Impact of a professional development program on teachers' beliefs: A collective case study of four Indonesian schools

Teachers‟ pedagogical beliefs have long been noted as one of the influential factors to the way teachers plan and implement their teaching and learning activities. Professional development programmes are often used in order to influence teachers‟ instructional practice and pedagogical beliefs. With the purpose to examine the issues surrounding the participating teachers‟ pedagogical beliefs in the Master teachers and School Leaders program in two provinces in Indonesia, this study was conducted within the Master Teachers and School Leaders programme. The program was a collaboration between Edith Cowan University School of Education (Western Australia) and Sampoerna Foundation Teacher Institute (Indonesia), especially in the way the program affected the participating teachers‟ pedagogical beliefs. This one-year programme was aimed at changing Indonesian teachers‟ beliefs and practice through classroom based action research through reflective practice, the use of peer coaching and leadership support. There were 12 teachers from four schools in two provinces in Indonesia participated in this study. A mixed research methodology was used, comprised of Educational Belief Inventory (EBI) questionnaire; semi-structured interview; and field observation. The different instruments were intended to provide different points of view from which the teachers‟ pedagogical beliefs can be investigated. Data from this study indicated changes in the participating teachers‟ pedagogical beliefs. The components from the program, which were peer coaching; action research, and leadership support, as well as the teaching approaches as modelled by program facilitators from ECU were reported to have positive impact on the teachers‟ pedagogical beliefs. On the other hand, some constraints from the program implementation as well as from existing factors such as culture were reported to have negative impact on the teachers‟ motivation and engagement in the program The study found that as a result of the programme, teacher pedagogical beliefs had changed from a very teacher-centred to a more student-centred teaching approach. Also teachers reported that they now reflected upon their teaching practice and were exploring new practices. However the researchers found that cultural factors, such as the hierarchical nature the school and the foundation as institutions as well as teacher learning style all influenced the outcomes. The paper concludes with an examination of some recommendations that might improve similar professional development programs in Indonesia.

Grantor dc:publisher

Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia

Year dc:date

2010

Author dc:creator

• Nastiti, Hendrati

• professional development
• teachers
• teachers pedagogical beliefs
• Indonesia
• Teacher Education and Professional Development

Repository record dc:identifier

https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1840

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ro.ecu.edu.au:theses-2841