SELF-DIRECTED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT APPROACH: A CHALLENGE FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to investigate the provisions for secondary school teachers' self-directed professional development in Pakistan. Professional growth is vital for all professions, but it is especially crucial in the teaching profession because it directly influences generational change. Continuous professional development is necessary to update teachers’ knowledge and skills, and to enable them to meet new challenges of the changing demands of learners. Self-directed professional development is the way to help instructors improve their expertise and skills in teaching. Adult learning ideas, such as learning according to one's needs and interests, were adopted to self-directed professional development. In situations where resources are scarce, budget allocation for education is lesser than requirement, and number of students are more than ideal self-directed professional development is very much important. While exploring the provision of self-directed professional development in secondary school teachers where it is seen as positive and motivational for other teachers, there are some challenges faced by self-directed teachers. The challenge for secondary school teachers is to perceive their development as a success in professional learning and teaching process that may enhance the quality of their teaching. These challenges must be reported to school administration as well as policymakers to minimize these challenges and set a proper mechanism to consider self-directed professional development as positive and value demanding for a teacher.

Keywords:  Self-directed professional development, secondary school teachers.