Teacher Professional Development in Focus

1
Teacher Professional Development in Focus

• Reorganizing the Existing In-Service Training
  Scheme in Cyprus

Yiasemina Karagiorgi Loizos Symeou Nicosia,
October 14 2006
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Contents

• Introduction
• Teacher Professional Development
• The Cyprus Context
• The Research Design
• Findings-Implications
• Concluding Points

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Aim of the project

• To diagnose teachers in-service training needs
  in Cyprus
• address the potential development of in-service
  training in the particular educational system
  within the framework of lifelong professional
  development
• lay foundations for further study on emerging
  directions

supported by the European Commission
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Relevance
Contents
External pressure
Reform of existing teacher training scheme
Internal pressure
Assumptions
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International Perspective
Continuing Professional Development (LifeLong
Learning)
Continuum of ongoing, participatory learning
closely linked to the realities of classroom
needs (Craig, Kraft Du Plessis, 1998).
Along the 3 Is -initial education, induction
and in-service continuous professional
development- characterized by iterations between
theory, practice and research (Dellanoy, 2000).
From ad hoc, voluntary initiatives into
organized, comprehensive, and sometimes mandatory
programmes (International Labour Office, 2000).
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European Perspective
Contents
In-Service Teacher Training
Education and training of teachers ?Quality of
school education, (European Commission, May
2000) Educators and training ? Lifelong
learning (European Commission, June 2002)
Percentage of teachers and trainers in
continuous training ? Education Training 2010
(European Commission, July 2003)
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Characteristics

• Centralized structures of educational
  administration, curriculum development and
  policy-making eg.
• Teacher appointments, secondments, transfers,
  promotions by the Educational Commission
• Dominant role of school inspectors
• Top-down curriculum development and reform
• Uniformity equality of opportunity

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Teacher Training

• Pre-service Training
• In-service Training
• Cyprus Pedagogical Institute
• Optional seminars
• School based seminars
• One-day workshops and conferences
• Mandatory courses (promotions)
• Inspectors

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Problems of In-Service Training Scheme
Contents
Cyprus second last on percentage of teachers
having received education and training during the
previous four weeks (28 countries) European
Commission, June 2002 the content as well as
the organisational structures of in-service
training provided do not satisfy the needs of
elementary school teachers to a great extent
Charalambous Michaelidou, 2001 in-service
programs can only satisfy a rather limited
percentage of teachers Committee on Educational
Reform, 2004 in-service training scheme is
insufficient due to lack of vision and
organisation POED Work Committee for In-Service
Training, 2004 the compulsory training program
has reduced intrinsic interest and relevance for
teachers Theofilides et al., 2004
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Questionnaires
PART EMPHASIS ON THE BASIS OF TYPE OF ITEMS
Part 1 Demographic and training background Agreement with partners Selecting
Part 2 Views in-service training in general (eg. motives for participation, and desired training format) Literature (eg. documents of European Commission) Agreement with partners Selecting Open ended
Part 3 Opinions on the Cyprus in-service training system in particular (eg. quality assurance, training providers,legal framework) Focus group interviews Ranking Likert-type Scale
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Sample - Return Rates

• Time Frame
• March-April 2005
• Sample
• Proportional Stratified Sample of Schools
• All levels (pre-primary, primary, gymnasium,
  lyceum, technical)
• Return Rates
• 71 schools out of the 104 (68)
• 765 teachers out of 1497 (51)

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Demographic Profile of Participants
Frequency (?) Percentage ()
School area Urban Suburban Rural No reply 385 128 249 3 50.3 16.7 32.5 0.4
Age of students Pre-primary (3-6 years) Primary (6-12 years) Gymnasium (12-15 years) Lyceum (15-18 years) Technical (15-18 years) 62 235 206 159 103 8.1 30.7 26.9 20.8 13.5
Years in occupation 0-3 years 4-10 years 11-20 years 21 years No reply 188 222 192 145 18 24.6 29.0 25.1 18.9 2.4
Position in education Teacher Deputy Head Principal Other No reply 610 111 14 3 27 79.7 14.5 1.8 0.4 3.5
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Analyses
Contents

• Descriptive statistics
• Chi-square/Analysis of variance for associations
  between types of schools and teacher perceptions
  on training
• ? patterned responses of two groups
• ?2X2 contingency tables/Independent sample t-test
  analyses for comparisons between the two groups
• Analysis of open questions into emerging thematic
  areas

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Overview
Contents

• Thematic Orientations to Teacher Needs
• Alternative Forms of Development
• Quality Assurance
• Links to School Improvement
• Multiplicity of Providers
• Decentralization in Structures
• Enhancement of Teacher Involvement

