Page 70 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Training Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 70
Regardless of the model applied, it is evident that the professional de-
velopment stages when teachers have already developed their identity as
educators are the most important phases for developing the competencies
required for preventing and reducing ESL. Further, regardless of the model
during the last stages of CPD the approaches with the greatest influence on
changing teachers’ perspectives and practice should be more emphasised,
such as active research and guided self-reflection. These are equally effec-
tive in all stages of CPD but during earlier stages other approaches are also
welcomed by the teachers and other educators that are not well accepted by
educators in later CPD stages.
We also argue that another phase of professional development during
the initial teacher training is important and may be referred to as Gaining
basic knowledge, developing identity and experience. During this phase,
future educators are gradually beginning to identify with their future pro-
fession and to transfer their point of view from the students’ perspective to
that of educators.
It is interesting (but not encouraging) that TALIS (2009, 2013) iden-
tified that, on average, the amount of professional development attended
by teachers decreases with the age of the teachers. Richter (2011) reported
that the uptake of in-service training had a curvilinear pattern, with the
highest uptake in mid-career (around age 42), confirming the hypothesis
that teachers primarily pursue formal learning opportunities during the
mid-career phase of experimentation, activism and managing changes. The
results also showed (Richter, 2011) that teacher collaboration follows a lin-
ear pattern, with older teachers collaborating less frequently than young-
er teachers although older teachers used professional literature more fre-
quently than younger teachers. Richter (2011) claims that the finding that
teachers collaborate more at the start of their career than in the middle or
at the end may be attributable to younger teachers still being more eager
to learn from and draw on the professional expertise of more experienced
teachers. It also holds important implications for professional development
concerning ESL since the collaboration of teachers and other educators has
been shown to be one of the most important factors for reducing the pos-
sibilities of ESL.
Clearly the priorities of teachers change over the years of their career
and professional development. Considering these findings, no group of ed-
ucators should be omitted from efforts to be actively involved in profes-
sional development, but the focuses and approaches should also take the
70
velopment stages when teachers have already developed their identity as
educators are the most important phases for developing the competencies
required for preventing and reducing ESL. Further, regardless of the model
during the last stages of CPD the approaches with the greatest influence on
changing teachers’ perspectives and practice should be more emphasised,
such as active research and guided self-reflection. These are equally effec-
tive in all stages of CPD but during earlier stages other approaches are also
welcomed by the teachers and other educators that are not well accepted by
educators in later CPD stages.
We also argue that another phase of professional development during
the initial teacher training is important and may be referred to as Gaining
basic knowledge, developing identity and experience. During this phase,
future educators are gradually beginning to identify with their future pro-
fession and to transfer their point of view from the students’ perspective to
that of educators.
It is interesting (but not encouraging) that TALIS (2009, 2013) iden-
tified that, on average, the amount of professional development attended
by teachers decreases with the age of the teachers. Richter (2011) reported
that the uptake of in-service training had a curvilinear pattern, with the
highest uptake in mid-career (around age 42), confirming the hypothesis
that teachers primarily pursue formal learning opportunities during the
mid-career phase of experimentation, activism and managing changes. The
results also showed (Richter, 2011) that teacher collaboration follows a lin-
ear pattern, with older teachers collaborating less frequently than young-
er teachers although older teachers used professional literature more fre-
quently than younger teachers. Richter (2011) claims that the finding that
teachers collaborate more at the start of their career than in the middle or
at the end may be attributable to younger teachers still being more eager
to learn from and draw on the professional expertise of more experienced
teachers. It also holds important implications for professional development
concerning ESL since the collaboration of teachers and other educators has
been shown to be one of the most important factors for reducing the pos-
sibilities of ESL.
Clearly the priorities of teachers change over the years of their career
and professional development. Considering these findings, no group of ed-
ucators should be omitted from efforts to be actively involved in profes-
sional development, but the focuses and approaches should also take the
70
