CPD practice in Malta : the role of school leaders

Abstract

Our education system is undergoing a number of changes and various policy documents make proposals which, in order for them to be carried out effectively, require the further training of teachers. Teachers are the main implementers of systematic change. However, the school leadership team is responsible for ensuring that the teaching community is adequately adapting to these changes and that their disposition towards further learning i~ positive and generative. The main objective of this paper is to discuss the role that school leaders hold in the CPD of teachers within their school and how their involvement can aid to transform CPD programmes and collaborative encounters into valid learning experiences that equip teachers with the necessary skills to perform satisfyingly within the classroom. It starts by presenting a critical review of the professional development process in Malta, followed by a discussion of how teachers' learning experiences can be enhanced within the school and considerations of organisational factors which are presently inhibiting/supporting the professional learning of teachers. The discussion is complemented by an empirical study drawn from the author's unpublished MA dissertation (2008), which, amongst other issues, highlights the experiences of particular school leadership teams who successfully manage to invest the required time and resources for staff training.