| Abstract [eng] |
Teacher professional development is one of the key factors influencing the quality of contemporary schools, student achievement, and the overall culture of education. Recent research increasingly emphasizes not only formal aspects of professional development, but also the context in which teacher growth takes place. Although effective principles of professional learning are widely discussed in the literature, challenges remain in applying these principles to real school practice. Therefore, this study seeks to answer the question: what kind of professional development model can be effective in a specific school context? The object of the research is teacher professional development. The aim of the study is to substantiate a model of teacher professional development by applying it to the case of School X. The following objectives were set: 1) to theoretically justify a model of teacher professional development; 2) to substantiate the research methodology of the model; 3) to identify how the model manifests in the case of School X. In the theoretical part of the thesis, existing models of teacher professional development were analyzed and compared in order to identify their similarities, differences, and strengths. Based on this analysis, a new theoretical model was developed, consisting of five key components: organizational environment, individual professional development, leadership, collaboration, and reflection with feedback. This model later served as the analytical framework for the empirical part of the study. A qualitative research design was used, employing semi-structured interviews with teachers working at School X. The collected data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis by identifying key categories and subcategories. The findings revealed that the professional development system at School X is coherent, flexible, responsive to community needs, and empowers teachers to actively engage in shaping its content. The importance of leadership support, reflection, relevance of topics, and differentiation according to teacher experience was emphasized. In addition to the components outlined in theoretical models, the study revealed several additional factors that influence professional development: emotional well-being, personal readiness, workload, and topic relevance in specific situations. The proposed model may be applicable in other school contexts, provided it is adapted to the institution’s unique culture and structure. The research is relevant to school leaders, teaching communities, and researchers seeking to develop sustainable, context-sensitive professional development processes. |
