Perception of Teacher Educators towards Their Professional Development

Abstract

This study attempts to find out the perceptions and professional development practices of teacher educators of teacher education institutions of Rajasthan. The major objectives of the study were: 1. To study the perceptions of teacher educators towards the benefits and quality of professional development programmes (PDP) in teacher education. 2. To examine the perceptions of teacher educators regarding the role of departments, institutions, principals, and national educational agencies in promoting professional development. 3. To analyse the perceptions of teacher educators regarding the contribution of regular academic responsibilities and online resources towards their professional development. A Descriptive Survey Research Design was adopted to conduct the study. The sample consisted of 175 teacher educators and 20 Principals/HODs selected through convenience, simple random, available, incidental, and accidental sampling techniques from 20 teacher education institutions. Data were collected using a standardized five-point Likert type Perception Scale adapted from Ravi Ranjan Kumar (2018). The instrument was validated by experts and established satisfactory reliability with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.837. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistical techniques. The findings revealed that that continuous professional development, institutional leadership, research engagement, ICT integration, and collaborative academic practices are essential for strengthening the quality and effectiveness of teacher education.