Title: Teacher Perceptions of the Barriers and motivators to the Participation in CPD in Higher Education
1- Abstract
This qualitative case study investigates the factors that motivate teachers to participate in continuing professional development (CPD) in higher educational institutions and the impediments that prevent their participation. To achieve this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 teachers from the English Language Center (ELC) of AlMusannah College of Technology (ACT) in Oman.
This study argues that while certain factors motivate teachers in higher education to participate in CPD willingly, certain impediments prevent their participation. Based on the findings derived from this study, the motivators to the participation in CPD are highly qualified presenters, well-prepared content, considering teachers’ needs, appropriate support from the workplace, valid certificate of participation, social interaction, and practical exposure. In contrast, the barriers to participation in CPD as extracted from the interviews are heavy workload, problems with accommodation and transportation, lack of recognition of teachers’ needs, and a lack of support from the workplace.
The research findings may provide educational institutions with helpful information for understanding their teachers’ needs and concerns and how to provide them with what they demand concerning CPD. In addition, this study assists in building bridges between the teachers and the institutions they work for to achieve their shared aims effectively. Most importantly, it may help educational institutions plan for their CPD programs more effectively and build a concrete knowledge experience to enrich and retain more effective academic staff members in the profession particularly in higher education.
2- Introduction
Defining the concept of continuing professional development (CPD) is a complex task for researchers and authors. According to Day (1999), CPD means all factors like activities, experiences, and behaviours aimed at making changes in the institution: “Professional development consists of all natural learning experiences and those conscious and planned activities which are intended to be of direct or indirect benefit to the individual, group or school, which contribute, through these, to the quality of education in the classroom” (Day, 1999, p.4). Similarly, Guskey, (2002) defined CPD for teachers as planned efforts that bring a positive change in classroom practices.
Indeed, given that CPD has become crucial in education and particularly regarding teaching, some researchers, like Feiman-Nemser (2001) and UNESCO (2011), have declared that to guarantee students receive high quality teaching and, accordingly, high quality learning, the quality of teachers must also be guaranteed. This cannot be obtained unless teachers are continuously trained and updated with the latest knowledge and methods of teaching. Emphasizing the importance of CPD for teachers, Guskey (2002) also stated that teachers’ motivation is an important factor in encouraging teachers to participate in CPD.
Thus, since CPD for teachers is considered as a key factor in developing the performance and productivity of both teachers and students and consequently the whole educational process, motivating teachers to participate in CPD programmes is essential. In fact, as teachers’ motivation plays a critical role in the success and effectiveness of CPD, the CPD programmes that do not take teachers’ motivation into consideration are more likely to fail (Guskey 2002). Similarly, identifying and subsequently avoiding the barriers that impede teachers’ participation in CPD is important.
As many teachers in higher education reject attending CPD programs and rely only on their undergraduate education and training, this study was designed to explore the barriers that prevent them from participating and to examine the motivators that encourage them to participate.
This study will answer the following questions:
(1) What kinds of motivation do teachers require to participate in CPD?
(2) What are the challenges and difficulties that impede teachers’ participation in CPD?
(3) What do the literature and data suggest as suitable ways to facilitate participation in CPD?
The research questions are answered according to the results of the semi-structured interviews conducted with the participating teachers, and the findings are analysed based on three theories: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, Wenger’s social theory, and Vroom’s expectancy theory. In the light of these theories, this study examines teachers’ perceptions of the motivators and barriers to participation in CPD.
3- Literature Review
Motivating individual teachers is a key factor in encouraging them to participate in CPD, and therefore, it should be strongly emphasised when planning for a CPD program (Goldsmith and Schifter 1997). Indeed, “A primary challenge for large-scale professional development projects lies in attracting teachers and sustaining their involvement so that they can receive the full dose of professional development” (Boyd et al., 2003, p.112). In other words, “You have to make every effort to get the teachers there and once you get them there, you have to make sure you have something of high quality that will encourage them to come back” (Boyd et al., 2003, p.47). Although there are many references to motivation in the literature and its importance is undeniable, very few studies address this field of knowledge (Tittle, 2006, p.976).
