Professional Development with Follow-up for an Effective Paradigm Shift

Abstract

The importance of transferring learning from a professional development programme is widely acknowledged. The problem lies in overcoming the mitigating factors and promoting the enabling factors that ensure transfer of learning by the teachers and educational leaders in the classrooms and schools. When transfer is successful school students are motivated that culminates in quality education for students. In addition, the teachers and educational leaders review and re-evaluate their own understanding and experiences taking on the path of continuous professional development. The findings of this study are important for planners of professional development programmes say for enhancing skills of teachers in the 21 century. A case study approach was used with data collated from documents, in-depth interviews, observations, questionnaires and focus group. The findings through inductive analysis are that intensive followup, feedback and feed forward are required to support teachers to transfer their learning into the classrooms in both short term and long term professional development.