Conceptions of the principles and practices of effective staff development: A Caribbean perspective

Abstract

This research focused on the perceptions of primary school teachers (N=337) in the Eastern Caribbean concerning the principles, activities, and delivery strategies that would inform staff development efforts to meet their professional needs. In particular, it sought to establish whether, given the sharp contextual differences between the Eastern Caribbean and the developed countries in which most of the published research has been done, there was a corresponding difference in orientation with respect to teachers' perceptions of the principles and practices that constitute effective staff development. Findings indicate that none of the independent variables (teaching experience, level of training, grade level taught) had any significant influence on the teachers' perceptions of the principles that should undergird staff development. The data suggest a strong endorsement of the process-oriented approach to staff development and a preference for problem-based active learning modes that are overtly clinical. A high priority was accorded to a team approach to staff development, representing a strong call for more school-based input. The data showed that the teachers endorsed the participatory, process-oriented model prevalent in the literature of more developed countries