PART ‘A’

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn,

unlearn, and relearn.

– Alvin Toffler

What academia today understands as continuing professional development is, indeed, at its heart a

process of learning, unlearning and relearning; indeed, the processes of staff development too are aimed

at the continual improvement of job related knowledge, skills or attitudes of teachers.

‘The relentless ubiquity of reform and innovation’ (Fullan: 2001, preface) within educational

institutions has created an imperative for those who are at the frontline of school development-the

teachers- to respond with new knowledge, new skills and new attitudes each time an innovation initiative

is launched. This is in addition to the increasingly challenging responsibilities they have to fulfil as

practitioners overwhelmed by the ‘classroom press’ (which) draws their focus to day to day effects or a

short term perspective; … isolates them from other adults, especially meaningful interaction with

colleagues;..exhausts their energy; and limits their opportunities for sustained reflection (Fullan:

2001,p33).

In some quarters the phrase ‘professional development of teachers’ carries a great deal of negative

undertones. ‘It implies a process done to teachers; that teachers need to be forced into developing; and that

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Staff development is often described as the key to creating a proficient, well-motivated and

effective staff.

a) Discuss your interpretation of staff development

b) If you were responsible for setting up a staff development policy in your

institution/department, what goals would you establish and why? Through what types of

activities/procedures would you try to fulfil those goals?

c) What role would staff appraisal play in your policy and why? What form would it take?

teachers are pretty much alike.’ (Clark: 1992, p75). Gradually though, the concept of professional

development has taken on more positive tones.

For instance, educational theorists tell us that the primary aim of staff development ‘should be to

increase the quality of pupil learning by the development of the staff potential and it should seek to

recognize the specialized needs of the individual teachers’ (McMullen:1991, p165). While the objectives

implied within this definition are better than the debilitating ‘deficit model’ of teacher education, it is

interesting to note that the development of practitioners is still largely aimed at increasing the quality of

pupil learning and only as a corollary at addressing the ‘needs’ of the teachers.

Paraphrasing Swenson, Credaro (1999) states that "globalisation" of society has generated an

impetus for ‘continual reappraisal of practices in order to maintain a competitive edge. In educational

terms, this may be interpreted as the need to update practices in keeping with the findings of international

research, and to continually conform to national trends.’

Thus, on the one hand teachers face the daily pressures of the ‘classroom press’ and on the other

they are expected to participate in the management’s bid to ‘update practices’ and to ‘continually conform

to national trends.’ The task seems Herculean to say the least but with an effective staff development

policy, it is possible for educational managers not only to update educational practices but also to ensure

that the process of learning brings not only professional benefits but also personal satisfaction to the

practitioners.

‘Change in the classroom which involves more than extending the repertoire by acquiring new skills will

mean changing attitudes, beliefs and personal theories; and reconstructing a personal approach to

teaching. (Steadman et al.in Day:1999, p155)

The next question is how that is possible and what research has been done to develop patterns of

staff development that can actually help teachers become ‘skilled, reflective, and collaborative

professionals’ committed to the cycle of their own learning in every possible way. Studies, (Lawrence in

Sparks & Loucks Horsley 1989) have also shown that ‘practitioner ownership’ of learning means that

development ‘programs with individualized activities were more likely to achieve their objectives than

were those that provided identical experiences for all participants.’

Models of Staff Development

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‘Staff development came of age in the 1980s’ (Sparks & Loucks Horsley, 1989). Although much

remains to be learnt about the processes of staff development, a number of models have been developed

and adopted for use in educational institutions at elementary, secondary and tertiary levels alike. These are

briefly discussed below to facilitate discussion on staff development policy and staff appraisal later in the

paper:

Individually guided staff development

Observation/assessment model

Involvement in a development/improvement process

Training model

Inquiry model

Individually guided staff development

The central feature of such learning is that it is self designed and self initiated which according to Rogers

(in Sparks & Loucks Horsley 1989) is the ‘only’ learning ‘which significantly influences behaviour.’ The

practitioner’s readiness to learn is motivated by task and problems which can be found in real life. Here

Ajzen’s (Kennedy & Kennedy, 1996) discussion of teacher attitudes is pertinent. Change is a key feature

of professional development and this is dependent upon what teachers know, what they think about what

they know and how they perceive key players’ perceptions about a suggested alteration or improvement to

practice. Individually guided professional learning shifts the onus of generating attitudinal change from

the management/change agent to the practitioners themselves.

