Dissertation Defense Announcement Ph.D. in Education Program: Jehan Mohamed “Professional Development, How Does it Work? یعمل؟ كیف :المھني التطور A Deep Dive into the Educator Participant Experience”

This study argues that high-quality, field-informed professional development (PD) is not an optional add-on but a structural condition for equitable, effective Arabic language instruction in the context of higher education in the United States. In university and college settings, sustained PD aligned with world language standards drive Arabic faculty expertise, pedagogical innovation, and student proficiency gains. Framed by sociocultural theory and the community of practice framework, this research examines the impact of PD on teaching and learning practices within a broader educational landscape marked by challenges such as heritage and non-heritage learner distinctions, diglossia, and limited access to resources typical to less commonly taught languages (LCTL) such as Arabic.

Employing a qualitative interview methodology, the study analyzes semi-structured interviews, documents, and artifacts from ten participants and PD program sites such as STARTALK and QFI. Data analysis was carried out thematically, utilizing manual coding with triangulation and colleague review for validity.

The findings aim to inform both scholarly and practical improvements to PD models for Arabic educators. This research illuminates higher education Arabic educators’ PD needs and challenges, experiences, and perceived impacts to inform scalable, field-specific models that elevate instruction and student achievement.