Freedom and participation in the academic world are crucial factors that motivated QOU to submit TEFL proposal. Palestine has been restricted inside its borders due to socio-political reasons. The occupation in Pal impacts the movement of people, divides the territory geographically and socio-politically. This has led to inequitable access to quality education for all students. Moreover, academics are struggling to communicate and interact with peers from countries all over the world, due to the language barrier. The exchange of knowledge, skills and culture with others poses as a great challenge for the Palestinian HEIs. These challenges ‘built walls’ prevent from being active and critical members of a growing global community.Teaching English in Pal faces great challenges and difficulties at all levels, in all domains. MoEHE (2015), Rixon (2013), attribute the challenges to several reasons, such as poor and inappropriate content, traditional teaching methodologies, lack of professional educators in TEFL to integrate educational technology, and missing modern learning spaces; the continuing dissatisfaction with the overall performance and proficiency of students in English language (EL) is attributed to the quality of instruction affected by lack of access to technology and unappealing materials and lack of motivation TEFL-ePal aims to develop flexible curricula, with face-to-face and online courses to be accessible to all learners, with no restrictions, reaching all learners including those with special needs and conditions, learners at work & women with restrictions. It aims to implement initiatives that develop learners' linguistic capacity, skills, and English language excellence, enhance modernization, internationalization and lifelong learning without ignoring the culture. The innovative character of the project serves the capacity-building aspect for Palestinian HEIs and bridges the gaps, addresses inclusion and the proper technological development.
To implement initiatives that develop learners' linguistic capacity, skills, and English language excellence, aiming to bridge the educational and socio-political gaps, and enhance modernization, internationalization and lifelong learning to achieve freedom and participation in the academic world and develop students’ skills needed in labour market and sustainable development. enhanced PHEI's staff knowledge of the different areas in TEFL develop flexible curricula and required infrastructure.
Teaching English in HEIs faces great challenges and difficulties in all domains, causing dissatisfaction with students’ performances. The reasons behind of this project is lack of student integration, outdated teaching methodologies, lack of professional educators in TEFL to integrate educational technology, unappealing irrelevant materials, and missing modern learning spaces that all affect student attitudes and motivation. TEFL traditional methodologies& inequitable access to quality education
<< Background >> Teaching English in HEIs faces great challenges and difficulties in all domains, causing dissatisfaction with students’ performances. The reasons behind of this project is lack of student integration, outdated teaching methodologies, lack of professional educators in TEFL to integrate educational technology, unappealing irrelevant materials, and missing modern learning spaces that all affect student attitudes and motivation. TEFL traditional methodologies& inequitable access to quality education << Objectives >> To implement initiatives that develop learners' linguistic capacity, skills, and English language excellence, aiming to bridge the educational and socio-political gaps, and enhance modernization, internationalization and lifelong learning to achieve freedom and participation in the academic world and develop students’ skills needed in labour market and sustainable development. enhanced PHEI's staff knowledge of the different areas in TEFL develop flexible curricula and required infrastructure. << Implementation >> Based on the diagnostic report and the work plan submitted, the EU partners conducted trainings for PAL partners teachers and technicians on content design and best practices in a blended learning environment in HE. With collaboration between partners, good management practices and QA monitoring, PAL partners developed curricula, implemented new practices and established infrastructure and the OER. PAL partners piloted& evaluated these outputs, then adopted them (annex 1) << Results >> 5 language labs in PAL HEIs, capacity building: 18 teachers and 15 technicians developed skills, 4 English books from Pre-intermediate to Advanced level within EU standards, 4 e-books with online exercises and links (modules), infrastructure needed for blended learning, OER upgraded, changes of teaching and learning culture, roles: from traditional to 21st C teaching, from teacher- to student-centred instruction, student engagement in dynamic, fully interactive environment to promote excellence