Continuing Professional Development of Teacher Educators: Challenges and Initiatives

Abstract

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a prerequisite for teacher educators. The importance of CPD for teacher educators lies in the fact that it helps them to improve their professional and instructional practices. Teacher educators usually begin their CPD after joining the profession and continue it as a lifelong learning process. There are two popular routes of CPD for teacher educators: programs planned and mandated by external agencies and their self-initiatives. Researchers conducted in different parts of the world reveal that, like external initiatives, selfinitiative also play an important role in the professional development of teacher educators. As part of their self-initiatives for CPD, teacher educators themselves act as the developers and creators of their professional learning opportunities and activities. Researches also depict that some factors may negatively affect teacher educators’ attitude and capacity to initiate his/her CPD activities. Extending all these arguments, the present study aimed to study teacher educators’ self-initiatives of CPD and the challenges they face in this journey. Data to conduct the study was collected from a sample of 120 teacher educators’ by using ‘Teachers’ CPD Initiatives Scale’ & ‘Teachers’ CPD Challenges Scale’, and analyzed by using percentage and product-moment r.