Yes, dear Miranda, we may have an effective system to handle professional development courses for faculty staff. Deans of faculties and professors participate in training courses on quality and teaching methods.

We have to convince them that professional development courses for teachers that truly helps to improve student achievement is very essential for them and for their students. Furthermore, I believe that motivation has an effect in this concern.

In these times of budget cuts, I was told that we should organize PD courses for the teaching staff within our own college.  We should help school teachers to organize PD courses for them.  This was very difficult because so many of us, especially school teachers face time poverty.  Even if a few persons are willing to sacrifice time, many people were not willing to do so.

Yes, dear Miranda, we may have an effective system to handle professional development courses for faculty staff. Deans of faculties and professors participate in training courses on quality and teaching methods.

We have to convince them that professional development courses for teachers that truly helps to improve student achievement is very essential for them and for their students. Furthermore, I believe that motivation has an effect in this concern.

In India, we have Colleges of Professional Development in each state-funded university. Each faculty member is expected to attend certain number of such PD programs before applying for promotion to the next higher level. Each program runs for about two to three weeks. It helps the teachers update knowledge and understanding on different issues including more effective teaching and research.

Thanks Profs Mahfuz and Debi.  Here, a teacher is required to attend 7 days of PD in  a year.  For training sessions that are less than 1 day, six hours is considered as equivalent to a day.  In some years, I attended more than 18 days of PD.  The most recent were workshops of T& L of science in English, and on designing modules for Professional Learning Community.

Dear Miranda,

If the “professional development ‘system’ for teachers is, by all accounts, broken,”' as Professor Heather C. Hill suggests, how are we getting along, with all my respect for this grim standpoint?

Dear Prof Marwan, sometimes I think we are just providing 'a plaster when it's needed'.  Perhaps we should think for long term improvement and work towards it, rather than just in time 'patching up'.

Professional development programs help teachers acquire or deepen their knowledge about subject matter content, teaching skills, and assessment methods required to implement an existing or a new curriculum. In planning the content of programs to strengthen teaching, it is important to emphasize pedagogical content knowledge, which involves a focus on subject matter content with its implications for pedagogy (planning, instruction, and assessment). Pedagogical content knowledge helps teachers understand curricular content better and be more effective in making a subject comprehensible to students. It serves as a bridge between teachers’ knowledge of the subject matter and their knowledge and skill in planning and managing their interactions with students in ways that facilitate learning and improve achievement.

Dear Miranda,

Dear All,

As I could understand the paper you cited was about high school teaching and not higher education. Regarding my own experiences I have not even heard on professional development courses for university teachers except some language or computer courses. What Debi mentioned seems to be a good possibility for junior teachers.

However, I remark it would be a shame if I would not instruct myself continually. At a certain knowledge level one should follow permanently the scientific literature in his/her own field and the neighbouring areas. Another development courses may be conferences and workshops if one can afford them.

Thanks dear Yogesh, Andras et al.  @Yogesh, you have described PD very well indeed, thanks.

@Andras, I understand what you say.  But I think it's not a very good idea to distinguish teaching in school and college or university.  Just recently in Malaysia, the Ministry of Higher Education was combined with the Ministry of Education.  I think this is a good idea, because colleges and universities are going to be the place where school children are heading.  One particular matter I think of now is that collaborative learning of science with shared practicals is 1 reason why students copy practical reports.  If school teachers don't nip this in the bud; allow this to happen, it is likely to lead to plagiarism in universities.  Ethics must be taught; it's unusual that scientific value of honesty did not prompt students to the fact that copying and plagiarism are wrong.   

https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_do_you_think_about_plagiarism_in_science?_tpcectx=profile_questions

First, we need to educate the teacher in grammar, writing, speaking, and the subject they intend to teach. Second we need to stress that the job of education is education, not socialization and indoctrination.

A well-educated teacher will not need further developmental education. A well-educated teacher will self-educate and develop. Skill workshops are good sources for the self-developer.

The usual developmental education programs are for earning points for promotion. Here is an excerpt from one such developmental education program.

Taking stock of the state of critical inquiry in the humanities and arts, this colloquium capitalizes on the diversity among the disciplines, and the currency of creative theories and methodologies of textual analysis and interpretation that bring changing perspectives to scholars and students. Exchanges of texts and tools and explorations of new modes of humanistic thinking characterize the brokerage of the colloquium. Through application of numerous analytical models, a variety of art forms will be examined. This will be followed by an examination of the paradigms themselves, coined in the realms that bank deposits from anthropology, physics, history, and linguistics, to literature, philosophy, sociology, and psychology. The Colloquium aims to inventory the richness--past, present, and future--of our collective humanistic treasury.

