Teachers' understandings of professional development in an international school

Professional development (PD) is an important aspect of schools, but teachers’ willingness to engage in the process can be negatively impacted by their understandings of what they believe constitutes PD. There is a large and growing body of research about PD in schools, but little which investigates international schools specifically. The number of international schools in the world has grown considerably with 12,373 international schools employing 550,846 staff members and educating 5.68 million students in 2021 (International Schools Consultancy, 2021). Therefore, this study explores teachers’ perceptions of PD in a successful British-based international school in China with students aged from 2 to 18 through the following research questions: How is professional development understood in an international school? What factors support and hinder teachers’ professional development? A case study methodology with mixed methods was undertaken which involved two leadership interviews, a survey of 43 teachers, and five focus groups comprising of 27 participants. The data were analysed independently and in combination to identify latent patterning of response, and the main themes were interpreted using Activity Theory. The findings revealed that cultural differences can impact upon the way in which PD is perceived and that a pluralistic approach may be required in international schools to cater for the range of staff. In addition, findings showed that the teachers’ perceptions of the leadership and organisation of PD can have a strong impact upon their motivation to engage in the process, with a theme emerging around the tension between the individual’s and the school’s priorities for development. This thesis offers insight into the nature of PD in an international school and concludes by offering recommendations to leaders for improvement