Constraints to Professional Development of Teachers

The quality of teachers and teacher education depends upon the professional development opportunities provided to them. These opportunities are needed to keep the teachers updated and technologically advanced. Professional development refers to all those formal, informal activities, learning experiences which reforms the teachers and help them to enhance their professional growth. It is also known as educational development, faculty development, teacher development and academic development. Like every field in education also there are continuous changes, to maintain the existence with the changing environment it is necessary for the teachers to go for continuous professional updating. There are various professional development activities for the teachers but there are some constraints also which check the teachers to avail the professional development activities. These constraints may be named as shortage of time, lack of motivation and confidence, lack of awareness to latest professional development opportunities, lack of interest in teaching profession etc. This paper highlights some barriers to professional development of teachers and the measures also that can be taken to deal with those constraints.