Here is a statement from the director of a developmental program that might offer a chance at development.

Last week a young man came seeking a job in our developmental studies program. He left his resume. It spoke of ‘transhumanistic learning experiences' of ‘self-sufficiency experiences,' of ‘holistic learning strategies.' No doubt he will find a job somewhere. But I sent him packing.

My experience with Indian Institute of Technology New Delhi is I was hired based on degrees and knowledge and not based on my training in teaching. In higher education we did not have such a thing. In the early years 1960’s when there are not many graduate degrees students were provided opportunities to get Teacher Training by way of doing graduate courses such as M Tech in IIT Kharagpur, so that they can get academic positions. That was also stopped long back. As of today I am not familiar with any such programs.

In this university we encourage our Ph D students to go through at least 6 to 9 credits related to education and curriculum planning that would be helpful to them if they decide to take up an academic position. Other than that we do not have any other training program for higher education.

For school teachers we regularly conduct programs to maintain their teaching license program.

In Pakistan i have also not heard of any professional development programs for university faculty members. although programs exists for college and school level teachers but for university level teachers there are no programs to develop their teaching and learning skills. Although initiatives have been taken by higher education commission and individual universities to update their faculties but the success rate of such programs is still low. 

Dear @Miranda, Professional Development is not carried out very well at my college! Long story and it is all about finance! Lack of interest and indifference!

Here is good example about Technology Based Professional Development of Mathematics Teachers due to Emerging Technologies and wide-ranging educational reforms. Link follows!

http://elib.mi.sanu.ac.rs/files/journals/tm/14/tm814.pdf

Dear profs and friends, yes, there seems to be lack of interest even from teachers.  Probably it stems from lack of concern.  I should think that teachers should have subject content skills and language skills to impart knowledge (and even to inspire); because a good teacher has to inspire students to put in EFFORT into learning. Some teachers seem to regard their own professional development  'with some contempt'; this is terrible.  

Great link Prof Ljubomir.  The 3 research Q's are very appropriate; are teachers interested in achieving the standards, are they getting support, and are their interest related to their attitudes?  Profs N, Ljubomir, what will happen to them if their teaching licence doesn't get renewed?

In a rapidly changing globalized world, schools, teachers and young people need the skills and values base to make sense of what is happening in the world around them. Connecting Classrooms professional development courses play an important role in supporting the development of an international learning community that equips educators to develop young people into global citizens.

http://nitttrc.ac.in/files/Engg_College_Brochure_2011_12_book.pdf

Yes Umachandran, thanks.  I agree that 'professional development courses play an important role in supporting the development of an international learning community that equips educators to develop young people into global citizens'.  All of us need to be global citizens.

Nearer home is the AEC 2015, with similar goals: 'AEC will transform ASEAN into a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labour, and freer flow of capital.'

http://www.asean.org/communities/asean-economic-community

Hi, you can contact www.ebmt.org for details. Nurses are organizing also distance e-learning modules

Both future or active teachers have - besides their scientific knowledge in their teaching domain - to learn and to practically experience that learning is a process that learners can handle themselves. Teacher are taught the subprocesses of learning so that they can adopt a corresponding way of triggering the adequate subprocesses in the learners, and these in turn, will organize their learning activities more consciously with regard to learning as a process.

The most important thing is: teachers have to undergo learning processes in different areas (conceptional learning, learning from text, learning with visual aid, problem solving etc.) that show them how hard learning (understanding, storing and retrieving information) can be and what partial processes constitute the whole knowledge acquisition process. So, training the teachers includes practical experience as well as theoretical background training.

In order to improve your teaching, you must do some kind of research with your own students.   This will help you to understand your students' understanding of the subject, which will reduce the gape between you and your students.  Most of the time, teachers assume that 'students think like this, they know this', etc.  once you better understand your student, your jobe become much much easyer than ever before. 

This I am saying, based of my research and experience.

Dear friends, Gerhard Steiner, Igbnatius John et al., thanks for your views.  I agree that teachers need to have some expertise on learning (Gerhard's view) and I need to do some research on my own students.  In my college, I am only allowed to research on learning.  So I have been researching Motivation in Learning Science, Self-directed learning. Another area I have been researching is musical mnemonics in learning biology and health sciences.

