A multifaceted evaluation of Master of Arts programs in English language education
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Although Master of Arts (M.A.) programs in English Language Education (ELE) are widely offered across Türkiye, there is a notable lack of research that systematically and comparatively evaluates these programs across institutions in terms of their aims, content, implementation processes, and outcomes. In response to this gap, the present descriptive mixed-methods study explored the perspectives of current students and graduates from 23 distinct M.A. programs in ELE in Türkiye, employing the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) evaluation model. Specifically, the study examined participants’ motivations for pursuing an M.A. degree, their evaluations of various program components, and the extent to which these evaluations differed according to individual variables such as gender, teaching experience, and academic achievement. In addition, participants’ perceptions of program strengths and weaknesses were investigated, together with their recommendations for program improvement. Data were collected through a questionnaire, open-ended questions, and follow-up interviews. The findings indicated that participants who pursued graduate education with the intention of becoming researchers in academic contexts reported a strong alignment between their professional goals and their program experiences. Moreover, certain subgroups, namely, female participants, more experienced teachers, and students with mid-level academic achievement, tended to evaluate the programs more positively. Participants also identified key strengths of the programs and proposed several suggestions for enhancing program quality, including increasing the range of elective courses, updating and enriching course content, and fostering greater curricular diversity. Overall, the findings provide valuable implications for program developers, faculty members, and prospective M.A. candidates, contributing to the ongoing improvement of graduate education in English Language Education.
Metrics
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Atar, C., Kır, E., & Denkci Akkaş, F. (2020). An evaluation of the English Preparatory Program at İstanbul Medeniyet University. Language Teaching and Educational Research, 3(1), 94-115. https://doi.org/10.35207/later.714457
Bayram, I., & Canaran, Ö. (2019). Evaluation of an English preparatory program at a Turkish foundation university. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 15(1), 48-69. https://doi.org/10.17263/jlls.547606
Bilican, R. (2014). Impact of a Ph.D. ELT program on academic development of students at a Turkish state university. ELT Research Journal, 3(3), 111-139. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/eltrj/issue/5483/74459
Brown, J. D. (1995). The elements of language curriculum: A systematic approach to program development. Heinle & Heinle.
Council of Higher Education (CoHE). (2020). Regulations on Graduate Education. Ankara, Türkiye: CoHE.
Creswell, J. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Pearson Education.
Çıtak, T. (2021). An evaluation of MA English Language Teaching programme at Çukurova University from students’ perspectives [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Çukurova University.
Deniz-Yücer, D. (2020). An evaluation of a doctoral program in English language teaching at a Turkish university from students' perspectives by using context, input, process, product (CIPP) model [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Bahçeşehir University.
Döner-Arday, B. (2022). Insights from students and graduates into the Master of Arts program in English Language Teaching at Middle East Technical University [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Middle East Technical University.
Fitzpatrick, J. L., Sanders, J. R., & Worthen, B. R. (2010). Program evaluation: Alternative approaches and practical guidelines (4th ed.). Pearson.
Foroozandeh, E., Riazi, A., & Sadighi, F. (2007). TEFL program evaluation at master's level in Iran. Teaching English Language, 2(2), 71-100.
Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2022). How to design and evaluate research in education (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Garton, S., & Graves, K. (2014). Identifying a research agenda for language teaching materials. The Modern Language Journal, 98(2), 654-657. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137023315_1
Kesli-Dollar, Y., Tolu, A. T., & Doyran, F. (2014). Evaluating a graduate program of English language teacher education. Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, 5(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.17569/tojqi.09132
Kırmızı, Ö. (2011). An evaluation of M.A. ELT programs in Turkey [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Hacettepe University.
Kuzu, E., Özkan, Y., & Bada, E. (2021). An EFL program evaluation: A case from Turkey. The Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal, 21(1), 94-106. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1296261
Küçükoğlu, H. (2015). An evaluation of Ph.D. in ELT programs in Turkey [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Hacettepe University.
Malagón-Amor, Á., Córcoles-Martínez, D., Martín-López, L. M., & Pérez-Solà, V. (2015). Hikikomori in Spain: A descriptive study. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 61(5), 475-483. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764014553003
Mede, E. (2012). Design and evaluation of a language preparatory program at an English medium university in an EFL setting: A case study [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Yeditepe University.
Okumuş, A., & Daloğlu, A. (2024). A programme evaluation study: The case of the English Language Teaching Programme. Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 24(1), 187-216. https://doi.org/10.17240/aibuefd.2024..-1327223
Öztürk, R. Ö. (2015). An evaluation of the master’s program in English language teaching at a Turkish university [Master’s thesis, Bahçeşehir University]. Turkish Council of Higher Education Theses Center. https://acikbilim.yok.gov.tr/handle/20.500.12812/591945
Peacock, M. (2009). The evaluation of foreign-language-teacher education programmes. Language Teaching Research, 13(3), 259-278. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168809104698
Robinson, B. (2003). Evaluation, research and quality. In B. Robinson & C. Latchem (Eds.), Teacher education through open and distance learning (pp. 193-211). Routledge/Farmer.
Saldaña, J. (2011). Fundamentals of qualitative research (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Scriven, M. (1991). Evaluation thesaurus (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Stufflebeam, D. L. (1983). The CIPP model for program evaluation. Kluwer Academic Publishing.
Thumvichit, A. (2021). Language education in emergencies: A systematic review. Journal of Language and Education, 7(28), 183-197. https://doi.org/10.17323/jle.2021.12462
Tomlinson, B. (Ed.). (2023). Developing materials for language teaching (3rd ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing.
Zeybek, G., & Tunçer, M. (2020). Feelings and problems of being a Turkish ELT graduate student: A qualitative study on graduate student perceptions. Eurasian Journal of Teacher Education, 1(2), 148-171.