However, recently, the importance of researching motivation in general and teacher motivation in particular has risen significantly (Watt & Richardson, 2008). Thus, in such studies, many theories have been utilized for their close correspondence with the area of motivation. Those approaches include expectancy-value theories (Watt & Richardson, 2008), achievement goals (Butler & Shibaz, 2008) and interest theories (Hidi, & Renninger, 2006). In addition, recent research on teacher motivation declares that there is a positive relationship between teachers’ motivation and their success in the field of teaching (Richardson & Watt, 2006; Watt & Richardson, 2007), as, when teachers are highly motivated, they perform better in their jobs and are subsequently more willing to get involved in CPD and improve themselves professionally by continuously participating in different CPD programmes (Richardson & Watt, 2006; Watt & Richardson, 2007). In contrast, when they are not effectively motivated, teachers are more likely to reject attending CPD. Thus, according to Goldsmith and Schifter (1997), teacher motivation should be considered as a priority when preparing for any CPD program due to its extreme effectiveness in the success of the program. Moreover, Boyd et al. (2003) believed that motivation plays a critical role in attracting teachers to take an effective part in CPD and stated, “A primary challenge for large-scale professional development projects lies in attracting teachers and sustaining their involvement so that they can receive the full dose of professional development” (p. 112).
Teachers are the keystone in establishing a high quality educational system (Harris & Jones, 2010); thus, they should always be updated with the latest knowledge and necessary training. Therefore, the education that teachers receive during their degree courses is argued to be inadequate since the world is changing rapidly, and different aspects of knowledge are emerging regularly (Heikkinen, Jokinen, & Tynjälä, 2008, 2012). Teachers’ learning should not stop at graduation. Both teachers and their institutions should recognise this and strive to organize appropriate CPD for that purpose. Therefore, teachers should have intrinsic motivation to continue learning, and their institution should provide them with extrinsic motivation to support this learning. Cooperation between teachers and their institutions is crucial for the benefit of the whole educational system.
4- Theoretical Framework
Adopting an ontological and epistemological stance at the commencement of a study will lead to a successful theoretical framework and so to successful research (Mack, 2010). Ontology is defined by Mack 2010 as “one’s view of reality and the view of how one acquires knowledge is termed epistemology” (p.5). In this research paper, therefore, the interpretivist and constructivist approach were implemented in tackling the issues related to the research questions. Indeed, adopting this epistemology in dealing with participants’ responses to the interview questions, for instance, provided an opportunity for interacting with the collected data when constructing meaning (Mack, 2010). In other words, the data collected and knowledge gained based on participants’ experience were socially constructed and interpreted by the researcher with the aim of generating a high level of credibility and validity regarding the research findings (Denscombe, 2007).
As mentioned earlier, for analysing the collected data and generating the findings of this study, the researcher adopted three theories: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, Vroom‘s expectancy theory, and Wenger’s social theory. The principles of those theories are used to examine the challenges and difficulties teachers encounter and the facilities and motives they seek concerning the participation in CPD in higher education. A brief summary of each theory is provided below.
4.1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow (1954) declared that people have five basic needs that must be fulfilled in their life: physiological and social needs, self-esteem and self-actualization needs and security needs. Physiologically, human beings have some basic needs for living like adequate food to survive, an appropriate place to live, an income, and a comfortable job. Socially, they need to be loved, accepted, and surrounded by people. Regarding self-esteem, people demand respect, recognition, achievement, and independence. Some of the security needs people seek are safety, security and protection. The highest level in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is the self- actualization needs, which include self-development as an example.
According to Maslow, people tend to arrange their needs according to what they think is more important. They usually order their needs in the hierarchy according to the most important ones from their perspectives. Obtaining one need from one level of the hierarchy definitely will motivate their behaviours because they will be motivated by the willingness to achieve the next need up the hierarchy. That means people do not think of all of their needs at the same time; rather, they seem to think of the one need which is the most important at that time. Maslow claimed that the most important need dominates people’s thinking and personality. For example, people tend not to demand a house if they lack sufficient food to survive. Simply, people are motivated by the higher ranking needs only when all the other lower needs are satisfied (Maslow, 1954; Schultz & Schultz, 2009). Applying these findings to the higher education field, for example, overwhelmed teachers with a heavy workload and needing free time to rest may not be thinking of CPD since their need to rest seems more important to them than adding an extra burden to their busy schedule.