As Gerhard says learning is hard when students don't have the ready knowledge and experiences to make constructivism links.  Thanks Ignatius, it's true that when I understand my students, my job gets easier.  Yes, my research is part of my own PD.  Thanks to all of you.

Again down vote dear @Miranda!!!! Regarding your question from the previous page, if their teaching licence do not get renewed, they loose a job!

Dear Prof Ljubomir, let's continue to upvote posts; continue to MAKE Q AND A RELEVANT!  ALL OF US have liberty to upvote, and I don't downvote at all.  I don't know why some people refuse to be POSITIVE and discuss.

Now if teachers lose their job when they don't concern themselves with PD, they can only blame themselves.  But what you say is true.  When I was in school, so many teachers complained about PD held on Saturdays.  It's sad when values aren't right.

Dear Miranda

The teaching license is the minimum condition for job as a school teacher. If they cannot renew, they will forfeit the job. So they make all efforts to renew the license. I have not seen any in our region who was not able to renew because of its importance.

Thanks Prof Nageswara, I'm happy that all the teachers were able to renew their permits, so far.  Cheers.

Dear Miranda,

I am afraid that elementary schools, high schools and universities teach different knowledge items at totally different levels. Even their pupils’ or students’ demands and grasps are unlike. An elementary or high school teacher educate information as if these items were sure and permanent but at university level teachers should explain the very relativity and uncertainness of this knowledge. One can formulate the “superficiality” elementariness are stressed in elementary and high school. I claim even in some colleges so called quick knowledge is instructed. I feel one should clearly recognise and see the demands of the education level and that of the pupils and students.

How do students "achieve their goals?" Professional development starts with teachers who "care" about the success of their students. Sadly. this attitude is sorely lacking in educational institutions today. A true educator is genuinely interested in the success of his or her students in grasping the rudimentary concepts that he or she is trying to help them achieve. The student "aha" moments are what educators really need to focus on.

Thanks for your views and support.  @Derie Smith Jr., thanks for 'A true educator is genuinely interested in the success of his or her students in grasping the rudimentary concepts that he or she is trying to help them achieve. The student "aha" moments are what educators really need to focus on'.  

Unfortunately teacher training did not emphasize this sufficiently.  And perhaps teacher training is providing the most minimum to prepare educators for children of the next decade or generation...

Dear Prof Ljubomir and friends, our views on downvoting are already expressed on this thread:

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Social_media_Downvoting_and_degrading_in_social_networks-What_are_the_reasons-What_are_the_reactions?cp=re65_x_p2&ch=reg&loginT=lQIkwt0cTZhavlNWjHJF6JPgFV8fa2TD8u7rGwBlaxY%2A&pli=1#view=5410fc3bd11b8bd5568b466d

Dear Dr Palani, thanks.  So public and private universities are organizing courses for the training of their faculty members periodically.  But it has to be a continuous effort.  I'm happy that PD is given due regard in India, for the benefit of students in the long run.

There is a really good paper by Desimone: Improving Impact Studies of Teachers' Professional Development: 2009, that explains the main concepts needed for effective PD, such as long enough time, that it is collective and participative etc. So the actualy design can vary, as long as it has these main concepts.

It also seems to me from other papers, is that faculty need to develop their Teacher Belief Systems to enable them to change their practice, and this takes time and in the right setting (ie the above concepts)

Andrea

I believe we should design a system that involves active participation of all students, and that will not be achieved without a deep insight of the teacher. So, in my opinion, universities should have a professional gathering every now and then with other professionals in their fields, that will help us with the goal. I don't really agree that teachers should attend some courses for that purpose.

Professional dev courses are definitely perquisite not only for new and mid-level teachers but also for ensuring the quality teaching. There must be a well designed, practical based participatory type of syllabus/curriculum so that the do not feel that they are undergoing an infant padagogic type of teaching. A workshop or seminar will be helpful but long duration courses may be counterproductive.

Best wishes for you

Shahjahan

Friends, I just got a paper from Prof Ljubomir.  Again the same matter is stated, that short term workshops don't have much chance to provide development, create a change in teachers, because these merely are useful to disseminate info.  There are lots of things that apply to my country although the link is on Serbia and Austria.  Really useful for you too, perhaps.  Thanks Prof Ljubomir and friends.

