EXE 731

Advancing Professional Development

Assignment 1

A CRITICAL REVIEW OF

THREE THEMES IN

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

NAME : IRFAN RUSMAR

STUDENT ID : 211076913

COURSE CODE : E700

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 Professional Development Position Paper

Introduction

Recently, education reform efforts emphasized professional development and continuing

education for teachers as processes delivering personal growth and job satisfaction. This
reformation also aimed to deliver effective learning to students and improve the quality
of their workplaces. Glass (2004) said that teachers will be encouraged to develop the
content of knowledge and their ability to teaching and learning process through
professional development. The teachers also will be better prepared in teaching their
students by improving their ability and acknowledgement. In addition, they become more
valuable to make the right lesson plan and instructional decision.

However, individual commitment, reflection on collaboration and recognize context and

culture will be extremely needed by the teachers to achieve the professional in their
careers. As we know, curriculum development, interesting lesson, changing the learning
process and active students are depending on the commitment of a teacher. It means if
the teacher want to make some changes in teaching and learning process to become
better, then the changes for the better process will be realized in the teaching process.

Furthermore, in (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_Professional_Development,
2010) shown that teachers also need to work in groups to develop their skills and
knowledge. The site also reveals two elements of collaborative professional development,
including inter-colleague support and cascading within a learning situation. Yeh (2007)
suggests teachers to join an online community of practice to enhance the skills and
professional development through collaborative projects.

External factors such as government regulations, social community and critical theory also
as the changes tools by influencing the direction and professional development during
teaching and learning process. Moreover, professional development also considering

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people as adults and life-long learner to investigate the appropriate teaching and learning
process.

A supportive culture and context defined by Wenger (1999) as the relationship that exist
in the organizations or workplaces. Therefore, he describes the culture and context as the
attributes of community of practice in the workplaces. There are the forum to
collaborative practice, reflection and can provide safe, although sometimes there are
several challenges.

Therefore, in this essay, I would like to explain those three themes and the relationship
between the context of teachers and process of teaching and learning in Aceh.

A Commitment to Personal Professional Development

The crucial factor in rising students’ achievement is the quality of teacher (Shumway, et
al. 2010). Clark (1992) described that, teachers are more active than passive, more willing
to learn than unwilling, and have more variety in the teaching-learning process than
homogenous. In addition, teachers have to make the decision during their teaching. They
also do have beliefs, system and theories to make their perception, plans and action
influence their students appropriately.

Therefore, teachers need to be more professional to bring their influences to persuade

students to follow their ways in teaching and learning with the purpose the students
could improve their knowledge. Glass (2004) said that professional development helps
teachers to develop the content of knowledge and skills to success in the classroom.
However, the professionalism cannot be achieved without their commitment, to do
several valuable things, such as learning, and self-directed. Therefore, in order to be
successful, teachers need to participate in lifelong learning (Kwo, 2004: 281).

Based on the definition of lifelong learning in Analytic Quality Glossary website

(http://www.qualityresearchinternational.com/glossary/lifelonglearning.html, retrieved

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9th December 2010), is closely linked to continuing learning and professional development
through the entire life whether formal or informal, the teacher should have their own
commitment to find several resources and learn it before implement the knowledge in
their teaching and learning process. It also means that no one can force the teachers to
learn or develop. They should have their own commitment to develop themselves.

To promote the concept of self-directed professional development open, we, as teachers

must begin to think of ourselves as designers. Furthermore, to develop ourselves to be
more professional, we must have a desire to plan, select, sketch, also do not afraid of
making errors, redesign and learn from experiences. Therefore, according to Clark (1992),
a vital element in the commitment to develop are the principles of design, which
including, write your own credo, start with your strength, make a five-year plan, look into
your own back yard, ask for support, go to the first class and blow your own trumpet.

The 7 principles of design for teacher, designed by Clark (1992):

1. Write your own credo of teaching

It is would be essential, when a teacher teaches he must have a credo on himself,

because our beliefs and personal theories set frames and view about what we see and
how to interpret our experience. As a person who has a selective view about everything, I
believe I cannot do anything without know and believe about the things. For example in
teaching, as I know and believe about teaching, learning, students and myself, the
teaching and learning process can run extremely well.