4.2 Expectancy theory
The expectancy theory of motivation is based on the concept that people are highly influenced by their expectations from their behaviours and actions. In other words, before deciding on becoming involved in a particular kind of work, action, or behaviour, people tend to make some expectations and rely heavily on obtaining them as a reward for their successful achievement. Consequently, when they take an action, and they receive what they expected in return, they feel satisfied and willing to repeat the same kind of work for the same kind of reward or to do a similar kind of work for a similar kind of reward, being positively influenced by their needs being fulfilled and their expectations met. On the other hand, if they do not get what they expect after performing a certain kind of work or action, they tend to reject performing the same kind of job, and they start to feel dissatisfied, leading to negative results in the future.
For better clarification, the expectancy theory of motivation is shown as an equation below.
“MF = Expectancy X Instrumentality X ∑(Valence(S))” (Vroom, 2015)
MF is the motivational force, expectancy is the expected result from the performance, instrumentality is the great reward expected after meeting the expected performance, and the valence is the value of the rewards. The following chart (Vroom, 2015) may provide a further illustration of this.
According to this theory, individuals believe that if they make a hard effort in performing an activity, a high desirable reward will be obtained for the excellent performance achieved. Then, the level of the expected outcome will determine the degree of motivation. If an individual’s expectation for a performance is met at a very high level, the motivation will be high. In contrast, if the expectation is poorly met, the motivation will decline. Applying that to teaching, if teachers work hard and are rewarded accordingly, their level of motivation will be determined by the level of their satisfaction with the reward they received. In other words, if they have exerted much effort but obtain a low level of reward, they will feel demotivated and reject performing similar activities in the future, whereas if they think that the reward is appropriate for the amount of effort they put into an activity, they will feel satisfied and, as a result, be motivated to repeat the same activity or similar ones (Al-Habsi, 2009; Estes & Polnick, 2012).
4.3 Wenger’s social theory
According to Wenger’s social learning theory, learning occurs within active and social participation with the social world (Wenger, 1999, p.30). In other words, individual learning can be placed with cooperative learning, which can make the process of learning more effective and more successful in generating positive results. He claimed that the learning process should not be separated from other activities. Instead, it should be placed in a social context of people’s “lived experience of participation in the world” (Wenger, 1999, p.30). His theory deals with collaborative and cooperative learning taking into consideration the social nature of human beings.
Thus, Lave and Wenger (1991:24) stated that by being in the social world, a learner can learn effectively because learning is integrated in people’s interactions and practices within their communities and their different organisations (Wenger, 1999:32). In fact, being able to communicate with other people effectively and having the skill to practise different activities within the community successfully makes learners seem more capable of achieving the meaningful learning that leads to successful education. In other words, Wenger believes that “Communities of practice” must take priority over learning and should be the centre of people’s learning (Wenger, 2000, p.229). Engaging “in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor” (Wenger, 2007:1) is a good example of communities of practice.
In brief, the above described theories may explain teachers’ attitudes towards CPD and will assist the researcher in interpreting the findings and conclusions as indicated earlier in this paper.
5- Methodology and Ethical Considerations
This case study relies on a qualitative research approach to investigate the barriers and motivators to the participation in CPD in higher education from teachers’ perspectives using a semi-structured interview methodology. By implementing this methodology, participants were given the opportunity to express freely their ideas under a set of flexible guiding questions, which provided them with unlimited opportunities to elaborate on their perceptions, ideas, and suggestions and to convey additional information compared to the use of questionnaire or survey design (Cousin, 2009).
