Teachers’ perceptions of continuing professional development: a study of vocational high school teachers in Indonesia

ABSTRACT

The research examines Indonesian vocational high school teachers’ perceptions of continuing professional development (CPD) in the context of changing policies regarding teacher CPD. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model is used as the conceptual framework. Six accounting teachers interviewed understood CPD as an activity for teachers’ improvement, but in different ways. They perceived CPD as teacher performance assessment and government regulation (exosystem), personal development activities (individual), and some considered religious values when they described CPD. These teachers regarded their profession as a devotion to God and CPD as part of their duty and responsibility as obedient persons (interactional factors between individual and macrosystem). Civil servant teachers participated in more structured CPD compared with their non-civil servant peers as CPD activities are more closely related to promotion. Teachers showed they have interest and capacity to further develop their CPD but need support to develop their professionalism through microsystem and exosystem factors.

KEYWORDS:

• Vocational high school teachers
• continuing professional development
• bioecological model

Acknowledgments

1. The six accounting teachers for voluntarily participating in this study.

2. Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta for providing opportunities to conduct this research.

3. The Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education through the Directorate of Higher Education for granting a scholarship to conduct this research.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ani Widayati

Dr Ani Widayati is a lecturer at Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (Yogyakarta State University) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Ani’s teaching focuses on learning strategy for accounting and teacher professional development to undergraduate students. Her main research interests include teacher professional development as well as teaching and learning.

Judith MacCallum

Dr Judith MacCallum is an honorary research fellow at Murdoch University in Western Australia. She uses multiple methods and sociocultural perspectives to examine social interaction for learning and development. Judith’s research focuses on motivational change, mentoring and teacher professional learning in a wide range of learning settings.

Amanda Woods-McConney

Dr Amanda Woods-McConney is senior lecturer in Education at Murdoch University. Amanda’s current research focuses on engagement in science and science literacy, and inquiry-based instruction. Amanda is committed to linking theory and practice through teacher education grounded in practice and teaching informed by current research.