2. Start with your strengths

There are many teachers still not so confident about their ability in teaching and learning
in schools. Most of them still have the idea about they must have a responsibility to
become an excellent at everything. However, Clark (1992) said that teachers need to
abandon the idea. Even, he suggested teachers must believe that they do well at
everything in teaching and learning process.

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3. Make a Five-Year plan

Everyone in this world must be live with a plan before doing something. A plan can give
us a direction and a basis for evaluate and choice something for our lives. This principle is
an interesting one for me, because I personally believe that doing something without
planning, like we travel around the world without destination.

4. Look in your own backyard

This is the best principle for me. I believe by looking at my own backyard, I repay
attention to what I learned about myself at the past time. Moreover, I will use it as a
reference in teaching and learning process.

5. Ask for support

Personally, I strongly agree with this principle in terms of a human as zoon politicon.
Everyone cannot live without other people in this world. Based on my experience in
several schools, I usually get new ideas from other teachers about the way or system in
teaching and educational process in Indonesia. I learned a lot and get a plenty of
information about the educational system, more from other people than when I was in
university.

6. Go first class

As a professional, we deserve to be respected and that thing will begin with give our
respect to other people. I believe, if we get some respects from other people, we will feel
like first class people. Therefore, we need to go first class as a motivation to increase our
confidence in our works.

7. Blow your own trumpet

Let others know what we are doing as the best things. Learn how to teach about what
excites you.

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Based on the seven principles that designed by Clark above, I personally believe that
teachers can create the interesting teaching in the learning process. However, in the
context of teaching and learning environment in Aceh, teachers could not achieve all of
the seven principles above because of constrains of various things such as, salary and
others view about the teachers’ behavior. For example, if a teacher wants to implement
the seventh principle, “Blow your own trumpet” into the teaching process, other teachers
usually see the teacher as the one who want to show off his knowledge to them. They do
not know that, by implementing this principle will encourage confidence in the work.

Moreover, in the terms, “Go First Class”, most of the teachers in Aceh has the difficulties
to rise that term because of their salary is not enough and make them cannot feel that,
they are as the "first class" community of people. However, those things are depend on
how the teachers think about the principal of their lives and their students. I believe all
teachers in this world knew how to addressing their importance on the right ways and
conditions.

A Commitment to Collaborative Reflection on Practice

Reflection is a fundamental aspect of being a professional, especially in teaching and

learning process, because the notion of reflective the practitioners have been a significant
influence in teacher education for a long time. Jung (2005 in Dolmans et al., 2006) said
that experienced teachers improving their skills by reflecting the teaching and discussing
their teaching issues with their colleagues. It means that teachers learn more about
teaching and learning process through reflection. Lerman (in Lopez; Koop, 2003: 235) said
that, reflection is developing the skills of paying full attention to what is going on in the
classroom, noticing and recording the events and working on students with the purpose
to learn about them and the role of the teacher.

Additionally, Moon (1994: 4) explained that, the reflection lies on the process of learning
and on the representation of that learning. It means that we reflect on what we consider

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learning detailed about. In terms of collaborative, Heron (1996 in Bray (2000: 4)) explain
the meaning of collaborative as a combination of two or more people in conducting a
human inquiry through a series of cycles for sharing some ideas and reflecting together
based on their experiences. Based on these citations, I believe that, reflection is more
happens in groups of people where, people can share many ideas and help each other.
This is similar with the Bereiter explanations (2002; Dolmans et al., 2006: 290),
“Exchanging experiences and ideas with others considered for enhancing the quality of
reflection". I personally believe that, we, as a person cannot look into our own
weaknesses deeply, but we can look into other people weaknesses and suggest some
corrected to them.

In Boyd and Cooper (in Brody & Davidson, 1998: 50) show two main types of collaborative
reflection, including, individual reflective practices and partner/group reflective practices.
First, individual reflective practices that done by using self-contracting and monitoring,
writing reflecting journals, portfolios, case studies, and professional
reading/writing/study. Second, partner/group reflective practices or well known by
collaborative reflection. I believe both of them suitable for teachers. However, I consider
preferring to ask my colleagues or other people to make reflection for me during the
teaching-learning process than write reflective journals and read it after the teaching and
learning process.

