Recently, some teachers and lecturers were told to take charge of our own professional development. We were told to organize our own courses and workshops. How is it with your organization?
In the institution I work in, we have a PD coordinator who designs a PD course in response to the teachers'needs who generally express that through a needs analysis checklist. PD sessions are conducted fortnightly and senior teachers, who should be familiar with effective ways of conducting workshops and aware of the different ways adults learn, are encouraged to deliver workshops too. In addition, observations are now developmental rather than evaluative. Teachers can decide what aspects of teaching they would like level leaders/coordinators to observe and give them constructive feedback about. Level leaders on their turn should encourage teachers to reflect on their teaching practices and seek to improve them. We also have regular meetings in which share effective teaching strategies, which we find our students respond to well and we think they motivate them and cater for their needs.
Thanks Balquees, for sharing your PD activities at Sohar Univ. Let's wait and hear from other RG members.
There is very little direction in CPD at my institution and some colleagues actually feel the concept is an insult to their expertise. We do have voluntary training sessions on a number of topics but it tends to be the same people who attend these sessions. At my previous institution were given 2 days per year and each individual was given the choice about what they did during those 2 days. In neither case was the university very directive in regards to what staff actually did as CPD but I have found it is not what the university tells you to do but the value that the university places on CPD that matters. So if your institution can promote the message that it values CPD and that it wants staff to take personal responsibility for it, then I think this can work. But if the university do not project the message that CPD is important then it will not work out. So it's not the system but the value that the university places on CPD that matters.
Thanks Erik. I have been away for quite a while. What you have shared is significant; it's the value that our institution places on CPD that's the main importance.
But it seems our friends on Research Gate are silent on this matter? Could it be that most institutions do not want to give much direction concerning the CPD of their staff?
Hi Miranda, one major issue regarding continuous professional development (CPD) in many schools, including mine, is that PD programs are mostly 'one size fits all'.
In other words, teachers' professional development should, as with that for students, to be differentiated reflecting their varying learning needs. The following article discussing this issue, amongst others, proposing practical solutions:
https://dx.doi.org/10.20319/pijss.2017.s31.453466
Regards,
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Journal Impact Factor