http://dspace.ada.edu.az:80/xmlui/handle/20.500.12181/187 2026-04-27T13:36:15Z http://dspace.ada.edu.az:80/xmlui/handle/20.500.12181/1483 Pilot study: impact of school director-led workplace professional development training for in-service teachers Olubunmi Sodiya, Oluwaseyi; Hajiyeva, Samira Teacher’s attitudes and strategies can be influenced by workplace professional learning, which in turn affects student engagement and learning. Although educators are accountable for their professional development, the school must be learning-centered and able to provide resources for all members of the institution to improve their teaching and learning skills for the overall development of the school. The project's goal was to perform a pilot intervention study on the impact of school director-led workplace professional development for in-service teachers to provide evidence and recommendations on the impact of school director-led workplace professional development training for teachers. The intervention study on school director-led workplace professional development training for teachers on formative assessment indicates that there were significant changes in teachers’ understanding and use of formative assessment. The result found that there is statistical difference between the teacher’s pre- and postintervention survey response on formative assessment workplace professional development training. The evidence stands as a recommendation for school directors, teachers, the ministry of education and other stakeholders for quality teaching and whole school development http://dspace.ada.edu.az:80/xmlui/handle/20.500.12181/369 Azerbaijan and European Higher Education Area: Students’ Involvement in Bologna Reforms Mammadova, Lala; Valiyev, Anar This study explores the progress of the 14-year old Bologna reform in major Azerbaijani public universities. The focus of the study was to investigate the level of student involvement in the transformation process of the European Higher Education Area. The data for the research were collected from a survey conducted among 2,400 bachelor’s and master’s students, as well as through semi-structured interviews with university administrators and experts. The study mainly examines the key elements of Bologna process – degree structure, quality assurance, mobility, and social dimension. The study found that despite the remarkable progress in the development of higher education system in the country, much work still needs to be done at the institutional level to involve students in all stages of the reform process. Huge discrepancies and shortages are observed with respect to the role of students in the quality assurance process both at the external and internal level. In terms of the internationalization of institutions, formal strategies and targets, as well as sufficient funding, are not yet fully existent in higher education institutions. Meanwhile, students in the chosen universities are either unaware of student support services or unsatisfied with the provision of those services. http://dspace.ada.edu.az:80/xmlui/handle/20.500.12181/303 List of confusing & difficult words in English for nationals of Azerbaijan Wiest, Gunther; Mammadova, Arzu Azerbaijan has proven itself as a contemporary leader in paradigm shifts. One of these has been the adoption of English as a lingua franca. Increased usage of the English language has facilitated the strengthening of ties between Azerbaijan and the world at large. ADA University prepares future diplomats, business people, lawyers, policymakers, media producers, IT experts, and the like for further global networking and collaboration. Under the direction of ADAU’s English for Academic and Professional Purposes (EAPP) program, the main author has compiled this eclectic but essential list of words and expressions which merit special attention by native speakers of Azerbaijani and/or Russian. It is meant for those who wish to fine tune their proficiency in several often challenging areas of English. http://dspace.ada.edu.az:80/xmlui/handle/20.500.12181/182 Language and identity in a post-Soviet world: language of education and linguistic identity among Azerbaijani students Kazdal, Vafa; Donohoe Luscombe, Lisa Azerbaijan’s complex history has weaved a tapestry of linguistic, cultural, and national identities among Azerbaijanis through centuries of political, social, and linguistic integration. In the current post-Soviet era, this identity is undergoing another period of change, with influences from intra-state ethnic, religious, and sociopolitical institutions as well as from regional and international powers. This article centers on linguistic identity among Azerbaijani youth at three types of schools: Azerbaijanimedium, Russian-medium, and English-medium. The authors seek to discover whether and to what extent the language of instruction in each type of school affects linguistic identity, which in turn has implications for national identity. The article first discusses the existing literature on language and identity in second language acquisition and socio-educational linguistics. It then examines Azerbaijan’s linguistic and political history through the lens of the latter framework, as a context for an analysis of the data from surveys and focus groups. The article analyzes the relationship between medium of instruction in school and students’ perceptions of language and identification with various language groups, and discusses the findings of a significant correlation between language of instruction and linguistic identity, with its implications for national identity.