Teachers as Reflective Learners: Teacher Perception of Professional Development in the Context of Azerbaijan’s Curriculum Reform

Abstract

This paper builds off current research trends on teacher professional development in Eurasian countries, including the diversification of teacher training, opportunities for teacher professional networking, and developing collaborative community culture within schools and the broader education community. This study aims to explore teacher beliefs and thoughts on the effectiveness of professional development, specifically in the context of the Education Sector Reform Project (ESRP), implemented in Azerbaijan during 2008–2013. This study analyzes quantitative data from two surveys- the teacher self-assessment and the education reforms assessment. In the prevailing conventional teacher training system, teachers are perceived as beneficiaries of professional development programs. However, over the last decade, policy-makers are beginning to attach greater importance to professional development where teachers are seen as learners that are encouraged to make professional development decisions based on their needs. Including teachers in the design of teacher professional development programs might be suggested as a way to ensure teacher learning activities have a greater impact on the quality of teaching. Such a participatory approach that strengthens teachers’ roles as decision makers in their professional development has the potential to advance the teacher support during education reforms. Education researchers also have an important role as facilitators mediating dialogue between teachers and policy-makers in order to build the effective partnership within the education community.