Abstract
M.Ed.
The continuous professional development of teachers is a crucial ingredient in creating
effective schools. Annual results indicate that many South African schools are not improving,
even though teachers have indicated that they are continuously being developed
professionally. This study examines the role of continuous professional teacher development
for school improvement.
According to Early and Bubb (2004: 3), professional development has become a term that is
widely used to refer to the ongoing education and training of teachers. Reitzug (2002: 3)
contends that training is the traditional and still dominant form of professional development.
Training includes direct instruction, skill demonstration, and involves workshops and
presentations. In addition, training involves instruction by an expert, or experienced
employee, on job processes in an organization (Grobler, Warnich, Carrel, 2002: 323). Guskey
(2000: 16) defines continuous professional development as entailing processes and activities
that are aimed at enhancing the professional knowledge, skills and attitudes of teachers so
that they are able to improve learners' learning. Guskey (ibid) suggests that professional
development must be intentional, with clear achievable goals and purposes, that it must be
ongoing, with built-in intermittent monitoring and support, and that it must be systemic,
involving the various levels of the school and/or the educational system.
Guskey (ibid) warns that professional development has to be seen as more than the mere
acquisition of knowledge and skills, rather, teacher development programmes should focus
on the improvement of learners' learning achievements and experiences through the
enhancement of teacher knowledge, skills and values. Guskey (ibid) further explains that the
purpose of teacher development should be to improve the whole school system and not just
the individual. It should focus on moral communities.