Business English teachers' professional development: The teachers' perspective

This paper looks at the professional development of Business English teachers at institutions of higher education in Serbia. The current situation regarding the possibilities for improving these teachers' competencies is unsatisfactory, and in view of this, the study sought to analyze their attitudes and needs in order to suggest guidelines for creating an adequate model of professional development. The sample comprised 30 teachers, and a questionnaire was used as a research instrument. The results indicate that teachers' attitudes coincide with contemporary trends in the area of professional development, at the same time highlighting deficiencies in the current system of professional development in Serbia. A new model of professional development should make it possible for teachers to improve their general and professional competencies as identified through needs analysis; it should be based on collaboration not only between teachers but between all actors in education, should include mechanisms of monitoring the application of new knowledge, and make more extensive use of virtual forms of development. The value of the paper is in its potential for practical application, since it provides crucial information for creating a relevant and effective model of professional development for Business English teachers. The paper can also be used as a starting point for further research in the area of professional development of teachers of foreign languages for specific purposes more generally.