From the researchers’ perspective, the main disadvantage associated with this kind of approach is that it is

largely perceptual and based on self evaluation and self report but the advantage is that it contributes to

the development of the practitioner as a reflective professional and in due course leads to the use of the

‘reflectivity’ to gain insights into practice and the use of these to transform classrooms into active learning

communities.

The observation/assessment model

Reflection and analysis have been investigated as being central means of professional growth (Loucks

Horsley et al (in Sparks & Loucks- Horsley 1989). Observation and assessment of instruction provide

educators with data that they can reflect upon and assess for potential application to practice. Observation

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is another way of taking personal reflection one step further and its prime advantage is that it can benefit

both the observer and the observed. Clinical supervision and peer coaching are some of the forms of

observation currently in use. For effective clinical supervision, a pre conference with the person being

observed is suggested so that parameters for the session can be worked out. Following the observation,

directive or collaborative or non directive conferences can be arranged depending on the abstract

reasoning capabilities of the individual who has been observed. Peer coaching is another mode of

observation and involves a more collegial approach in which a colleague teacher visits the classroom of

the teacher being observed, gather objective data about the teacher’s practice or student learning and

provide feedback in a follow up conference.

Involvement in a development/improvement process

Often the involvement of teachers in the development or adaptation of curriculum or design programs or

any form of systematic school improvement can result in secondary learning which is the actual

professional development of the educators. Teachers involved in such processes can acquire a repertoire of

skills such as the ability to communicate, negotiate, solve problems etc.

The Inquiry model

Schon (1995: p68&69) writes that 'when someone reflects in action, he becomes a researcher in the

practice context and……..is not dependent on the categories of established theory and technique, but

constructs a new theory of the unique case.....he does not keep means and ends separate, but defines them

interactively as he frames a problematic situation.’ Inquiry is reflective of teachers’ ability to question

their own practice and to rationalise the most appropriate solution in accordance with their context and

values. Inquiry based model of staff development requires teachers to be action researchers and

innovators. Action Research can take the form of quality circles, problem solving groups, school

improvement projects and classroom research as a means to develop teacher thought (Glickman and Cross

in Sparks & Loucks Horsley 1989)

The Training Model

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Most educators staff development with some form of training or other ranging from preservice training to

inservice education consisting of workshops, seminars, minicourses and so on. The training model allows

the replication of behaviour in class and because training is imparted to people in groups it is deemed cost

effective. The impact of training on teachers, however, depends entirely upon its objectives and the quality

of the training program itself.

In view of the foregoing discussion and in the context of my own experience as ELT practitioner, I would

define staff development as the development of people into reflective practitioners through need specific

professional growth that can take place through patterns suited to need and context and not just a

surgically precise ‘process that is done’ to individuals for the sake of meeting reform targets.

As Fullan and Steigelbauer (in Karavas-Doukas ,1998, p38) duly emphasise: ‘educational reform will

never amount to anything until teachers become simultaneously and seamlessly inquiry oriented, skilled,

reflective, and collaborative professionals.’ That can happen only with a staff development programme

that embodies patterns responsive to the individualized needs of individual practitioners.

PART ‘B’

Ethos

Faculty, management and administrative staff are all key players in the efficient functioning of a

university and hence need to achieve the best standards of professionalism in their respective areas of

responsibilities.

Staff development opportunities can not only motivate them but also give them a sense of accomplishment

and thereby a sense of commitment to the university itself but these opportunities need to be well planned

and standardised.

Context

ABC is a decentralized, multicampus university and comprises 16 colleges/institutes. ABC has a

considerable number of faculty members, entrepreneurs (the commercialization arm of ABC),

management officials as well as administrative staff.

ABC faculty members are hired against three different categories: central pool faculty who are ‘seconded’

at the request of any college or institute prior to the commencement of a semester; regular faculty who

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serve exclusively at a particular college/institute; and, visiting faculty who are hired for a semester at a

time.

In addition to running UG, PG and PhD programmes in diverse disciplines, ABC also offers workshops,

certified courses/diplomas and seminars on a regular basis. The university also has collaborative

partnerships with international universities. Faculty members at ABC colleges/institutes usually have

managerial as well as academic responsibilities. In addition to this, faculty members are expected to lead

or engage in research projects related to their respective fields.