To answer the three questions of this qualitative study, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of twenty international teachers who teach English language to first-year students at AlMusanna College of Technology (ACT) in Oman. Since the participants all came from different countries and had their own experiences and knowledge, and accordingly, their own perceptions of the issue being discussed, and to avoid having similar responses due to teachers’ being influenced by each other, focus group interviews were not used in this study. In addition, to limit the possibility of generalizing research findings and to gather more effective data, this study did not use any kind of purposeful sampling (Yilmaz, 2013 p.313). Instead, one–on-one interviews were conducted, and each interview took from 30 to 40 minutes. Indeed, a one-on-one semi-structured interview approach worked better in collecting in-depth data and is deemed most appropriate for providing participants with the opportunity to convey individually their knowledge and experience regarding the research questions (Cousin, 2009). Furthermore, applying this method gave more room for elaboration and for constructing effective helpful ideas.
To organize the study better, make it more focused and ensure it covered all the issues necessary for the purpose of the study, an interview guide was prepared prior to conducting the interviews. However, follow-up questions and further discussion took place between the researcher and the participants where more clarification was required from the participants.
The interview questions were divided into three main areas: (1) questions that focus on investigating teachers’ perceptions on the kinds of motivators they need to participate in CPD, (2) questions that aim to explore the barriers that impede teachers’ participation in CPD, and (3) questions designed to elicit teachers’ suggestions in general regarding motivators and barriers to participating in CPD.
Water-Adams (2006) wrote that any research which involves other people’s contributions has ethical implications. So, principles such as obtaining consent forms from participants, respecting their right to privacy, and other principles as highlighted by Cohen et al. (2000) were adhered to during the data collection process, data analysis, and interpretation in this study.
As the initial contact with participants is crucial to the success of any interviews (Powney and Watts, 1987, p.128), before the interviews, an email was sent to all teachers at the English Language Center (ELC) at ACT with the research information sheet attached requesting those teachers interested in participating in the study to reply confirming their interest. It was made clear to them that their participation was entirely voluntary, and they could withdraw from the study at any time. After receiving agreement replies from 20 teachers, another email was sent thanking everybody for their interest and announcing the completion of the needed sample. Then, the interested teachers were contacted and a schedule of the interviews was prepared.
Before commencing the interviews with the respondents, the signed consent forms were collected. As mentioned earlier, the participants were interviewed individually to avoid them getting same ideas and because with individual interviews, the responses to the interview questions are expected to vary providing a rich source of information, thus serving the purpose of the research better.
The interviews were handled carefully, the analysis of interviews was treated in a highly confidential manner, and the interview data were transcribed precisely and analysed sensitively using qualitative content analysis (Graneheim & Lundman, 2004).
6- Findings and Discussion
The data analysis of this study indicated some motivators and barriers to the participation in continuing professional development (CPD) in higher education. This section will present the data regarding the motivators and barriers to the participation in CPD from the teachers’ perspectives as derived from the study. Teachers’ perceptions are interpreted according to the three theories mentioned earlier.
6.1 Motivators to the Participation in CPD
Analysis of participants’ responses to the semi–structured interview questions showed that the most influencing factors to encourage teachers to participate in CPD are well-prepared content that meets teachers’ needs and a highly qualified presenter of the CPD programme. The availability of the support from the workplace was also marked as a crucial motivator. Although these findings are quite similar to some previous studies, the large extent to which these factors are considered important by the participants in motivating teachers to participate in CPD is significant in this study. For instance, while some studies ranked financial support as the most important motive, in this study, when asked to rank the most important factors that motivate them to participate in CPD from a list of suggested motivational factors including financial support, participants ranked the financial factor as the least important element. Surprisingly, this study showed that social element is very effective in motivating teachers to participate in CPD, a finding that distinguishes this study from similar ones. Indeed, more than two thirds of the participants believed that a CPD programme that enables teachers to attend with other teachers within a social environment is significant in motivating them to participate.
These motivators are described in more detail below, and some quotations from the interviews are provided where appropriate.
