Considerations about the Meaning of Professional Development for Preliminary School Teachers

Abstract

The lifelong education of teachers means, as the term implies, that learning is an ongoing process spanning an individual’s lifetime. It is a dynamic, uninterrupted and necessary process. Lifelong education seeks to have an impact upon an individual’s development at every stage of a lifetime in the most effective manner, enabling a person to respond appropriately to a continuously changing environment. This article attempts to answer the question whether professional development and skills enhancement by preliminary school teachers have a positive effect on their attitudes and thus increase their job satisfaction. It also attempts to verify the hypothesis that professional development and skills enhancement have a positive impact on teachers’ attitudes, which increases their engagement and job satisfaction.