PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS IN AN INCLUSIVE SCHOOL-PREFERENCES, PARTICIPATION AND EXPERIENCE WITH DIFFERENT FORMS OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Abstract

The current reform processes of modern school systems have been going on for decades with the aim of implementing inclusive education. Accordingly, modern pedeutological research in recent decades has focused on the study and modeling of the system of professional development of teachers. A professional development teacher represents a long-term and consistent process of developing teacher awareness of what he does, why he does it, but also identifies mechanisms by which he can improve his work and himself personally (Hargreaves & Fullan, 1992; Day, 1999; Kostović, 2003). In this continuous process of development, from primary education and throughout the working life, professional development is a way through which teachers improve their work, progress and expand their roles in the modern school. Professional development in work is seen as a complex, continuous process of acquisition, enrichment and systematic adoption of new knowledge, skills and necessities necessary for the realization of increasingly complex teaching roles. The aim of this paper is to look at the dominant characteristics of professional development (teacher preferences, diversity and representation of certain forms of professional development) from the perspective of teachers themselves. The sample consists of 265 primary school teachers in the Republic of Serbia, Vojvodina province. A questionnaire was constructed for the needs of the research. The results of research on the parameter of participation and experience with numerous forms of professional development show that most teachers have experience with each of the forms of professional development defined by the Rulebook on Continuing Professional Development and Advancement as Teachers, Educators and Professional Associates in the Republic of Serbia (Sl. Glasnik RS, No. 48/2018). The ranking of the prevalence of forms of professional development of teachers in the sample shows that the most common forms are: participation in current school projects and seminars. In assessing the usefulness of certain forms of professional development, all forms are generally highly rated. Teachers, however, find it somewhat more useful to take forms of training with a dominant practical dimension: consultation, exchange of experience or solving current problems with colleagues; attendance at demonstration classes of colleagues and professional and study visits to schools. The final part of the paper emphasizes the importance of the obtained results in the context of contributing to a more purposeful and efficient system of professional development of teachers, its adaptation and revision according to the needs of teachers and achieving quality education for all children.