6.1.1 Motivator (1) – good content and highly qualified presenter
The twenty teachers interviewed in the study declared that the quality of the content and the quality of the presenter are highly significant in motivating them to attend a CPD program. All except one participant believed that these two factors are the most important in encouraging them to participate in a CPD programme, as shown in the following excerpt from one of the interviews: “It is extremely important to consider content and quality of presenters of CPD programs because they can really influence the motivating drive of the faculty to attend CPD activities. If the content is not relevant and appealing, and the presenters fall short on quality, then faculty members would just be bored, disengaged and disinterested in the CPD activities.” Another participant insisted: “The content and the quality of presenters of continuing professional development programs are crucial to encourage teachers to attend…. When the content is related to the area of expertise, teachers are highly motivated to take part. At the same time, high quality presenters are attractive.”
In addition, based on the data analysis, the teachers tended to feel more motivated to attend a CPD program that emphasizes subject area content and deals with student learning outcomes. They declared that they preferred a CPD program that teaches them new positive things that can be used in the classroom. One of the informants clarified: “I am most interested in events and activities that focus on linguistics and language teaching such as symposia, research presentations, and trainings. My participation is usually based on and is influenced by specific topics, especially those which I believe I need to become a better teacher.” Thus, undoubtedly, the content is essential in improving teachers’ attitude towards such programmes. In fact, this finding affirms the findings of other related studies. For example, according to Fessler (1995), emphasis on subject area content assists teachers in their job and provides them with new ideas to be creative. Indeed, teachers always think that focusing on the subject area is more relevant and authentic to their career (Loucks-Horsley & Stiegelbauer, 1991), and that may lead to create a positive change in their behaviour towards CPD (Knowles, 1983; Porter et al., 2003) and, consequently, might motivate them to attend CPD programmes dealing with subject area content.
Although this study’s finding affirms the findings of many other studies in the same field as mentioned above, it contradicts the findings of some others. For instance, Mundry (2005) claimed that since the content of CPD is considered very important in motivating teachers to participate, it should not focus on the same content, that is, the learning area or subject content and how it is taught. Instead, it should tackle different areas of knowledge. Indeed, many CPD programs focus either on the content or on teaching techniques (Mundry, 2005, p.11), and that may make many teachers reject participating in CPD because of the sustained content and pedagogically focused CPD programmes (Desimone et al., 2006, p.209).
As mentioned earlier, this study showed that the respondents considered the availability of a highly qualified presenter an extremely effective motivator for participation in CPD. In this regard, one of the interviewees stated, “The content and the quality of CPD presenters hold the key to success in these programs, as the issues discussed with skilled presenters will inspire the teachers to make changes… Having a good presenter/trainer with high qualification determines the professional development I prefer to attend”.
6.1.2 Motivator (2) – considering teachers’ needs
The results of the semi-structured interviews revealed that considering teachers’ needs when planning for a CPD programme is a very motivating factor for their participation in CPD. As one informant commented: “I choose the professional development programs I attend according to my personal interest and the needs of my current career/ specialization…. I choose the programs based on my needs and interests…. I am usually interested in programs that are related to what I am teaching and have direct positive impact on my career.” It appears that teachers seek a program that meets their needs and may assist them in making a positive change in their career. Focusing on the importance of this factor as a motivator, another respondent explained: “If my needs are met, then basically, I am more inspired and more encouraged to work hard and to grow professionally because I know that what I plan for my teaching career is also being realized through the help of the organization where I belong.” Hence, when a CPD program addresses teachers’ needs and interests, teachers consider it relevant and feel motivated to attend (Guskey, 1995). Similarly, when there is a clear connection between learning experiences and teachers’ daily responsibilities, attending the CPD programme will be a more attractive proposition (Flores, 2005; Tate, 2009).
According to researchers, teachers tend to prefer CPD programs that focus on teaching and learning and on subject disciplines (Schleicher, 2011). Therefore, understanding teachers’ needs is essential when preparing an effective CPD program (Gaible and Mary 2005). In addition, as Sparks and Richardson (1997, p.3) stated, learning new ways to teach is crucial to encourage teachers to change their traditional ways of teaching. Thus, these previous related studies results support the findings of this study.
