Principal Engagement in the Professional Development Process: The Identification of Barriers, Resources, and Supports

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that served as barriers to principal engagement in the professional development process and identify what resources or supports were needed to increase engagement levels. For the purpose of this study, the professional development process included the identification of the professional learning needs of teachers on an ongoing and annual basis and the evaluation of the effectiveness of the professional development that has been provided. This study used a qualitative approach to examine principal engagement in the professional development process throughout a large geographic area in the Midwest. 20 principals were purposefully sampled for an interview from among 249 participants in a larger-scale survey. The research questions for this study were: 1. What factors or conditions serve as barriers to principal engagement in the professional development process? 2. What resources or supports would lead to increased engagement among principals in the professional development process? 3. Do building principals accept professional development planning and evaluation as one their primary responsibilities? The data was used to identify common themes regarding barriers to principal engagement in the professional development process. Common themes were also determined regarding resources or supports needed for principals to engage at high levels through planning and evaluation of individual and collective needs of teachers. Recommendations from this study include helping principals grow as instructional leaders, providing more resources and supports for principals, and creating time for effective teacher collaboration