CHAPTER 7: Continuing Professional Development: The Lifeblood of the Teaching Profession

BRENDA B. CORPUZ, PhD

INTRODUCTION

This Chapter is devoted to a discussion of Continuing This Professional Development. It traces

the history of CPD for professional teachers in the Philippines and also discusses its philosophical basis
with the aim of instilling in teachers the genuine desire for CPD.

Learning Outcomes

• Explain why CPD is necessary for professional teachers

• Discuss pertinent provisions of the CPD Act of 2016 and other related legal documents
• Commit to continuing professional development

INTRODUCTION

The professional license for teaching obtained after passing the Licensure Examination for
Teachers (LET) simply tells that the professional teacher possesses the minimum competencies expected
of professional teachers, Hence, every professional teacher is expected to continue developing after
obtaining his/her professional license. This is one big demand for a professional teacher. The Code of
Professional Conduct for Public School Teachers cited in Section 7 of RA 4670 states: “Responsibility is
something expected of a professional teacher. The work of the teacher in the development and guidance
of the young is a tremendous responsibility for which he is accountable to God, to his country, and to
posterity. It is a trust of which every teacher should strive to be worthy.”

In fact, all professional teachers owe it to themselves and to the clientele they serve to go
through CPD. When doctors and nurses commit mistake, they bury their mistake. When a lawyer
commits a mistake, he/she puts his/her mistake behind bars. What about the teacher? When a teacher
commits a mistake he/she multiplies that mistake. A professional, therefore, cannot afford to commit a
mistake. A professional needs to go through CPD.

The Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (the revised National Competency-Based
Teacher Standards) includes personal growth and professional development as the seventh domain.
With the enactment of RA 10912, the CPD Law of 2016, CPD for all the professions regulated by PRC is
now mandatory. Mandating CPD is the only way all professionals including teachers are made to go
through CPD. CPD for professional teachers is not an option. It is a necessity. Continuing professional
development for professional teachers sharpens the professional teachers’ competitive edge in a highly
competitive global world.

The Philosophical Basis of CPD

1
 “Growth is an evidence of life.” This implies that anything that is alive grows or anything that
grows is alive. So a teacher who is alive grows physically, psychologically, mentally, socially, emotionally,
spiritually. If he/she doesn’t grow, it means he/she is no longer alive.

“Man/woman is an unfinished project.” For a professional teacher, he/she is always in the

process of becoming better and better as a person and as a professional teacher. No person, no
professional can claim he/she has already “arrived” at a state of perfection. Neither “Perfecta” nor
“Perfecto” who is perfect by name is not perfect. This means that no professional has arrived at a perfect
state. This implies that every professional is expected to continue developing.

The Historical and Legal Bases of Continuing Professional Development in the Philippines

Even before the enactment of this CPD Act of 2016, CPD was already alluded to in the 1987
Philippine Constitution. No less than the fundamental law of the land, Section 5, Paragraph 4. States:
“The State shall enhance the right of teachers to professional advancement.

Other laws also cited continuing professional development, as follows:

1. Batas Pambansa 232, the Education Act of 1982, Chapter 3. Duties and Obligations, Section 16,
(4) states as one of teacher’s obligations to assume the responsibility to maintain and sustain his
professional growth and advancement…”

2. RA 9155, An Act Instituting a Framework of Governance for Basic Education, Establishing

Authority and Accountability, renaming the Department of Education, Culture and Sports as the
Department of Education, and for other purposes, was enacted on August 11, 2001. In the
enumeration of duties and functions of the Secretary of Education, Section 7 A., to wit.
In addition to his/her powers under existing laws, the Secretary of Education
shall have authority, accountability, and responsibility among other things for … (6)
Enhancing the employment status, professional competence, welfare and working
conditions of all personnel of the Department;…Section 7. E states, to wit, “…Consistent
with the national educational policies, plans and standards, the school heads shall have
authority, accountability and responsibility for… encouraging staff development.”
(Underscoring mine)

3. R.A. 7836, the Teachers’ Professionalization Act, also provided for mandatory Continuing
Professional Education (CPE), now referred to as Continuing Professional Development (CPD), to
wit:

To encourage continuing professional growth and development and to provide

additional basis for merit promotion, in addition to their performance rating. Teachers
may take an oral and written examination at least once in five (5) years as basis for merit

2
 promotion. In taking this examination, no fee shall be required (Sec. 19. Periodic Merit
Examination of Teachers).
Unfortunately, due to lack of funding, the merit examination has not been implemented up to writing
time.

