Institutional Practices Towards the Continuous Professional Development of Primary School Teachers

Abstract

This study explores the role of school academic coordinators and their strategies in continuous professional development (CPD) for teachers. This qualitative research adopts a case study approach to gain deep insights into academic coordinators' strategies and challenges regarding effective CPD. Data for this study is collected through semi-structured online interviews from N=09 primary school coordinators from different campuses of private schools in Karachi using criterion sampling techniques. Thematic analysis was carried out from the transcription to find the themes. The study results revealed that barriers to effective implementation include a lack of interest, insufficient resources, and lack of technical skills among trainers. The findings underscore the importance of effective CPD and its implementation, highlighting challenges and suggesting strategies such as regular pre-job and during-the-job systematically interactive CPD training sessions. This study provides a deep understanding of the CPD model for curriculum developers, school coordinators, school teachers, and school management to elevate the standard of education in their schools by adopting a practical CPD approach.