Abstract
Teacher professional development had received a growing interest in the past decades due to their importance in improving teachers' knowledge, skills and values. There are various approaches and types of teachers' professional development. This paper begins by discussing the definition, characteristics and models of teachers’ professional development. Then it outlines some ideas related to teacher professional learning communities (PLCs), communities of practice (CoPs), mentoring and coaching. Next, the paper focuses on action research as one of the widely used approaches in both research and teacher professional development. The potential benefits of action research in building teachers’ professional capacity is presented next. The paper concludes with a discussion about the implications of utilizing action research in the educational development program for school principals in Bahrain Teachers College.
Highlights
Teachers are considered as an important factor in promoting student knowledge, skills and values
Action research can help teachers to investigate their own practices in systematic ways, help them to reflect on their work, and find out more about their weaknesses and strengths
Another study was conducted by Bersh et al (2012) and it consisted of three action research projects conducted by teachers who used different ways to improve at-risk students’ literacy skills by engaging them in multicultural responsive learning as they were immersed in a literacy-rich curriculum with their students in the classrooms
Summary
Teachers are considered as an important factor in promoting student knowledge, skills and values. The paper focuses on action research: its methodologies, models, examples, and its potential benefits for improving school effectiveness. A number of authors have recognized the importance of using action research in teachers’ professional development. Cunningham (2011) suggested that action research can foster and support professional learning communities and can contribute to leadership capacity as it guides teachers to work for deep understanding, commit to reflective practice, and build a culture of collaborative work. The researcher hopes that this paper will contribute to the current efforts in promoting productive and effective teachers’ professional development in the region by discussing best practices that is shaped by international standards and connected with the local needs
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