Professional development for science and engineering professors offering English-medium instruction

Abstract

English-medium instruction (EMI) has been implemented in higher-education institutions around the world. This study examines the states of EMI-related professional development (PD) for Korean science and engineering professors and their perceptions of such programs. Faculty members at the three major science and engineering schools in Korea participated in a questionnaire survey and the follow-up interviews. The results show that the vast majority of them had not participated in pre- or in-service PD programs and had negative attitudes towards certified EMI-related PD programs mainly due to their institution’s strong emphasis on their research performance rather than the quality of their teaching. The study offers suggestions for future directions of EMI-related PD at institutions with a similar tendency.