SELF-DIRECTED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AS A PREDICTOR OF INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN KOTLI AJ&K

Abstract

Instructional practices significantly contribute to the advancement of any educational institution. To achieve favorable outcomes, teachers implement a variety of instructional strategies. The present research was conducted to assess how teachers' self-initiated professional development influences their instructional effectiveness at the secondary level. The key aims included: (i) investigating the dimensions of self-directed teacher professional development, (ii) identifying existing instructional practices among secondary school teachers, and (iii) analyzing the influence of self-directed professional development on these instructional practices. A descriptive research framework was adopted, utilizing a cross-sectional survey approach for data collection. The study population comprised all 1,020 secondary school teachers (SSTs) working in District Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Through simple random sampling, a sample of 310 SSTs was selected. A self-constructed questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale was used to gather data. The researcher personally visited the selected institutions to administer the survey. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistical methods (mean and standard deviation) were applied to assess teachers' views regarding self-directed professional development and their instructional practices, while regression analysis was employed to determine the impact of self-directed professional development on instructional practices. The findings indicated that teachers enhance their professional knowledge and competencies through various self-directed avenues. Moreover, a strong positive relationship was observed between self-directed teacher professional development and teaching performance. The study recommends that educators adopt modern self-directed professional development strategies, which can ultimately elevate teaching-learning standards.