R E P O R T Diagnosis needs of teacher’s development forms in partner countries Anna Kiełb Anna Walkowiak Maria Płóciennik Koszalin, 2006

Institutions taking part in the project 1. Centrum Edukacji Nauczycieli w Koszalinie (Poland) – co-ordinator 2. Centro de Profesore de Recursos de Talavera (Spain) – partner 3. Centro de Profesore de Recursos de Tomelloso (Spain) – partner 4. Pedagogiko Insituto Kyprou (Cyprus) – partner 5. Rigas Rajona Pademes Izglibas un Kultura Parvalde (Latvia) – partner

RESEARCH TARGETS Essential direction of educational activities in partner countries. Teachers’ reasons for taking up in-service training or other forms of development Criteria influencing the choice of a defined form. Preferable forms, placed and dates of development. Expectations concerning the results of the development forms.

RESEARCH TOOLS The questionnaire contains metric in which teachers defined the type of educational institution they work in their status (this element appeared only in the Polish) years in occupation function teachers take up The questionnaire contains 7 multiple choice questions, out of which teachers were asked to choose 2. In the first 4 questions they could also add their own suggestions or ideas not listed. In partner countries it was possible to change some of the questions.

Questionnaire was mailed to a representative number of schools (104) of all levels ie. pre-primary, primary, secondary (gymnasium, lyceum) and technical education. Return rates were considered satisfactory. Of the 1497 questionnaires that 765 were returned (51%). ORGANISATION OF THE RESEARCH In Cyprus

ORGANISATION OF THE RESEARCH In Latvia In Latvia the questionnaire with a request to participate was sent to all 52 schools in Riga District (625 respondents). It was sent in electronic version.

ORGANISATION OF THE RESEARCH In Tomelloso in Spain In-Service Teacher Training Centre of Tomelloso covers 497 questionnaires were collected (61% of the total). Out of that figure, only 444 questionnaires were processed.

ORGANISATION OF THE RESEARCH In Talavera de la Reina in Spain It was distributed to all the area, including pre-primary, primary, special education, secondary and private (concertados) schools. 708 teachers answered the questionnaire.

ORGANISATION OF THE RESEARCH In Poland We put an on-line questionnaire on CEN’s web side teachers filledwww.cen.edu.pl in the questionnaire.

Respondents according to the type of school they work in

Respondents according to the years in teaching profession

According to the professional status

Results of research In the first part of the questionnaire teachers were asked which direction of activities is believed to be a priority in their schools / institutions. Respondents could choose 2 out of l6 listed suggestions (in Cyprus 4 out of 18 suggestions). The following table shows the five most commonly chosen answers in partner countries.

1.Which direction of activities are believed to be prior in your school? In all partner countries the following options were chosen: Supporting students motivation for learning Improving quality of education In 3 countries teachers also pointed out:(Cyprus, Talavera, Tomelloso) Promoting use of computer and informative techniques In 2 countries teachers fund the following to be a priority in their schools: Introducing new methods and forms of teaching Preventing school failures Improving foreign language skills Promoting integration of pupils with special educational needs

1.Which direction of activities are believed to be prior in your school? It is also important to show activities which are not common in schools: shaping intercultural awareness stressing European dimension of education promoting co-operation in education teaching national and civil awareness.

2. What makes you decide about your own in-service training or development? In all countries there are two main factors that decide about teachers’ own in- service training:  needs of the school I am working in  wanting to get better qualified In four countries teachers also pointed out:  my own need to develop Teachers in partner countries have very similar motivation for their own development.

3.What is essential while choosing a form of in-service training? In all partner countries the most essential was the subject of the training. In 4 countries it was also the date of the training. In 3 countries teachers also pointed out the importance of duration of the workshop and lecturer.

4. What forms of in-service training do you prefer? In three countries teachers pointed out: experience exchange workshops In two countries: short – time courses qualification courses teaching body (only in Poland and in Latvia) In all country on-line education is not that popular. Individual meetings in school are also not common

5.Where should the training be held? In all four countries respondents think that training should be held  in the in-service training centre  in the school. For a big group of teachers it does not really matter.

6. When should the training be held? Teachers would like to have a special training leave, but such a possibility exists only in Latvia. Only Polish teachers want to be trained at the weekends as that is usually the case. The most preferable time chosen for teachers in 4 countries for their training are: Work days in the morning (in working time periods), workdays in the afternoon.

7. What are your expectations concerning the effects of training? The three most commonly pointed out answers are:  getting new skill  improving knowledge  exchange of experience Less often teachers stressed: getting additional qualifications (In Latvia and Poland) getting formal qualification In Cyprus there were two additional answers chosen: improvement of school practice improving my students’ knowledge

Priority of activities In schools 1.Supporting students motivation for learning 2.Improving quality of education 3.Promoting use of computer and informative techniques Teachers’ motivation for their own training 1.Needs of the school I am working In 2.Wanting to get better qualified 3.My own need to develop Criteria while choosing a training form 1.Experience exchange 2.Workshops 3.Short – time courses 4.Qualification courses The place of the training 1.In the in-service training centre 2.In the school Expectations 1.Getting new skill 2.Improving knowledge 3.Exchange of experience Similarities

Differences The only differences are mainly due to the way teachers’ training is organized in partner countries and they include: the choice of the form of the training day and time of the training

CONCLUSIONS 1. Teachers’ needs in the field of their own training and development should be diagnosed as this lets training centres plan their activities according to such expectations. 2. The comparative research and study have clearly shown that teachers’ needs are very similar as far as topics and organisation of training are concerned. 3. The differences that occurred while carrying on the research are due mainly to different teachers’ training systems in partner countries

RECOMMENDATION 1. The priority activities in schools are the ones that support improvement of the quality of education and teachers' self-development and that’s why it’s a long- term activity. While attending any form of training teachers expect not only knowledge but also support to use new skills in school practice. 2. Supporting teachers’ and schools’ development should use and promote such forms of training that are based on teachers’ afterthought, everyday school practice, co-operation, consulting or research projects.

RECOMMENDATION 3.Motivating students as a training topic should also be included in the list of activities planned by a training centre. 4.Teachers’ in-service training centres should have an easy access to innovations, research results, bibliography of all kinds, international exchange as teachers need to have new skills. 5. As far as teachers’ demands are concerned, any training should preferably be held on weekdays in the morning or during appointed training leave; teachers also find it possible to attend such trainings on weekdays in the afternoon.

Thank you very much