ABC therefore needs a staff development policy that takes into account the complexities of its

organizational structure and diverse responsibilities of its employees and that is oriented to ABC’s mission

to emerge as a centre of academic excellence nationally and internationally and as the leading player in the

indigenous development of technology.

Present Situation

Teaching Faculty

At ABC, professional development for teachers currently consists of ABC sponsorship for Postgraduate or

PhD studies at local and foreign universities, Post Doctoral Fellowships, Consultancies within industry

and in-service training and sponsored research projects. Administrative staff also receives

administration/technical staff training from time to time.

Managers

Most senior managers are either seconded government officers or retired service officers. Since a

significant number of ABC colleges were once managed by the services, it is considered a sound policy to

hire retired service personnel for the purposes of networking and coordination.

Staff

Currently ABC, being one of the leading universities in the region, can afford to hire the best staff. The

senior clerical staff, especially is drawn from the ranks of ex-servicemen and as such is well trained;

however, it is the junior non service staff that can benefit most from in-service training.

Goals

The goals would be to help ABC managers and staff:

Acquire a plurality of skills relevant to moving between work assignments

The additional goals for teaching faculty would be to:

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Enable them to become effective teachers, managers and researchers and arrange training where

necessary

Help them plan their professional development at the university so they feel a part of the

organization and also become focused on their professional growth

Enable them to become reflective practitioners capable of coping with the changing demands of

the workplace.

The managerial policies should also change or adjust to:

Become less centralized to allow for better local implementation

The rationale behind the goals

The work culture in Pakistan is very different from that found in countries like US or Britain. There is a

great deal of power distance and very little intermingling of the staff with the managers or teachers. As

such their development, while on the agenda, has to take a different direction. To attempt to change this to

suit Western practices would be to destabilise the work environment. Additionally managers and staff at

ABC are usually drawn from amongst retired service personnel; as such, they have accumulated

considerable experience and undergone considerable training. Retraining at this stage would be a

repetitious and in some cases superfluous exercise.Hence, management and staff are likely to accept the

need to develop new skills if they are considered instrumental to creating mobility especially with a view

to promotion or better pay.

The teaching faculty is truly the centre of ABC’s focus because good teachers add to the renown of the

institution. ABC does its best to hire only the best teachers and researchers available and as such is willing

to spend a great deal of money in training them or developing them further through established in-service

education procedures. Helping them plan their professional development is enabling them to focus on

their future within the organization and to feel a greater commitment to their work. Reflectivity can allow

them to develop self coping mechanisms for the contingencies of practice and workplace.

Activities/Procedures

Change in Staff Development Structure

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Staff Development at ABC is centralized. The Director Human Resources (HR) deals with the

implementation of the policy for all ABC employees. Due to funding and policy restrictions, staff

development has to remain centralized at ABC. However, it would be a good idea to appoint a Staff

Development Coordinator (SDC) at each college/institute to look after the professional development of

individual faculty members at the local level. This is also viable because as mentioned before a number of

ABC colleges/institutes are located in cities away from the University Headquarters.

Roles

Each local SDC can then have a small team that can deal with issues of planning the professional

development of each teacher under their purview and getting the plan (and requisite funding) approved by

Director HR.

INSET activities

At present information about courses, seminars and workhops has to cross so many channels that by the

time it reaches the college level, some of the registration dates have actually closed. Activities planned at

local level are usually implemented more effectively. The SDC office can also take on the responsibility

of communicating such information more effectively.

Setting up of Action Research Projects

Understandably, ABC faculty are keen to make their mark in the research field; this leaves them little

incentive to undertake classroom research to improve their practice. Mini grants could be made available

for research of this kind so that it is taken seriously. Projects of these kinds would also help faculty

members become more collegial and less clique bound in terms of their work.

Mentoring

A comprehensive mentoring programme needs to be instituted as part of the staff development policy at

ABC. The mentors could help to induct new faculty members (mentoring for induction), enable mentees

to follow their practice (mentoring for best practices) or simply provide the support that is usually missing

in hierarchical organizational structures.

Monitoring

At ABC, appraisal of the faculty members takes place through two main channels: student feedback and

classroom observation. Appraisal for the most part is seen as the exertion of managerial control and a

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source of threat. Individual appraisers, such as Heads of Department in some cases have established good

rapport with junior colleagues and are able to offer advice and feedback rather than judgement on their

performance.