@Andrea, could you place the softcopy of the paper by Desimone here.  On RG, we share our resources.

https://www.academia.edu/6249444/Comparison_of_teacher_education_reforms_in_Serbia_and_Austria

Hi Miranda.  I have found that teachers who develop a personal action plan related to the content of the professional development, with measurable outcomes increases their engagement.  The more teachers can be directly connected to the results of progress will reinforce their efforts and energy related to the educational improvements.   

One component of PD that is generally overlooked is follow-up of the PD.  As noted in other responses, brief PD is inadequate to meet the real needs of those participating in PD.  The critical issue is: what happens after PD workshops?  For example, is there just-in-time support, for example, when technology was the focus of PD?  More generally for all types of PD situations, are there strong follow-up opportunities that reinforce the PD?  For example, have administrators helped to establish communities of practice or professional learning communities  to provide follow-up opportuinites to support those who attended PD?

I think there is a sufficient body of research evidence to show that effective professional learning for teachers needs to be: sustained, enquiry-based, collaborative, includes engagement with external published knowledge and involves some element of in-class coaching. Of course the challenge for busy teachers is to find the time and motivation to engage with such a programme, one way is to make the programme long and slow. A part-time Masters programme over three years or a collaborative practitioner research project over two years are suitable programmes. Such teacher researcher activities stimulate 'interplay' between practical wisdom and public (published) knowledge and have the potential to create new knowledge and change in practice. These kinds of activities have a long history in the UK and have certainly benefited many individual teachers. However they have not reached sufficient momentum to make a transformative step change except in a limited number of schools.

Thanks for your views. @Ray, you brought up about technology as the focus of PD.  I think that teachers need technical assistants to help them.  When I was in school, I fumbled a lot.  Then I got into college, where I get some help.  So I learn a lot faster!

@Pete, thanks.  Do you have papers on 'sufficient body of research evidence to show that effective professional learning for teachers needs to be: sustained, enquiry-based, collaborative, includes engagement with external published knowledge and involves some element of in-class coaching'?  Please add them here.

Miranda, in addition to responses that you've already received, I think it is crucial to define what is meant by PD, otherwise there is nothing to assess. PD by its very nature is a continuous process that has to be followed longitudinally. We have to choose whether to assess only behavioural outcomes or also self-reported internal (affective, cognitive) learning. In any case there are no quick solutions. Programs need to be readily available and sustained over time to support ongoing needs of teachers.

I am unable at this moment to upload the definition of PD I use in my (just submitted) doctoral thesis, until after my examinations have been completed.

References to other studies relevant to your question (but not directly to teacher education):

Hunt, C. (with Linden West). “Salvaging the Self in Adult Learning.” Studies in the Education of Adults 41.1 (2009): 68-82.

Meijers, Frans and Lengelle, Reinekke. “Narratives At Work: The Development of Career Identity.” British Journal of Guidance & Counselling iFirst (2012): 1-20.

Some Professional development courses for teacher

http://extendedstudies.boisestate.edu/educatorsdevelopment/boise-school-district/

Serbian Ministry of Education adopts catalogue of teacher's courses every year. Teacher must collect proposed number of credit hours a year in order to keep his teacher's licence. The problem of financing such activities is the issue.

Dear @Miranda, something more on Career Advancement that is related to professional development of teachers in Serbia!

"Traditionally, teachers in Serbia did not have any career possibilities other than

leaving the teaching profession and engaging in managerial tasks as school

principals or advisors and inspectors within the MoES. Also, increases in teachers’ salaries were based solely on the length of their work experience and teaching load. The policies developed after 2000 along with the 2003 legislation have changed this scene by introducing a career advancement scheme for teachers, similar to that seen in many countries. According to this scheme, teachers can progress through 4 career steps: advisors, mentors, instructors and senior advisors, and a salary increase is linked to the progression. The first two career levels are gained at the school level through a set of internally applicable criteria, including evidence of participating in a required amount of accredited teacher training programmes, engagement in developing innovative teaching practices and high quality teaching as assessed by peers. The two higher levels are gained externally based on a request from the school and an appraisal conducted by external experts and MoES officials, but also requiring participation in in-service training (as an instructor or training programme author) and a set of quality indicators." It is very fine report and quite useful: THE PROSPECTS OF TEACHER EDUCATION IN SOUTH-EAST EUROPE-NATIONAL REPORT – SERBIA !

http://www.see-educoop.net/education_in/pdf/workshop/tesee/dokumenti/book/Serbia.pdf

Thanks@Umachandran for the link.  I will get into it soon, when I can.  (Right now I'm busy with data entry.)

