Impact of TESOL Continuing Professional Development programs (CPDs) Research Paper

Impact of TESOL Continuing Professional Development programs (CPDs) - Research Paper Example Impact of TESOL Continuing Professional Development programs (CPDs) Therefore, despite the numerous continues development programs available, the success of such programmes are measured by how best such trainees are able to transfer knowledge gained to their respective duties, skills improvement, in addition to job performance. Due to developments in information technology, there are increasing perceptions that ICT has resulted in major improvements in education, and may transform the learning process when implemented effectively (Oblinger & Oblinger, 2005). However, there are still arguments that discussions on ICT improving education are far-fetched, and that ICT has not always resulted to outright improvement of such programs (Smeets, 2005). Therefore, effectiveness of such teachers training programs related to ICT and other platforms have resulted in different findings depending on how such learning programs are implemented in different learning environments. This paper examines the challenges and impact of various professional training programs on both teachers and students. The article investigates several research papers on professional training programs, and outlines various findings to make a general summary regarding the impact of such programs. Short in-service teacher training (INSET) courses are one way in which the skills and knowledge of teachers may be revitalized through enhancing their skills and knowledge on specific aspects.... INSET courses are aimed at facilitating and stimulating new ideas in teachers and as a platform for teachers to meet and share with new colleagues their experiences and skills. However, the impact of the INSET courses according to Lamb may not be effectively realized without proper follow up of the participants. The motivation and stimulus gained by teachers is fast eroded and teachers are frustrated when trying to implement all newly learned ideas; teachers enroll in such professional development courses to learn new ideas, but have difficulties applying the learned concepts and ideas in a static learning system, which does not encourage or facilitate them to apply such ideas (Lamb, 2005). This brings about tensions and frustrations in teachers. However, Bridges (2007) in a controlled group trial on the effectiveness of INSET reports the group actually registered impressive growth in skills, though on what the researcher termed as cautious positive results in an intensive immersion INSET. A study on Tanzania primary teachers on INSET programs showed that such INSET trained teachers were much better in introducing and developing lessons, in addition to involving students in class group work, which was found to improve learning (Hardman & Dachi, 2012). However, in another study, Bridges (2007) asserted that multiple assessments resulted in a lower self-reporting as the participants did not have enough time to express their concerns in the learning process. Despite this, INSET was found to have a varied degree of positive growth in knowledge acquisition. This reveals that measurement of the programme’s success in this case has to be based on enough feedback from such teachers, and how best class lessons improve. One way to measure the success of INSET programme in