The same RA. 7836 states:

Unjustified or willful failure to attend seminars, workshops, conferences and the like or
the continuing education program prescribed by the Board and the Commission (Sec. 23, h.
Revocation of the Certificate of Registration, Suspension from the Practice of the Teaching
Profession, and Cancellation of Temporary or Special Permit).

4. The Board for Professional Teachers (BPT) also passed Resolution No. 435, s. 177 to adopt the
Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers pursuant to the provisions of paragraph € Article 11 of
RA. 7836, otherwise known as The Philippine Teachers’ Professionalization Act of 1994. This
Code of Ethics states:

Every teacher shall participate in the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) program of
the Professional a Regulation Commission, and shall pursue such other studies as will improve
his efficiency, enhance the prestige of his profession, and strengthen his competence, virtues,
and productivity in order to be nationally and internationally competitive. (Section 3, Article IV)

5. Executive Order # 266, Institutionalization of the Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

Programs of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards (PRBs) Under the Supervision of the
Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). This was signed and issued by the Office of then
President Fidel V. Ramos on July 25, 1995, to wit:

The completion by professional licensees of the Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

programs adopted by all Boards is hereby imposed as a mandatory requirement for the renewal
of professional licenses (Sec. 1).

This Executive Order was premised on the following:

WHEREAS, the various professions play a crucial role in nation-building;

WHEREAS, it is imperative to impose upon registered professionals the completion of the

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) programs adopted by the concerned Board as a pre-
requisite for the renewal of their licenses:
WHEREAS, the professionals who undertake the CPE programs are enabled not only to
upgrade or improve their technical knowledge and skills but also to keep them abreast with
modern trends and technology in their respective professions, thereby assuring the rendition of
highly qualitative professional service/s that will be globally competitive under the General

3
 Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and the same time securing the safety and protection of
the public;

WHEREAS, the confidence and patronage of the public in a professional depend upon his
competence and the quality of service rendered resulting from his acquisition of updated
technical knowledge and skill;

6. R.A. 10912, Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016 With the enactment of this law,
CPD for all the forty- three (43) professions regulated by PRC including the teaching profession
has become mandatory.

The Salient Provisions of RA 10912, The Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016

A lot of questions have been raised about RA. 10912, otherwise known as the Continuing
Professional Development Act of 2016. Many a teacher resists CPD. It is claimed to be extra expense,
extra effort and extra time when in fact it is every professional s obligation. CPD is the only way
professionals can sharpen their competitive edge in an international world that has become global
village. The need for CPD is heightened by ASEAN integration and internationalization which are now
real. To be in, a professional must meet international standards. The way to go is CPD.

The purposes of CPD for professionals are stated In RA 10912, Article 1. Declaration of Policy.

It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote and upgrade the practice of
professions in the country. Towards this end, the State shall institute measures that will
continuously improve the competence of the professionals in accordance with the international
standards of practice, thereby, ensuring their contribution in uplifting the general welfare,
economic growth, and development of the nation. (Underscoring mine)

The State policy on promoting and upgrading the practice of professions in the country and the
institution of measures to “continuously improve the competence of the professionals in accordance
with international standards” and gives Filipino professionals a competitive edge in the ASEAN region
and in the world.

Number of CPD Units Required

Article III, Section 10 of the same CPD Act states: “The CPD is…made as a mandatory
requirement in the renewal of the Professional Identification Card (PICS) of all registered and licensed
professionals… How many credit units are required for the renewal of PICs? For the professional
teachers’ group, based on Professional Regulatory Board for Professional Teachers Resolution No. 11,
series of 2017, the following credit units are required:

Period No. of Credit Units Required

4
 December 2017 15 Credit units
January-December 2018 30 Credit units
January 2019 onwards 45 Credit units

Ways by Which Professional Teachers Can Earn Credit Units

As shown in the figure below CPD credit units can be earned in 4 ways.

1. Professional track – This includes trainings provided by CPD providers accredited by PRC. You can
earn credit units as a participant to a training approved by the CPD Council. You earn more credit
units if you serve as a resource speaker, trainer or demonstration teacher. You also earn credit
units as panelist /reactor, facilitator/moderator. You earn much more if you are assigned by the
CPD Council to monitor the conduct of an approved CPD program.