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Which is essential while choosing a form of
in-service training? (you can check up to two)
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I believe that in-service training should aim at
(priority ranked as first)
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Open Question Statements
Training contains lots of theory and little
practice, while it should happen the other way
around (questionnaire 550) Seminars tend to
repeat the theory without practical applications
(questionnaire 738) It the course I attended
recently was very informative but very distant
from the cognitive levels of my students It
offered general, academic knowledge
(questionnaire 39) Teachers should be able to
develop their critical thinking (questionnaire
232)
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I believe that the content of in-service training
should be specified according to (priority
ranked as first)
19
Open Question Statements
In-service training should ideally be conducted
in the school according to school needs An
appropriate training programme must be based on
an evaluation of the existing educational reality
at the school or system level. (questionnaire
21) There are schools with certain problems
such as school failure, behaviour problems, low
achievement. It would be very helpful for the
teachers of these schools if they had in-service
training with regards to these particular
problems so as to make them able to face them
with more success. (questionnaire 614).
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Thematic Orientations to Teacher Needs
Implications

• Topic most important factor that influences
  teachers decision to participate in in-service
  training ?Teachers preferences in terms of
  topics seriously taken into consideration by the
  decision makers (to maximize teacher
  participation)
• Teachers oriented towards the technical and
  reflective model of teacher education (Carr,
  2004) ?Training oriented towards the development
  of teaching skills or educational philosophy of
  teaching application and not the acquisition of
  theoretical knowledge
• Training context should be shaped primarily
  according to teacher and school needs ?Systematic
  school and teacher needs assessment to guide
  content specification

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What forms of in-service training do you prefer? (you can check up to four) ?
workshops 368 48.1
conferences 284 37.1
short-time courses 456 59.6
post-graduate studies 188 24.6
on-line education 72 9.4
individual meetings in the school 99 12.9
teaching staff meetings 96 12.5
experience exchange 389 50.8
others Personal study and reflection 121 15.8
others Counseling and support to teaching work 234 30.6
others Involvement in school programs (projects) 188 24.6
others Development of research activity in the classroom 156 20.4
others Participation in electronic networks for teachers 206 26.9
others other forms 5 0.7
Differences between elementary/secondary
teachers obtained at plt .05
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Alternative forms of development
Implications

• Teachers need forms of development other than
  conferences and short time courses
• Training beyond taught seminars e.g.
• advisory, planning and facilitating services
• independent study
• involvement in school development projects
• classroom-based research (innovatory practices)
• informal system of teacher education through
  networks
• Forms of development could vary according to
  self-reported preferences of each population.

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To what extent can the following measures reassure the quality of in-service training programmes? Total Total
To what extent can the following measures reassure the quality of in-service training programmes? M SD
Accreditation of training programmes by an external body 3.29 1.08
Mechanisms for internal evaluation of training programmes 3.31 0.99
Evaluation of participation through projects or exams 2.69 1.15
Other measures 2.69 1.36
Scale 1Not at all, 5To a great extent
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Quality assurance and efficiency
Implications

• Participants in the study seemed in favour of
  mechanisms for accreditation, either external or
  internal
• ?Move towards quality assurance
• A step towards mutual recognition of teacher
  education programmes within the European Union
• Definition of criteria for teacher education
  programs (minimum standards)
• Accreditation of programmes

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What makes you decide about your own in-service training or development? (you can check up to two) Total Total
What makes you decide about your own in-service training or development? (you can check up to two) ?
needs of my school 223 29.2
chance for better payment 23 3.0
the heads suggestion 13 1.7
my own need to develop 613 80.1
need to get better-qualified 412 53.9
chance to change my job 12 1.6
chance to differentiate my work 191 25.0
Others 11 1.4
Differences between elementary/secondary
teachers obtained at plt .05
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What are your expectations concerning the effects of training? (you can check up to two) ?
improving own knowledge 369 48.2
improving my students knowledge 164 21.4
getting new skills 381 49.8
exchange of experience 190 24.8
getting formal qualifications 29 3.8
getting additional qualifications 149 19.5
editing articles 18 2.4
meeting new people 24 3.1
improvement of school practice 335 43.8
Others 6 0.8
Differences between elementary/secondary
teachers obtained at plt .05
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Links to school improvement
Implications

• Despite strong primary concerns for their own
  personal development (acquisition of new skills,
  improvement of knowledge), respondents also
  appear to link in-service training to school
  practices.
• ?Assessment of professional development programs
  to document their value (impact) to the school
  organisation, the individual teacher and
  ultimately the students.
• ?Establishment of school-based training to
  integrate teacher education with school
  improvement efforts.

