Teacher professional development 2

http://www.ericdigests.org/1997-2/time.htm

ERIC Identifier: ED400259
Publication Date: 1996-10-00
Author: Abdal-Haqq, Ismat
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education Washington DC.

Making Time for Teacher Professional Development. ERIC Digest.

Effective professional development addresses the flaws of traditional approaches, which are often criticized for being fragmented, unproductive, inefficient, unrelated to practice, and lacking in intensity and follow-up (Bull et al., 1994; Corcoran, 1995; Professional Development, 1994). Effective professional development:

is ongoing;

includes training, practice, and feedback; opportunities for individual reflection and group inquiry into practice; and coaching or other follow-up procedures;

is school-based and embedded in teacher work;

is collaborative, providing opporunities for teachers to interact with peers;

focuses on student learning, which should, in part, guide assessment of its effectiveness;

encourages and supports school-based and teacher initiatives;

is rooted in the knowledge base for teaching;

incorporates constructivist approaches to teaching and learning;

recognizes teachers as professionals and adult learners;

provides adequate time and follow-up support; and

is accessible and inclusive.