2. Academic track – this refers to the completion of a Master’s degree, completion of candidacy to
the doctorate program completion of the doctorate program, completion of a post- doctoral
diploma, and being a recipient of a professorial chair grant, and/or fellowship grant. Take note
that ONLY COMPLETION of the Master’s degree is given full credit units of 45. Earning MA units
is not given any credit unit but completion of candidacy for the Doctorate degree already entitles
one to 45 credit units. The master’s and doctorate degrees must have been earned five (5) years
before renewal of professional license.

3. Self-directed track – This includes trainings offered by non- accredited CPD providers. It refers to
“learning activities such as online training, local/international seminars /nondegree courses,
institution/company-sponsored training programs and the like which did not undergo CPD
accreditation but may be applied for and awarded CPD units by the respective CPD Councils.

In addition, self-directed track includes serving as accreditor (e.g. ISO, ISA, PACUCOA,
PAASCU, AACUP, etc.) It also includes study tours and socio-civic activities using the profession.

4. Productive Scholarship - This means that the professional teacher has developed
program/training module, curriculum guide or any other resource material. Or the professional
teacher has written an article in a professional magazine or a technical /research paper and even
better if that technical paper is published in a refereed/peer-reviewed professional journal. Best
if the professional teacher writes a book or a monograph or comes up with an invention or
creative work, the latter entitles him/her to 45 credit units.

Even professional and/or lifetime achievement awards from the division level to
regional, national, and international level make the professional teacher earn credit units.

For specific number of credit units earned by professional teachers per CPD activity, refer to Professional
Regulatory Board for Professional Teachers Resolution No. 11, series of 2017. (Refer to Appendix J.)

5
As this Chapter on CPD is being written, discussions in the Senate are going on for possible amendments
on CPD implementation.

Continuing Professional Development Plan

A proof that a professional teacher has made CPD his/her way of life is his/her formulation of a
CPD plan which he/she religiously follows whether monitored or not monitored by his/her superior/s
because he/she monitors himself/herself.

Developing a personal CPD Plan helps teacher leaders develop purposively. It is not enough to
have a good intention to do CPD. It is best that good intention should be made concrete in a simple and
doable plan. Every professional who has sincere intent to grow professionally must have an annual
personal CPD plan.

Professional teachers formulating their respective annual CPD Plans and faithfully observing
them lead to the building of a CPD culture among professional teachers. With that CPD culture, the
negative attitude towards mandatory CPD hopefully will fade away. We hope to reach a point where
professional teachers will oblige themselves to go through CPD not because it is mandatory but because
this is something they owe to themselves as professionals and to the public they serve. This is
professionalism.

Templates for a CPD Plan

Below are two templates for a CPD Plan. The first one is the template used in the public schools.
The second is another template used by others. Comparing the two templates make one conclude that
they are basically the same. The different terms used actually refer to the same. Take note of the sample
questions. They ask basically the same things.

Which template to use? It is up to you. For those interested to be in DepEd, it may be good to use the
IPPD format.

Teacher’s Individual Plan for Professional Development (IPPD)

Objectives Methods/Strategies Resources Time Frame Success Indicators

6
 What What professional What will I When do I What PPST What
competence activity will I do to access expect to competence learner’s
will I enhance undertake to achieve resources? have would I have performance
my objectives accomplished enhanced? would have
been
improved?

Personal CPD Plan

Training Objectives Activity Resources Needed Time Expected Expected
Need Frame Output outcome
What do I What should What Human Material When am I
need to I do to activity supposed
improve address my should I Whose What to have
my need? undergo help do I materials addressed
teaching? to need to or how my needs?
address address much cash
my my do I need
need? need? to address
my
needs?
Preparation To make PP Tutorial IT Laptop May 18, 5 PPs More
of PPD for at least 5 teacher, LCD 2018 interesting
lessons expert and more
concrete
lesson
presentation
and
improved
students’
scores

Joining Professional Learning Community/ Communities of Practice

7
 CPD is made possible and alive through professional learning communities (PLCs) These PLCs are
powerful collaborations in which teachers work together to analyze and improve their classroom
practice in a systematic process.

The Department of Education institutionalized the School Learning Action Cells (SLACs) as a
mechanism for CPD.

