Challenges and opportunities of school-based professional development in a decentralizing system

Abstract

This study addresses forms of in-service teacher professional development implemented in Kosovo schools during the last decade and efforts to ensure sustainabilityof teacher professional development in Kosovo circumstances. The Kosovo education system is characterized by its dynamic structure. Program developments to reform the system, in particular in the context of devolution have implications for professional development from central education authorities to municipalities and schools. In this context Kosovo saw also start of implementation of the school based professional development. As a new approach it involves a number of challenges and opprotunities for building a sustainable system of professional development that views professional development as a continuous personal development as compared to the formal approach of seminar type. Data for this study have been provided through a questionnaire with1500 teachers from 18 (out of 36) Kosovo municipalities and a case study in one school inKosovo, which was involved traditional PD provision, but has also made significant efforts towards school based professional development in the last two years. Findings of this study have been interpreted against the working context of Kosovo teachers - a system oriented towards regulation and standardization. The study confirms the potential for sustainability in school-based PD, and calls for systematic efforts in addressing challenges in order to allow for building of a new school culture oriented towards organizational development.