Undoubtedly, unless teachers are shown a more successful method, they tend not to change their method because they do not know that what they are practising is not appropriate nor that there is a better method. Therefore, providing teachers with new successful ways for performing with their classes will motivate them to participate in CPD. In summary, CPD programs achieve their ultimate success when they prioritise teachers’ personal and professional needs (Lee, 2005).
6.1.3 : Motivator (3) – being supported and rewarded
6.1.3.1: Support and reward from the work place
This research finding also indicates that teachers feel motivated to attend CPD if they feel that they will be rewarded by their workplace either financially or by getting fully paid leave as a reward for their participation in CPD. For instance, one respondent stated: “As a teacher, I believe that offering reinforcements, showing appreciation and encouragement are a few of the many motivation kinds that are required to encourage teachers’ participation in pursuing their professional development.” As this example shows, teachers seek appreciation from their workplace as a reward to keep participating in such activities. Another interviewed teacher commented, “Teachers would be more encouraged and satisfied if they were rewarded – once they succeed in any course of CPD – by their institutions”. In fact, teachers seem to believe that the CPD they are doing is part of their job since they are doing it for the sake of developing themselves professionally to be more productive for the improvement of their institution. Thus, they think being rewarded and having their efforts appreciated is the least they should expect from their workplace compared to their hard effort in participating in CPD. To explain this idea, one of the participants stated, “I mean, they need to be appreciated for their involvement and contribution to seeking new updated knowledge in their field.”
According to the results of this research, teachers tend to believe that being rewarded is essential for continuing their professional journey. An example of this belief is clear in this excerpt from one of the interviews: “The more often teachers see that their job is rewarding and has been rewarded, the more they will be willing to give more and develop professionally.” It appeared that the reward and support from their workplaces are of high importance when participating in CPD is concerned. Participants suggested various kinds of reward and support that enable them to successfully attend CPD programmes, such as fully paid leave to attend a CPD program and a reduced workload to enable them to have more time for participation in CPD. The following excerpt from the interviews explains the kind of support and reward teachers demand from their workplace to enhance their participation in CPD: “The final motive, I think, is the place where you work. If it encourages teachers to attend and provide help and support where needed this might help to motivate the teachers to attend CPD programs…. Funding and unpaid leave will help me to be more effective in participating in CPD programs.”
According to informants’ descriptions, teachers feel satisfied and then motivated if their achievement is recognized by their administrative authority at their workplace and when their contributions are appreciated and valued, as mentioned earlier. Clearly, being rewarded makes teachers enthusiastic and motivated to work harder and to develop themselves professionally by getting involved in CPD in return. In fact, teacher satisfaction is highly related to the recognition their workplace gives them (Wright 1985).
These findings affirm what the expectancy theory of motivation deduced. Based on the expectancy theory of motivation, Porter and Lawler (1968) suggested that being rewarded for work will lead to satisfaction if the reward is desirable and corresponds to the achievement. Based on expectancy theory, to succeed in any activity, a person must see the connection between the success and the activity, believe that success is possible, and value the results of the success (Huitt, 2001). Similarly, if people think that the hard work they put in doing an activity will lead to a successful result and they will get an appropriate reward from their superiors at work, they will feel extremely motivated to repeat similar activities. However, if they are certain that they will not be rewarded for their success in doing a certain activity, they will be demotivated and, accordingly, will reject doing similar activities (Kroth, 2007).
6.1.3.2: Rewarding a certificate of participation
Teachers in this study indicated that being rewarded with a certificate of participation that can be added to their CV and used to support claims for promotion at work is effective in motivating them to continuously attend CPD. This result is in line with other related research. For example, Tudor-Craig (2002) declared that since by getting promotions, teachers will get an increase in salary, and obtaining a certificate of participation in CPD helps achieve that, issuing a certificate of participation for teachers who attend CPD could be an effective motivation that should be given serious consideration.
In other words, obtaining a certificate of participation and consequently getting promoted means teachers will be motivated to participate in CPD and implement what they have learned in their job (Bowen 2000). Thus, recognizing the importance of certificates of participation and having them as a requirement for the eligibility of receiving promotion could strongly motivate teachers to consider participation in CPD as a serious issue and lead them to compete with each other for the opportunity to participate in CPD.