In an interview with beginning teachers and administrators on conditions that help them
improve their own practice, the answer boils down to this “working in a school with an integrated
professional culture.

Learning from the CPD practices of High Performing Countries

Let us learn from the CPD practices of high performing countries like Singapore and Finland.

CPD in Singapore

Singapore is the first country in the world to adopt the PLC framework nationwide. (Dimmock &
Tan, 2013; Hairon& Dimmock, 2011) It has institutionalized PLC in its schools. Professional development
is very much alive. In 2010 the Ministry of Education (MOE) mandated all schools to be a “learning
organization”. This “learning organization” concept of schools supports the building of a strong
mentorship culture where a collaborative and community-oriented form of professional development
thrives. Every teacher is entitled to 100 hour per year of optional training which everyone makes use of.
Schools are encouraged to provide at least one hour of curricular time per week for teachers to actively
engage in school-based Professional Development (PD) initiatives. These PLCs are led by school leaders
who provide teachers with structures and resources to engage in a variety of inquiry-based PD practices.

For PD, Singapore has 1) Teacher-Researcher Networks, 2) Lesson study and other forms of
“Learning Circles”.

In the Teacher-Researcher Networks, faculty researchers from NIE, senior specialists from MOE, and
teacher researcher including those with higher formal training in research (who are called “research
activists”) serve as mentors to teachers to conduct action research. The overall goal of these learning
communities is to provide teachers with resources to engage in action research (Hairon, 2006), which is
usually a form of classroom-based investigation where teachers discuss and reflect upon pedagogical
problems and find their own solutions to Improve teaching and learning. The teacher-researcher
network follow these steps:

a. Identification and definition of a problem;

b. Planning for improvement;
c. Implementation of teaching/learning activities;
d. Observation of results (data collection)
e. Reflection on the outcomes.

8
 At the completion of the research, participants write a group reflective journal to summarize the
procedures, findings, conclusions, and implications of the study. These action research journals are
shared with other groups of teachers interested in similar classroom problems. Opportunity like a forum,
symposium and publications are given to teachers to share their research findings.

Another effective strategy for PD in Singapore is the lesson study (Lewis, Perry, & Hurd, 2004)
adopted from Japan. The overall goal of lesson study is to foster collaborative inquiry and data-driven
pedagogical reflection among teachers.

How is this done? This consists of four cyclical phases (Tan, 2014):

1. Study phase Teachers analyze the curriculum to be taught and formulate long-term teaching and
learning goals;
2. Planning phase – Teachers select lessons for research, predict student thinking and difficulties,
and plan the implementation of specific lessons for data collection; 3.
3. Analysis phase – Teachers observe and discuss the classroom evidence collected (e.g., videos,
student written work);
4. Reflection phase Teachers discuss student learning and identify new areas for further inquiry.

Much of the professional development of Singaporean teachers occurs within school settings
through the Learning Circles or Learning Teams. With the widely accepted concept of “schools as
learning organizations” and with teachers’ welcoming attitude to PD, there are a number of work-
embedded opportunities for PD. Topics for PD range from curriculum innovation, student-centric
teaching practices, new uses of ICT, collaborative lesson planning, to project- based learning.

Source: Bautista A., Wong, J., & Gopinathan, S. (2015) “Teacher Professional Development in Singapore.
Depicting the Landscape.” Psychology, Society & Education. 7(3) 311-36 Nov. 2015 Accessed 4-20-2018

CPD in Finland
Teachers in Finland meet one afternoon each week to jointly plan and develop curriculum. They
are encouraged to work together to share materials.

CPD in Japan
Lesson Study Approach to Professional Development

Japan is well known for lesson study. How does Japan do lesson study as a strategy for
professional development. Below is a detailed description of how Japan implements a lesson study:
Every teacher periodically prepares a best possible lesson that demonstrates strategies to
achieve a specific goal (e.g. students becoming active problem-solvers or students learning more from
each other) in collaboration with other colleagues. A group of teachers observe while the lesson is taught
and usually record the lesson in a number of ways, including videotapes, audiotapes, and narrative

9
and/or checklist observations that focus on areas of interest to the instructing teacher (e.g., how many
student volunteered their own ideas). Afterwards, the group of teachers, and sometimes outside
educators, discuss the lesson's strengths and weakness, ask questions, and make suggestions to improve
the lesson. In some cases the revised lesson is given by another teacher only a few days later and
observed and discussed again.

