SWOT Analysis
Strengths
S/01 Having a young and knowledgeable academic staff.
S/02 A sincere and student-centered approach.
S/03 Foreign language education being a field with consistently high relevance and demand.
S/04 High quality of education.
S/05 The fact that education is conducted in English, and being a “language” department, contributes to students' development both in the field and in their teaching careers by allowing them to further improve a language (English) they already know, which is also the global "lingua franca".
S/06 Because the department provides education in English, its scope extends beyond Turkey—it is a global department.
S/07 Courses are taught by a dedicated and expert academic staff, including visiting lecturers from other universities when needed, leading to successful outcomes.
S/08 The student-centered nature of the department and the fact that students can achieve a great deal independently distinguishes it from other departments.
S/09 A department preferred by students.
S/10 Emphasis on active teaching practices in educational programs.
S/11 The faculty offers a conducive learning environment with its physical infrastructure, technological equipment, rich library resources, and laboratories.
S/12 During the COVID-19 pandemic, educational technologies were actively used in classes, course objectives were shared at the beginning of the term, exams were evaluated objectively by instructors, and feedback was provided to students afterward.
S/13 Within the department and faculty, there is a strong sense of cooperation among staff, adequate internal communication tools, and a high sense of institutional belonging.
S/14 High student satisfaction, ease of access to advisors or instructors, and timely (within 3 days) responses from instructors/advisors when contacted by students.
Weaknesses
W/01 Insufficient number of academic staff.
W/02 Shortage of academic and administrative personnel.
W/03 Limited facilities and opportunities: insufficient number of classrooms and limited resources for purchasing new equipment like computers.
W/04 Due to limited resources, the department cannot offer many outward-facing, project-based activities or events.
W/05 A high student-to-instructor ratio reduces the effectiveness of educational activities.
W/06 Increasing student numbers over the years have added to the academic and advisory workload.
W/07 During the COVID-19 pandemic: lack of cultural events and limitations of conducting online education through the university's LMS.
W/08 Due to the academic staff shortage, there is insufficient time for research and publishing.
W/09 More opportunities and international collaboration are needed.
Opportunities
O/01 The department has the capacity to train qualified professionals to meet the country’s needs.
O/02 Provides high-quality education.
O/03 Trains language teachers who can adapt to different educational environments and continually develop themselves.
O/04 Being a global department, with a focus on English language teaching, adds to its relevance both in Turkey and internationally.
O/05 The department attracts high-achieving students, providing a solid foundation for success.
O/06 The department equips students with versatile skills for both a strong teaching career and alternative job opportunities outside teaching.
O/07 Compared to other departments, our students and alumni tend to be more self-confident and proactive, able to follow and comprehend global resources firsthand, and are trained in research skills.
O/08 Thanks to their education and accumulated knowledge, our students and graduates can pursue further education and career opportunities abroad.
O/09 High employment rates and well-prepared graduates for teaching careers.
O/10 Offers better and more diverse job opportunities compared to many other faculties, increasing its popularity among applicants.
O/11 Strong collaboration opportunities with schools, supporting mature relations with faculty stakeholders.
Threats
T/01 National education policies.
T/02 Lack of technological infrastructure.
T/03 Need for improved collaboration among academic staff.
T/04 Limited resources at both the university and departmental levels: insufficient library facilities, lack of international partnerships.
T/05 Challenges in fulfilling the requirements of practice-based courses like school experience and teaching practicum, such as: difficulty in finding certified mentor teachers, misalignment between the number of students needing supervision and the number of academic staff available, and limited time for individualized instruction, observation, and feedback due to academic staff shortages.
T/06 Oversupply of English Language Teaching departments and large class sizes, which hinder the training of high-quality students.
T/07 Inadequate financial resources allocated to faculties and departments.