Empowering Teachers: Implications for Professional Development

What is empowerment?

What is empowerment and why is it important? Empowerment is most often viewed as a process through which people become powerful enough to engage in, share control of, and influence events and institutions affecting their lives. Empowerment may also be defined as, “the opportunity and confidence to act upon one’s ideas and to influence the way one performs in one’s profession.”

Short (1992) presented six empirically derived dimensions underlying the construct of teacher empowerment – autonomy, self-efficacy, decision-making, status, impact, and professional growth. If teacher empowerment is vital to effective schools, then it is important to know how it develops and how it can be nurtured.

Phases of Teacher Empowerment Phase 1: Initiating Empowerment Phase 2: Growth of Empowerment Phase 3: Sustaining Empowerment

Phase 1: Initiating Empowerment Lack of Preparation for entering the classroom & concurrent lack of awareness of PD opportunities Early experiences with Decision-making Increasing confidence that accompanied student success Critical Element: Awareness of PD opportunities: “Part of what changes during a career is your awareness of these opportunities. I’m certain there were opportunities my first year. I just knew nothing about them.”

Phase 2: Growth of Empowerment Growing Awareness of PD Increasing Self-Efficacy through student success Challenging contexts - both teaching & personal Maturing sense of Autonomy through involvement in decision-making Critical Element: Professional Growth Opportunities: In this career phase, the teachers began to seek professional growth opportunities designed to improve their instruction.

Phase 3: Sustaining Empowerment Appreciating lifelong learning Redefining Self-Efficacy Valuing relationships with peers Impacting education through group involvement Critical Element: Professional Growth and Lifelong Learning: “I’m still learning. That’s one thing I will say – If you quit learning, it’s not any fun anymore.”

Experiences and Patterns 1. Professional growth provided the “mind” – an intellectual remedy for lack of preparation for teaching and challenging teaching contexts – and eventually supported a mature sense of self-efficacy, which was reflected in teachers’ increased confidence in their teaching, involvement in decision-making, and their status as professionals. 2. The professional development needs of the teachers varied as their careers progressed and the context of their assignment changed.

Creating the Conditions for Initiating, Increasing, & Sustaining Teacher Empowerment Phase 1: New teachers should be directed toward targeted professional development opportunities that address individual needs and/or weaknesses. Phase 2: PD should assist teachers in becoming more effective in designing and delivering instruction that meets the needs of their particular student population.

Creating the Conditions for Initiating, Increasing, & Sustaining Teacher Empowerment Phase 3: These teachers recognize the importance of lifelong learning and note a strong need for collaboration with other professionals who are functioning at their level of competence.

Considerations Used in Training Planning Good Techniques for Training Attitude as facilitator

Planning Think of the best trainers you had Work as a team Arrange for an acceptable venue Make sure you have all the materials needed Ensure you understand all tools Prepare well

Good Techniques for Training: Relax and energize participants. Familiarize participants with each other . Ensure all participants understand the aims . Introduce the key aims of the training. Ensure all the activities planned are acceptable. Agree upon a timetable. List expectations. Adapt the programme to address the needs.

Good Techniques for Training: Emphasize ‘learning by doing’. Start with a recapitulation of the previous day. Use a variety of methods. Role-play a bad vs. a good facilitator. Incorporate varied activities. Stick to time-frames. Have a strong closing session. Build in an evaluation of the training.

Attitude as facilitator Stay relaxed and calm. Be open and honest. Be a good listener; observe and record. Do not panic when the group is silent Do not interrupt people. Do not make judgments. Do not let arguments dominate

Attitude as facilitator Be aware of language barriers. Use visual aids and body language. Use appropriate eye contact. Make it interactive. Use humor . Choose examples that capture interest. Address questions raised by participants.

The ‘Perfect' Training Course: Participants Environment Resources Programme

A Trainer's Various Hats Motivator Mediator Mentor Controller Chairperson Presenter Counsellor

Types Of Participants The Silent The Griper The Know-all The Clash The Latecomer The Difficult-to-understand

Types of training methods: Lectures/ presentations Written exercises Group discussions Case studies Role plays Games and simulations Questionnaires Project work with presentation Videotaped simulations with playback Brainstorming

Dos of Training Delivery: Warm up learners’ Review the learning Encourage learners Set objectives learners awareness of the objectives Restrict input Take breaks

Dos of Training Delivery: Present info and recap Use visuals Ask how learners learn best. Use realistic case studies Use anecdotes. Use participants’ names. Give useful feedback.

Don’ts of Training Delivery: Overload learners. Use abstract ideas. Ask “Do you understand?” Take things for granted. Speak too fast . Ask learners to do things you would not.

General training room checklist: Overhead projector Transparencies Flip chart Marker pens Camera TV monitor Tapes Extension cables.

General training room checklist: Adaptors CD / tape player Paper and pencils Enough chairs & space Lighting, ventilation, AC Manuals Handouts Participants list