THE MICRO CONTEXT:

In this section, I position myself in the research context and explain how I, as a teacher educator, became involved. A rationale for the research focus is provided from which the problem statement and the main research questions are drawn.

1.2.1 My teaching context:

I have been a lecturer in Applied Linguistics and ELT Methodology at the University of Al- Fatah and at Higher Institutes for Teacher Training in Libya since 1992. My teaching context throughout has been that of traditional f2f contact in on-campus settings. Mainly in the summer vacations, I have taught English at several private schools, basically to refresh my teaching skills (as opposed to teaching about teaching) and maintain contact with language teachers and inspectors. These contacts proved valuable later on, when I conducted fieldwork.

During my time of teaching in Libya, I became aware of certain shortcomings within the language teacher education and development context. In addition to the scarcity of INSET provision and the shortage of spare time for in-service teachers to pursue development, the economic embargo which was imposed on Libya in the 1990s, as Abou Jaafar (2003: 8) points out, had 'unfortunate consequences… on development‟ and consequently, the shortage of specialist textbooks in teacher education was made worse by a lack of access to research journals, which meant that one's appetite for development diminished rapidly. The emergence of the Internet in Libya in 1998 and its availability to the wider public by 1999, via Internet cafés, was a great relief to teachers and academics alike. The Internet became a means of accessing a wide range of literature after years of isolation and Internet-based knowledge was viewed as a potential solution to support teacher learning and, hence, compensate for the poor INSET provision.

1.2.2 Rationale for research:

It is often a researcher's personal background, involvement in certain educational contexts, or academic interest in a particular field of study, observes Flick (2002), that guide

and my involvement as a language teacher within low-resourced ICT school conditions in Libya have inspired my interest in Internet-based development. In a situation

characterised by a dearth of organised CPD provision, the expansion of the Internet to the wider public during the late nineties provided a good opportunity for practising teachers to take advantage of, as (Price, 2007) points out, the flexible anytime anywhere access to web resources.

The state of low-tech school environments (at the time of research) hardly offered the climate for Internet-based development. However, since Internet facilities were available via many Internet cafés, it seemed logical to exploit the potential of the Internet to support teachers' CPD, hence, compensate for the impoverished top-down INSET provision,

particularly as teachers were busy teaching even in their spare time. This allowed teachers to access Internet-based learning at times that suited them. As Dede (2006) points out,

the need for professional development that is tailored to teachers‟ busy schedules, that draws on valuable resources not available locally, and that provides work-oriented support has stimulated the creation of online teacher development (p.2).

Independent and collective I-CPD, where the Internet is the „vehicle for delivering professional development‟ (Duffy et al, 2006: 179), is thus feasible for Libyan teachers, despite the low-resourced school environments. The issue with teachers is of possessing appropriate Internet skills and of being adequately supported to engage with Internet- based environments to enhance development. But, as Bassey (1999: 106) argues, responsibility for promoting CPD may lie with education authorities through staff

development policies, or with schools by providing training opportunities, but teachers as professional individuals also 'have a responsibility for their development'.

Taking account of the micro and the macro contexts discussed thus far, the rationale for the research was a combination of the following:

 The gap in INSET provision.

 The shortage of local CPD resources for teachers.

 The lack of previous research into any form of Internet-based learning for EFL teacher education or development in Libya.

1.2.3 Developing the research questions:

As teachers' need for an alternative solution to compensate for the top-down INSET gap was recognised, bottom-up Internet-based development was identified as a viable route. Consequently, the problem statement underpinning the research was:

Is Internet-based development a possible solution to compensate for the INSET gap for Libyan in-service EFL teachers? And

How can I as a teacher educator and researcher engage and support Libyan EFL teachers in appropriate Internet-based learning environments within low-resourced school contexts

in such a way that would lead to self-directed Internet-based Professional Development?

Based on this underpinning problem statement, preliminary research questions developed (see section 3.2 of the Research Design chapter for further details):

1. What is the present CPD provision and what options are available to Libyan EFL teachers?

2. Are teachers' attitudes and skills with respect to CPD and the Internet conducive to Internet-based CPD (I-CPD)?

3. How can I-CPD support best be provided to Libyan EFL teachers in view of the current low-resourced conditions outlined in this Chapter?

1.2.4 The solution: An interventionist approach

To answer question 1 above, concerning current CPD provision and practices, semi- structured teacher interviews were conducted. Question 2, about teacher skills and attitudes, was initially tackled using a questionnaire, but was later complemented by interviews. In question 3, the main concern in providing I-CPD support was how? i.e., how can in-service teachers, new to the technology and situated in low-resourced ICT contexts, be appropriately scaffolded through Internet-based environments such that they may positively engage in and interact with different modes of Internet-based learning? Since the majority of Libyan teachers have not had the opportunity to develop Internet skills and the concept of Internet-based learning for professional development is still relatively novel in Libya, it was appropriate to carry out some kind of educational intervention to execute the Internet-based support strategies and, on the other hand, evaluate their impact on teacher learning.

Consequently, taking account of the low-tech school conditions at the time of research, an I-CPD intervention course was designed in order to scaffold teachers' Internet skills and engage them in appropriate online learning environments. Hence, the course was a means of intervening into the Libyan CPD context with intent to obtain answers to particular research questions.

The intervention course employed a loop approach (Woodward, 1991) in which learning activities from a classroom level are borrowed, or looped, into the teacher training level with a change in content. Thus, while the medium of learning was the Internet itself, the message carried by the intervention course was the nature of online learning and using the Internet for language learning and teaching, hence the loop. Appendix E (CD) contains the learning material (three parts) for the I-CPD intervention course.

1.2.5 Structure of the thesis:

The thesis is divided into seven chapters. In this first chapter, the macro context (including a historical background and the Libyan economic and educational framework) and the micro context (relating to my personal background and that of the research) have been presented.

Chapter 2 sets out a theoretical framework for the study. It constitutes a critical review of

the relevant concepts and perspectives that characterise the area of study. The Literature Review is concerned with two main strands: Continuing Professional Development and Internet-based environments. The Review draws upon discussions in the field of teacher development, and interpretations of professional development. It also discusses

constructivist theories of learning, the nature of Internet-based learning, scaffolding strategies, blended learning and barriers to online participation.

Chapter 3 is concerned with the research design and methodology. It outlines the

research questions and the merits of a mixed-method design. A case study design is then described and related issues pertaining to data collection, data analysis, validity, reliability and research ethics are discussed.

Chapters 4, 5 and 6 present and discuss data collected during the three phases of the

study. Chapter 4 deals with Fact Finding, the first phase of the research, in which initial information about the field setting were gathered using a teachers' questionnaire about Internet skills and attitudes (section 4.3), which then guided the intervention course design. Interviews with teachers, inspectors and heads are also included. Discussion of data

resulting from the questionnaire is interwoven with interview data in sections 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6.

Chapter 5 gives an account of phase two of the research, where, based on Fact Finding data, a typical representative Case Study was selected and provided the context for the intervention course (f2f and blended learning). Chapter 6 gives an account of the third phase (Extended Case Study) of the data collection, in which case participants were joined by other teachers from Libya and the UK in distance online learning.

In the final chapter, findings are summarised, conclusions drawn, limitations of the research acknowledged and recommendations made for further research.