Professional Training Needs of Elementary Teachers

Abstract

Training for teachers is an important element in professional development for it equips educators with essential enhancement of their skills, knowledge, and strategies to address the diverse needs of their learners in the classroom, yet the relevance and effectiveness of the numerous training programs conducted are still in question because of unassessed needs of teachers prior to its implementation. While there are various studies that pointed out the needs of teachers for training, there is limited contextualized research on lived experiences of teachers in navigating professional growth based on Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST), a national standard for teachers set by the Department of Education (DepEd) through the Teacher Education Council (TEC). This study conducted a mixed-method approach to capture the training needs of elementary teachers in one of the public schools in the Division of Cebu Province based on PPST and the challenges and support they need for continuing professional development. The findings revealed that training programs must prioritize strengthening instructional competence and learning management strategies. Furthermore, the study emphasized that teachers prefer face to face learning modality rather than online and experiential learning methodology rather than plainly listening to a lecture all throughout the session for a maximized learning experience. Moreover, this study highlighted that limited access to relevant training, time constraints due to heavy workloads, minimal administrative support, and financial constraints affect the teachers’ participation in continuing professional development. These findings inform the school leaders in planning their next training program initiatives to make these practical, effective, and relevant.