| If teachers are to be adequately prepared to work in the nation's classrooms and schools, educational policymakers must establish coherent and effective professional development practices. Teachers, administrators, and others involved in the professional development process need to understand professional development as an essential and integral part of teachers' work.; The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that teachers and administrators from a rural Pennsylvania high school hold toward professional development and toward the eight factors identified as motivating teachers to participate in professional development activities. The eight factors are student need, collegiality, career stage, monetary rewards, organizational goals, teacher evaluation, administrative support, and intrinsic motivation.; Research design included both quantitative and qualitative methods. Seventy-six teachers and 12 administrators completed the Teacher Professional Development Survey and rated the influence of the eight factors influencing teachers to participate in professional development activities. Additionally, two focus groups, one comprised of six teachers and one comprised of seven administrators, were asked to probe more deeply into the influence of the eight factors.; Data from the Teacher Professional Development Decision Survey indicate statistically significant different perceptions between teachers and administrators regarding the factors of collegiality, career stage, monetary rewards, and administrative support. Data from the focus groups indicate disagreement between teachers and administrators on the factors of collegiality, administrative support, and organizational goals.; Results from the study indicate that student need is the dominant factor unifying teachers' and administrators' perceptions of professional development. For those entrusted with the development of current forms of professional development, the implications of these findings suggest that supporting teachers in their efforts to use more effective pedagogy may be the initial step in meeting the needs of their students. |
