Rethinking teachers' professional development in Malta: agenda for the twenty-first century

Abstract

The Maltese Government, being concerned about the quality of school education, is attempting to increase teacher effectiveness and student learning. To achieve these goals, it is argued that current in-service programmes need to be improved and focused for all school leaders and teachers. Whilst emphasising the need to focus on school-based development initiatives, it is also emphasised that the school head needs to start promoting teacher development from within. Heads can do much to improve teaching and learning by using professional formative evaluation of their staff. For this to be achieved heads require specific training. Organisations such as the Faculty of Education need to be more involved in providing up-to-date staff development for all educational leaders and other educators.

Teachers' Experiences of the Probation Period of Teaching in Kenya: implications for teacher induction policies and programmes

“…This calls for a clear induction policy that recognises induction as part and parcel of a teacher education programme, and which embeds it in the school activities. However, in order to achieve the above, research (Bezzina, 2002) suggests that mentors will have to be well trained in their roles, and the tasks of the mentors and their relationship with the NQTs well defined.…”

Views from the trenches: beginning teachers’ perceptions about their professional development

“…Thus the induction phase is currently nonexistent in Malta. Second, there are no organizational structures at the school-site that encourage and facilitate opportunities for immediate and sustained practice, classroom observation, collaboration, peer coaching and mentoring (Bezzina, 2002).…”

“…While appreciating the need to have a teaching force of high quality, we need to bear in mind the ongoing nature of teaching as a vocation/profession and address them from a holistic perspective (i.e. addressing the pre-service, induction and ongoing professional development together rather than as separate entities) (Bezzina, 2002).…”

“…Understanding what teachers experience once they have embarked on a teaching career as well as their perceptions regarding their preparation and ongoing professional development will help not only the Faculty of Education in its drive to constantly evaluate and improve its courses, but also to present findings to substantiate concerns that have been presented over the years for the need of induction and the continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers to be seriously addressed by the education authorities (Bezzina, 2002(Bezzina, , 2003.…”

Implementing a collaborative model of action research for teacher development

“…Hargreaves, 1996;Bezzina, 2002;Somers & Sikorova, 2002;Angelides & Zembylas, 2003). The suggestion of many researchers is for collaborative approaches to teachers' in-service education (e.g.…”