Mini Research

Presentation
By:

Darvesh Karim
Professional Development – Teacher Learning

• These are changing times in education systems

around the world, with educational reforms.
• One of the key elements in most of these reforms
is the professional development of teachers.
• Societies are finally acknowledging that teachers
are not only one of the `variables' that need to
be changed in order to improve their education
systems, but they are also the most significant
change agents in these reforms.
• Now the field of teacher professional
development is a growing and challenging area.
 Professional Development Models
Organizational partnership models Small group or individual models
PROFESSIONAL-DEVELOPMENT SCHOOLS CO-OPERATIVE OR COLLEGIAL DEVELOPMENT

Other university-school partnerships Portfolios

Other inter-institutional collaborations Action research

SCHOOLS' NETWORKS COACHING/MENTORING

Teachers' networks Case-based study

Distance education Self-directed development

Observation of excellent practice

TEACHERS' PARTICIPATION IN NEW ROLES

Skills-development model

Reflective models

Project-based models

Supervision: traditional and clinical

Students' performance assessment

Use of teachers' narratives

Generational or cascade model

Workshops, seminars, courses, etc

 SCHOOLS'
NETWORKS

PROFESSIONAL-
DEVELOPMENT SCHOOLS

CO-OPERATIVE OR
COLLEGIAL DEVELOPMENT
TEACHERS' PARTICIPATION
IN NEW ROLES

COACHING/MENTORING
 Issues related to teachers
• Smethem (2007).
• Diversity of experience
• Motivation
• Career trajectories
• increasing marketisation of education
• Intensification of teachers’ work - burnout
• Prioritising assessment over professional development and support
hampers development of a collaborative environment that is supportive of
new teachers .(Hargreaves & Goodson; Tickle as cited in Smethem,2007)

• Teachers are more likely to teach with commitment if they believe in what
they are teaching, feel they really make a difference in pupils’ lives.
• Reduce overload of initiatives and create time and space for genuine
engagement with educational issues.
• Where new teachers have the opportunity to join a professional learning
commnunity, the collaborative culture is likely to sustain their
commitment, energy and intent to remain in the profession
COACHING/MENTORING
TEACHERS' PARTICIPATIONIN NEW ROLES
CO-OPERATIVE OR COLLEGIAL DEVELOPMENT
PROFESSIONAL-DEVELOPMENT SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS‘ NETWORKS
The eagle has the longest life-span
of its’ species
 It can live up to 70 years

But to reach this age,

the eagle must make a hard decision.
 In its’ 40’s

Its’ long and flexible talons can no longer

grab prey which serves as food
Its’ long and sharp beak becomes bent
Its’ old-aged and heavy wings,
due to their thick feathers,
become stuck to its’ chest and
make it difficult to fly.
Then, the eagle is left with only two options:
DIE or go through a painful process of
CHANGE which lasts 150 days.
The process requires that the eagle fly
to a mountain top and sit on its’ nest.
There the eagle knocks its’ beak against
a rock until it plucks it out.
After plucking it out, the eagle will wait for a new beak to
grow back and then it will pluck out its’ talons.
When its’ new talons grow
back, the eagle starts
plucking its’ old-aged
feathers.
And after five months, the eagle takes its’ famous flight of
rebirth and lives for

30 more years
Why is change needed?
Many times, in order to survive
we have to start a change process.

We sometimes need
to get rid of old memories,
habits and other past traditions.

Only freed from past burdens,

can we take advantage of the present.
 Researchers:

Thank you
 Karima Damani
 Abbas Motiwalla
 Darvesh Karim

very much
 Motivators:
 Dr. Eyesha Bashiruddin
 Dr. Nilofer Vazir