A Comparative Study on Professional Competencies of Iranian EFL Teachers at Public and Private Sectors

Abstract

The major purpose of the present study was to examine the differences between professional competencies of Iranian EFL Teachers at Public and private sectors and the role of gender, field of study, educational status, and years of teaching experience in Iranian EFL teachers' competencies. A sample of 300 EFL Iranian teachers were chosen based on convenience sampling and were assessed through the EFL Teachers' Professional Competencies scale. After gathering the questionnaires, data was analysed by SPSS. According to the results, 1. There were significant differences between Iranian EFL teachers at public and private sectors with respect to their level of competencies, and teachers at private sectors had higher levels of competencies, 2. There were significant differences between male and female EFL teachers with respect to their competencies, 3. There were positive significant relationships between the four sub-constructs of teachers' competencies and experience, 4. There was a significant difference betweenfour types of field of study (teaching English, English literature, English translation and others) with respect to their competencies, and those majoring in teaching English had the highest level of competencies, and 5. There were significant differences among three educational levels (BA, MA, and PhD) with respect to their competencies, with PhD and BA holders having the highest and lowest levels of competencies, respectively. This study may be the only piece of research that has increased EFL professionals', including EFL teachers', knowledge regarding factors affecting their competencies. Also, the results of this study can be used by teacher employment institutes such as language institutes, and education and training organizations to employ the most competent EFL teachers.