ENHANCING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS THROUGH THE PUDP SCAFFOLDING PROJECT: INSIGHTS INTO CREATING AND DESIGNING AUTHOR’S COURSE

The PUDP Scaffolding Project (Professional Development for English Language Teachers) was implemented in Aktau, Kazakhstan, with the goal of improving the quality of English language instruction. The project aimed to provide opportunities for professional development for English language teachers, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to create and design their own courses. The training program lasted 15 weeks and included the participation of 43 teachers. As guiding frameworks for course development, the project used the principles of Constructive Alignment Theory and Backward Design. These approaches ensured that the courses developed by teachers were aligned with the intended learning outcomes and designed to provide students with meaningful and engaging learning experiences. Throughout the program, various interactive methods such as Think Pair Share, Think Write Pass, and Praise Criticism Praise were used to foster a friendly and collaborative environment. These techniques aimed to encourage active participation and effective learning among teachers. A variety of instructional techniques and approaches were used to achieve these objectives. Task-Based Language Teaching, Communicative Language Teaching, Project-Based Learning, Inquiry-Based Learning, and Flipped Classroom strategies were among them. The project aimed to provide teachers with a diverse toolkit of effective teaching strategies that would increase student engagement, foster language acquisition, and promote critical thinking and collaboration by integrating these methodologies.