Stages Of Professional Development

help the organization to grow and increase capacity of each employee to contribute to the growth of the other. The staff development makes the most of the present potential and prepares the individuals to discharge duties more efficiently. The staff development includes encouraging and providing for the growth of its human resource. Staff development affirms the ability of the individual and organization for the future.

2.4.2 Professional Development Professional development involves the career-long processes and related system and policies designed to enable educators (teachers, administrators, and supervisors) to acquire, broaden, and deepen their knowledge, skill, and commitment in order to effectively perform their work roles(Schwille

Professional development policies define the regulations, standards, assessment procedures, and resources for the provision of pre-service, induction, and in-service programs and the recruitment, retention, evaluation, and promotion of educators (Wilson, 2008; Wilson and Youngs, 2005). The stages are shown in figure 1. Figure 1. Stages of Professional Development

2.4.2.1 Pre-Service Pre-service education is offered when a person decides to take the responsibilities as a teacher and wants to choose teaching as a profession in future. He takes admission in a teacher training institution for a training programme, where he is exposed to psychological, philosophical, sociological and technological thoughts and ethics. This stage develops in him vital knowledge and skills imminent to the profession and some key skills as required by him during teaching learning process. This stage provides theoretical knowledge of teaching and learning with some variety of practical teaching experience in actual classroom and simulated class. Agochia (2002, p.29) perceives pre-service education as in shown in figure

When a person starts his job, he has to spend probationary period of varying durations and this period of his job is called induction. It occurs in less formal and least organized manner, helps new teacher in gaining better understanding of the classroom realities, art of adjustment with the school environment and developing in him greater degree of self confidence (Siddique, 1996).

2.4.2.3 In-Service In-service education is regarded as most indispensable for the fulfillment of their duties as teachers in the changing scenario. It is significant to equip teachers with new knowledge and to upgrade their skills and competencies in teaching. It is an activity for the continuous growth of the teacher which develops in him insight, understanding and cooperative practices. It provides the teacher with the knowledge, skills and competences through a training programme when the teachers meet in seminar or workshops. They develop a sense of security, like mindedness; a team spirit and a feeling of belongingness while participating in conference and discussions with the teachers get training in democratic way of living (Singh,