Abstract
Professional Development (PD) has generally been associated with
the learning opportunities teachers avail externally. However, the
latest trends propagate grounding PD activities in the work place with
the assumption that such shift will not only enable teachers to be
engaged in ongoing learning but also help them to find contextual
solutions for their specific issues. For other academics, however, PD
refers to all the planned and unplanned activities which teachers avail
to improve their practices. In this background, this research explored
how relevant stakeholders in rural Pakistan perceive PD. Using a survey
method and questionnaire tool, data were collected from teachers, school
leaders, education department officials and representatives of PD
providers. The outcomes showed that majority of stakeholders associate
PD to external learning opportunities provided to the teachers. In
addition, there is a lack of shared understanding among different
stakeholders with regard to the meaning of PD. These conclusions have
implications for PD providers and educational reformers. Teachers should
be oriented on latest trends in PD as well as supported to use the
latest school-based PD models for their ongoing development.