Teachers themselves decide the theme and frequency of research lessons. Large study groups
often break up into subgroups of 4-6 teachers. The subgroups plan their own lessons but work toward
the same goal and teachers from all subgroups share and comment on lessons and try to attend the
lesson and follow-up discussion. For a typical lesson study, the 10-15 hours of group meetings are spread
over three to four weeks. While schools let out between 2:40 and 3:45 p.m., teachers’ work days don’t
end until 5 p.m., which provides additional time for collegial work and planning. Most lesson study
meetings occur during the hours after school lets out. The research lessons allow teachers to refine
individual lessons, consult with other teachers and get colleagues’ observations about their classroom
practice, reflect on their own practice, learn new content and approaches, and build a culture that
emphasizes continuous improvement and collaboration.

Some teachers also give public research lessons, which expedites the spread of best practices
across schools, allows principals, district personnel, and policymakers to see how teachers are grappling
with new subject matter and goals, and gives recognition to excellent teachers.

CPD in New Zealand

In New Zealand, the Ministry of Education gives funds for 20 percent release time for new
teachers and 10 percent release time for second-year teachers Ministry of Education to observe other
teachers, attend professional development activities, courses and work on curriculum. Mentor teachers
deliberately spend time to observe and confer with beginning teachers.

(Source: By Linda Darling-Hammond, Ruth Chung Wei, and Alethea Andree How High Achieving
Countries Develop Great Teachers: Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education Research Brief
August, 2010) Accessed http://edpolicy.standard.edu

Characteristics of Effective CPD

Based on the professional development practices and experiences of high performing countries,
we can say that a CPD that works is 1) continuous; s; 2) collaborative; 3) focused on a specific teacher
need; 4) job-embedded; 5) given enough time and 6) funded. The one-shot workshops that teachers
bemoan don’t work.

CPD must be continuous thus the word Continuing Professional Development. A professional
does not stop developing or else he/she ruts. Stagnant water becomes putrid.

CPD must also be collaborative, thus the need to be part of a PLC, a professional learning
community. It was Helen Keller who said “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

10
 CPD must be focused on a specific teacher need. It responds to a need and so is highly relevant
to the teacher. A CPD that is prescribed by higher officials does not necessarily respond to teachers’
need.

If CPD is job-embedded, it becomes even more relevant. The teacher has not to be removed
from the workplace for CPD so there is no work disruption. What the teacher is trained on is exactly
what he/she does.

Quality CPD demands adequate time. What is 10 to 20 hours removed from contact time with
learners? Quality time spent for CPD ultimately redounds to improved teaching for the benefit of
learners.

CPD with support funds is definitely better than one without.

4. Formulate your annual Personal CPD Plan. Regardless of the format/template you will use. Make
sure that:
a. The CPD plan responds to your need to improve yourself as a person and as a professional
teacher.
b. You state that need/ objective specifically and clearly.
c. Your activities, resources are aligned to your objective and are complete and adequate.
d. Your plan is simple and doable; can be accomplished in a year because this is an annual CPD
Plan.

SUMMARY

One cannot give what one does not have. A teacher who embraces Continuing Professional
Development will have more to give to his/her students and to all others whom he/she serves.

The CPD Act of 2016 requires every professional teacher to go through CPD. CPD units are a requirement
for the renewal of professional licenses.

Let us learn from the CPD practices of countries which are known for their sterling school performance.
Finland and New Zealand have institutionalized CPD and so set time for CPD within the teachers’
teaching schedule. In New Zealand, teachers observe other teachers, attend professional development
activities, courses and work on curriculum, mentor teachers deliberately and spend time to observe and
confer with beginning teachers.

Japan is well-known for its lesson study where a teacher demonstrates a lesson as he/she is observed by
his/her colleagues. The demonstration lesson is open to critiquing by fellow teachers for professional
development.

Singapore has its lesson study, too, in addition to Teacher- Researcher Networks, Lesson Study and other
forms of “Learning Circles.”

11
Based on the professional development practices and experiences of high-performing countries, we can
say that a CPD that works is 1) continuous; 2) collaborative; 3) focused on a specific teacher need; 4) job-
embedded; 5) given enough time and 6) funded. The one-shot workshops that teachers bemoan don’t
work.

12