The aim of this study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of continuing professional development in Hong Kong, focusing on teachers’ perceptions of CPD activities and teacher competencies in the Teacher Competencies Framework (TCF) in the latest government CPD policy, “Towards a Learning Profession: The Teacher Competencies Framework and the Continuing Professional Development of Teachers” (hereafter as “CPD Document 2003), as well as their perceptions about facilitating and inhibiting factors affecting CPD. In order to accomplish these purposes, one central research question was created: What are teachers’ perceptions of CPD activities and their professional development needs and what factors affect their CPD participation? The study was conducted in three primary schools in Hong Kong. This study took a multi-methods approach, i.e. quantitative and qualitative research, in which the data were collected through a self-developed survey questionnaire to teachers, as accompanied by focus group interviews and follow-up individual interviews with teachers. The major findings of the study were: 1. Teachers preferred higher academic study most but they slightly preferred production of publications for their CPD. 2. Teachers participated in higher academic study most but participated in production of publication the least. 3. Teachers perceived higher academic study and peer class observation as the most effective CPD activities but publication is still a lowly recognized CPD activity. 4. Four CPD domains of teachers’ perceived needs were extracted from the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) factor analysis, comprising: School Development, Teaching and Learning, Student Development, and Professional Relationships and Services. Teachers had the highest CPD needs in the ‘Student Development’ domain. 5. Facilitating factors were categorized under eight themes, namely, school factor, personal factor, financial factor, time, CPD provider, family factor, relationship with others and government factor. 6. Inhibiting factors were categorized under six themes, namely, time, heavy workload, financial factor, CPD provider, school factor and personal factor. 7. Finally, school factor was found as a determinant factor affecting CPD. It was found as the most influential factor affecting teachers’ preference, participation and their perceptions of the effectiveness of CPD activities. The implications of school-based professional development, government policies and future research related to CPD are discussed at the end of the thesis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:555263 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Wan, Wai-Yan Sally |
| Publisher | University of Nottingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/12250/ |
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