Transforming Education: Innovative Practices In Teacher Continuous Professional Development

Abstract

Teacher Continuous Professional Development (TCPD) is essential for educators to stay current with the latest educational trends, methodologies, and technologies, ensuring they can provide the highest quality education to their students. The main goal of this study was to identify the prevailing level of engagement and implementation of innovative practices within TCPD. Recognizing the pivotal role of TCPD in enhancing teaching efficacy and student outcomes, this research employs a quantitative methodology which involved 113 teachers from primary schools in Sarawak, Malaysia. A seven-point Likert scale was used to collect the data and the level of innovative practices in TCPD was analysed using the Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) version 29.0. Through a comprehensive survey distributed among 113 respondents, the study meticulously collects data on various dimensions of TCPD practices, including keeping up-to-date, experimenting, reflecting and asking for feedback, collaborating with colleagues with the aim of improving lessons and collaborating with colleagues with the aim of improving school development.  The results of this study indicate that the overall level of TCPD innovative practices is high (M=5.71; SP=0.68). For findings according to dimensions, keeping up-to-date dimension recorded a higher mean score compared to all dimensions of TCPD (M=5.76; SP=0.66), while both experimenting dimension and reflecting and asking for feedback dimension recorded a lower mean score (M=5.56; SP=0.82). By providing a clear snapshot of current practices in TCPD, this research contributes valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on educational transformation. It underscores the necessity for targeted interventions and support mechanisms to elevate the quality of TCPD, thereby fostering a more dynamic, responsive, and effective educational ecosystem. This study lays the groundwork for future research aimed at optimizing TCPD strategies to meet the evolving needs of teachers