Indeed, some countries, like France and Romania, are considering making ownership of certificates of CPD participation a prerequisite for job promotion and salary increment (Eurydice 2009). Similarly, participating in CPD has been a significant criterion for career promotions in Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia (European Commission 2009).
Applying this finding to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, it can be taken that being rewarded a certificate of participation is effective as one of the self-esteem needs that contributes to a person’s self-satisfaction and self-development (Maslow 1943).
6.1.4: Motivator (4) – availability of practical practice
“Practical topics would assist me to be more involved in the CPD programs.” Based on this quotation extracted from the interviews and according to the findings from the study, the respondents stated that they were more interested in CPD programmes that focus on practical training rather than on theoretical teaching. It appeared that they valued becoming involved in authentic situations, expecting to work on similar situations within their job. They believed that the practical part is what they need from the CPD; they are no longer interested in theory, which can be easily found in different resources. To explain this view, one respondent declared, “I become more engaged in CPD programs when the areas they cast light on are up-to-date and when they deal with the practical side of my career.” Another interviewee emphasized this idea saying: “I am interested in participating in practical programs, i.e., workshops which provide ideas and practices that I can apply in teaching or at work.”
In the above description, the participants emphasized the importance of the practical element of CPD as an important factor to motivate them to attend CPD programs. According to the respondents, it seems that teachers select CPD programs that “include practice and training more than theory”, as quoted from one of the interviews.
Accordingly, to attract more teachers to participate, CPD programs should vary, and traditional kinds of CPD, like workshops, seminars and conferences, should be minimized (Boyle et al., 2005:4; Lee, 2005:40) while more innovative and practical kinds, like peer observation and problem solving, should be encouraged to motivate more teachers to get involved in attending CPD programmes or presenting them.
CPD programs like workshops and conferences are criticized for having a more simplistic and technical view of teaching that limits teachers to specific content and activities (Lee, 2005) rather than providing them with adequate opportunities to choose the kinds of activities they require (Birman et al., 2000, p.29). Therefore, policy makers should “abandon outmoded approaches to staff development and invest in more ‘practice-based’ approaches to professional learning for teachers” (Mundry, 2005, p.14). Indeed, teachers consider ‘one–shot’ workshops as boring, less effective, and more forgettable (Miller, 1998).
6.1.5: Motivator (5) – availability of social interaction
To a large extent, the participants in this study ,regarding participation in CPD, believe that being with other teachers either from the same workplace or even from other institutions and sharing knowledge and experiences in a suitable social environment is very motivating. One of them elaborated further: “Having participants not only from the same workplace institution is motivating me to get involved in a CPD programme.” It seems that the teachers interviewed thought that “collaborative CPD programs involving group work and discussions increase effective participation in CPD,” as one informant commented. It appears that teachers are more interested in working in groups with other people when providing adequate opportunities to discuss and share ideas and concerns with others. That can be clarified based on the following excerpt from the interviews: “These activities are helpful as they bring teachers together to share their best teaching practices, and talk about the latest ESL research in a relaxed friendly atmosphere.”
As mentioned earlier, this finding affirms Wenger’s social theory regarding the importance of social participation within the social world for producing effective learning (Wenger, 1999).
Indeed, many other studies have discussed the significance of the social factor in CPD. For example, Tate (2009) stated that collaborative and engaging activities make teachers remember what they are learning better than other activities that do not require active engagement.
Clearly, collaborative CPD that provides teachers with opportunities to interact with each other and to share ideas, knowledge, and experiences is more effective in generating positive results. Teachers are more likely to be engaged in a CPD programme that provides them with activities that involve using different skills at the same time. In other words, teachers appear to be more attracted to CPD programmes that provide them with opportunities to get involved physically, cognitively, and emotionally in a particular activity (Knowles, 1983; Lieberman & Pointer Mace, 2008; Mundry, 2005; Quick et al., 2009; Tate, 2009).