.M. (2023). The MOOC as an alternative model for university education. Ibero-American Journal of Education & Society Research, 3(1), 279–286. DOI: https://doi.org/10.56183/iberoeds.v3i1.629
Hall, D.R. (2013). Teacher education for languages for specific purposes. In: C.A. Chapelle (ed.), Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (pp. 5537–5542). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal1144
Howard, R. (1997). LSP in the UK. In: R. Howard / G. Brown (eds.), Teacher education for languages for specific purposes (pp. 41–57). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Jurkovič, V. (2003). PBL in Slovenia – a successful conclusion of a three-year project. Journal for Foreign Languages, 37(1–2), 423–430.
Jurkovič, V. / Dostal, M. / Mertelj, D. / Podgoršek, S. (2023). Intellectual output 3: Development of course content for LSP teacher education and development. Internal report. https://lsp-teoc-pro.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Intellectual-Output-3-Final-Report.pdf
Jurkovič, V. / Mertelj, D. / Podgoršek, S. (2024). A further step toward a definition of the core professional development needs of LSP teachers in the EHEA. Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics, 37(1), 299–334. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.21039.jur
Kic-Drgas, J. / Jurkovič, V. (2024). Paths of purpose: A journey into LSP teacher development. Leiden: Brill. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14220/9783737016902
Kırkgöz, Y. (2023). Intellectual output 6: Trialling developed LSP teacher education online course. Internal report. https://lsp-teoc-pro.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Intellectual-Output-6-Final-Report.pdf
Master, P. (1997). ESP teacher education in the USA. In: R. Howard / G. Brown (eds.), Teacher education for languages for specific purposes (pp. 22–40). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Podgoršek, S. / Jurkovič, V. / Dostal, M. / Mertelj, D. (2021). Analiza izobraževalnih potreb visokošolskih učiteljev tujih jezikov stroke v Sloveniji [An analysis of Slovenian higher education LSP teacher education and professional development needs and expectation]. Sodobna pedagogika, 72(3), 94–110.
Richards, J.C. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511667220
Sallam, M.H. / Martín-Monje, E. / Li, Y. (2020). Research trends in language MOOC studies: A systematic review of the published literature (2012–2018). Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(4), 764–791. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2020.1744668
Sarré, C. / Skarli, P. / Turula, A. (2021). The pedagogy of languages for specific purposes: developing key professional competences through a massive open online course for language teachers. Inovacije u nastavi – časopis za savremenu nastavu, 34(4), 13–35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5937/inovacije2104013S
Schneider, D.K. (2008). Textbook writing tutorial. http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Textbook_writing_tutorial
Seidman, I. (2006). Interviewing as qualitative research. A guide for researchers in education and the social sciences. New York: Teachers College Press.
Skela, J. / Burazer, L. (2021). The architecture of ELT coursebooks: The internal organization of coursebook units. Journal for Foreign Languages, 13(1), 383–407. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4312/vestnik.13.383-407
Turula A. / Gajewska E. (2019). Towards a common competence framework for LSP teachers. CATAPULT consortium. http://catapult-project.eu/?smd_process_download=1&download_id=1066
Zourou, K. / Torresin, G. (2019). CATAPULT situational survey: LSP teachers’ needs for skills and training. CATAPULT consortium. https://catapult-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/O1_Full_Report_Final_CATAPULT.pdf
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Violeta Jurkovič, Saša Podgoršek
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors
Authors of texts accepted for publication in Glottodidactica are required to complete, sign and return to the Editorial team’s office the Agreement for granting a royalty-free license to works with a commitment to grant a CC sub-license.
Under the agreement, the authors of the texts published in Glottodidactica grant Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań a non-exclusive, royalty-free license and authorize the use of Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) Creative Commons sub-license.
The authors retain the right to the free disposal of the work.
Users
Interested Internet users are entitled to use works that have been published in Glottodidactica since 2016, under the following conditions:
▪ attribution – obligation to provide, together with the distributed work, information about the authorship, title, source (link to the original work, DOI) and the license itself.
▪ no derivatives – the work must be preserved in its original form. Without the author's consent, it is not possible to distribute the modified work in the form of translations, publications, etc.
Copyrights are reserved for all texts published before 2016.
Miscellaneous
Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań retains the property right as a whole (layout, graphic form, title, cover design, logo etc.).
Privacy statement
The names and email addresses published on this journal site will be used exclusively for the purposes declared by this journal and cannot be used for any other purpose or by any other party.