LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 14:12 December 2014
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Continuing Professional Development (CPD):
A Study on Secondary School English Teachers of Assam

Ataur Rahman, M.A., B.Ed., P.G.C.T.E., P.G.D.T.E.
Dr. Kamala Kanta Borgohain, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.

Abstract

This study aims at uncovering the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) practices of the secondary school ‘English’ teachers of Assam. A self developed questionnaire, with 36 open-ended items was used for the purpose of this study. The sample of the study consisted of fifty English teachers of class IX and X, selected from thirty purposely selected schools situated in rural and urban areas in Dhemaji district of Assam. The study found nearly forty percent English teachers of Assam attended in-service and ELT training and possessed a professional degree. Most of the teachers’ involvement in Conferences/Seminars, publication in English or subscribing any ELT journals, either in print or online and professional associations was found to be very low. Nearly eighty percent teachers did not facilitate Peer Observation or getting Feedback from students without knowing students identity. However, Peer Coaching was practised. The knowledge of internet, more specifically, browsing the net for updating with the global trend of English Language Teaching, was found among less than thirty percent of teachers. Since CPD is a voluntary activity, it is self-initiated. The study concluded that little support in the form of resources could encourage the teachers to take control of their own professional development and formation of subject expert groups at the state and district level, with whom the teachers could communicate, for any learning-teaching problem that might help teachers in their professional growth.

Key words: Continuing Professional Development (CPD), Assamese medium secondary schools, English teachers, subject expert groups

1.0 Introduction

It was Richard Gardner, who as in-charge of professional development for the building professions at York University in the mid-1970s used the term ‘Continuing Professional Development’ (CPD). It was chosen because it did not differentiate between learning from courses, and learning 'on the job'. The term is now common to many professions, including the teaching job. ‘Continuing Professional Development’ (CPD) broadly signifies the process of continuing growth of a professional after joining the profession.

Generally, two views of CPD are talked about – the narrow and the broad. The narrow view considers CPD as the imparting/ acquiring knowledge or specific set skills in order to deal with some specific new requirements (for example, training teachers to handle a new textbook, or using a new teaching aid). The broad view considers CPD to have a much deeper, wider meaning in which professionals continuously enhance, not only their knowledge and skills, but also their thinking, understanding and maturity. They grow not only as professionals, but also as persons; their development is not restricted to their work roles, but may also extend to new roles and responsibilities.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Ataur Rahman

Ataur Rahman, M.A., B.Ed., P.G.C.T.E., P.G.D.T.E.
Associate Professor
Dhemaji Commerce College & UGC Teacher-Fellow
Department of Education
Dibrugarh University
Assam
India
rahmanataur00@ymail.com

Dr. Kamala Kanta Borgohain

Dr. Kamala Kanta Borgohain, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Education
Dibrugarh University
Dibrugarh 786 004
Assam
India
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