Thanks Channa, we are here when you are ready.

Thanks Prof Ljubomir.  The last time I attended a national conference to present my paper, I was asked if I can organize some courses in Biology for school teachers in my area, Banting.  I was willing, but the emails I sent weren't answered.  I know that teachers are busy, but they should think of their own profession and students, not just their salary and what they can gain. (Thanks for this National Report; our posts crossed, but it's fine.)

Q:How effectively is PD carried out in your college?

These days there is no PD for faculty, as there are no funds available in the department for PD. Years ago there used to be department funds for this, but not any more. Of course the administration will point to workshops and conferences that it supports out of a special office for excellence in teaching, but that only highlights the fact that where PD was once supported by each department, there is only a centralized office to wave that flag, and it, as you said it is "short-term, episodic, and disconnected." Ironically, for the past 4 years I have been involved with an effort in professional development for K-12 teachers, under a grant from the department of education. You can learn more about that at http://vista.gmu.edu and you will find how some very effective PD is provided to K-12 teachers. Unfortunately, most institutions of higher education today have adopted the so-called corporate model and are thus more interested in making money (with research grants or some other money-making ventures) than keeping their faculty on their toes with a truly coordinated PD effort, as our VISTA grant has done for K-12 teachers.

We have another problem.. which is not so universal: Check this out Dr. http://www.bt.com.bn/news-national/2014/08/27/reduce-admin-work-teachers-moe

Dear @Fatimah, 25-30 per cent of a teacher’s working hours spent on non-teaching activities is too much! Chief Inspector will help, I hope so!

Research as mentioned before is lacking in total effect of professional development activities on student's success. I am of the opinion that if offered related professional development to the needs of teachers, we will begin to report  increased success in students' achievement levels.

Thanks for your posts.  @Harold Geller, you are saying that K-12 teachers have a grant for PD, but not the university staff?  I am surprised.  (Here all the public universities are well provided with funds and research grants, whether they are productive or not; but I don't have a grant.)

Dear Fatimah, Prof Ljubomir and friends, school teachers face the same situation in my place.  A lot of time is spent on clerical work, keying in marks on an internet system that has several mal-functions.  My friends told me they key in marks till 3 am.  (Discipline teachers are sometimes the care takers, to ensure that the school is clean. That was what I did in school.)

In the adult learning area so called TTT (train the trainer) courses are very valuable, and many certification institutions and vendors provide such trainings, accredit trainers. And also these institutions often recognize the trainer status and TTT certification trainings granted by another institution and/or vendor.

Teacher quality is one of the most significant factors in teaching. Effective professional development courses for teachers help improving the students` achievement.

Innovative technology can aid in the process of teaching and application, and indeed offer opportunities for practice, and also for sharing ideas.

THANKS for your views.  Prof Kamal, I'm glad your university makes CPD as important as research and publishing.  Prof Mahfuz, thanks.  Teacher quality is truly very important.  These days, a good teacher needs to teach more than subject content.  The teacher has to have some expertise on Learning, and using innovative technology to help engage students when necessary.  (Friends, please ignore the downvotes and downvoters.  We are surprised that at times RG made the downvoted thread as the featured thread.  I don't downvote, and I read every post, thanks.)

Yes Francesca.  In this college, teachers are evaluated by the admin, by peers and by students.  Everyone uses the same questionnaire.  Teachers are evaluated on Personality, how knowledgeable and organized we are, our presentation including use of suitable tone and body language.  The last question students must put a score (1 to 5) is 'My teacher enjoys teaching the subject in English.'

Miranda, thanks for your thoughts. I believe effective and efficient institutional collaboration with relevant teacher agencies, and international teacher associations (Educational International) among others would help ensure institutionalising  up-to-date courses to professionalise the profession of teaching. These bodies would assist in carving out esoteric body of knowledge teachers need to effectively teach. The role of teacher-development research based institutions cannot be discounted in the whole argument regarding the production of developmental courses for improving the effectiveness of teaching.

