Need For Professional Development Programs Research Articles

Putting the "Development" in Professional Development: Understanding and Overturning Educational Leaders' Immunities to Change

In this article, authors Deborah Helsing, Annie Howell, Robert Kegan, and Lisa Lahey argue that today's educational leaders face a host of complex demands as they strive to implement lasting, meaningful change in their school environments. As these demands often require a level of personal development many adults may not yet have, there is a need for professional development programs that are genuinely developmental. This article describes one such program that provides the opportunity for participants to make qualitative shifts in the ways that they understand themselves and their work. Using case study methodology, the authors explore the psychological development of one participant as she increases her capacity to determine, and be guided by, her own theories, values, and expectations of her personal and professional relationships and responsibilities.

Student Teaching in Urban and Suburban Schools

This study employed interviews with 10 bilingual Latino preservice teachers to explore their experiences with schooling and their observations while student teaching in suburban and urban schools. Findings reveal that participants' life experiences and unique responses to cultural conflicts influenced their ability to relate to Latino students and parents and their desires to teach in Latino communities. However, participants demonstrated minimal recognition of forces that contribute to inequity, and none expressed the need to challenge traditional practices. This study supports the need for professional development programs for teachers of color to incorporate ongoing critical reflection of life experiences to promote political consciousness.

The Professional Development Needs of Educational Leaders in Post-Conflict Kosovo

This article discusses the professional development needs of educational leaders in Kosovo, a region in Yugoslavia that has undergone dramatic changes following conflicts in the late 1990s. This article describes the changing sociopolitical context of the region and examines the need for professional development programs for school administrators in a postwar society.

Analysis of Effective Educator Competencies in Inclusive Environments

Practicing educators in ten elementary and secondary schools were surveyed to identify the competencies needed by teachers and administrators working in inclusion settings. The most highly rated competency for both teachers and administrators was collaboration. Flexibility also was considered an important competency for all educators. Other notable teacher competencies addressed classroom practices and student knowledge. Other significant administrator competencies emphasized staff development and efforts to encourage inclusion. Responses to the survey indicated a need for professional development programs to provide multiple field experiences and university classroom opportunities for interaction and shared experiences across the disciplines of general and special education.

Better In-Service Programs for School Administrators

FEW EDUCATIONAL LEADERS Would dispute the need for professional development programs that can assist school administrators in the clarification of their perceptions about self, school, and society. Most university-based training of this type has utilized either the short-term workshop or some institute design of longer duration. In point of fact, the summer workshop or institute for school personnel has become an almost standard part of the university professor's total experience. The range of marketable topics is impressively large, with titles that seem to respond to the variety of issues bugging public education. Without weighing all the questions related to the quality of these numerous efforts, it might be useful to focus on programs specifically designed for school administrators.