Analysis of Online Turkish Language Instructor Competencies by Fuzzy Delphi and Analytical Hierarchy Process

Abstract

Distance and online education have required instructors to acquire new skills and competencies for language teaching. This research aimed to determine online Turkish language instructor competencies. It comprised two stages in which Fuzzy Delphi and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methods were used. In the first stage, 52 competencies under seven categories were compiled from the literature by applying the Fuzzy Delphi technique. In the second stage, the AHP method was used to determine the significance and weight of the competencies. There were five competencies in the “technical” category, three in the “individual” category, six in the “management and planning” category, three in the “material” category, nine in the “communication” category, eight in the “learner autonomy” category, and four in the “privacy and security” category. The findings suggested that “communication” was essential competence, and that “pedagogical” competence was more critical than “technical” competence. Furthermore, it was revealed that the instructors did not regard “autonomy” as competence. It also can be inferred that the instructors’ “individual” competencies were not considered very important.