<p><i>Professional Development (PD) has
generally been associated with the learning opportunities teachers avail externally.
However, the latest trends propagate grounding PD activities in the work place with
the assumption that such shift will not only enable teachers to be engaged in
ongoing learning but also help them to find contextual solutions for their specific
issues. For other academics, however, PD refers to all the planned and
unplanned activities which teachers avail to improve their practices. In this
background, this research explored how relevant stakeholders in rural Pakistan
perceive PD. Using a survey method and questionnaire tool, data were collected
from teachers, school leaders, education department officials and
representatives of PD providers. The outcomes showed that majority of
stakeholders associate PD to external learning opportunities provided to the
teachers. In addition, there is a lack of shared understanding among different
stakeholders with regard to the meaning of PD. These conclusions have
implications for PD providers and educational reformers. Teachers should be
oriented on latest trends in PD as well as supported to use the latest
school-based PD models for their ongoing development.</i></p>
Multivoicedness as a tool for expanding school leaders’ understandings and practices for school-based professional development
