EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON ENHANCING PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: PRACTICING TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION

Abstract

This study focuses on gender-based disparities in how Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers perceive the influence of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) on pedagogical practices. The impact of CPD on instructional practices, classroom management, assessment and feedback, and inclusive teaching was evaluated through a survey of 410 educators. High perceived effectiveness was indicated by the results, which showed consistently positive perceptions across all dimensions with mean scores ranging from 3.69 to 3.77. Assessment and feedback practices showed the biggest impact, followed by instructional practices, classroom management, and inclusive teaching. The impact of CPD was rated significantly higher by female teachers than by male teachers in all four domains, according to independent samples t-tests. According to these results, continuing professional development (CPD) is an important factor in determining the quality of instruction in ECE and ought to be maintained, with a focus on gender-sensitive methods and customized tactics to increase participation and efficacy among various teacher groups.