In fact, due their unique roles of such institutions, frantic efforts must be made to  bring their expertise and ideas on board. The moment has really arrived where the profession of teaching would be recognised as such as a profession.

I dare say that well-designed professional development courses meant for sharpening teachers professional skills is still relatively rare. I think the time has come for us all to think seriously about raising the status of teachers and giving them renewed freedom and authority in the classroom through professional development programmes. This will yield substantial contribution to improving schools today. Also, the best performing education systems should set clear expectations for what children ought to know and be able to do and every all professional programmes should be tailored towards meeting these expectations.

In this academic year MEN will hold professional development courses for teachers in universities. You are invited to attend all teachers who wish.

@Anthony, you have expressed very good views: 'effective and efficient institutional collaboration with relevant teacher agencies, and international teacher associations, role of teacher-development research, profession of teaching would be recognized (just like engineering,medicine), and well-designed professional development courses meant for sharpening teachers professional skills is still relatively rare. I think the time has come for us all to think seriously about raising the status of teachers and giving them renewed freedom and authority in the classroom through professional development programmes. This will yield substantial contribution to improving schools today.'

In this college, we organize PD courses for ourselves, mainly on research using different learning approaches.  That means that PD still goes on when funds are low.  Thanks to all of you.

Miranda, there have been some positive insight in the responses to your post. As a trainer of teachers, professional development for teachers appear broken and disjointed. According to research conducted recently,  designs of professional development remain thin and ineffective. The opinion posited that those who are responsible for the training of future teachers need effective professional development. Then, the face of professional development for teachers may change.

With the above, there is another opinion to present: collaboration with teachers on the designs and choices of content for professional development will raise the bar and eventually translate to the classrooms.

It is natural to expect, as in the present question, that the task of the teacher is most crucial in bringing about learning on the part of the student. The assumption here is that learning or extent of learning (usually determined by students’ performance in tests, based on the behavioural objectives stated for the lessons) is the achievement of the student. This implies that a teaching-learning process presumably managed or presided over by a teacher, and which does not result in learning (student achievement) indicates failure on the part of the teacher (i.e. teacher task failure).

The present approach adopted by many schools system to PD can better be described as transactional approach, in which the given systems react to real problems, for example problem of poor performance of students in a given subject, say chemistry or mathematics. The assumption here is that student’s underachievement is a function of, and indicates teacher poor task performance level. Rather than seeing it as a system’s failure, students’ failure or underachievement is often blamed on the teacher. This informs the reason for present approach to PD. The snag or disadvantage of this approach is that the system that adopts it deals with, and reacts to teacher task failure issues that have been referred to it. This may be misleading, as the reaction may be to the obvious rather than the essential; and perceived needs rather than invisible but important needs.

For a system to be effective in handling PD courses for teachers there must be

• frequent but conscious and careful identification of potential areas of improvement;

• ways in which teacher task can be improved;

• analytic evaluation of these potential areas of improvement, with a view to pinpointing those that represent, for a particular schools system in a foreseeable future, the best and most promising and practical target for improving teacher task.

The transactional approach, which appears to be popular with most organisers of teacher PD programmes, adopts disjointed piecemeal approach to problem solving and often efforts are not directed to the actual target. Efforts should be systematic and organised.

To establish an effective system to handle professional development courses for teachers, we may start with

1. definition of the essential elements of the system in view;

2. formulation of the guiding principle or policy that shall drive the system;

3. Development of analytic tools to access or make judgements regarding investment in teachers’ activities towards improving and facilitating teacher task;

4. Developing analytic tools to monitor progress or measure returns on these investments.

5. Development of training programme or curriculum for teachers, based on actual and perceived needs of teachers and the schools system.

Our experience in Nigeria along this line is to develop teachers guide to school curricular, as a first step, the next is training teachers on the use of the guides. This was followed by identification of difficult concepts in the curricular. Difficult concept here are those concepts which teachers find difficult to teach and student find difficult to learn. The next step was writing of course materials with suggestions on pedagogic approach to those difficult concepts.

In summary, it is my view that to establish an efficient system to handle professional development courses for teachers that truly helps to improve students achievement, we should have a recourse to what I call IDD approach. IDD simply refers to the following three steps:

1. Identify those activities that are most relevant and have greatest potential influence on teacher task.

2. Decide or set priorities.

3. Deploy resources (material and financial) at the right time in right order or manner in those areas of priority.

Make provision for thorough support and effective supervision by relevant authorities.