Exploring the role of the principal in the teacher professional development

Stalni strokovni razvoj pripomore k napredku učiteljevega strokovnega znanja ter razvoju njegovih kompetenc in se posledično odraža v boljših rezultatih dela. V procesu učenja učitelji sledijo novostim na svojem strokovnem področju in na ta način pomagajo učencem pri usvajanju znanja, razvijanju zmožnosti in kompetenc. Ta proces, ki traja vse življenje, je odvisen od potreb učitelja, njegovih izkušenj, osebnostnih lastnosti in ciljev, ki si jih postavi v svoji delovni karieri. Ravnateljeva vloga v učiteljevem strokovnem razvoju je, da deluje kot pobudnik, ki učitelju približa dejavnosti učenja. Namen te doktorske disertacije je proučiti vlogo ravnatelja v strokovnem razvoju učitelja. Raziskava je bila izvedena na 24 šolah v štirih občinah na Kosovu. Vzorec je zajemal 518 učiteljev in 8 ravnateljev. Uporabljen je bil kombinirani raziskovalni pristop, podatki pa so bili zbrani z vprašalniki in intervjuji. Izsledki kažejo, da so prevladujoče oblike strokovnega razvoja učiteljev programi usposabljanja, delavnice in dejavnosti študijskih skupin ter sodelujočih parov. Učitelji imajo raje programe, ki omogočajo podaljševanje licenc, potrebnih za opravljanje učiteljskega poklica, ter programe, ki se vsebinsko nanašajo na pristope poučevanja in učenja. Zaradi omejevalnih dejavnikov imajo ravnatelji le redko možnost, da bi programe usposabljanja, namenjene učiteljem, pogosteje organizirali sami na ravni posamezne šole. Kljub temu ravnatelji podpirajo učitelje pri udeležbi v programih usposabljanja, ki jih nudijo različne organizacije, in jih spodbujajo pri vseživljenjskem učenju. Ravnatelji imajo vodilno vlogo pri prepoznavanju potreb učiteljev po strokovnem razvoju in koordinaciji programov stalnega strokovnega usposabljanja. Glavne omejitve, s katerimi se ravnatelji srečujejo pri nudenju večje podpore učiteljem pri njihovem strokovnem razvoju, so: osebne razmere učiteljev, pomanjkanje finančnih sredstev, sistemske omejitve, velikost šol, neprimerna infrastruktura, urniki in pomanjkanje nadzora za uspešno izvedbo dejavnosti. Raziskava ni pokazala statistično pomembnih razlik v mnenju učiteljev z različnimi demografskimi značilnostmi (spol, starost, delovne izkušnje, delovno mesto in raven izobrazbe) glede vloge ravnateljev v njihovem strokovnem razvoju in o vplivu sodelovalnega učenja na njihovo strokovno delo. Doktorska disertacija dopolnjuje literaturo o vlogi ravnateljev in stalnem strokovnem razvoju učiteljev.Continuous professional development facilitates the improvement of teachers’ professional knowledge, competencies, and performance. Through learning, teachers master educational novelties and keep pace with various developments to help students acquire and develop new knowledge, skills, and competencies. This life-long process depends on teachers’ needs, experience, personality, and objectives and the principal is considered to be the driving force behind teachers’ engagement in learning activities. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of the principal in the teacher professional development. It was conducted in 24 schools in four municipalities of Kosovo. The sample included 518 teachers and eight principals. The research employed the mixed-methods approach and data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. The findings show that the dominant methods of teacher professional development in the research context include training programs, workshops, activities of professional communities, and cooperative pairs. Teachers prefer the programs enabling them to extend their licenses and programs that are linked to teaching and learning methods. Due to constraining factors, principals have limited alternatives to organize school-based learning activities more often. However, principals support teachers to attend learning programs offered by various organizations and advise them to be committed to life-long learning. Principals have a leading role in the identification of teachers’ professional development needs and arranging the structures and activities of professional communities. The main constraints encountered by principals to offer teachers a bigger support for attending professional development activities include teachers’ personal conditions, the lack of funds and monitoring, regulatory policies, school size, and inadequate infrastructure and schedules. The research did not find statistically significant differences between teachers regarding principal’s role in the teachers’ professional development and the impact of collaborative learning on their professional practices. The findings of this study will contribute to the body of literature on educational leadership and teacher professional development practices