Professional development

Definition
Professional development is ‘a long-term process that includes regular opportunities and experiences planned systematically to promote growth and development in the profession’ (Villegas-Reimers, 2003: 12). Professional development includes both formal (e.g. workshops) and informal experiences (e.g. reading professional publications) (Villegas-Reimers, 2003). Thus, in this perspective, professional development is a larger term than career development and staff development (Villegas-Reimers, 2003).

Teacher development is also considered as the ‘professional growth a teacher achieves as a result of gaining increased experience and examining his or her teaching systematically’ (Glatthorn, 1995: 41, cited by Villegas-Reimers, 2003: 11).

References
Darling-Hammond, L. 2014. One Piece of the Whole: Teacher Evaluation as Part of a Comprehensive System for Teaching and Learning. Washington D.C.: American Educator. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1023870.pdf

Villegas-Reimers, E. 2003. Teacher professional development: an international review of the literature. Paris: IIEP-UNESCO. Retrieved from: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000133010

To explore further
Gore, J. M.; Miller, A.; Fray, L.; Harris, J.; Prieto, E. 2021. Improving student achievement through professional development: results from a randomised controlled trial of Quality Teaching Rounds. Retrieved from: https://learningportal.iiep.unesco.org/es/biblioteca/improving-student-achievement-through-professional-development-results-from-a-randomised

Popova, A.; Evans, D. K.; Breeding, M. E.; Arancibia, V. Teacher Professional Development around the World: The Gap between Evidence and Practice. Washington: World Bank. Retrieved from: https://learningportal.iiep.unesco.org/es/biblioteca/teacher-professional-development-around-the-world-the-gap-between-evidence-and-0

Villegas-Reimers, E. 2003. Teacher professional development: an international review of the literature. Paris: IIEP-UNESCO. Retrieved from: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000133010