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To what extent should the following organizations be involved in the provision of in-service teacher training? Total Total
To what extent should the following organizations be involved in the provision of in-service teacher training? M SD
The Cyprus Pedagogical Institute 3.93 0.94
The University of Cyprus 3.90 1.02
The Ministry of Education and Culture 3.36 1.21
The School 3.25 1.13
Private Tertiary Education Institutions 2.69 1.17
Combination (partnerships) of institutions 2.68 1.31
Other Institutions-Organizations 2.66 1.31
Scale 1Not at all. 5To a great extent
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Open Question Statements
Training should be provided by a body of high
reputation and offered by respected educators,
university faculty or others that are better than
those who they teach. Personally, I dont
participate in low-standard in-service training.
(questionnaire 511) Trainers should have the
necessary qualifications. Trainers in no case
should have fewer qualifications than the people
they are supposed to teach (questionnaire
487) Trainers should not just have the typical
qualifications or just background in an area but
should have serious involvement in educational
processes. (questionnaire 502)
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Multiplicity of providers
Implications

• Majority supports in-service training provision
  by the existing bodies or organisations
• Teachers favour multiple providers
• ?Increase in providers
• ?Need for coordinator?

31
Where, in your opinion, should the training be
held? (you can check up to 2)
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Open Question Statements
Teachers need to upgrade their work in the
classroom. If possible, the trainer should come
into the classroom, suggest methods by involving
the children and the teacher (questionnaire
70) Seminars should be conducted in the
classroom so that the results can be seen
(questionnaire 439) Training should be
offered at the local level and not centrally ie.
in Nicosia (questionnaire 558) It would be
better if seminars were equally distributed in
all districts (questionnaire 612) Seminars
should be accessible to all teachers
(questionnaire 565)
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Decentralization in structures
Implications

• Schools and training centers are the most popular
  places for the provision of in-service training
  activities.
• ?Organizational models that divert from central
  provision
• ?Strengthening the local dimension eg. emergence
  of school clusters as local training areas with
  own centre or establishment of schools as fully
  integrated learning environments
• ?Transfer training budgets from training
  institutions to schools or school districts,
  which can, in turn, determine the course content
  and select their training providers ???

34
I believe that in-service teacher training should
have the following framework (priority ranked as
first)
35
Open Question Statements
Teachers should be able to learn about the
developments and the innovatory approaches in
education voluntarily and without being forced as
teaching is not just another job (questionnaire
183). Training is a fundamental chapter and
should be faced seriously and methodically.
Training needs continuity and planning. It can
not be offered because it is demanded by
somebody (questionnaire 562).
36
I believe that to increase teacher participation
in training, the following incentives should be
established (priority ranked as first)
37
Open Question Statements
I have 40 certificates of attendance and nobody
takes them into consideration, neither the
Ministry nor the Educational Committee. If each
one was worth ½ credit, then they would be
obliged to consider them (questionnaire 233)
We observe that some teachers are never
trained in 30-35 years of service while others
are trained on systematic basis. Which should be
the motive of the second group if they receive
the same evaluation as those that never receive
training? (questionnaire 47).
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When should the training be held? (you can check
up to two)
39
Open Question Statements
My opinion is that it is a mistake to offer
seminars during afternoons. Lots of teachers
have a difficult time to attend since they have
other engagements (questionnaire 81), Most
of the conferences take place during the weekend
and attendance is difficult (questionnaire
443).
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Teacher involvement
Implications

• More than 70 show preference to a voluntary
  training scheme while 1/3 of teachers favour
  links to career advancement. ?Voluntary training
  scheme with more incentives for participation
  (eg. salary increases or links to promotions)
• Training during working time comes first in
  preference (followed by afternoons)
• Teachers consider the relief from teaching duties
  as the strongest motive for participation.
• ?Training opportunities during working time or
  else, incentives for participation outside school
  hours e.g. credits for promotions.

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• Quality Assurance
• Links to School Improvement
• Multiplicity of Providers
• Decentralization in Structures

The need for the Cyprus educational system
to proceed to a multi-dimensional professional
development scheme, incorporating different
training forms in a holistic, long-term approach
to continuing teacher professional development
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Contents

• Thematic Orientations to Teacher Needs
• Alternative Forms of Development
• Enhancement of Teacher Involvement

The need for the Cyprus educational system
to become directed not only to providers
(national needs) but also to receivers of such
training (school, teacher, student needs)