Professional development of teachers at Malta's Giovanni Curmi higher secondary school : contributions from a stake-holding think tank

Abstract

This paper synthesises a group of educators' engagement with an action research project endorsed by the Council of Europe's Pestalozzi Programme's Action Research Group 2013 - 2014. Educators fulfilling duties at Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School (GCHSS) collaborated within the context of a think-tank by engaging in action research on professional development for teachers at Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School (PDGCHSS). Data that emerged from the foregoing research indicate that professional development (PD) should be grounded in, and not disconnected from, the school-context, and must be relevant to the teachers' everyday teaching. In addition, knowledge gained from PD training should not be sporadic or disconnected, but transferable to everyday practice. A highly bureaucratized system and lack of resources, such as time, financial resources and technological skills, are detrimental to teachers' motivation for PD.