The opinions of primary school teachers about professional devolopment: Professional devolopment model

The purpose of this study is to provide a model for effective professional development based on the data obtained from the opinions of primary school teacher. Twenty teachers working in Küçükçekmece, Istanbul, participated in this study. Interviewing was used as the primary technique of data collection and the data obtained was analyzed using Grounded Theory. The results indicate the following findings: elementary teachers are willing to undertake professional development, professional development is a necessity, teachers will voluntarily participate in professional development activities so long as suitable conditions are provided. The main components of an effective professional development model may be defined as: Feeling the need, determining the target, planning, process development, and evaluation. The Feeling the need section establishes the needs of institutions, students and parents, being respected, adapting to innovation, and career advancement. Determining the target formulates the concept of writing target sentences to achieve the identified needs. Planning includes the concepts of timelines and identifying viable possibilities. Process development introduces the concepts of collaborative work, appropriate content for the need, reflective thinking, and the regulation of the learning environment. Finally, the evaluation section identifies the concepts of process evaluation, reflective assessment, and goal-based evaluation. These findings conclude the necessity of providing adequate support and monitoring in order to ensure coordination among teachers.