Evaluation of vocational teachers' continuing professional development models

Abstract

The effective continuing professional development (CPD) of vocational teachers is an important factor for reforming the vocational education and training system. While Lithuanian vocational teachers are inclined to professional development, the process provides no appreciable results. However, analysis and evaluation of CPD practice and inpact is complex. In seeking to understand some of the complexities, a framework of eight CPD models was applied and surveyed with a stratified sample of 346 vocational teachers. The teachers were usually involved in activities of the training model, but the activities of the coaching/mentoring model had the greatest impact on their practice.There were differences between men and women, as well as among different categories of teachers in the assessment of CPD activities. These implications were discussed in relation to three purposes of CPD - transmission, transitional and transformative. The article concludes with some thoughts on the purpose to which the CPD models best correspond.