As the collaborative process is the one of characteristic to improve teachers skills in their
teaching practices, Meijer (2005; Dolmans, 2006: 290) believe that, teachers through
collaborative reflection train their skills, thus enhancing their professional development.

Historically, the collaborative reflection on practice has implemented for a decade in

Aceh. The education inspectors that usually come to school suggested the teacher to do
peer teaching to improve their teaching skills. Moreover, the inspectors also ask teachers
to follow the MGMP (it is kind of the community of teachers to discuss several things that
related to teaching and learning processes) which conducted by the district government.
Nevertheless, they not significantly habit in making reflective journals as their own

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reflection during the teaching and learning process. Therefore, in my opinion, Aceh’s
education practitioners have committed to collaborative reflection on their practice in
teaching and learning.

Considering a lot of advantages that might come from the collaborative reflection on
practices, I shall argue that, the teachers in Aceh should maintain their collaborative and
combination in discussing among them, including during teaching and learning process or
in their organization.

Recognizing the Context and Culture on Professional Development

Learning is central of human life, and it is significantly essential with human’s works and
friendship. As the American theorist David Kolb (1984 cited in Foley, 2004: 4) has noted,
learning is essential as human primary mode of adaptation. In addition, if people do not
learn, they may not survive. Subsequently, learning is a complex thing that should not be
with a formal education only. Foley (2004: 4) said that the entire of human activity has a
dimension of learning. He also said that people learn continually, formally and informally,
in many places with many different settings. It means, people can learn in their
workplaces, in families, through leisure conditions, through community activities and in
political action also.

Additionally, the terms of people learn continually is extremely similar with the notion of
professional development. Kwo (2004: 281) explained, in order to be successful, teachers
need to participate in lifelong learning. As mentioned in the first theme above, lifelong
learning is closely defined as continuing learning and professional development through
the entire life whether formal or informal.

In terms of education, teachers required to learn continually to improve their ability to

teaching and learning process. Furthermore, Foley (2004: 10) see the teachers as the
adult learners that need to learn about education that grounded in an understanding of
practice and how they think about the practice. Schon (1983 cited in Foley, 2004: 11) sees

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the adult learning with the concept of reflection-in-action. It means, through reflection
the practitioners bring to their action into the appropriate and thoughtful way.
Subsequently, he gave a cycle of professional work, including, planning, acting, reflecting
and re-designing new plan. This concept, related to the social community life. Therefore,
in doing this concept, teachers must consider to social structure and culture that
explained in two paradigms, interpretive and critical.

The interpretive paradigm sees the individuals make meanings is not purely subjective,
but the focus is on the interaction of self and social culture and structure. In contrast, the
critical paradigm that related to critical theory of education that focused on the
relationship of knowledge, power and ideology. In the context of the educational system
in Aceh, these paradigms have their own example, respectively.

Firstly, in the interpretive paradigms, we as a novice teacher want to participate in a

collaborative of practice, we need to engage and put some interesting and useful ideas to
build a trustworthy among our teachers community. As we know, usually there is a gap
between novice and expert teachers. From this situation, we learn something that can
make us as a professional development. Secondly, in the critical paradigm, government
policies such as the national examination that required a minimum score to pass the
exam also encourage teachers to adapt and hard working with the system or policy.

Based on these two paradigms, it is now clearly that context and culture bring the
important influences to teachers’ professional development.

Conclusion

Indeed, not everyone will be keen to agree to further the professional development. In
addition, not every workplace and colleague can support someone who wants to be a
professional. However, the process of teaching and learning significantly depends on the
professionalism of a teacher. To gain the professionalism, a teacher required to be more
have a desire to continuing learning whether formal or informal. In the global context and

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the 21st century model of teaching and learning, the professionalism needed and steadily
increased. The individuals who desire to improve their professionalism and continuing
learning will face rising competition for the more desirable and rewarding position than
who do not have.

To move forward, we need to develop a plan whether personal or in groups

(collaboration) with other people. Therefore, a strong commitment needed to achieve the
professional development in the workplaces and jobs.

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