In 2019, Arife Kızıl, an English language teacher in Ankara, joined English Together – a collaboration between the British Council, Türkiye’s Ministry of National Education, and the Sabancı Foundation.
Following training with UK educators, she became a Professional Development Community (PDC) facilitator, taking on new leadership and mentoring responsibilities.
‘This new role not only expanded my leadership responsibilities but also allowed me to mentor peers, design learning experiences, and contribute to shaping the professional growth of my colleagues,’ she recalls.
Through the PDC meetings she led, teachers explored interactive, inquiry-based methods that transformed classroom dynamics. Her students became ‘more confident, collaborative, and enthusiastic,’ showing how teacher development directly benefits learners.
Inspired by the programme’s impact, Arife chose English Together as the focus of her PhD. Motivated by its voluntary and sustained learning model, she examined its effectiveness using Guskey’s evaluation framework. Interviews with 11 teachers and seven principals revealed long- term benefits to teaching, learning, and school culture.
‘Every teacher and school leader I interviewed said it was valuable. As teachers, we engage in professional learning communities to reduce isolation and develop shared pedagogical knowledge and beliefs,’ she says.
Arife’s journey shows how peer-led development fosters lasting change—proving that teachers really are ‘the real influencers’.