Professional Development Needs of Public Sector Women College Teachers: A Conceptual Analysis

Abstract

The professional development of teachers in undoubtedly an area of great concern related to improving the quality of teaching and assessment in Public Sector Colleges. Women college teachers in Pakistan experience multiple and continuous challenges with regard to CPD such as their burden of work, home responsibilities, poor mobility, insufficient institutional support and lack of gender-sensitive trainings. The conceptual review is based on the empirical doctorate study of 300 women college teachers of Punjab to explore needs of professional development in six areas of pedagogical skills, curriculum and instructional design, assessment practices, digital literacy, leadership planning and emotional well-being. Guskey's Five-Level Model of Professional Development was used as the theoretical lens to analyse how CPD affects teachers and, ultimately, student outcomes. The results show that pedagogical and digital training needs are most salient and that emotional and leadership development are less addressed needs. The barriers are the most pronounced when it comes to time issues and household duties. The highest correlation with CPD participation was found with institutional support (r = .61, p < .001). In this review, a conceptual framework for contextually appropriate, flexible and institutionally embedded gender-responsive CPD is proposed.