However,the appraisal system at ABC needs to be standardized and improved so that it is seen as

developmental rather than judgemental.

PART ‘C’

Appraisal plays an extremely important part in ensuring that a ‘systematic framework for ensuring that

difficulties are registered and appropriate action implemented to try to overcome weaknesses, support

strengths and encourage potential (McMullen:1991,p174) exists for the ongoing development of staff.

Yet appraisal has garnered ambivalent responses. Bartlett (1998) writes that ‘the history of teacher

appraisal may be viewed as part of the continuing struggle and tension between the developing of

teaching as a profession and the growth of managerial control with its concomitant deskilling of the work

of teachers.’

A fragmented, performance oriented appraisal system already exists at ABC, but again there are individual

variations in its implementation. Most of the time the faculty evaluation is based on student feedback and

appraisal is conducted by the Heads of Departments through the observation/assessement model although

not all suggested phases of the activity-such as negotiation of areas to be covered or pre observation

conferences-are necessarily followed. Appraisals have never been known to be conducted through

interviews. Most faculty members believe that observation sessions are conducted only for the purposes of

paperwork rather than for true professional development.

Role of Staff Appraisal

In the policy for ABC, appraisal would be used to ‘overcome weaknesses, support strengths and

encourage potential.’ At ABC, where appraisal is chiefly seen as a paper pushing exercise or at worst a

control mechanism it is better that the ABC SD policy should project appraisal as developmental. To make

this happen, the policy should

Distinguish between performance reviews and appraisals

make appraisals mandatory for all faculty members regardless of seniority or managerial position

put framework into place to ensure appraisers receive adequate training

make provisions for external appraisers

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link up appraisals by setting achievable targets to be discussed in next session

encourage peer appraisals as a way of encouraging collegiality and the growth of a learning

community

The Rationale for Staff Appraisal

It is important to make the distinction between appraisal for professional development and appraisal for

judgement purposes because unless the distinction is made, the appraisee will view the appraiser with

hostility and not be willing to take onboard any ensuing feedback.

If the appraisal is extended to everyone it is seen as more democratic and less threatening. However, in the

case of ABC who appraises who will have to be enunciated very clearly in the policy itself to resolve

potential authority issues.

Without adequate training, appraisers are not likely to understand enough to make the feedback

meaningful for the appraisee. Appraisers also find it difficult to carry out the appraisals if they are not

comfortable with the techniques of observation or interviewing therefore training is needed in these skills.

External appraisers can be brought in to create the assurance that institutional politics and biases will not

affect the appraisal process as well as to generate a more objective appraisal.

Unless targets are set and reviewed at the following session, the activity is likely to be seen as

meaningless, therefore appraisers need to set the targets and appraisees need to try and fulfil those targets.

Peer appraisals, where the teachers are at the same level of seniority, are also likely to produce more

collegiality amongst professionals and goodwill for the process of appraisal on the whole.

The Form of Staff Appraisal

Appraisal can be conducted through:

Interviews

Observation

Self Evaluation

Group Appraisals

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For ABC, a combination of these would be effective for staff appraisal. One to one interviews are valuable

because they give the individual a chance to interact with his/her manager, to share ideas and concerns and

to gain advice and feedback. Observation is useful only if the observer is trained and knows what he is

looking for; it would be better for the policy to delineate the potential areas of interest to appraiser and

appraisee so that observations are focused rather than haphazard. Self Evaluation is another potential way

to conduct appraisal although the appraiser will need a close knowledge of the appraisee’s work and will

need to combine other forms of appraisal before producing feedback of any kind. A large number of

people with common background and work interests can be appraised as a group if that is what they feel

comfortable with. This is a less time consuming way of conducting appraisals but the appraiser will need

to be considerably experienced and skilled in attempting this kind of exercise because there will be a lot

more to contend with in terms of group dynamics and so on.

Conclusion

The updating of an institution’s staff development policy is vital if the institution wants to remain

responsive to changing trends. The patterns/models of staff development discussed earlier are found in

some degrees or the other in ABC’s existing policies and the staff practices. However ABC does need to

focus on individually guided learning and the inquiry based model as the current trends in the professional

development indicate that individuals need to become autonomous and reflective practitioners and this is

difficult to achieve within an organization that exerts strict managerial control yet has aspirations to create

educational practice that is innovative and flexible.

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